Chaos erupted in Montgomery as fate dealt a harsh blow to the Our Little Miss Pageant – and it all started with a booking disaster at the Renaissance Hotel.
Throngs of eager contestants and their families descended on Alabama’s capital city, only to discover their rooms were, shockingly, gone. For some, the dream of glitz and glamor became a logistical nightmare before the first round even began.
Pageant mom Daylene Collette was among the first swept up in the mayhem, but managed to snag a last-minute spot at the Renaissance. Her luck wasn’t universal, however. “By 7 p.m. yesterday, I knew girls still didn’t have anywhere to sleep,” Daylene confided.
Organizers scrambled, but with 70 rooms oversold, desperation set in. Families – many jetting in from across the country – had to trek back and forth between the Renaissance and the Home2Suites, a nearby hotel roughly a ten-minute stroll away. ‘Picture a mom wrangling a toddler and dragging pageant gear for three whole blocks,’ Collette added, venting her frustration at the impromptu marathon just to make it to the competition venue.
The tournament itself is a jamboree: the 2026 World Universal Beauty & Universal Prince Competition packs an electric schedule January 15-19, with glammed-out contestants vying in categories from evening gowns and interviews to show-stopping performances. But instead of focusing on the talent, families faced a mad dash just to get settled in their rooms.
Terri Fowler, the head honcho behind Our Little Miss, told WSFA the bombshell dropped Monday – hotel staff admitted they’d accepted dozens more reservations than they could house, leaving scores arriving on Wednesday out in the cold. PCH Resorts & Hotels’ VP of Sales, David Brown, tried to ease tensions, explaining that everyone would reunite under one roof at the Renaissance the next day after a one-night detour.
Since 1962, when basketball pro-turned-model Marge Hannaman launched the glitzy competition, Our Little Miss has been a launchpad for talent – and famous alumni like Brec Bassinger, Lacey Chabert, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Madlyn Sweeten prove it.
The pageant’s ethos: let children and adults alike shine in showdowns that build confidence, reward achievement, and offer scholarships for standout performers. This week’s drama? Just another chapter in a legendary system famous for turning everyday kids into bona fide superstars.
