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Prime 2015 [hotel] partners and other hotel discussion
I wish I could have reserved a room at the Sheraton. I love staying there. I booked a room at the Renaissance instead. They were the only hotel that had a room available for the time I'm staying in Seattle.
I wish I could have reserved a room at the Sheraton. I love staying there. I booked a room at the Renaissance instead. They were the only hotel that had a room available for the time I'm staying in Seattle.
Same for me, I'm hoping something will open up on OnSite over the next month or two and I can shift over.
Ended up booking at the Roosevelt just in case. Least I have a reservation in the pocket if all else fails but I will be looking at OnPeak closely to see if I can secure something better.
I wish I could have reserved a room at the Sheraton. I love staying there. I booked a room at the Renaissance instead. They were the only hotel that had a room available for the time I'm staying in Seattle.
dont book there i got the room there last year.. man is a walk to a UPHILL battle. last year me and my byoc walk that slop with a laptop and a carry on. men it was a brutal. this year i was smart. i know some one that work there (in the company not at that hotel) and got a room in 10 month advanced...
I'm just gonna leave this here and see if anything comes of it because I'm at the why not point. So when checking out on OnPeak, the system suddenly crashed for my boyfriend several times, leaving us unable to get our first choice, a King room at the Roosevelt for all the nights. Because of this, we secured a Queen room for Thursday through Monday instead, but because we have five people in our group that's obviously not going to work as a permanent solution.
It was suggested to me that some people here may have just booked the Roosevelt as a back-up, and this post is for them. I hope that I don't sound presumptuous, but I'm wondering if anyone would be willing to trade me their King room for my Queen room? I'm definitely diligently watching the OnPeak page to see if the room pops up, but I thought it might also be helpful to put this out there.
Thank you for reading, and I hope everyone has a wonderful Pax!
For those who are having issues with hotels... Just check regularly because with so many people attending - Plans change. Not only that but last year if I can recall correctly, about a month and a half before PAX started, every Hotel became available. This was probably because of reserved blocks for exhibitors and such were released as no one claimed them or they were double booked. Last year I managed to book 2 Quad occupancy rooms at the Westin when they were released and they still had LOTS available.
If you can't wait that long, I would really suggest AirBNB. Sometimes you can get better prices on there if you are lucky and usually its quite a bit more private.
Attended: PAX Prime 2010, PAX Prime 2011, PAX Prime 2012, PAX Prime 2014.
Attending: PAX Prime 2016
Twitter @Pogoplay
Managed to snag the Grand Hyatt. Wouldn't mind switching it to The Sheraton later since it's about $100 cheaper. Both are equally close but with the Canadian dollar being 25% worse then past years, trip costs are really, really high. But I want to try being a lazy bum once to see how much I value it as opposed to previous years where I stayed at The Westin and Hotel Five. But if the Canadian dollar gets any worse, I might end up in a $50/night dive near the airport in future years:p
For those who are having issues with hotels... Just check regularly because with so many people attending - Plans change. Not only that but last year if I can recall correctly, about a month and a half before PAX started, every Hotel became available. This was probably because of reserved blocks for exhibitors and such were released as no one claimed them or they were double booked. Last year I managed to book 2 Quad occupancy rooms at the Westin when they were released and they still had LOTS available.
If you can't wait that long, I would really suggest AirBNB. Sometimes you can get better prices on there if you are lucky and usually its quite a bit more private.
If you're willing to deal with a bit of a walk and/or managing a few more logistical issues, it may also be worth looking at hotels in Sea-Tac (near the airport). The Link light rail runs from the airport to Seattle, and many of the Sea-Tac hotels have free shuttles to/from the airport, which you could easily use to get yourself to/from the Link station at the airport. Alternatively, if you're driving/renting a car, there's a large park and ride a mile from the airport that also has a Link stop.
Is it as convenient as walking to the con from a Seattle hotel? No, you have to budget 25-35 minutes for getting to the Link, riding the Link, and walking four blocks from Westlake station. That said, you can get a decent room for significantly less per night than a Seattle hotel, and use that saved money for more Pinny Arcade pins, or Cookie Brigade donations, or something.
If you're willing to deal with a bit of a walk and/or managing a few more logistical issues, it may also be worth looking at hotels in Sea-Tac (near the airport). The Link light rail runs from the airport to Seattle, and many of the Sea-Tac hotels have free shuttles to/from the airport, which you could easily use to get yourself to/from the Link station at the airport. Alternatively, if you're driving/renting a car, there's a large park and ride a mile from the airport that also has a Link stop.
Is it as convenient as walking to the con from a Seattle hotel? No, you have to budget 25-35 minutes for getting to the Link, riding the Link, and walking four blocks from Westlake station. That said, you can get a decent room for significantly less per night than a Seattle hotel, and use that saved money for more Pinny Arcade pins, or Cookie Brigade donations, or something.
I recommend this too. I did this for my first two PAX prime and it was more than adequate. I was much more desperate for cash then though, and it was pretty much my only option. However, It ended up being pretty cool. I got to see a lot more of Seattle than if I had only stayed downtown. The only downside is the view(potentially), and of course the traveling every day. I will say though, each day was pretty rough, especially if you plan to buy a lot of stuff or hunt for shirts/posters.
I easily paid less than HALF of what I paid this year. Staying for 6 night both trips, Grand Hyatt is about $1450 this year, last year Red Lion Seatac airport was about $700 through Orbitz with a random 15% discount through their site.
If you're willing to deal with a bit of a walk and/or managing a few more logistical issues, it may also be worth looking at hotels in Sea-Tac (near the airport). The Link light rail runs from the airport to Seattle, and many of the Sea-Tac hotels have free shuttles to/from the airport, which you could easily use to get yourself to/from the Link station at the airport. Alternatively, if you're driving/renting a car, there's a large park and ride a mile from the airport that also has a Link stop.
Is it as convenient as walking to the con from a Seattle hotel? No, you have to budget 25-35 minutes for getting to the Link, riding the Link, and walking four blocks from Westlake station. That said, you can get a decent room for significantly less per night than a Seattle hotel, and use that saved money for more Pinny Arcade pins, or Cookie Brigade donations, or something.
I recommend this too. I did this for my first two PAX prime and it was more than adequate. I was much more desperate for cash then though, and it was pretty much my only option. However, It ended up being pretty cool. I got to see a lot more of Seattle than if I had only stayed downtown. The only downside is the view(potentially), and of course the traveling every day. I will say though, each day was pretty rough, especially if you plan to buy a lot of stuff or hunt for shirts/posters.
I easily paid less than HALF of what I paid this year. Staying for 6 night both trips, Grand Hyatt is about $1450 this year, last year Red Lion Seatac airport was about $700 through Orbitz with a random 15% discount through their site.
Another option is The Moore in downtown. It is an old hotel lacking amenities or air conditioning, and at this point all the available rooms have shared bathrooms. But it is cheap and 0.6 miles from PAX (and closer to many food places than the convention center). My queen room with private bath was <$100. By the standards hotels are generally rated, it's crappy. By the standard I rate them, it's perfect.
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sanovahNerd of the WestSan Diego, CaliforniaRegistered Userregular
Anyone stay at the Westin in recent years? Haven't stayed there since my first PAX but decided to do a hotel again instead of staying outside of Seattle this year. Unfortunately since I haven't done a hotel in almost 4 years I just picked one i remembered. From what I remember it was neither amazing or awful, the room was decently sized and the bed was decent, the only thing I can't remember is whether or not there was actually a microwave or a fridge beyond the minibar one.
So yeah If anyone has stayed at the Westin lately or in the last year or two. How were the rooms, and have they done any updates in the last four years?
Anyone stay at the Westin in recent years? Haven't stayed there since my first PAX but decided to do a hotel again instead of staying outside of Seattle this year. Unfortunately since I haven't done a hotel in almost 4 years I just picked one i remembered. From what I remember it was neither amazing or awful, the room was decently sized and the bed was decent, the only thing I can't remember is whether or not there was actually a microwave or a fridge beyond the minibar one.
So yeah If anyone has stayed at the Westin lately or in the last year or two. How were the rooms, and have they done any updates in the last four years?
I always stay at the Westin now over the Sheraton for one reason... Customer Service. The staff were super friendly to our group every time we went and last year we even had a pricing error in our reservation which the hotel manager caught, called us up, and gave us a small discount because of yet. I would always recommend this hotel as the rooms are super nice, staff are friendly, and the location isn't bad by any means.
Attended: PAX Prime 2010, PAX Prime 2011, PAX Prime 2012, PAX Prime 2014.
Attending: PAX Prime 2016
Twitter @Pogoplay
Anyone stay at the Westin in recent years? Haven't stayed there since my first PAX but decided to do a hotel again instead of staying outside of Seattle this year. Unfortunately since I haven't done a hotel in almost 4 years I just picked one i remembered. From what I remember it was neither amazing or awful, the room was decently sized and the bed was decent, the only thing I can't remember is whether or not there was actually a microwave or a fridge beyond the minibar one.
So yeah If anyone has stayed at the Westin lately or in the last year or two. How were the rooms, and have they done any updates in the last four years?
We stayed there last year in a two queens room, and it was awesome! I emailed well ahead of time to request a mini fridge (no cost I think) and a microwave (a flat $5 for the whole stay). As pogoplay mentioned, their customer service is wonderful!
We also stayed right next to the "presidential suite"... even at the highest floor, the elevators move so fast you don't even notice. Plus the swimming pool is nice.
So. What's the verdict on the Crowne Plaza, as that's where I'm booked?
I like it. I have stayed there the last 5 years, its close and reasonable priced, and the breakfast buffet is discounted for pax attendees, plus they gave all the attendees free internet last year (if they don't this year sign up for there free loyalty program and then they will give you free internet for that). its really close if you walk through the park to go through the back entrance of the convention and this is just a personal thing, but its nice to be in a hotel that lets you get away from the convention if you want to.
So. What's the verdict on the Crowne Plaza, as that's where I'm booked?
I like it. I have stayed there the last 5 years, its close and reasonable priced, and the breakfast buffet is discounted for pax attendees, plus they gave all the attendees free internet last year (if they don't this year sign up for there free loyalty program and then they will give you free internet for that). its really close if you walk through the park to go through the back entrance of the convention and this is just a personal thing, but its nice to be in a hotel that lets you get away from the convention if you want to.
Good to hear! I'll sign up for the loyalty program to be safe.
I'm mainly a PAX East goer-, so i'm very used to the disconnected hotel from the con, it's a plus. And, of course, almost anything is closer than most of the East hotels (Seriously, seeing distances listed in BLOCKS and not full/fractions of a mile threw me for a loop).
Tried to get a room at the Sheraton but they were already gone. Staying at the Roosevelt instead. Anyone else ever stay there and know what its like? I have stayed at the Sheraton three times before.
Anyone stay at the Westin in recent years? Haven't stayed there since my first PAX but decided to do a hotel again instead of staying outside of Seattle this year. Unfortunately since I haven't done a hotel in almost 4 years I just picked one i remembered. From what I remember it was neither amazing or awful, the room was decently sized and the bed was decent, the only thing I can't remember is whether or not there was actually a microwave or a fridge beyond the minibar one.
So yeah If anyone has stayed at the Westin lately or in the last year or two. How were the rooms, and have they done any updates in the last four years?
I always stay at the Westin now over the Sheraton for one reason... Customer Service. The staff were super friendly to our group every time we went and last year we even had a pricing error in our reservation which the hotel manager caught, called us up, and gave us a small discount because of yet. I would always recommend this hotel as the rooms are super nice, staff are friendly, and the location isn't bad by any means.
Same here. This will be our third time staying there. I like the proxmity of it to the WSCC, TT and Pike's Market for amazing breakfasts.
Been doing the W for the last few years. Last year I got home, and a week later did a government rate reservation for a corner room. I really ought to host a small shin dig...
Customer service with those guys is TOPS.
+1
sanovahNerd of the WestSan Diego, CaliforniaRegistered Userregular
Since I'm pretty sure nothings been sent over to the hotels yet and wont for awhile. How accurate are the changes in availability Onpeak shows and lets us make?
I originally only made a reservation for Friday through Monday because i only asked for those days off but after the fact realized that since I work graveyard that even if I have to work Thursday I'd still be able to travel into town that evening. So I've since been checking Onpeak a couple times a day hoping a Thursday at my hotel would open up. Thankfully not even 10 minutes ago I checked again Thursday was finally selectable as a check-in so I took it. I have an email with my new Thur-Monday reservation but I just want to make sure I won't show up Thursday night unable to check in since Thursday hasn't been available as a choice since the 7th.
Thanks in advance to anyone that's had to make a change in their reservation before. Just wanna make sure everything is kosher.
Booked the motif, love the price, central location (it's not far from benaroya, two blocks from center), and it's an awesome hotel, I gun for that one over the Sheraton.
Since I'm pretty sure nothings been sent over to the hotels yet and wont for awhile. How accurate are the changes in availability Onpeak shows and lets us make?
I originally only made a reservation for Friday through Monday because i only asked for those days off but after the fact realized that since I work graveyard that even if I have to work Thursday I'd still be able to travel into town that evening. So I've since been checking Onpeak a couple times a day hoping a Thursday at my hotel would open up. Thankfully not even 10 minutes ago I checked again Thursday was finally selectable as a check-in so I took it. I have an email with my new Thur-Monday reservation but I just want to make sure I won't show up Thursday night unable to check in since Thursday hasn't been available as a choice since the 7th.
Thanks in advance to anyone that's had to make a change in their reservation before. Just wanna make sure everything is kosher.
While I have never made changes in the past years myself, I would think that if you have made the changes in their system and it took it you should be ok. (Log back in to make sure it shows the dates you want.) If you didn't get an email from onpeak showing the changes, give it a day or two and then email them at pax@onpeak.co (yes, not .com) to verify. I am a worrier, so I would rather have something from them to confirm than just show up and hope.
PAX Tickets: check!
Hotel Booked: check!
Sitter for the kids: check!
Excitement level rising: check, check and triple check!
If you're willing to deal with a bit of a walk and/or managing a few more logistical issues, it may also be worth looking at hotels in Sea-Tac (near the airport). The Link light rail runs from the airport to Seattle, and many of the Sea-Tac hotels have free shuttles to/from the airport, which you could easily use to get yourself to/from the Link station at the airport. Alternatively, if you're driving/renting a car, there's a large park and ride a mile from the airport that also has a Link stop.
Is it as convenient as walking to the con from a Seattle hotel? No, you have to budget 25-35 minutes for getting to the Link, riding the Link, and walking four blocks from Westlake station. That said, you can get a decent room for significantly less per night than a Seattle hotel, and use that saved money for more Pinny Arcade pins, or Cookie Brigade donations, or something.
I recommend this too. I did this for my first two PAX prime and it was more than adequate. I was much more desperate for cash then though, and it was pretty much my only option. However, It ended up being pretty cool. I got to see a lot more of Seattle than if I had only stayed downtown. The only downside is the view(potentially), and of course the traveling every day. I will say though, each day was pretty rough, especially if you plan to buy a lot of stuff or hunt for shirts/posters.
I easily paid less than HALF of what I paid this year. Staying for 6 night both trips, Grand Hyatt is about $1450 this year, last year Red Lion Seatac airport was about $700 through Orbitz with a random 15% discount through their site.
Another option is The Moore in downtown. It is an old hotel lacking amenities or air conditioning, and at this point all the available rooms have shared bathrooms. But it is cheap and 0.6 miles from PAX (and closer to many food places than the convention center). My queen room with private bath was <$100. By the standards hotels are generally rated, it's crappy. By the standard I rate them, it's perfect.
Thanks for the tip about the Moore. Booked a room for $86 a night, not super jazzed about the shared bathroom but I am super jazzed about the old building (I hope there's ghosts). Glad to at least have something reserved.
If you're willing to deal with a bit of a walk and/or managing a few more logistical issues, it may also be worth looking at hotels in Sea-Tac (near the airport). The Link light rail runs from the airport to Seattle, and many of the Sea-Tac hotels have free shuttles to/from the airport, which you could easily use to get yourself to/from the Link station at the airport. Alternatively, if you're driving/renting a car, there's a large park and ride a mile from the airport that also has a Link stop.
Is it as convenient as walking to the con from a Seattle hotel? No, you have to budget 25-35 minutes for getting to the Link, riding the Link, and walking four blocks from Westlake station. That said, you can get a decent room for significantly less per night than a Seattle hotel, and use that saved money for more Pinny Arcade pins, or Cookie Brigade donations, or something.
I recommend this too. I did this for my first two PAX prime and it was more than adequate. I was much more desperate for cash then though, and it was pretty much my only option. However, It ended up being pretty cool. I got to see a lot more of Seattle than if I had only stayed downtown. The only downside is the view(potentially), and of course the traveling every day. I will say though, each day was pretty rough, especially if you plan to buy a lot of stuff or hunt for shirts/posters.
I easily paid less than HALF of what I paid this year. Staying for 6 night both trips, Grand Hyatt is about $1450 this year, last year Red Lion Seatac airport was about $700 through Orbitz with a random 15% discount through their site.
Another option is The Moore in downtown. It is an old hotel lacking amenities or air conditioning, and at this point all the available rooms have shared bathrooms. But it is cheap and 0.6 miles from PAX (and closer to many food places than the convention center). My queen room with private bath was <$100. By the standards hotels are generally rated, it's crappy. By the standard I rate them, it's perfect.
Thanks for the tip about the Moore. Booked a room for $86 a night, not super jazzed about the shared bathroom but I am super jazzed about the old building (I hope there's ghosts). Glad to at least have something reserved.
If you're willing to deal with a bit of a walk and/or managing a few more logistical issues, it may also be worth looking at hotels in Sea-Tac (near the airport). The Link light rail runs from the airport to Seattle, and many of the Sea-Tac hotels have free shuttles to/from the airport, which you could easily use to get yourself to/from the Link station at the airport. Alternatively, if you're driving/renting a car, there's a large park and ride a mile from the airport that also has a Link stop.
Is it as convenient as walking to the con from a Seattle hotel? No, you have to budget 25-35 minutes for getting to the Link, riding the Link, and walking four blocks from Westlake station. That said, you can get a decent room for significantly less per night than a Seattle hotel, and use that saved money for more Pinny Arcade pins, or Cookie Brigade donations, or something.
I recommend this too. I did this for my first two PAX prime and it was more than adequate. I was much more desperate for cash then though, and it was pretty much my only option. However, It ended up being pretty cool. I got to see a lot more of Seattle than if I had only stayed downtown. The only downside is the view(potentially), and of course the traveling every day. I will say though, each day was pretty rough, especially if you plan to buy a lot of stuff or hunt for shirts/posters.
I easily paid less than HALF of what I paid this year. Staying for 6 night both trips, Grand Hyatt is about $1450 this year, last year Red Lion Seatac airport was about $700 through Orbitz with a random 15% discount through their site.
Another option is The Moore in downtown. It is an old hotel lacking amenities or air conditioning, and at this point all the available rooms have shared bathrooms. But it is cheap and 0.6 miles from PAX (and closer to many food places than the convention center). My queen room with private bath was <$100. By the standards hotels are generally rated, it's crappy. By the standard I rate them, it's perfect.
Thanks for the tip about the Moore. Booked a room for $86 a night, not super jazzed about the shared bathroom but I am super jazzed about the old building (I hope there's ghosts). Glad to at least have something reserved.
Question for anybody who's stayed at the Roosevelt before: Does anybody know if they offer rollaway beds or foldout couches in the rooms? I booked a double occupancy King and meant to book for a triple occupancy.
Question for anybody who's stayed at the Roosevelt before: Does anybody know if they offer rollaway beds or foldout couches in the rooms? I booked a double occupancy King and meant to book for a triple occupancy.
I can't speak specifically for the Roosevelt, but I have been in this situation before at other hotels. Most hotels offer some sort of service like that. However, for Pax, a lot of rooms are going to have more bodies than bedspace, so it wouldn't be a bad idea to call them asap and see if you can have something arranged now before all of their rollouts are claimed. They also may just be on a first come-first serve basis, so they may only allocate rollouts upon check-in, so you might wanna get to your hotel earlier than later if that's the case. Right now your best bet is to just call them up and see how that handle it.
Question for anybody who's stayed at the Roosevelt before: Does anybody know if they offer rollaway beds or foldout couches in the rooms? I booked a double occupancy King and meant to book for a triple occupancy.
I can't speak specifically for the Roosevelt, but I have been in this situation before at other hotels. Most hotels offer some sort of service like that. However, for Pax, a lot of rooms are going to have more bodies than bedspace, so it wouldn't be a bad idea to call them asap and see if you can have something arranged now before all of their rollouts are claimed. They also may just be on a first come-first serve basis, so they may only allocate rollouts upon check-in, so you might wanna get to your hotel earlier than later if that's the case. Right now your best bet is to just call them up and see how that handle it.
I'll call them up tomorrow and see what options I have. Thanks for the info/advice.
Question for anybody who's stayed at the Roosevelt before: Does anybody know if they offer rollaway beds or foldout couches in the rooms? I booked a double occupancy King and meant to book for a triple occupancy.
I can't speak specifically for the Roosevelt, but I have been in this situation before at other hotels. Most hotels offer some sort of service like that. However, for Pax, a lot of rooms are going to have more bodies than bedspace, so it wouldn't be a bad idea to call them asap and see if you can have something arranged now before all of their rollouts are claimed. They also may just be on a first come-first serve basis, so they may only allocate rollouts upon check-in, so you might wanna get to your hotel earlier than later if that's the case. Right now your best bet is to just call them up and see how that handle it.
I'll call them up tomorrow and see what options I have. Thanks for the info/advice.
The actual hotel won't have the reservation until a week before PAX. Your best bet at this point is to call OnPeak and have them add the request to your reservation. A few weeks (maybe as close to a week) before PAX you can call the hotel and they will have your reservation in the system. Just a reminder though, that this is treated as a request, so you are not guaranteed to get the rollout even if you call.
PAX Tickets: check!
Hotel Booked: check!
Sitter for the kids: check!
Excitement level rising: check, check and triple check!
Question for anybody who's stayed at the Roosevelt before: Does anybody know if they offer rollaway beds or foldout couches in the rooms? I booked a double occupancy King and meant to book for a triple occupancy.
I can't speak specifically for the Roosevelt, but I have been in this situation before at other hotels. Most hotels offer some sort of service like that. However, for Pax, a lot of rooms are going to have more bodies than bedspace, so it wouldn't be a bad idea to call them asap and see if you can have something arranged now before all of their rollouts are claimed. They also may just be on a first come-first serve basis, so they may only allocate rollouts upon check-in, so you might wanna get to your hotel earlier than later if that's the case. Right now your best bet is to just call them up and see how that handle it.
I'll call them up tomorrow and see what options I have. Thanks for the info/advice.
The actual hotel won't have the reservation until a week before PAX. Your best bet at this point is to call OnPeak and have them add the request to your reservation. A few weeks (maybe as close to a week) before PAX you can call the hotel and they will have your reservation in the system. Just a reminder though, that this is treated as a request, so you are not guaranteed to get the rollout even if you call.
Everything you said makes sense. I'm not gonna be ruined if I can't get it. Worst case scenario I just have to be a little more creative about sleeping arrangements.
Does anyone have any experiences with the Motif Seattle or Hyatt Olive 8? I booked the Olive as my back-up hotel but I'm considering switching over to the Motif. Still holding out hope for the Roosevelt!
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Does anyone have any experiences with the Motif Seattle or Hyatt Olive 8? I booked the Olive as my back-up hotel but I'm considering switching over to the Motif. Still holding out hope for the Roosevelt!
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I stayed at the Hyatt @ Olive 8 last year with the SO (mostly in hopes that they'd have the tabletop there, but they didn't. Alas.) Location is fairly close—it's about a 5 minute walk from the WSCC, but you can also get to the Westlake Shopping Plaza pretty quickly too. Rooms were pretty large and very nice. The bed was extremely comfy, and they have a nice walk-in shower in their bathrooms. IIRC, they do have a mini-fridge in the room in case you end up bringing dinner leftovers, hair dryer (although mine broke down during my stay), and we had complimentary internet. They do have a dining area for breakfast, but it's pretty pricey. We ate there for 1-2 of the days, but most of the time we picked up food elsewhere.
It's pricey. But if you can afford the rates, it's a nice place to hang your hat.
I just changed my reservation to the Crowne Plaza which is cutting my cost by about $400 over my 6-day stay! Awesome! Also, I released my reservation at the Fairmont Olympic if anyone was looking to book there.
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Same for me, I'm hoping something will open up on OnSite over the next month or two and I can shift over.
dont book there i got the room there last year.. man is a walk to a UPHILL battle. last year me and my byoc walk that slop with a laptop and a carry on. men it was a brutal. this year i was smart. i know some one that work there (in the company not at that hotel) and got a room in 10 month advanced...
It was suggested to me that some people here may have just booked the Roosevelt as a back-up, and this post is for them. I hope that I don't sound presumptuous, but I'm wondering if anyone would be willing to trade me their King room for my Queen room? I'm definitely diligently watching the OnPeak page to see if the room pops up, but I thought it might also be helpful to put this out there.
Thank you for reading, and I hope everyone has a wonderful Pax!
If you can't wait that long, I would really suggest AirBNB. Sometimes you can get better prices on there if you are lucky and usually its quite a bit more private.
Attending: PAX Prime 2016
Twitter @Pogoplay
If you're willing to deal with a bit of a walk and/or managing a few more logistical issues, it may also be worth looking at hotels in Sea-Tac (near the airport). The Link light rail runs from the airport to Seattle, and many of the Sea-Tac hotels have free shuttles to/from the airport, which you could easily use to get yourself to/from the Link station at the airport. Alternatively, if you're driving/renting a car, there's a large park and ride a mile from the airport that also has a Link stop.
Is it as convenient as walking to the con from a Seattle hotel? No, you have to budget 25-35 minutes for getting to the Link, riding the Link, and walking four blocks from Westlake station. That said, you can get a decent room for significantly less per night than a Seattle hotel, and use that saved money for more Pinny Arcade pins, or Cookie Brigade donations, or something.
Contributing writer at Marooner's Rock
Twitch broadcasting! Currently playing through Wing Commander: Privateer
Pinny Lanyard
I recommend this too. I did this for my first two PAX prime and it was more than adequate. I was much more desperate for cash then though, and it was pretty much my only option. However, It ended up being pretty cool. I got to see a lot more of Seattle than if I had only stayed downtown. The only downside is the view(potentially), and of course the traveling every day. I will say though, each day was pretty rough, especially if you plan to buy a lot of stuff or hunt for shirts/posters.
I easily paid less than HALF of what I paid this year. Staying for 6 night both trips, Grand Hyatt is about $1450 this year, last year Red Lion Seatac airport was about $700 through Orbitz with a random 15% discount through their site.
Another option is The Moore in downtown. It is an old hotel lacking amenities or air conditioning, and at this point all the available rooms have shared bathrooms. But it is cheap and 0.6 miles from PAX (and closer to many food places than the convention center). My queen room with private bath was <$100. By the standards hotels are generally rated, it's crappy. By the standard I rate them, it's perfect.
So yeah If anyone has stayed at the Westin lately or in the last year or two. How were the rooms, and have they done any updates in the last four years?
I always stay at the Westin now over the Sheraton for one reason... Customer Service. The staff were super friendly to our group every time we went and last year we even had a pricing error in our reservation which the hotel manager caught, called us up, and gave us a small discount because of yet. I would always recommend this hotel as the rooms are super nice, staff are friendly, and the location isn't bad by any means.
Attending: PAX Prime 2016
Twitter @Pogoplay
PSN: L00nyEclip
Steam: Loony Eclipse
Twitter: @Loonyeclipse
We also stayed right next to the "presidential suite"... even at the highest floor, the elevators move so fast you don't even notice. Plus the swimming pool is nice.
I like it. I have stayed there the last 5 years, its close and reasonable priced, and the breakfast buffet is discounted for pax attendees, plus they gave all the attendees free internet last year (if they don't this year sign up for there free loyalty program and then they will give you free internet for that). its really close if you walk through the park to go through the back entrance of the convention and this is just a personal thing, but its nice to be in a hotel that lets you get away from the convention if you want to.
Good to hear! I'll sign up for the loyalty program to be safe.
I'm mainly a PAX East goer-, so i'm very used to the disconnected hotel from the con, it's a plus. And, of course, almost anything is closer than most of the East hotels (Seriously, seeing distances listed in BLOCKS and not full/fractions of a mile threw me for a loop).
PSN: L00nyEclip
Steam: Loony Eclipse
Twitter: @Loonyeclipse
And it'll be worth every penny. Those soaking tubs and some scotch will take the edge off of each day nicely.
Same here. This will be our third time staying there. I like the proxmity of it to the WSCC, TT and Pike's Market for amazing breakfasts.
Customer service with those guys is TOPS.
I originally only made a reservation for Friday through Monday because i only asked for those days off but after the fact realized that since I work graveyard that even if I have to work Thursday I'd still be able to travel into town that evening. So I've since been checking Onpeak a couple times a day hoping a Thursday at my hotel would open up. Thankfully not even 10 minutes ago I checked again Thursday was finally selectable as a check-in so I took it. I have an email with my new Thur-Monday reservation but I just want to make sure I won't show up Thursday night unable to check in since Thursday hasn't been available as a choice since the 7th.
Thanks in advance to anyone that's had to make a change in their reservation before. Just wanna make sure everything is kosher.
While I have never made changes in the past years myself, I would think that if you have made the changes in their system and it took it you should be ok. (Log back in to make sure it shows the dates you want.) If you didn't get an email from onpeak showing the changes, give it a day or two and then email them at pax@onpeak.co (yes, not .com) to verify. I am a worrier, so I would rather have something from them to confirm than just show up and hope.
Hotel Booked: check!
Sitter for the kids: check!
Excitement level rising: check, check and triple check!
Thanks for the tip about the Moore. Booked a room for $86 a night, not super jazzed about the shared bathroom but I am super jazzed about the old building (I hope there's ghosts). Glad to at least have something reserved.
SCORE!!!
I can't speak specifically for the Roosevelt, but I have been in this situation before at other hotels. Most hotels offer some sort of service like that. However, for Pax, a lot of rooms are going to have more bodies than bedspace, so it wouldn't be a bad idea to call them asap and see if you can have something arranged now before all of their rollouts are claimed. They also may just be on a first come-first serve basis, so they may only allocate rollouts upon check-in, so you might wanna get to your hotel earlier than later if that's the case. Right now your best bet is to just call them up and see how that handle it.
I'll call them up tomorrow and see what options I have. Thanks for the info/advice.
The actual hotel won't have the reservation until a week before PAX. Your best bet at this point is to call OnPeak and have them add the request to your reservation. A few weeks (maybe as close to a week) before PAX you can call the hotel and they will have your reservation in the system. Just a reminder though, that this is treated as a request, so you are not guaranteed to get the rollout even if you call.
Hotel Booked: check!
Sitter for the kids: check!
Excitement level rising: check, check and triple check!
Everything you said makes sense. I'm not gonna be ruined if I can't get it. Worst case scenario I just have to be a little more creative about sleeping arrangements.
Prime: '10, '11, '12, '13, '14, '15
West: '16, '17
East: '14, '15, '16, '17
South: '15, '16, '17, '18
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It's pricey. But if you can afford the rates, it's a nice place to hang your hat.