icarus
Member
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2005
- Posts
- 117
Thought I might try to tap this particularly knowledgeable crowd for their view on convention hotels.
I attend a fair few conventions for both business and personal reasons (and no, science fiction does not feature in either!).
Work doesn't spring for the convention hotel unless it's within the public service travel allowance - ie, never. I hate being out of touch with the other delegates and the inconvenience of having to travel to and from (the cost of which would usually have covered the extra cost of the room).
When I travel to conventions for fun (book or music related; so I'm a nerd) I always stay in the convention hotel. Nothing beats that chance of running into Harlan Coben in the lift, or standing next to James Morrison in the queue at the buffet.
But the thing is, convention hotels are often just not very good hotels. Had a very second-rate stay at the Chicago Sheraton last year. The TripAdvisor reviews for the hotels for the next two conventions I've registered for are just awful. I would not dream of staying there if it weren't for the fact that spending time with people who share my interests (to put it mildly) is kind of the whole point of going.
So let me ask you: what are your experiences of convention hotels, and would you put up with a coughpy hotel for the convenience of being at the centre of things?
(NB: I except from this the Gold Coast International, which used to host an annual Jazz Convention which was the highlight of my year. I don't know why they discontinued them, but I loved the hotel and had some brilliant times there.)
I attend a fair few conventions for both business and personal reasons (and no, science fiction does not feature in either!).
Work doesn't spring for the convention hotel unless it's within the public service travel allowance - ie, never. I hate being out of touch with the other delegates and the inconvenience of having to travel to and from (the cost of which would usually have covered the extra cost of the room).
When I travel to conventions for fun (book or music related; so I'm a nerd) I always stay in the convention hotel. Nothing beats that chance of running into Harlan Coben in the lift, or standing next to James Morrison in the queue at the buffet.
But the thing is, convention hotels are often just not very good hotels. Had a very second-rate stay at the Chicago Sheraton last year. The TripAdvisor reviews for the hotels for the next two conventions I've registered for are just awful. I would not dream of staying there if it weren't for the fact that spending time with people who share my interests (to put it mildly) is kind of the whole point of going.
So let me ask you: what are your experiences of convention hotels, and would you put up with a coughpy hotel for the convenience of being at the centre of things?
(NB: I except from this the Gold Coast International, which used to host an annual Jazz Convention which was the highlight of my year. I don't know why they discontinued them, but I loved the hotel and had some brilliant times there.)