The Super Bowl, Room Reservations and Contract Claims
Here in Indianapolis, there is as much excitement that our city will host this year’s Super Bowl as there is disappointment that the Colts are not likely to be playing. The excitement building around the coming of the Super Bowl is accompanied by a rush of energy toward finding tickets, suitable lodging and transportation for those who will make their way into town to witness the spectacle.
If you’re an out-of town vendor, you have to deal with the city’s maze (though not as bad as some previous venues I’m told) of licensing and regulatory hurdles. If you’re a guest, hoping or possessing tickets to the prized affair, you did well to book your room and other necessary plans at least a year in advance of your arrival. If you’re a hotel owner, restaurant or local broker of travel needs – you’re in a fortunate spot on one hand, but faced with some unusual and frightening challenges on the other.
Take the following example: a group that faithfully books space for Super Bowl events realizes over the preceding summer that the NFL season, and the big event were both very much in jeopardy. The demand for their rooms, catering, transportation, etc., wanes considerably and they decide to cancel some, but not all, of their reservations according to the terms of the contract with a local hotel. Shortly after the cancellation, they learn that the season is being played after all, demand accelerates, and they try to reinstate their order.
Too late! According to the hotel’s reservation staff, these rooms got snapped up almost immediately after the announcement that the game would be played. In fact, they had had serious inquiries even before the announcement.
Btu there’s a catch – the cancellation policy required a sign off by the hotel, and that signature was never placed on the document. Now the group’s agent insists the rooms are theirs, but to be sure they don’t lose the rooms, they book elsewhere, at a cost of more than five times the original price, and for similar lodging. They then file suit seeking damages for the difference in cost. The hotel responds claiming the alternate reservations do not fairly or accurately reflect any losses, if any, suffered by the travel group.
Unfortunately, variations on this scenario play out far too often when an event of the magnitude of the Super Bowl comes down. If you’re on either side of the transaction, you need and deserve effective counsel to help you weave through this thorny situation, just as you do, if you are a vendor seeking licensing, or a ticket broker buying and selling seat licenses at Lucas Oil Field for the magical day. Even if you’re a local homeowner, or an out of town visitor renting a spot for the game, you may need a competent attorney to advise you of your rights.
The Thompson Law Office handles interesting and challenging cases like these regularly, particularly for out-of-state parties needing local counsel, and local residents and business owners with contracts that involve Super Bowl transactions. If you would like a free consultation, call our offices today at (317) 564-4976.
