If 2 of our teamates already booked through orchard (so we hit the minimum requirement) are we forced to book through orchard for the other 6 teammates.
The VEX Worlds website says this; however, I’m not really sure how it’ll be enforced.
All attendees are REQUIRED to book their hotel accommodations through Orchid, the Official Housing Company for the VEX Robotics World Championship.
It will likely be enforced by the number of hotel rooms (2), that’s what locks the registration or not. RECF receives a discount on the convention center if a certain number of people attend/book hotels through partners, which is why there is a hard requirement.
I highly doubt they would prevent teams for competing just because their parents, family, or mentor decide on a different housing option after spending $1800.
Pricing wise does anyone know how much it would cost for around 26 team members to stay at these required hotels
That depends on how many per room and what hotel you choose. You should be able to use the orchid link and try to price this out. I would imagine hotels closer to the venue are slightly more expensive.