How to add extra nights to your RSNA 2020 group room block

Adding extra nights to an RSNA 2020 group room block is normally a request to the group’s accommodation coordinator, rather than a change made automatically in an online booking. The coordinator must confirm room availability, apply the correct group terms, and issue a revised confirmation before the additional dates are protected.

Australian delegations should plan this before finalising flights, especially when team members are arriving from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Perth. Clear dates and a written rooming-list update help avoid the cost and uncertainty of holding two sets of reservations.

Map the dates around the meeting

RSNA 2020 ran from 29 November to 4 December 2020, with meeting and venue information available in the RSNA 2020 venue details. Check the scientific programme rather than assuming every attendee needs accommodation on the first and last days.

Extra nights usually fall immediately before the opening day or after the final programme session. They may also support team briefings, committee meetings or post-meeting travel. Define whether each night is required for every delegate or only for a smaller travelling group, as this affects the number of rooms and the best rate.

Find the terms attached to your block

Start with the current group confirmation. Record the hotel, group code, room type, nightly rate, deposit, cancellation deadline, included benefits and the date on which unsold rooms may be released. Delegation hotels in Chicago include properties positioned at three, four and five stars, so the rate and location can differ substantially.

Check whether breakfast, Wi-Fi, resort fees, parking, taxes and local charges are included. Airport transfers are often separate. If the proposed stay includes a Sunday, Monday or shoulder-period night, ask whether the group rate still applies; rates outside the main meeting dates may be treated differently.

Keep the coordinator’s reply and the latest rooming list together. Names should match travel documents, while arrival and departure dates must reflect the full stay. If several people hold individual confirmations, send one coordinated request instead of asking each traveller to alter a separate booking.

Submit a precise amendment request

Send a written request that identifies the RSNA 2020 group, the property and the exact additional dates. Include the number of rooms, room types, occupants, preferred arrival times, accessibility needs and whether the group rate is essential. A precise request lets the coordinator check the block without interpreting vague phrases such as “a couple more days.”

International travellers can consult the international delegate hotel guide for a clear overview of reservation steps and information commonly requested by group organisers. Use it to prepare the delegation’s details, then submit the amendment through the same contact that issued the original block.

Ask for written confirmation showing the original meeting dates and the added pre-arrival or post-departure nights as one continuous stay. If the hotel cannot extend the block, request the nearest available room types, a valid group rate and a deadline for accepting them. Do not treat an availability note as a confirmed reservation.

Build an Australian-friendly travel plan

Long-haul schedules make the timing of Australian arrivals especially important. Flights from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth may arrive a day before the scientific programme begins, and jet lag can affect who is ready for opening sessions. For smaller delegations, a staggered arrival may reduce pressure on rooms while several travellers still attend the same meetings.

Keep the cost comparison in Australian dollars, but check the hotel’s US-dollar rate, the card issuer’s foreign transaction fee and the exchange rate on the payment date. Australian travellers may also choose to pay the final balance through the hotel’s secure payment system rather than by bank transfer, provided the deadline is met and the booking terms allow it.

For Australian passport holders entering the United States, verify the official ESTA and entry requirements before travel, and retain the approval alongside the hotel and meeting records. Chicago can be cold in late November even when Australian cities are in spring or summer, so plan clothing separately from the delegate’s home forecast.

If the preferred property has no space for the extra dates, a general hotel booking portal can help compare alternatives around Chicago. Treat this as a fallback rather than an automatic substitute: check the cancellation terms, distance to the meeting location, and whether the larger Chicago market will command a higher weekend rate.

Confirm flexibility before paying

Review the amended price before payment. The quote should separate accommodation, taxes, mandatory fees, breakfast, parking and any transfer or cancellation charge. Also confirm whether a deposit already paid applies to the additional nights, or whether a separate payment becomes due when the block is extended.

Ask how late the group can accept changes and when rooms are returned to the hotel. A deadline for rooming-list adjustments is different from a deadline for changing rates or dates. Get any exceptions in writing, especially for late arrivals, early departures, split stays or delegates who need a room several nights before the programme.

Keep the final confirmation, payment receipt and rooming list under the same group reference. If the plan changes, amend every affected reservation through the coordinator rather than cancelling one traveller’s room directly. That approach preserves the group’s negotiated terms and gives the accommodation team an accurate count.

Start with the dates your delegation actually needs, then send the group coordinator one concise amendment request. Include the hotel, group code, room count, occupants, exact arrival and departure dates, accessibility requirements and the rate you are authorised to accept.

Request a revised confirmation and an updated payment schedule before booking flights or alternative accommodation. Acting early gives the group the best chance to secure shoulder-period rooms in Chicago while keeping the Australian delegation’s travel costs and arrival plans under control.