A question just occurred to me. My group and I planned to take the boltbus or megabus out of Philly to Boston and back. We were going to leave at 5PM Sunday on the boltbus, however, I realize the Westin's hotel checkout is well before that. Is there some place (Westin, coat check in BCEC, etc) that we can store our bags between Sunday hotel checkout and when we leave to take the bus home?
I have done this at other hotels (not in Boston) and they had no problem holding my bags until I came back.
Thank you for the info guys, I'll check in with Westin today and report back in case anyone else is in the same boat.
Frugus: <.<
it's always good to check, but i stayed at the westin last year and they had no problem holding our bags both before check in and after check out. they have a small storage room for it right next to the main desk (but be prepared to tip the guy who takes your bags, they can get huffy if you don't).
they have a small storage room for it right next to the main desk (but be prepared to tip the guy who takes your bags, they can get huffy if you don't).
D'oh! I didn't know that. I had the hotel in Seattle hold my bags after checkout and didn't tip. Now I feel bad At least I know now for next time.
We might have a last minute crammed guest or two, are they going to give me trouble if I show up with 5 luggage bags when we originally registered a room for two people?
Also is it better to tip when you drop the bags off or when you pick them up later?
We might have a last minute crammed guest or two, are they going to give me trouble if I show up with 5 luggage bags when we originally registered a room for two people?
YMMV.. I don't think they can tell you what you can and can't have for your luggage.
Did anyone who stayed at the WestinWaterfron last year throw or attend any parties in the hotel rooms? I didn't attend any but I remember walking past a party being broken up by the hotel security.
Did anyone who stayed at the WestinWaterfron last year throw or attend any parties in the hotel rooms? I didn't attend any but I remember walking past a party being broken up by the hotel security.
Sounds to me that if hotel security had to get involved then they were asking for it.
I don't think I speak only for myself when I say that throwing full blown a hotel room party is a bad idea. Sure, this is PAX and most of the hotel will be filled by happy attendees, but that does not mean they don't need rest. In fact most of us if not all will be utterly destroyed from all the standing and walking around for 16 hours. I don't want to be the party pooper but Weaton's law applies.
This being said, I think it's totally cool to host friends and have fun. People should just be mindful of their neighbors
Did anyone who stayed at the WestinWaterfron last year throw or attend any parties in the hotel rooms? I didn't attend any but I remember walking past a party being broken up by the hotel security.
Sounds to me that if hotel security had to get involved then they were asking for it.
I don't think I speak only for myself when I say that throwing full blown a hotel room party is a bad idea. Sure, this is PAX and most of the hotel will be filled by happy attendees, but that does not mean they don't need rest. In fact most of us if not all will be utterly destroyed from all the standing and walking around for 16 hours. I don't want to be the party pooper but Weaton's law applies.
This being said, I think it's totally cool to host friends and have fun. People should just be mindful of their neighbors
Seriously. Seaport last year went like this:
Thursday night: Staff are bemused by all the people playing games and buying drinks in the lobby.
Friday night: Staff seem mildly concerned that this is happening for another night.
Saturday night: Full lock down, no drinks in the lobby, and we even had trouble bringing a little beer up to our room to quietly split among friends.
So I bit the bullet this afternoon finally and booked myself a room at the Radisson. The price was fair and it's close to delicious noms and bars. I would've liked to snagged a room at the closer ones but that is basically impossible now :P
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Seriously. Seaport last year went like this:
Thursday night: Staff are bemused by all the people playing games and buying drinks in the lobby.
Friday night: Staff seem mildly concerned that this is happening for another night.
Saturday night: Full lock down, no drinks in the lobby, and we even had trouble bringing a little beer up to our room to quietly split among friends.
Ack that sounds horrible! I wonder if the Seaport will be locked down the whole time now that they can expect a large crowd for PAX. At the Westin I don't think they had any problems with people hanging out in the lobby but I also didn't notice anyone drinking.
Just booked the Colonnade. According to the email, PAX will have shuttle service to and from the hotel so we should be okay as far as transportation goes. Thought about renting a car but that just didn't seem to be very cost effective with the parking and such.
Any other gamers staying here? This will be our first PAX. Can't wait!
PAX East 2012: Time Off [X] 3 Day Pass [X] Plane [ ] Hotel [X]
What hotels close still have rooms? I won't be booking through the site because I am military, and can get rooms at more of a cheaper rate. But I need to call the hotel and see if they have any government rates for those dates.
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Head up one level in this thread for an updated hotel list posted by PixelKitty. The PAX deals were actually pretty sweet. We got ours for about 50% below the normal nightly rate.
PAX East 2012: Time Off [X] 3 Day Pass [X] Plane [ ] Hotel [X]
Noob question, but here goes! This is my first year actually booking a hotel (past two years, I had a free hotel room) So I booked in advance via Seaport's site. Then, I saw PAX East site was live to take reservations and I'm sure there'd be a discount, so I booked through there. Long story short, I called to cancel my first reservation and they don't have the onPeak reservation on their computer, just the one I made with them. Is this normal? Is my room reserved and should I keep my original reservation just in case. If I'm okay and don't need that first reservation, does anyone want to take over it? It's booked for the 4-9th.
Noob question, but here goes! This is my first year actually booking a hotel (past two years, I had a free hotel room) So I booked in advance via Seaport's site. Then, I saw PAX East site was live to take reservations and I'm sure there'd be a discount, so I booked through there. Long story short, I called to cancel my first reservation and they don't have the onPeak reservation on their computer, just the one I made with them. Is this normal? Is my room reserved and should I keep my original reservation just in case. If I'm okay and don't need that first reservation, does anyone want to take over it? It's booked for the 4-9th.
That's normal. OnPeak just make a block booking at this stage, they don't pass the details of room occupants to the hotels until much closer to PAX. Barring any overbooking shenanigans (which are unlikely - hotels have probably learned from last year) you should be perfectly fine to cancel the first reservation.
Noob question, but here goes! This is my first year actually booking a hotel (past two years, I had a free hotel room) So I booked in advance via Seaport's site. Then, I saw PAX East site was live to take reservations and I'm sure there'd be a discount, so I booked through there. Long story short, I called to cancel my first reservation and they don't have the onPeak reservation on their computer, just the one I made with them. Is this normal? Is my room reserved and should I keep my original reservation just in case. If I'm okay and don't need that first reservation, does anyone want to take over it? It's booked for the 4-9th.
That's normal. OnPeak just make a block booking at this stage, they don't pass the details of room occupants to the hotels until much closer to PAX. Barring any overbooking shenanigans (which are unlikely - hotels have probably learned from last year) you should be perfectly fine to cancel the first reservation.
agreed with all of this, but if you're a bit paranoid like i am, make sure you have printouts of all your onpeak confirmation stuff (you can log back into the hotel reg page and view your info if you need to) and keep those printouts in a safe place. that way if you encounter any difficulty upon arrival, you have hard evidence of your reservation.
Just booked the Colonnade. According to the email, PAX will have shuttle service to and from the hotel so we should be okay as far as transportation goes. Thought about renting a car but that just didn't seem to be very cost effective with the parking and such.
Any other gamers staying here? This will be our first PAX. Can't wait!
I stayed at the Colonnade last year and loved it. We booked late, so it was the best deal at the time, but you're staying in a beautiful hotel, with a great view. I do not remember having any problems with the shuttle last year - though I did hear issues from people at other hotels, it didn't seem to affect the one that ran to Colonnade.
Enjoy PAX - my first was last year, and I'm geeked for this one.. Oh, and snag one of the umbrellas in the room - they're nice (leave the robes, though.. they will charge for those)
Looking for recommondations for a boston subway close hotel for pax east. Looking for 2 to 4 for $100 night.
A wider area using the subway may give some good picks. Since all the close hotels are full and cost more than what we pay for at pax prime.
Looking for recommondations for a boston subway close hotel for pax east. Looking for 2 to 4 for $100 night.
A wider area using the subway may give some good picks. Since all the close hotels are full and cost more than what we pay for at pax prime.
Looking for recommondations for a boston subway close hotel for pax east. Looking for 2 to 4 for $100 night.
A wider area using the subway may give some good picks. Since all the close hotels are full and cost more than what we pay for at pax prime.
Booked the Radisson. Can anyone tell me what to expect? And how many people can stay in one room? I booked for 4 (can there be more than that?), but I think the room only has two beds, so do they bring in extras or will I be getting close and personal with my friends?
Just want to make sure that everything is in order, will be my first PAX.
Booked the Radisson. Can anyone tell me what to expect? And how many people can stay in one room? I booked for 4 (can there be more than that?), but I think the room only has two beds, so do they bring in extras or will I be getting close and personal with my friends?
Just want to make sure that everything is in order, will be my first PAX.
Most hotels will hold 4 people, a lot of PAX goers just put 2 people in each bed. You could also request a rollaway bed or two or just bring personal sleeping bags. Also, hello fellow Radisson guest
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Does anyone know if there is any sort of shuttle that takes you from the megabus/boltbus bus terminal to the BCEC/Westin? It didn't look like there were any public transit stops near the BCEC and we don't want to walk with our luggage if we don't have to. Thanks!
Does anyone know if there is any sort of shuttle that takes you from the megabus/boltbus bus terminal to the BCEC/Westin? It didn't look like there were any public transit stops near the BCEC and we don't want to walk with our luggage if we don't have to. Thanks!
Absolutely, but it's public transit/bus. The Silver Line has a stop there, and on the Silver line at South Station, you go to the World Trade Center Station, which is right by the Seaport, Westin, and BCEC. I don't think the ride is any more than 5-10 minutes.
This is our first time to PAX and we just booked the Park Plaza. I see a lot of people booking Westin and Seaport but not the ones currently still available. Is this due to distance from the BCEC?
Would have loved to book the Westin. Is there a waiting list or anything to grab a room there is someone cancels?
booked at the hilton back bay. anyone know if its nice in comparison to the closer places?
It's further away but still accessible from the T. There will be a lot more people for Anime Boston there than PAX East in my opinion since the hotel is closer to the Hynes Convention Center. It's a nice hotel though
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Just made my reservations at a holiday inn in north saugus. It is 20min drive avoiding tolls, but I do plan to be staying at PAX the full time and not making trips back. Have a habbit from all the amusement park vacations me and my wife have taken of:
1. find cheap hotel with fridge,
2. buy tons of deli meats, fresh fruits, drinks and such,
3. make up tons of sub sandwhiches, gyros and the like and stock those in a cooler in the car.
Im pretty sure our entire PAX hotel, food, travel for the three days will come under the price of one night at the closer hotels. I know the westin will be nice with all the PAX'ers in one spot, but hopefully twitter will keep me in the loop since this is our first PAX. Need to save my money for cool vendors and all.
I went against my better instincts and didn't order at Thanksgiving... now I am stuck with a room at the Courtyard Boston Copley Square (Mariott). Is anybody else there with me!? Will our lobby be a hot mess of Arkham Horror and Munchkin? If not... I'll have to reconsider the trip entirely!
I went against my better instincts and didn't order at Thanksgiving... now I am stuck with a room at the Courtyard Boston Copley Square (Mariott). Is anybody else there with me!? Will our lobby be a hot mess of Arkham Horror and Munchkin? If not... I'll have to reconsider the trip entirely!
If not you can always just go hang out in the Seaport or Westin or Renaissance lobbies and return to your own for sleep
we decided to book at the omni parker house place thingy... lol. its a short walking distance from the event and looked like it had pretty good reviews. Looked like a gorgeous setup too.
This is our first time to PAX and we just booked the Park Plaza. I see a lot of people booking Westin and Seaport but not the ones currently still available. Is this due to distance from the BCEC?
Would have loved to book the Westin. Is there a waiting list or anything to grab a room there is someone cancels?
If you keep an eye open, you can generally snag rooms when people cancel. Someone earlier in the thread mentioned that there's usually at least a few people cancelling closer to the actual event.
If you keep an eye open, you can generally snag rooms when people cancel. Someone earlier in the thread mentioned that there's usually at least a few people cancelling closer to the actual event.
When a cancellation happens, does the room return to the room block and so it appears on the site (http://tinyurl.com/PAXEast2012Hotels)? Or do I need to contact the hotel directly to see if any have become available?
If you keep an eye open, you can generally snag rooms when people cancel. Someone earlier in the thread mentioned that there's usually at least a few people cancelling closer to the actual event.
When a cancellation happens, does the room return to the room block and so it appears on the site (http://tinyurl.com/PAXEast2012Hotels)? Or do I need to contact the hotel directly to see if any have become available?
Rooms return to the block on the site. The hotels don't actually have ANY of the reservation information at this point. OnPeak handles everything until a few weeks before PAX when they transfer the (then current) reservations to the hotels.
Speaking of... Once On Peak transfers your reservation to the Hotel, CALL THE HOTEL AND DOUBLE CHECK YOUR RESERVATION.
Sometimes the information the hotel gets is either wrong or they simply don't get it, this could leave you with a unpleasant surprise when you go to check in.
Edit: Once we've heard that onPeak has transferred the reservations, I'll make a post reminding everyone to do this. It's important!
SmallLady on
"we're just doing what smalllady told us to do" - @Heels
Speaking of... Once On Peak transfers your reservation to the Hotel, CALL THE HOTEL AND DOUBLE CHECK YOUR RESERVATION.
Sometimes the information the hotel gets is either wrong or they simply don't get it, this could leave you with a unpleasant surprise when you go to check in.
This is fantastic advice. Just in case anyone didn't see in my previous post, OnPeak will not transfer the reservations to the hotel until close to pax (1-3 weeks prior) so don't call them just yet.
for those staying at the westin, you will also have the option of checking your reservation online through the westin site by entering your last name and the credit card number you used. of course, that won't be until the info is passed on to the hotels from onpeak, but it's pretty handy to print out a confirmation from the actual hotel to keep with you for check in, especially if you're paranoid like me.
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I have done this at other hotels (not in Boston) and they had no problem holding my bags until I came back.
it's always good to check, but i stayed at the westin last year and they had no problem holding our bags both before check in and after check out. they have a small storage room for it right next to the main desk (but be prepared to tip the guy who takes your bags, they can get huffy if you don't).
D'oh! I didn't know that. I had the hotel in Seattle hold my bags after checkout and didn't tip. Now I feel bad
Also is it better to tip when you drop the bags off or when you pick them up later?
YMMV.. I don't think they can tell you what you can and can't have for your luggage.
Both
Thanks for the advice everyone you're the best.
Love,
dp
Sounds to me that if hotel security had to get involved then they were asking for it.
I don't think I speak only for myself when I say that throwing full blown a hotel room party is a bad idea. Sure, this is PAX and most of the hotel will be filled by happy attendees, but that does not mean they don't need rest. In fact most of us if not all will be utterly destroyed from all the standing and walking around for 16 hours. I don't want to be the party pooper but Weaton's law applies.
This being said, I think it's totally cool to host friends and have fun. People should just be mindful of their neighbors
Seriously. Seaport last year went like this:
Thursday night: Staff are bemused by all the people playing games and buying drinks in the lobby.
Friday night: Staff seem mildly concerned that this is happening for another night.
Saturday night: Full lock down, no drinks in the lobby, and we even had trouble bringing a little beer up to our room to quietly split among friends.
PAX East 2012 Shape-a-thon--Team Twitter Spam [LITE] -- Thinspiration!
OMG Follow me! @LollerskateDJ
Ack that sounds horrible! I wonder if the Seaport will be locked down the whole time now that they can expect a large crowd for PAX. At the Westin I don't think they had any problems with people hanging out in the lobby but I also didn't notice anyone drinking.
Stay off our Land.
You know who you are.
Love,
ZHH
Any other gamers staying here? This will be our first PAX. Can't wait!
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That's normal. OnPeak just make a block booking at this stage, they don't pass the details of room occupants to the hotels until much closer to PAX. Barring any overbooking shenanigans (which are unlikely - hotels have probably learned from last year) you should be perfectly fine to cancel the first reservation.
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agreed with all of this, but if you're a bit paranoid like i am, make sure you have printouts of all your onpeak confirmation stuff (you can log back into the hotel reg page and view your info if you need to) and keep those printouts in a safe place. that way if you encounter any difficulty upon arrival, you have hard evidence of your reservation.
I stayed at the Colonnade last year and loved it. We booked late, so it was the best deal at the time, but you're staying in a beautiful hotel, with a great view. I do not remember having any problems with the shuttle last year - though I did hear issues from people at other hotels, it didn't seem to affect the one that ran to Colonnade.
Enjoy PAX - my first was last year, and I'm geeked for this one.. Oh, and snag one of the umbrellas in the room - they're nice (leave the robes, though.. they will charge for those)
A wider area using the subway may give some good picks. Since all the close hotels are full and cost more than what we pay for at pax prime.
Have you considered using Hostels?
http://www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/usa/boston/
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Also I am staying at the 40 Berkeley which was like 52 a night when I booked. Think it went up a couple of bucks since then, but still reasonable.
Just want to make sure that everything is in order, will be my first PAX.
Most hotels will hold 4 people, a lot of PAX goers just put 2 people in each bed. You could also request a rollaway bed or two or just bring personal sleeping bags. Also, hello fellow Radisson guest
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Edit: It's called South Station Bus Terminal. (Link: http://g.co/maps/h483d )
Absolutely, but it's public transit/bus. The Silver Line has a stop there, and on the Silver line at South Station, you go to the World Trade Center Station, which is right by the Seaport, Westin, and BCEC. I don't think the ride is any more than 5-10 minutes.
Edit: It will be the outbound route.
Would have loved to book the Westin. Is there a waiting list or anything to grab a room there is someone cancels?
It's further away but still accessible from the T. There will be a lot more people for Anime Boston there than PAX East in my opinion since the hotel is closer to the Hynes Convention Center. It's a nice hotel though
PAX East 2012 Shape-a-thon--Team Twitter Spam [LITE] -- Thinspiration!
OMG Follow me! @LollerskateDJ
1. find cheap hotel with fridge,
2. buy tons of deli meats, fresh fruits, drinks and such,
3. make up tons of sub sandwhiches, gyros and the like and stock those in a cooler in the car.
Im pretty sure our entire PAX hotel, food, travel for the three days will come under the price of one night at the closer hotels. I know the westin will be nice with all the PAX'ers in one spot, but hopefully twitter will keep me in the loop since this is our first PAX. Need to save my money for cool vendors and all.
If not you can always just go hang out in the Seaport or Westin or Renaissance lobbies and return to your own for sleep
If you keep an eye open, you can generally snag rooms when people cancel. Someone earlier in the thread mentioned that there's usually at least a few people cancelling closer to the actual event.
When a cancellation happens, does the room return to the room block and so it appears on the site (http://tinyurl.com/PAXEast2012Hotels)? Or do I need to contact the hotel directly to see if any have become available?
Rooms return to the block on the site. The hotels don't actually have ANY of the reservation information at this point. OnPeak handles everything until a few weeks before PAX when they transfer the (then current) reservations to the hotels.
Sometimes the information the hotel gets is either wrong or they simply don't get it, this could leave you with a unpleasant surprise when you go to check in.
Edit: Once we've heard that onPeak has transferred the reservations, I'll make a post reminding everyone to do this. It's important!
This is fantastic advice. Just in case anyone didn't see in my previous post, OnPeak will not transfer the reservations to the hotel until close to pax (1-3 weeks prior) so don't call them just yet.