Hundreds of young contestants and their families arriving in Alabama for a prestigious international beauty pageant faced a major logistical nightmare this week, after a severe hotel overbooking error left them without confirmed accommodation.
A Sparkling Event Dimmed by Accommodation Chaos
The 2026 World Universal Beauty & Universal Prince Competition, run by the long-established Our Little Miss Pageant, was thrown into disarray shortly before its start. The event, scheduled to run from January 15 to 19, was centred at the Renaissance Hotel in Montgomery. However, pageant owner Terri Fowler was informed on Monday that approximately 70 rooms were unexpectedly unavailable.
The issue stemmed from the hotel accepting more reservations than it could physically accommodate, with the bulk of guests due to arrive on Wednesday. David Brown, Vice President of Sales & Revenue Management at PCH Resorts & Hotels, confirmed the overbooking to The Independent.
Families Forced into Last-Minute Relocation
The hotel's solution was to relocate affected guests to the nearby Home2Suites for one night. While staff worked to manage the situation, this created significant inconvenience and safety worries for the travelling families, many of whom had flown into Montgomery specifically for the competition.
Daylene Collette, a mother of a participant, expressed her frustration and concern. "I was one of the first of those displaced that were able to get a room. From what I heard, there were still contestants without rooms at 7 p.m. last night," she stated. She highlighted the impractical and unsafe nature of the temporary fix, noting the 10-minute walk between the two hotels.
"Mums of 2-year-old contestants shouldn’t have to walk three blocks loaded with items necessary to be prepared for competition," Collette emphasised, pointing out the challenge for families with very young children in the all-ages pageant.
Resolution and Pageant Legacy
David Brown assured that after the initial relocation, "everyone was brought back to the Renaissance to check in, and all guests will remain under the same roof for the rest of the pageant." The Independent contacted the pageant organisation for a further update on Friday.
Founded in 1962 by professional basketball player and model Marge Hannaman, the Our Little Miss pageant system is a well-known institution focusing on confidence, talent, and personal growth for girls, boys, and women. It boasts notable alumni including actresses Jennifer Love Hewitt and Lacey Chabert. This week's accommodation crisis, however, temporarily overshadowed its message of camaraderie and family involvement.
