Was wondering if there was a certain hotel that League of Legends players seemed to be leaning toward. Last year, the group we met on Sunday @ the LoL Cosplay tourney was awesome, and would love to hook up with everyone/anyone again, chill with some people afterwards. If anyone has any info, let me know!
I see it's mentioned already once, but I'd like to second the mention of Airbnb.com for somewhere to stay. We booked a nice loft for about $100 a night right on the silver line (and red line) so easy access to anywhere in Boston.
Was wondering if there was a certain hotel that League of Legends players seemed to be leaning toward. Last year, the group we met on Sunday @ the LoL Cosplay tourney was awesome, and would love to hook up with everyone/anyone again, chill with some people afterwards. If anyone has any info, let me know!
Thanks!
Myq
Me and my friends all play LoL and are staying at the Seaport Hotel. We might be signing up for the tourney as well, still deciding on what tournament format they do this year, or if they even have one at all. (Last year we placed 5th) What is your LoL IGN? Mine is Khmêrrouge
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klokateer9047A.K.A Captain Freezeezy Long island,NYRegistered Userregular
edited January 2012
So am I the only one staying at the Best Western roundhouse? I've been there the last 2 years because I always miss out on the closest hotels.
Just wondering if anyone else booked a room at the Courtyard in case anyone is down for meeting and doing some gaming either before, during, or after PAX.
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testsubject23King of No SleepZzzzzzzRegistered Userregular
I believe there's a hotels thread for questions like this.
I just had a quick question. Last year I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express about 2 miles away from the convention and they offered a free breakfast in the morning. It was a great way to start the day and it helped get me energized each and everyday before the convention. This year I'm staying at the Westin and was just wondering if they also offered a free breakfast.
A hostel about 10 mins away from BCEC. Individual rooms, shared bathrooms/shower stalls on each floor. I stayed there last year. I wouldnt really recommend it, but if you have no other option its at least worth checking out. Here is a short review of the place after my stay there last year.
The rooms are super cheap and very small, but at least its private unlike a traditional hostel with shared rooms. Its close to pax which is also a plus. After a friend from work picked up bedbugs at a hotel a few years ago I am pretty paranoid about that. I tore the room apart looking for any and all signs of bedbugs. Shockingly the place was totally free of the little parasites. Thats pretty much all I have to say about the place in a positive way.
The bathrooms are DISGUSTING. The last day I was there there was a toilet literally covered in blood. The whole place is pretty nasty, you wont want to touch anything. i kept all my luggage in the car and only took in a change of clothes in a backpack each night which i had hanging from the arm of the door to my room so it wouldnt touch anything. The showers have 2 settings... blistering hot, and solid ice. The lighting and the color of the walls make it look like some kind of abandoned mental asylum. Very depressing. Speaking of depressing, the place doubles as a YWCA, so its full of battered women who will try to follow you into your rooms (happened to me every single night). Finally, the rooms have no air conditioning and the heater is on full blast with no way to turn it off or even down. The windows to the room are stuck open with no screens, so expect some visits from spiders and crap in the middle of the night. Oh, and because its kind of a busy area in downtown boston, you get to hear the audio version of the departed outside on the street every night (which is actually kind of entertaining from time to time).
Like i said, this place is a dump. Only stay here if you have no place else to go =/
I just had a quick question. Last year I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express about 2 miles away from the convention and they offered a free breakfast in the morning. It was a great way to start the day and it helped get me energized each and everyday before the convention. This year I'm staying at the Westin and was just wondering if they also offered a free breakfast.
the westin does not do a free breakfast, and room service is crazy expensive. there is a starbucks in the lobby though. i totally agree with you, whenever i go away somewhere i make free breakfast or a private kitchenette top priorities so i don't spend a ton on food. unfortunately, the westin location at pax is too amazing to pass up, despite the lack of free food.
I wrote an extensive FAQ on how to shop for a hotel but to be honest, most of the stuff that was in there was either common sense at the level of "decent" travel experience.
Here are the two things you need to know
1- The hotel industry is cut throat and there's always a way to get a better price. Most of the time whatever is offered on their web site can be beat. If you can find a better price somewhere, say online, and you can provide them with a straight up link to prove it, they will match it. The catch is that you need to look for the same kind of room / bed / guest combination as advertised, and your link must not require you to bid on something, be a member of something, log onto something to see the price. Don't worry, these deals are easy to find. Check out travel web sites to get an idea of what you could get instead - but don't book with them - call the hotel and ask if they can match the price. Even better, use those well known web sites that actually search through all travel web sites (not naming names because it would be free publicity). Personally speaking I don't suggest you go with third party companies, only use them for price matching with the hotel itself. This is an entirely different subject which I don't have the time or the will power to get into. Maybe if demand is there I'll give you a more detailed method of looking for good prices. Let's just say that third party companies can sometimes create problems (such as being bumped). It's safer if you just book a better deal with the hotel directly.
TL;DR: Check out travel web sites, find the best price for the hotel you want to book, then call the hotel directly and ask if they can match the price. They usually say no problem, as long as you have the proper proof to show for it.
2- If you work for a remotely big company, call HR and ask them if you have available rebates for certain hotel chains - You probably had them and you never knew about it. Check with your boss first and then check with the Hotel for the kind of proof they need (usually a pay stub).
3- And there are many other ways to save money. CAA members, frequent flyer miles, being in the military, working for travel related businesses, there's too many to name.
BONUS: Call your credit card company. There's a good chance you have a program / point bonus thing that lets you save on travel expenses such as hotels. Sometimes this can apply on top of any savings you managed to get with a hotel. For instance, my Visa let's me trade in accumulated points for dollar value on travel expenses.
More later.
PS. Pro tip - Ever thought about Guest Houses? You won't find or hear about them if you keep searching for Hotels, they are not advertised as such and don't usually figure in most travel web site repertoires, yet they are pretty much the same thing as a hotel. The difference is that they are privately owned, small mom and pop operations for buildings that belong to them and were converted into hotels. Some conditions apply.
I just had a quick question. Last year I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express about 2 miles away from the convention and they offered a free breakfast in the morning. It was a great way to start the day and it helped get me energized each and everyday before the convention. This year I'm staying at the Westin and was just wondering if they also offered a free breakfast.
the westin does not do a free breakfast, and room service is crazy expensive. there is a starbucks in the lobby though. i totally agree with you, whenever i go away somewhere i make free breakfast or a private kitchenette top priorities so i don't spend a ton on food. unfortunately, the westin location at pax is too amazing to pass up, despite the lack of free food.
Totally in agreement here. Most of the Westin rooms have a mini-fridge but you have to call ahead to ask them to hook it up. We loaded up on snacks and food on Thursday night that lasted us through the weekend (there's a nice Italian deli/grocery a few blocks away). The lines at the Starbucks can get pretty bad early in the AM, but the vendors inside BCEC also sell breakfasty stuff like muffins and donuts in the mornings.
A hostel about 10 mins away from BCEC. Individual rooms, shared bathrooms/shower stalls on each floor. I stayed there last year. I wouldnt really recommend it, but if you have no other option its at least worth checking out. Here is a short review of the place after my stay there last year.
The rooms are super cheap and very small, but at least its private unlike a traditional hostel with shared rooms. Its close to pax which is also a plus. After a friend from work picked up bedbugs at a hotel a few years ago I am pretty paranoid about that. I tore the room apart looking for any and all signs of bedbugs. Shockingly the place was totally free of the little parasites. Thats pretty much all I have to say about the place in a positive way.
The bathrooms are DISGUSTING. The last day I was there there was a toilet literally covered in blood. The whole place is pretty nasty, you wont want to touch anything. i kept all my luggage in the car and only took in a change of clothes in a backpack each night which i had hanging from the arm of the door to my room so it wouldnt touch anything. The showers have 2 settings... blistering hot, and solid ice. The lighting and the color of the walls make it look like some kind of abandoned mental asylum. Very depressing. Speaking of depressing, the place doubles as a YWCA, so its full of battered women who will try to follow you into your rooms (happened to me every single night). Finally, the rooms have no air conditioning and the heater is on full blast with no way to turn it off or even down. The windows to the room are stuck open with no screens, so expect some visits from spiders and crap in the middle of the night. Oh, and because its kind of a busy area in downtown boston, you get to hear the audio version of the departed outside on the street every night (which is actually kind of entertaining from time to time).
Like i said, this place is a dump. Only stay here if you have no place else to go =/
I stayed at 40 Berkley last year as well. It was... like a very nice prison. I wasn't as sketched out by the bathroom as you were, that might be due to my hallway being filled with European travelers who were very friendly and (I'm assuming) clean.
Does anyone know of some good restaurants/convenient stores near the Seaport Hotel? I am just browsing Google maps for some and only found a few Burger places. Also can any pizza places ship to Hotel rooms? (never tried before :ar! )
Does anyone know of some good restaurants/convenient stores near the Seaport Hotel? I am just browsing Google maps for some and only found a few Burger places. Also can any pizza places ship to Hotel rooms? (never tried before :ar! )
This food thread will likely help you out. Considering the Seaport is close to the BCEC, similar closeness should apply.
Does anyone know of some good restaurants/convenient stores near the Seaport Hotel? I am just browsing Google maps for some and only found a few Burger places. Also can any pizza places ship to Hotel rooms? (never tried before :ar! )
This food thread will likely help you out. Considering the Seaport is close to the BCEC, similar closeness should apply.
Oh man, I'm really excited now. Was kinda bummed about not being able to book at Westin this year, but I just found out the Seaport has Keurig machines in the rooms, and they have a pillow library. A PILLOW LIBRARY! So if you want to try different kinds of pillows, you just let them know. (It's the small things, really.)
A hostel about 10 mins away from BCEC. Individual rooms, shared bathrooms/shower stalls on each floor. I stayed there last year. I wouldnt really recommend it, but if you have no other option its at least worth checking out. Here is a short review of the place after my stay there last year.
The rooms are super cheap and very small, but at least its private unlike a traditional hostel with shared rooms. Its close to pax which is also a plus. After a friend from work picked up bedbugs at a hotel a few years ago I am pretty paranoid about that. I tore the room apart looking for any and all signs of bedbugs. Shockingly the place was totally free of the little parasites. Thats pretty much all I have to say about the place in a positive way.
The bathrooms are DISGUSTING. The last day I was there there was a toilet literally covered in blood. The whole place is pretty nasty, you wont want to touch anything. i kept all my luggage in the car and only took in a change of clothes in a backpack each night which i had hanging from the arm of the door to my room so it wouldnt touch anything. The showers have 2 settings... blistering hot, and solid ice. The lighting and the color of the walls make it look like some kind of abandoned mental asylum. Very depressing. Speaking of depressing, the place doubles as a YWCA, so its full of battered women who will try to follow you into your rooms (happened to me every single night). Finally, the rooms have no air conditioning and the heater is on full blast with no way to turn it off or even down. The windows to the room are stuck open with no screens, so expect some visits from spiders and crap in the middle of the night. Oh, and because its kind of a busy area in downtown boston, you get to hear the audio version of the departed outside on the street every night (which is actually kind of entertaining from time to time).
Like i said, this place is a dump. Only stay here if you have no place else to go =/
I stayed at 40 Berkley last year as well. It was... like a very nice prison. I wasn't as sketched out by the bathroom as you were, that might be due to my hallway being filled with European travelers who were very friendly and (I'm assuming) clean.
OK after much debate I cancelled my reservation here. Thanks for the info. Probably go with either airbnb or another hotel.
I highly recommend that everyone check these sites before you check into your hotel, or better yet... Before you book it.
www.bedbugreports.com
www.bedbugregistry.com
bedbugs are freakin everywhere these days. I have a lot of friends who travel constantly and they run into bedbugs quite a bit. While Boston isn't as bad as NYC there are still a lot of hotels in Boston that are infested. If your room has them and you end up bringing some home in your luggage it can cost a LOT of money and take a long time to get rid of them. Do yourself a favor and do your homework before you check in.
Oh man, I'm really excited now. Was kinda bummed about not being able to book at Westin this year, but I just found out the Seaport has Keurig machines in the rooms, and they have a pillow library. A PILLOW LIBRARY! So if you want to try different kinds of pillows, you just let them know. (It's the small things, really.)
Really happy to have booked the Westin, but a small part of me kind of wishes I was at the Seaport solely because you have a pillow library. I should petition the Westin to create one.
Totally in agreement here. Most of the Westin rooms have a mini-fridge but you have to call ahead to ask them to hook it up. We loaded up on snacks and food on Thursday night that lasted us through the weekend (there's a nice Italian deli/grocery a few blocks away). The lines at the Starbucks can get pretty bad early in the AM, but the vendors inside BCEC also sell breakfasty stuff like muffins and donuts in the mornings.
I highly recommend this if your hotel doesn't have a cheap/filling breakfast. On you're first day in Boston, head to a supermarket or other store and stock up on healthy food. You will save a ton of money on food, and be much more energized for the day.
I will be staying at:
Courtyard Boston-South Boston
63 R Boston Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02125 USA
Stayed there last year, nice hotel, nice amenities. Will have my laptop with me for sure and some portable gaming systems. Not bringing my Xbox like last year since it didn't really get used enough to justify bringing it.
Totally in agreement here. Most of the Westin rooms have a mini-fridge but you have to call ahead to ask them to hook it up. We loaded up on snacks and food on Thursday night that lasted us through the weekend (there's a nice Italian deli/grocery a few blocks away). The lines at the Starbucks can get pretty bad early in the AM, but the vendors inside BCEC also sell breakfasty stuff like muffins and donuts in the mornings.
I highly recommend this if your hotel doesn't have a cheap/filling breakfast. On you're first day in Boston, head to a supermarket or other store and stock up on healthy food. You will save a ton of money on food, and be much more energized for the day.
Totally in agreement here. Miost of the Westin rooms have a mini-fridge but you have to call ahead to ask them to hook it up. We loaded up on snacks and food on Thursday night that lasted us through the weekend (there's a nice Italian deli/grocery a few blocks away). The lines at the Starbucks can get pretty bad early in the AM, but the vendors inside BCEC also sell breakfasty stuff like muffins and donuts in the mornings.
I highly recommend this if your hotel doesn't have a cheap/filling breakfast. On you're first day in Boston, head to a supermarket or other store and stock up on healthy food. You will save a ton of money on food, and be much more energized for the day.
I don't know about you. But I run on Dunkin!
Agree. Upon walking to the BCEC last year, one of my roomies and i stopped at the Dunkin Donuts that was just short of the con center. I had never had them before...and they're pretty good. Reasonably priced [unlike that shitty con food] and their coffee is wonderful.
PAX East 2012 Checklist: [x] 3 Day Pass [x] Time off Work [x] Flight [x] Hotel
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Moe FwackyRight Here, Right NowDrives a BuickModeratormod
I always thought peoples' reaction to Dunkin Donuts at PAX East was weird... until I moved to the west coast and realized that there are none out here (I grew up with a DD about a quarter-mile away from my house).
I always thought peoples' reaction to Dunkin Donuts at PAX East was weird... until I moved to the west coast and realized that there are none out here (I grew up with a DD about a quarter-mile away from my house).
There used to be like 5 in the Seattle area. But DD sucked at their franchise policies (costs were based on distance from HQ) and they all ended up going under. Last one closed in 2002. There's very few west of the Mississippi now.
I always thought peoples' reaction to Dunkin Donuts at PAX East was weird... until I moved to the west coast and realized that there are none out here (I grew up with a DD about a quarter-mile away from my house).
There used to be like 5 in the Seattle area. But DD sucked at their franchise policies (costs were based on distance from HQ) and they all ended up going under. Last one closed in 2002. There's very few west of the Mississippi now.
I noticed that here in MI too. I know that in the last six months a couple of the ones near where I work are no longer branded DD.
I always thought peoples' reaction to Dunkin Donuts at PAX East was weird... until I moved to the west coast and realized that there are none out here (I grew up with a DD about a quarter-mile away from my house).
There used to be like 5 in the Seattle area. But DD sucked at their franchise policies (costs were based on distance from HQ) and they all ended up going under. Last one closed in 2002. There's very few west of the Mississippi now.
I noticed that here in MI too. I know that in the last six months a couple of the ones near where I work are no longer branded DD.
At least here in Michigan we have Tim Horton's (tasty in its own right), but I can't wait for Dunkin' Donuts every year at PAX East. I had it every morning for breakfast last year. Some of their breakfast sandwiches are pretty healthy: reasonably low calorie and a good blend of carbs and protein to keep you going through the beginning of the day at PAX.
Posts
It means that PAX is providing a shuttle between the BCEC and that hotel. This is specifically different from an airport shuttle.
Thanks!
Myq
Me and my friends all play LoL and are staying at the Seaport Hotel. We might be signing up for the tourney as well, still deciding on what tournament format they do this year, or if they even have one at all. (Last year we placed 5th) What is your LoL IGN? Mine is Khmêrrouge
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A hostel about 10 mins away from BCEC. Individual rooms, shared bathrooms/shower stalls on each floor. I stayed there last year. I wouldnt really recommend it, but if you have no other option its at least worth checking out. Here is a short review of the place after my stay there last year.
The rooms are super cheap and very small, but at least its private unlike a traditional hostel with shared rooms. Its close to pax which is also a plus. After a friend from work picked up bedbugs at a hotel a few years ago I am pretty paranoid about that. I tore the room apart looking for any and all signs of bedbugs. Shockingly the place was totally free of the little parasites. Thats pretty much all I have to say about the place in a positive way.
The bathrooms are DISGUSTING. The last day I was there there was a toilet literally covered in blood. The whole place is pretty nasty, you wont want to touch anything. i kept all my luggage in the car and only took in a change of clothes in a backpack each night which i had hanging from the arm of the door to my room so it wouldnt touch anything. The showers have 2 settings... blistering hot, and solid ice. The lighting and the color of the walls make it look like some kind of abandoned mental asylum. Very depressing. Speaking of depressing, the place doubles as a YWCA, so its full of battered women who will try to follow you into your rooms (happened to me every single night). Finally, the rooms have no air conditioning and the heater is on full blast with no way to turn it off or even down. The windows to the room are stuck open with no screens, so expect some visits from spiders and crap in the middle of the night. Oh, and because its kind of a busy area in downtown boston, you get to hear the audio version of the departed outside on the street every night (which is actually kind of entertaining from time to time).
Like i said, this place is a dump. Only stay here if you have no place else to go =/
the westin does not do a free breakfast, and room service is crazy expensive. there is a starbucks in the lobby though. i totally agree with you, whenever i go away somewhere i make free breakfast or a private kitchenette top priorities so i don't spend a ton on food. unfortunately, the westin location at pax is too amazing to pass up, despite the lack of free food.
Here are the two things you need to know
1- The hotel industry is cut throat and there's always a way to get a better price. Most of the time whatever is offered on their web site can be beat. If you can find a better price somewhere, say online, and you can provide them with a straight up link to prove it, they will match it. The catch is that you need to look for the same kind of room / bed / guest combination as advertised, and your link must not require you to bid on something, be a member of something, log onto something to see the price. Don't worry, these deals are easy to find. Check out travel web sites to get an idea of what you could get instead - but don't book with them - call the hotel and ask if they can match the price. Even better, use those well known web sites that actually search through all travel web sites (not naming names because it would be free publicity). Personally speaking I don't suggest you go with third party companies, only use them for price matching with the hotel itself. This is an entirely different subject which I don't have the time or the will power to get into. Maybe if demand is there I'll give you a more detailed method of looking for good prices. Let's just say that third party companies can sometimes create problems (such as being bumped). It's safer if you just book a better deal with the hotel directly.
TL;DR: Check out travel web sites, find the best price for the hotel you want to book, then call the hotel directly and ask if they can match the price. They usually say no problem, as long as you have the proper proof to show for it.
2- If you work for a remotely big company, call HR and ask them if you have available rebates for certain hotel chains - You probably had them and you never knew about it. Check with your boss first and then check with the Hotel for the kind of proof they need (usually a pay stub).
3- And there are many other ways to save money. CAA members, frequent flyer miles, being in the military, working for travel related businesses, there's too many to name.
BONUS: Call your credit card company. There's a good chance you have a program / point bonus thing that lets you save on travel expenses such as hotels. Sometimes this can apply on top of any savings you managed to get with a hotel. For instance, my Visa let's me trade in accumulated points for dollar value on travel expenses.
More later.
PS. Pro tip - Ever thought about Guest Houses? You won't find or hear about them if you keep searching for Hotels, they are not advertised as such and don't usually figure in most travel web site repertoires, yet they are pretty much the same thing as a hotel. The difference is that they are privately owned, small mom and pop operations for buildings that belong to them and were converted into hotels. Some conditions apply.
Totally in agreement here. Most of the Westin rooms have a mini-fridge but you have to call ahead to ask them to hook it up. We loaded up on snacks and food on Thursday night that lasted us through the weekend (there's a nice Italian deli/grocery a few blocks away). The lines at the Starbucks can get pretty bad early in the AM, but the vendors inside BCEC also sell breakfasty stuff like muffins and donuts in the mornings.
I stayed at 40 Berkley last year as well. It was... like a very nice prison. I wasn't as sketched out by the bathroom as you were, that might be due to my hallway being filled with European travelers who were very friendly and (I'm assuming) clean.
This food thread will likely help you out. Considering the Seaport is close to the BCEC, similar closeness should apply.
http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/150564/east-hungry-at-the-bcec-look-no-further/p1
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Also, most food delivery places will deliver to hotels I know I've done it on many occasions!
OK after much debate I cancelled my reservation here. Thanks for the info. Probably go with either airbnb or another hotel.
www.bedbugreports.com
www.bedbugregistry.com
bedbugs are freakin everywhere these days. I have a lot of friends who travel constantly and they run into bedbugs quite a bit. While Boston isn't as bad as NYC there are still a lot of hotels in Boston that are infested. If your room has them and you end up bringing some home in your luggage it can cost a LOT of money and take a long time to get rid of them. Do yourself a favor and do your homework before you check in.
Really happy to have booked the Westin, but a small part of me kind of wishes I was at the Seaport solely because you have a pillow library. I should petition the Westin to create one.
I highly recommend this if your hotel doesn't have a cheap/filling breakfast. On you're first day in Boston, head to a supermarket or other store and stock up on healthy food. You will save a ton of money on food, and be much more energized for the day.
Courtyard Boston-South Boston
63 R Boston Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02125 USA
Stayed there last year, nice hotel, nice amenities. Will have my laptop with me for sure and some portable gaming systems. Not bringing my Xbox like last year since it didn't really get used enough to justify bringing it.
I don't know about you. But I run on Dunkin!
Agree. Upon walking to the BCEC last year, one of my roomies and i stopped at the Dunkin Donuts that was just short of the con center. I had never had them before...and they're pretty good. Reasonably priced [unlike that shitty con food] and their coffee is wonderful.
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There used to be like 5 in the Seattle area. But DD sucked at their franchise policies (costs were based on distance from HQ) and they all ended up going under. Last one closed in 2002. There's very few west of the Mississippi now.
I noticed that here in MI too. I know that in the last six months a couple of the ones near where I work are no longer branded DD.
Yeah, in Seattle it's: throw a brick, hit a vegan. And get sued by them.
tell me about it. there are FIVE dunkin donuts locations within a 10 minute walk from my house. like, walking in one direction. you can hit all five.
+1 lmao!
At least here in Michigan we have Tim Horton's (tasty in its own right), but I can't wait for Dunkin' Donuts every year at PAX East. I had it every morning for breakfast last year. Some of their breakfast sandwiches are pretty healthy: reasonably low calorie and a good blend of carbs and protein to keep you going through the beginning of the day at PAX.