Frequently Asked Questions

Athlete Travel is a full-service sports travel management company that partners with event operators, clubs, and organizations to manage hotel accommodations for tournaments, showcases, and championships. We negotiate directly with hotels, secure the best available group rates, and provide a streamlined booking experience for teams and families.

Some events operate under a “Stay to Play” housing model. This structure allows event operators to:

  • Secure contracted, protected group rates with hotels
  • Secure other amenities that teams like, such as free parking and free breakfast
  • Ensure adequate room inventory near venues
  • Prevent hotels from raising prices later in the booking cycle
  • Protect teams who book later from surge pricing
  • Offset event operational costs without increasing registration fees
  • Strengthen long-term hotel partnerships

A key benefit to teams: when hotels commit to contracted event rates, they agree not to increase pricing as demand rises. Without a managed housing program, hotels often raise rates significantly as inventory tightens. This structure can save families hundreds of dollars per stay — especially on high-demand weekends.

Booking through Athlete Travel ensures rate stability, fairness for all teams, and a well-organized event experience.

  • Stay to Play: Teams are required to book through the official housing provider (Athlete Travel) in order to participate. Sometimes this includes a minimum number of rooms per team.
  • Stay to Save: Teams are encouraged — but not required — to book within the hotel block. Incentives or benefits may apply for participation.

If an event has a Stay to Play policy, it will be clearly communicated during registration.

Yes. Athlete Travel negotiates group rates directly with hotel partners based on projected room night volume. In most cases, the rates are equal to or LOWER than publicly available pricing, especially during peak times when rates typically increase.

In addition to rate protection, teams receive:

  • The ability to book larger room blocks at a single hotel
  • Increased likelihood that multiple teams can stay together
  • Event proximity
  • Group-friendly policies
  • Dedicated customer support

Keeping teams together in one hotel creates better logistics, better team bonding, and a smoother weekend overall.

For Stay to Play events, bookings must be made through Athlete Travel in order to satisfy event requirements. Direct bookings generally do not count unless formally approved.

For Stay to Save events, teams may book elsewhere, but booking within the official block provides significant benefits, including:

  • Contracted rate protection
  • Flexible group cancellation policies
  • Protection from post-booking rate increases
  • Access to additional room inventory
  • Extension flexibility for bracket play
  • Advocacy support if issues arise
  • Direct coordination between Athlete Travel and hotel management
  • Centralized reporting for event compliance

Booking within the block ensures you are fully supported before, during, and after the event.

Once a hotel reaches its contracted room block, it may show as sold out online. However:

  • The Athlete Travel team monitors inventory daily
  • Additional rooms sometimes become available
  • Nearby alternate options may be added

Some hotels offer a “Request Room” feature. While not guaranteed, this allows teams to request additional rooms beyond the initial block. In many cases, hotels will release additional inventory if available.

If you need assistance, our support team is ready to help.

Cancellation policies vary by event and hotel, and they are clearly outlined on each hotel listing though the “Hotel details” tab before booking.

Booking through Athlete Travel provides important protections:

  • Clearly defined group cancellation windows
  • Our ability to advocate on your behalf if cancellation occurs after the deadline
  • Force Majeure clauses that address weather-related or unforeseen event disruptions

If challenges arise, we work directly with hotel management to pursue the best possible outcome for your team. Of course, always review the cancellation policy before booking to ensure the most flexibility and best results for your team.

Example: A team that potentially was going to the ECNL playoffs booked a great hotel for Surf Cup San Diego with a flexible cancellation policy. When they were accepted to the ECNL playoffs, they were able to cancel their Surf Cup San Diego hotel room reservation. If they had chosen a hotel with a less flexible cancellation policy, this could have cost them a large cancellation fee.

Hotels are selected based on strict evaluation criteria, including:

  • Family Safety – Well-lit properties, secure access, strong safety records
  • Proximity to Venues – Minimizing commute time for families
  • Quality Standards – Cleanliness, renovation status, service reviews
  • Team-Friendly Amenities – Breakfast options, meeting space, parking
  • Service History – Proven performance with sports groups

Athlete Travel maintains national strategic relationships with all major hotel brands thru our NSO (National Sales Office) relationships:

  • Hilton
  • Marriott International
  • Hyatt
  • IHG Hotels & Resorts
  • Best Western
  • Choice Hotels
  • Hyatt
  • Sonesta
  • Wyndham

These critical national partnerships allow us to secure the best local options for each event and give us the ability to engage brand leadership when needed to ensure our events receive the attention and cooperation they deserve.

Special requests can be submitted during booking or by contacting the Athlete Travel support team.

While requests are not guaranteed by the hotel, we advocate on your behalf and communicate directly with hotel management when needed.

CONTACT US

Our team is here to help.

Yes, absolutely. Families can earn hotel loyalty points when booking through Athlete Travel. Simply enter your hotel membership number during the booking process. Points eligibility is subject to each brand’s loyalty program terms.

Athlete Travel works closely with hotel partners to accommodate extensions whenever possible. Communicating potential extension needs early gives us the best chance to secure additional nights at the contracted group rate.

Yes. We provide live customer support during peak arrival days and throughout event weekends.

For assistance, please visit our CONTACT US page.

Athlete Travel is more than a housing provider — we are a strategic partner.

We deliver:

  • Deep national hotel relationships
  • Transparent financial reporting
  • Increased room night pickup
  • Optimized hotel mix strategies
  • Compliance monitoring
  • Dedicated account management
  • Proactive inventory oversight
  • Professional, responsive customer service

Our approach reduces operational burden for event directors while improving financial performance, hotel leverage, and overall event professionalism.

We operate with accountability, transparency, and long-term partnership in mind.

As early as possible — and ideally as soon as booking links are available.

Booking links are typically released immediately after tournament registration or on a designated launch date. Early booking ensures the best hotel options and room types.

Local team exemptions are determined by the event operator. Typically, “local” is defined as being within approximately 100 miles of the tournament venue.

If you believe your team qualifies, please contact us for review.

Families come first.

We provide white-glove service for:

  • Families
  • Team managers
  • Event directors
  • Hotel partners

What sets Athlete Travel apart:

  • Real people answering calls
  • National hotel leverage with local execution
  • Transparent reporting
  • Proactive communication
  • Strategic event insight
  • Relationship-driven service

We are in the people business — not just the room night business.

If an event is canceled, Athlete Travel will immediately work with hotel partners to release room blocks and pursue refunds consistent with the contracted cancellation terms and force majeure provisions. Our team communicates directly with families to ensure clarity and next steps.

Yes, you can hold rooms at multiple hotels for a maximum total of 18 rooms. Holding rooms at multiple properties restricts availability for other teams, so we encourage doing this briefly, if at all. We encourage teams to evaluate options and book decisively to ensure fairness across the event and the best results for everyone.

Contact us immediately. Double bookings can create inventory shortages for other families. We will help correct the reservation and coordinate with the hotel to resolve any billing issues.

Team managers can manage rooming lists through the booking portal. Hotels receive finalized rooming lists prior to arrival, allowing smoother check-in and better coordination for team stays.

No, unfortunately to be fair to all involved, we can’t take special requests before an event opens for booking.

Absolutely. Athlete Travel regularly supports large clubs traveling to multiple events throughout the year. Our team can coordinate preferred hotel relationships, streamline communication, and optimize overall travel strategy.

If a billing issue arises, contact us immediately. We work directly with hotel accounting teams to investigate charges and resolve discrepancies quickly. Having Athlete Travel as your intermediary simplifies the resolution process.