Looking for a hotel - how screwed am I?

[DocSER]

I just made arrangement that will allow me to attend Gencon for the first time this year. It looks like there are no hotel rooms available through the Gencon housing service for the length of the event.

I am considering staying a little bit away and renting a car. How terrible an idea is that?

 

[Thunderfoot]

Housing may not have anything if you are trying to schedule outside of Wednesday through Sunday (they almost always come back empty.) Try looking at some of the downtown hotels on your own through a discount travel service. It will cost more, but you'll get the days you want and the hotel you want without trying to rent a car and drive into Indy (which will have more traffic than usual sue to the road work that will be going on.)

Edit: Just did a search on Travelocity and Downtown Indy from Monday to Monday is running about $200 a night. (parking DT is $20 a day so keep that in mind). Most of the major hotels Downtown still have rooms.

 

[DocSER]

I was able to find something around $200 a night that is close enough that I won't need a car (or parking).

I am curious about the con experience side, though. How does having a nearby (say 3 blocks) hotel change the Gencon experience?

 

[Thunderfoot]

Not much - I stayed at the Radisson (now the Sheraton) my first year and its about three blocks away. Just make sure you have plenty of time to get where you need to go to include traffic.

Glad I could help, BTW. Make sure you come to the ENnies and track me down - I'll be running sound behind the curtain and running the ENnies booth in the dealer's hall of Sunday afternoon (prior to tear down).

 

[DocSER]

Thank you for the reassurance. It had not crossed my mind that I could actually attend the ENnies. I will have to check that out.

This is one of those life long dreams that is still not completely real.

 

[Lanefan]

I am curious about the con experience side, though. How does having a nearby (say 3 blocks) hotel change the Gencon experience?

As opposed to staying out of town and commuting to the Con? Massively.

The first time I went I stayed out by the ring freeway and drove in each day - saved a boatload on hotel costs. The second time I spent the bucks and stayed downtown, within a reasonable walk of the Con. centre. No comparison! When you're staying downtown the time of day/night becomes completely irrelevant, if there's something you want to do you just do it without having to worry about how tired you'll be for the drive out (in an unfamiliar city, this is an issue).

Glad I could help, BTW. Make sure you come to the ENnies and track me down - I'll be running sound behind the curtain ...

Knowing your tastes, does this mean the ENnies will be held to a heavy metal soundtrack?

Lan-"thunder on the tundra"-efan

 

[Thunderfoot]

<SNIP>
Knowing your tastes, does this mean the ENnies will be held to a heavy metal soundtrack?

Lan-"thunder on the tundra"-efan

Don't know how I missed this until now???

No, the winner's walk music is selected by the companies that are in the running and I edit it for time and content (some of the things they want to play would give Eric's grandma an outright coronary). The opening theme is my doing (including the voice over) and is more like cheesy, well, award's show music. The music prior to the event is a mix of styles (to fit all the different tastes of the attendees) and the intermission music is instrumentals of jazz and classical metal (i.e. Yngwie Malmsteen) to keep that light background "dinner music" feel to it.

Now if the company doesn't submit any music, I get to do what I want.

 

[Cameronman]

I went last year and did not reserve a hotel until LATE. Needless to say my hotel was a good half hour away from the event. If you bring a car it should be fine because the Taxis will kill you with their fare. I recommend the bus for transportation. Basically you are fine if you have good transportation and are willing to get kind of far away from the convention. Downtown sucks anyway.

 

[Michael Dean]

This is my 8th Indy Gen Con and I've never stayed downtown and never felt that I've missed anything. Hotels on the outer rim of the city are much less expensive and some will shuttle you downtown if you don't want to park your car. Also, this is about the time my wife makes reservations, and there has always been rooms available within 20 minutes of downtown. Good luck and I hope you have fun!