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Hotel FAQ and Information
Moe Fwacky
Right Here, Right NowDrives a BuickModerator Mod Emeritus
Right Here, Right NowDrives a BuickModerator Mod Emeritus
Big News
A lot of people have been asking a lot of the same questions about the hotels. So, to help alleviate that, I am putting together this FAQ on the PAX hotels. To start, here is a list of all the hotels, as displayed on the PAX Hotels page. Also, check out this thread from last year of hotel feedback from other forumers and this Google Map made by Transparent of downtown Seattle pinpointing the hotels, both PAX and non-PAX. If you are staying at one of the PAX hotels, be sure to book directly through the hotel with the PAX promotional code. Not only does this save you money, it also helps Penny Arcade secure a larger block of rooms each year.
Also, people have expressed interest in knowing what kind of TVs the various hotels have. Mentok took the time to comb through last year's feedback thread to give us the following info:
The Grand Hyatt:
Confirmed over phone early June 2008: TVs do have available A/V ports.
That said here are some Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: I tried to book online, but it said the block was sold out.
A:This could be two things, (1) you could be trying to book for a day that either does not have the PAX rate available or for a date where they have run out of rooms at this date. Thursday before and Monday after do not have as large a number of rooms available as do Friday through Sunday. This could also be (2) a glitch in the online reservation system. For either of these problems, you should call the hotel in question. Believe me, it works wonders. I know online ordering is more convenient, but if you can't get what you want from a computer, talk to a human.
Q: I reserved online and the rate I was quoted is not the same as the rate on the PAX page.
A: Typically this is because you entered any number larger than 2 in the "people staying in each room" field. When you do this, they automatically charge you the going rate for rollaway beds. Just enter 2 or fewer and the rate will come up as it should.
Q: I have a group of <insert number >4 here> and don't want to spend the money on a second room.
A: If this is your problem, just don't mention it to the hotel. Worst case scenario is that you're restricted to 4 or 5 keys. Just don't overdo it, you all still have to sleep and shower in that room. So, don't try and cram 12 people in a room to save money, if you want to do that read the next question.
Q: I can't afford any of these hotels, even when split between 4 or 5 people;
A: Try the Green Tortoise Hostel. It's $25/night, not far away and guaranteed to be crammed to the gills with other PAXers. Check out this thread for more information.
Q: I can afford to split a room with other people, but don't have any friends going to PAX
A: Check out the PAX Hotel Room-Share Thread. Advertise your need and/or contact somebody who's needs match yours.
Q: I want to reserve a room before they are gone, but I can't afford to do so right now
A: Go ahead and reserve it, as long as you are reserving your hotel directly through the hotel or their website (preferably with the PAX rate) they only use your card number to hold the room. Charges are not put through until check-out, although they will put a hold on your card at check-in. Remember also, using the PAX rate not only saves you money, it also shows the hotels what kind of numbers PAX pulls in and makes it possible to get bigger blocks in subsequent years.
Q: Can we split the bill onto multiple cards?
A: Yes, you can. You can even do some pretty cool things, like setting up separate billing for each TYPE of charge! A personal recommendation will be for you to have the room charges (and ONLY the room charges) on the main folio, and all your ancillary charges (food, calls, movies, etc) on a second bill. (And if you think that you might ring up a lot of charges under one of those categories, you may want to further split that charge out to a third folio.) This will give you two separate bills - one having the room cost, the other having the extra costs. This will help you avoid some fights. (Thanks to AngelHedgie for this answer).
There you have it, if you've got any other hotel-related questions, toss them in here and I'll update this FAQ as it needs to be.
There's very little, if any, hotel space left. Get it while it's still there.Robert Khoo wrote: »So as many of you have been emailing and PM'ing me, the hotel situation is looking pretty dire. But the good news is that the Seattle Tourism folks put together this quick site that might help out if Expedia and the others fall flat:
http://www.seattlesupersaver.com/SCVBBooking/index.aspx
Good luck everyone - 1 month from today!
A lot of people have been asking a lot of the same questions about the hotels. So, to help alleviate that, I am putting together this FAQ on the PAX hotels. To start, here is a list of all the hotels, as displayed on the PAX Hotels page. Also, check out this thread from last year of hotel feedback from other forumers and this Google Map made by Transparent of downtown Seattle pinpointing the hotels, both PAX and non-PAX. If you are staying at one of the PAX hotels, be sure to book directly through the hotel with the PAX promotional code. Not only does this save you money, it also helps Penny Arcade secure a larger block of rooms each year.
Sheraton
SOLD OUT
($169 for singles or doubles)
1400 6th Avenue
Seattle, Washington 98101
Phone: (206) 621-9000
The Grand Hyatt
SOLD OUT
($169 for singles or doubles, $179 for corner suites)
721 Pine St
Seattle, Washington 98101
Phone: 1.800.233.1234
The Roosevelt Hotel
($165 for singles or doubles)
1531 Seventh Avenue (Pine)
Seattle, Washington 98101
Phone: (800)716-6199 (ask for group number "ROS-GF151")
Crowne Plaza
($149 for singles or doubles)
1113 6th Avenue
Seattle, Washington 98101
Red Lion Fifth Avenue Seattle
SOLD OUT
($149 single / $159 double / $179 triple or quad)
1415 Fifth Avenue
Seattle, Washington 98101
(206)971-8000 or (800)504-3909
Homewood Suites by Hilton
($185 single / $195 double / $205 triple / $215 quad)
1011 Pike St
Seattle, Washington 98101
(206)682-8282
Ask for the "Penny Arcade" rate
The Paramount Hotel
($160/night)
724 Pine Street
Seattle, Washington 98101
Phone: 1.800.663.1144
Online Instructions:
1. Go to Coast Hotels
2. Enter discount code "PHS-GF241" into the Group Code field.
SOLD OUT
($169 for singles or doubles)
1400 6th Avenue
Seattle, Washington 98101
Phone: (206) 621-9000
- Pay wireless Internet ($10/day)
- In-room safe
- Coffee Maker
- Mini fridge
- Rollaway beds available for $25
The Grand Hyatt
SOLD OUT
($169 for singles or doubles, $179 for corner suites)
721 Pine St
Seattle, Washington 98101
Phone: 1.800.233.1234
- Quiet Hotel
- Go to www.grandseattle.hyatt.com
- Enter discount code "G-PENN" into the group/corporate # field.
The Roosevelt Hotel
($165 for singles or doubles)
1531 Seventh Avenue (Pine)
Seattle, Washington 98101
Phone: (800)716-6199 (ask for group number "ROS-GF151")
- Pay wireless Internet ($10/day)
- Rollaway beds available for $10/night
- Go to https://www.coasthotels.com/rates?selectHotel=ROS
- Use discount code ROS-GF151 in "group" box.
Crowne Plaza
($149 for singles or doubles)
1113 6th Avenue
Seattle, Washington 98101
- Pay wireless Internet ($10/day)
- In-room safe
- Coffee Maker
- Rollaway beds available for $25
Red Lion Fifth Avenue Seattle
SOLD OUT
($149 single / $159 double / $179 triple or quad)
1415 Fifth Avenue
Seattle, Washington 98101
(206)971-8000 or (800)504-3909
- Complimentary Internet in all rooms
- In-room coffee maker
- $26 per day parking
- Airport shuttle (Grayline Shuttle, drops off at Sheraton 1 block away)
- Rollaway beds for $25/night
- Go to http://redlion.rdln.com/HotelLocator/HotelOverview.aspx?metaID=32
- Enter dates on the right (PAX is 8/29/08 to 8/31/08)
- Scroll down, click the radio button for "Group / Convention Code", and enter code 0808PENNYA (case sensitive)
- Click "Check Availability"
- Select your room type and continue with name and credit card information
Homewood Suites by Hilton
($185 single / $195 double / $205 triple / $215 quad)
1011 Pike St
Seattle, Washington 98101
(206)682-8282
Ask for the "Penny Arcade" rate
The Paramount Hotel
($160/night)
724 Pine Street
Seattle, Washington 98101
Phone: 1.800.663.1144
Online Instructions:
1. Go to Coast Hotels
2. Enter discount code "PHS-GF241" into the Group Code field.
Also, people have expressed interest in knowing what kind of TVs the various hotels have. Mentok took the time to comb through last year's feedback thread to give us the following info:
mentok1982 wrote: »A list of which hotels have TVs with A/V input would be nice if we could get that type of info.
I found this data searching through last years feedback thread. Hurray!
Please note that I found some interesting comments about the Sheraton. Apparently the "new" tower on
Union Street had the nice LG flat-panel TVs, but the other tower did not. Two of the comments suggest that
the Sheraton did not have console-friendly TVs, but the the other 4 say the hotel did have console-friendly
TVs. If you are booked there you might want to call the hotel to find out if your room has a "good" TV or not.
Remember this data is from last year so any of these hotels could have upgraded their equipment.
PAX Hotels:
Crowne Plaza:
"...Crowne had zero hook-ups for A/V cables..." [Moe Fwacky edit: this is not true for their suites, those have an LCD TV in the bedroom with A/V hookups, other rooms, not so much]
Red Lion Fifth Avenue:
From their current site: "Our 297 smoke-free guest rooms offer...on-demand movies and Nintendo 64..."
The Roosevelt:
From their current site: "All of our rooms feature:...25 inch cable television with pay per view movies, HBO,
WebTV, and Nintendo..."
Sheraton:
"Sheraton has a new section (elevators are on the opposite side of the lobby), and an old section (elevators
are right next to the front desk). We stayed at the larger old section...Such as the TV not having any hookups
on it, and a tamper-proof sleeve over the coax line so you couldn't even hook up an RF adapter..."
"The Sheraton's TVs didn't have any either. If you bring a 360 or PS3 you're better off bringing a VGA cable
and monitor."
"...Union Street Tower...I had a flat screen in my room, but didn't see any hook-ups on the side, I could see
some hook-ups on the back. It was an LG brand TV..."
"...console-friendly flat-screen tv AND the bench/outlets below it made for an excellent GH2 party room"
"...Union street tower, the flat panel set in my room had hook-ups on the left hand edge of the screen but I
don't recall if it was an LG..."
"...the tower we were in is newer than the main one, since it had an LG flat panel TV..."
Non-PAX (this year) Hotels:
Days Inn:
"Our TV remote didn't work, and the unit itself had no hookups."
Executive Hotel Pacific:
"High-Def 26" LCD TVs in each room, 2 component inputs and three composite (RCA) inputs"
Hilton:
From their current site: "Rooms have 32" flat screen HD LCD Televisions with Lodgenet (includes web TV,
Nintendo gaming system, music channels, and the pay movie system)..." They did not say "all rooms"!
"...nice plasma TV with the high-def channels and the easy-access component-in..."
Paramount:
"...The Paramount was lacking on inputs as well..."
Pike Street Suites:
"..console-friendly LCD flatscreen television (it was gorgeous)..."
W:
From their current site: "Standard Amenities:...32" LCD Plasma Screen TV..."
"...but the HDTV alone would be worth it to gamers bringing their 360s or PS3s..."
The Grand Hyatt:
Confirmed over phone early June 2008: TVs do have available A/V ports.
That said here are some Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: I tried to book online, but it said the block was sold out.
A:This could be two things, (1) you could be trying to book for a day that either does not have the PAX rate available or for a date where they have run out of rooms at this date. Thursday before and Monday after do not have as large a number of rooms available as do Friday through Sunday. This could also be (2) a glitch in the online reservation system. For either of these problems, you should call the hotel in question. Believe me, it works wonders. I know online ordering is more convenient, but if you can't get what you want from a computer, talk to a human.
Q: I reserved online and the rate I was quoted is not the same as the rate on the PAX page.
A: Typically this is because you entered any number larger than 2 in the "people staying in each room" field. When you do this, they automatically charge you the going rate for rollaway beds. Just enter 2 or fewer and the rate will come up as it should.
Q: I have a group of <insert number >4 here> and don't want to spend the money on a second room.
A: If this is your problem, just don't mention it to the hotel. Worst case scenario is that you're restricted to 4 or 5 keys. Just don't overdo it, you all still have to sleep and shower in that room. So, don't try and cram 12 people in a room to save money, if you want to do that read the next question.
Q: I can't afford any of these hotels, even when split between 4 or 5 people;
A: Try the Green Tortoise Hostel. It's $25/night, not far away and guaranteed to be crammed to the gills with other PAXers. Check out this thread for more information.
Q: I can afford to split a room with other people, but don't have any friends going to PAX
A: Check out the PAX Hotel Room-Share Thread. Advertise your need and/or contact somebody who's needs match yours.
Q: I want to reserve a room before they are gone, but I can't afford to do so right now
A: Go ahead and reserve it, as long as you are reserving your hotel directly through the hotel or their website (preferably with the PAX rate) they only use your card number to hold the room. Charges are not put through until check-out, although they will put a hold on your card at check-in. Remember also, using the PAX rate not only saves you money, it also shows the hotels what kind of numbers PAX pulls in and makes it possible to get bigger blocks in subsequent years.
Q: Can we split the bill onto multiple cards?
A: Yes, you can. You can even do some pretty cool things, like setting up separate billing for each TYPE of charge! A personal recommendation will be for you to have the room charges (and ONLY the room charges) on the main folio, and all your ancillary charges (food, calls, movies, etc) on a second bill. (And if you think that you might ring up a lot of charges under one of those categories, you may want to further split that charge out to a third folio.) This will give you two separate bills - one having the room cost, the other having the extra costs. This will help you avoid some fights. (Thanks to AngelHedgie for this answer).
There you have it, if you've got any other hotel-related questions, toss them in here and I'll update this FAQ as it needs to be.
Moe Fwacky on
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This discussion has been closed.
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NEW ALBUM OUT, NOW WITH 100% MORE SHEEP!, have a listen will ya
Also, any ideas on cab fare to the convention area from the airport? I have done a shuttle once but never a cab. What do you tip a cabbie anyway? 3 bucks? 5 bucks? Live chicken?
Can I get a shout from my fellow Sheraton-ites?
I found this data searching through last years feedback thread. Hurray!
Please note that I found some interesting comments about the Sheraton. Apparently the "new" tower on
Union Street had the nice LG flat-panel TVs, but the other tower did not. Two of the comments suggest that
the Sheraton did not have console-friendly TVs, but the the other 4 say the hotel did have console-friendly
TVs. If you are booked there you might want to call the hotel to find out if your room has a "good" TV or not.
Remember this data is from last year so any of these hotels could have upgraded their equipment.
PAX Hotels:
Crowne Plaza:
"...Crowne had zero hook-ups for A/V cables..."
Red Lion Fifth Avenue:
From their current site: "Our 297 smoke-free guest rooms offer...on-demand movies and Nintendo 64..."
The Roosevelt:
From their current site: "All of our rooms feature:...25 inch cable television with pay per view movies, HBO,
WebTV, and Nintendo..."
Sheraton:
"Sheraton has a new section (elevators are on the opposite side of the lobby), and an old section (elevators
are right next to the front desk). We stayed at the larger old section...Such as the TV not having any hookups
on it, and a tamper-proof sleeve over the coax line so you couldn't even hook up an RF adapter..."
"The Sheraton's TVs didn't have any either. If you bring a 360 or PS3 you're better off bringing a VGA cable
and monitor."
"...Union Street Tower...I had a flat screen in my room, but didn't see any hook-ups on the side, I could see
some hook-ups on the back. It was an LG brand TV..."
"...console-friendly flat-screen tv AND the bench/outlets below it made for an excellent GH2 party room"
"...Union street tower, the flat panel set in my room had hook-ups on the left hand edge of the screen but I
don't recall if it was an LG..."
"...the tower we were in is newer than the main one, since it had an LG flat panel TV..."
Non-PAX (this year) Hotels:
Days Inn:
"Our TV remote didn't work, and the unit itself had no hookups."
Executive Hotel Pacific:
"High-Def 26" LCD TVs in each room, 2 component inputs and three composite (RCA) inputs"
Hilton:
From their current site: "Rooms have 32" flat screen HD LCD Televisions with Lodgenet (includes web TV,
Nintendo gaming system, music channels, and the pay movie system)..." They did not say "all rooms"!
"...nice plasma TV with the high-def channels and the easy-access component-in..."
Paramount:
"...The Paramount was lacking on inputs as well..."
Pike Street Suites:
"..console-friendly LCD flatscreen television (it was gorgeous)..."
W:
From their current site: "Standard Amenities:...32" LCD Plasma Screen TV..."
"...but the HDTV alone would be worth it to gamers bringing their 360s or PS3s..."
PS3: Mentok || Steam: mentok1982 || Diablo 3: mentok1982#1212
Links: GPUReview.com My IGN activity My IGN Blog [H]ard|Forum
Splitting Your Bill
Short Answer: Yes, you can.
Long Answer: Yes, you can. You can even do some pretty cool things, like setting up separate billing for each TYPE of charge! A personal recommendation will be for you to have the room charges (and ONLY the room charges) on the main folio, and all your ancillary charges (food, calls, movies, etc) on a second bill. (And if you think that you might ring up a lot of charges under one of those categories, you may want to further split that charge out to a third folio.) This will give you two separate bills - one having the room cost, the other having the extra costs. This will help you avoid some fights.
Long time PA reader, first time attendee, first post.
Just called up the Hyatt since thats where I'm going to stay, they confirm that the TV's there DO have A/V hookups.
Thanks, protocol.
Moe, can you please update my TV section in the first post with protocol's information.
The Grand Hyatt:
Confirmed over phone early June 2008: TVs do have available A/V ports.
PS3: Mentok || Steam: mentok1982 || Diablo 3: mentok1982#1212
Links: GPUReview.com My IGN activity My IGN Blog [H]ard|Forum
I phoned and tried to use their website. If you try to book anything online it says that the stay does not meet the required length. When you phone, they say that all dates are sold out for the PAX rate.
I only called the 1-800 number for reservations though, not the hotel directly.
I just checked and rooms are still available with the penny arcade rate at the Red Lion, it's probably your best bet since the group rate there was added after the other hotels started selling out. The Wifi is free there, that seems like a decent enough pro to outweigh walking a few extra blocks.
It is about a five minute walk from the Convention Center; but it's good.
Hey Moe!
Don't make me lime or lemon you. I will do it. :twisted:
PS3: Mentok || Steam: mentok1982 || Diablo 3: mentok1982#1212
Links: GPUReview.com My IGN activity My IGN Blog [H]ard|Forum
The rooms are pretty nice, if a bit small. They just have regular TVs, though. The bad thing is that they're about 5 blocks from the convention center - and it's uphill on the way back.
First off, I apologize if this is NOT allowed on this board, but I thought I would share some tips that helped me score a room that was in an already "booked up" hotel.
I travel for work pretty extensively, and I have a lot of experience when it comes to booking for travel last minute (or damn near last minute) and trying to lock down great prices for hotels.
I use Priceline.com pretty extensively, and although some people have had mixed experiences, it has always worked out fine for me.
I just booked 4 nights at the Red Lion (8/28-9/1) for only $75 per night. I know that the special rate that PAX negotiated for this hotel was $149/nt, so I basically got it for half off. The only downside for using the site like this is that PAX can't get a totally accurate number of the people that used their negotiated rates, but if anyone is looking to save up to %50 on their lodgings, this is something I would recommend.
Again, apologies if this is not supossed to be posted here, but I know that a lot of the attendees may be looking for a way to save some coin. Besides, the $75 a night I'm saving means I will be buying a pair of DS's just for this event.
If anyone wants to talk more indepth about using PL for this, feel free to IM me and I will try to respond in a timely manner.
Look forward to seeing you all there!
Here comes the LIME!
Please update the first post Moe, with the above addition. Pretty please.
PS3: Mentok || Steam: mentok1982 || Diablo 3: mentok1982#1212
Links: GPUReview.com My IGN activity My IGN Blog [H]ard|Forum
Well I didn't see it because I was expecting it to be inserted under the PAX Hotel area at the top instead of way down at the bottom.
So sorry about the liming.
PS3: Mentok || Steam: mentok1982 || Diablo 3: mentok1982#1212
Links: GPUReview.com My IGN activity My IGN Blog [H]ard|Forum
Seriously! Don't. Shade and I did this last year and it took something 6 HOURS, three desk attendents, two managers, seven or eight calls to our credit card companies, and an accountant in a freaking pear tree for them to get us checked out of the hotel. Just don't try it.
They only took me ten minutes for the splitting with two credit cards. Probably would have only taken five minutes...but they had to change the printer ink.
Ok I got a hold of the Crowne Plaza, they gave me the $150 rate. Might still be a good idea to look into expanding those blocks though, with over 2 months left to go before the convention still. Thanks for the help
It has to do with damage issues. For fun, try seeing if you can rent a car.