I just registered for PAX 2011. I'm staying as close to the BCEC as possible. I've stayed at the Seaport hotel, but it's costly (almost $400 a night right now). The Renaissance is almost half the cost as the Seaport and I'm going there, but I haven't stayed there.
FYI: I'm a Massachusetts native (Lives in Salem, Works in Boston), so feel free to message me if you have any questions about the area
Why don't you just commute from your house? I did that last time and it worked out fine (I live rather close to you so it's doable)
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38thDoelets never be stupid againwait lets always be stupid foreverRegistered Userregular
Is anyone else thinking about getting a room near last year's location? I really enjoyed the selection of restaurants and bars that was right across the street from the convention center. The new location doesn't seem to have as much. I love spending all day at PAX as much as the next guy, but I also like to do my best Anthony Bordain while walking local establishments.
Got my badges though. Looking forward to my second PAX.
How far away is the new location from the old? I know the T stopped running long before we wanted to go home last time.
Bought my badge and so did a friend. Will be trying to get a couple more friends to come with and split the hotel room but if not you'll find me in the hotel room share thread later.
I have a similar concern to Ferris007's. I would like my hotel choice to be in an area with a (at least somewhat) lively nightlife and though on a normal day that would probably mean getting one near last years convention location, I wonder if the sudden influx of people will create that liveliness in this new area. I guess one way to tell where guarunteed goodness is going down at night is to watch for where any community parties are going down, i.e. Kotaku will probably have something, Capcom-Unity perhaps, etc. But we won't know about those until later anyways so it won't help with hotel choice. I'll probably end up just doing the Westin for ease and traversing the city if needed; it just means I'll have to stay sober enough late into the night to be able to use the public transport system effectively..or at all.
Why don't you just commute from your house? I did that last time and it worked out fine (I live rather close to you so it's doable)
I hate driving from Salem and back and the commuter rail's weekend schedule isn't the best. Staying closer worked out last year and should prove well this year. To each their own, though.
I'm in the Renaissance. I was bidding on 4 stars in Boston on the Waterfront at Priceline. Started off super low and went up $10 every 3-4 days. I didn't realize the Ren was also 4 star on their listings, I had assumed just the Westin. $110 didn't work, I didn't try $115, but $120 did. I was a little sad when I saw it wasn't exactly the hotel I wanted, and I know someone on page 6 or so of this thread got the Ren @ $108. Should still be fine though, not far enough to be concerned. Was hoping for the convenience of being in the Sheraton at Prime, where I literally took an elevator to some of the panels.
I had a change of heart when I saw a hotel a bit further away, but still close for $110 a night before I hit the Book button. So it isn't going to be the Renaissance; the Club Quarters instead.
I'm definitely sharing a room with fellow enforcers at the Westin or somewhere EXTREMELY close. I made a huge mistake staying at a hotel 1.5 miles away from Hynes last year. 2am was a nightmare.
I'm in the Renaissance. I was bidding on 4 stars in Boston on the Waterfront at Priceline. Started off super low and went up $10 every 3-4 days. I didn't realize the Ren was also 4 star on their listings, I had assumed just the Westin. $110 didn't work, I didn't try $115, but $120 did. I was a little sad when I saw it wasn't exactly the hotel I wanted, and I know someone on page 6 or so of this thread got the Ren @ $108. Should still be fine though, not far enough to be concerned. Was hoping for the convenience of being in the Sheraton at Prime, where I literally took an elevator to some of the panels.
Good to know, I was going to try that myself, think I'll hold out until after the PAX hotels go up. The Renaissance isn't far away at all, and it's still a decent property, but docked hotels are just so damned convenient!
Docked hotels are ALWAYS convenient. When I did Dragon*Con 3 years in a row, it was extremely satisfying to just take an elevator up and down whenever you wanted to attend panels, or snap photos of cosplayers or check the dealer's hall.
When I did GenCon in 2009, we stayed at a quaint B&B about 3 miles away (a friend selected it, saying he liked staying there the year before). Normally decent walking distance, but in the awful heat of Indianapolis in August, it was just a mistake. It made going to and from the convention center a nightmare, and we instead chose to use the rental car we drove down in and just pay $20 for full day parking to use at our leisure. Though there was never a guarantee that if we left, we'd be able to park in there again.
We are not going to make that mistake again and will definitely be holding out for a deal at the Westin.
I'm happy to say that I'll be attending PAX East 2011 along with my now (hopefully) infamous Forum Badges Not sure about the hotel though, thanks to the change of venue...
Little bit worried about this disclaimer on the reservation though:
Guarantee Rules
For reservations guaranteed with a form of payment at time of booking, rooms are held until hotel check-out time the day following arrival. For reservations not guaranteed with a form of payment at time of booking, rooms are held until set cancellation time per the rules of the reservation. In the event more guests arrive than can be accommodated due to hotel overbooking or an unforeseen circumstance, and hotel is unable to hold rooms consistent with this room hold policy, hotel will attempt to accommodate guests, at its expense, at a comparable hotel in the area for the oversold night(s), and will pay for transportation to that hotel.
I didn't prepay, so I have to hope that they don't overbook?! I'm sure they'll at least sell out.
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DMmagicPAX East EnforcerSpringfield, MO, USARegistered Userregular
I'm happy to say that I'll be attending PAX East 2011 along with my now (hopefully) infamous Forum Badges Not sure about the hotel though, thanks to the change of venue...
1) I would like a badge please (my last PAX was Prime in 2009)
2) I would like to get you a drink or a plushie of some kind to thank you, since I don't think I even met you in 2009
The PAX hotel site was prepay last year, and the discount wasn't that great (maybe 10%?). It's just not worth it to me compared to the full price and having the option of canceling if something comes up. I probably won't know 100% for sure I can go until a month or two before PAX, and I'm sure the Westin will be booked by then. Tickets are easier to get rid of than a prepaid hotel room anyhow...
The PAX hotel site was prepay last year, and the discount wasn't that great (maybe 10%?). It's just not worth it to me compared to the full price and having the option of canceling if something comes up. I probably won't know 100% for sure I can go until a month or two before PAX, and I'm sure the Westin will be booked by then. Tickets are easier to get rid of than a prepaid hotel room anyhow...
If I remember right, you only have to pre-pay the first night with the hotel site. Yes, it's still not fantastic for cancellations, but also not impossible to offload to others who might need it. Also not the same as pre-paying $600-900 for the full weekend.
Little bit worried about this disclaimer on the reservation though:
Guarantee Rules
For reservations guaranteed with a form of payment at time of booking, rooms are held until hotel check-out time the day following arrival. For reservations not guaranteed with a form of payment at time of booking, rooms are held until set cancellation time per the rules of the reservation. In the event more guests arrive than can be accommodated due to hotel overbooking or an unforeseen circumstance, and hotel is unable to hold rooms consistent with this room hold policy, hotel will attempt to accommodate guests, at its expense, at a comparable hotel in the area for the oversold night(s), and will pay for transportation to that hotel.
I didn't prepay, so I have to hope that they don't overbook?! I'm sure they'll at least sell out.
I hate to say but the westin will probably overbook. Since this is the hotel that is pretty much attached to the convention center.
The PAX hotel site was prepay last year, and the discount wasn't that great (maybe 10%?). It's just not worth it to me compared to the full price and having the option of canceling if something comes up. I probably won't know 100% for sure I can go until a month or two before PAX, and I'm sure the Westin will be booked by then. Tickets are easier to get rid of than a prepaid hotel room anyhow...
I didn't prepay anything at all. The only instances in which most major hotels charge ahead of check-out is when you aren't using a credit card, and in that case it's not dependent on if you use a third-party booking system.
Hey Moe, are you going to setup another thread for the PAX East Train Alliance? That was really helpful last year...err this year. You know what I mean :P
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Moe FwackyRight Here, Right NowDrives a BuickModeratormod
edited September 2010
Yes, I will. give me until around the first week of October, I'm still recovering from PAX Prime.
Yeah, for most hotels, if they ask you for a credit card, it's just a guarantee. They'll do an auth against your card to make sure the first night's fee will clear but they don't settle the charge. So, you just need to have enough credit available on the card when they do the guarantee. It should clear in a day or two if not immediately depending on your bank.
I'm still debating. I'm on the West coast and I go to PAX Prime but I've been itching to try to go bi-costal (once you go...wait a minute...)...maybe enlist as an Enforcer for PAX East...The big problem is cash flow. Not sure I'll have any in time for the trip.
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Goose!That's me, honeyShow me the way home, honeyRegistered Userregular
edited September 2010
Amtrak just sent me an e-mail, 25% off all NE regional trains when you buy at least 14 days in advance, so take advantage of that train travelers.
I'll probably end up just doing the Westin for ease and traversing the city if needed; it just means I'll have to stay sober enough late into the night to be able to use the public transport system effectively..or at all.
I will probably end up doing the same thing. By the time March rolls around I'm sure we'll have a little entourage of people who enjoy taking a break from gaming to grab a pint or 5. We can all split cab fare and keep the costs down.
I wanna go to my first PAX this year but have no one to go with me and I can't really afford a hotel for three days by myself.
This is not a problem. There will be a Hotel share thread closer to the time of PAX East. When that goes up, post that you need a room, and keep looking for people who have space.
As for going alone, it's really not that big of a deal. You're on the forums here, so get to know people, participate in pre-PAX events, and remember, we're all geeks together.
I'm hoping to either end up at the Seaport Boston Hotel or the Renaissance. The price, right now, is almost the same for each, but I'll wait to see if Pax can get a better rate.
I saw the rates for the Renaissance and the Seaport around $200 and $400 per night each...I'm staying a bit further away at the Club Quarters myself at $100 a night (given that it's in the business district and no business on the weekends, I think that helped get the low price).
I saw the rates for the Renaissance and the Seaport around $200 and $400 per night each...I'm staying a bit further away at the Club Quarters myself at $100 a night (given that it's in the business district and no business on the weekends, I think that helped get the low price).
I'm in the Club Quarters too! Wanted to book my hotel in british pounds on my credit card so i had various protections if the hotel company went bust.. i'm ever the optimist (or just super nervous about organising my first holiday ever)
I'm in the Club Quarters too! Wanted to book my hotel in british pounds on my credit card so i had various protections if the hotel company went bust.. i'm ever the optimist (or just super nervous about organising my first holiday ever)
You'll do fine, RazorD. I've stayed at the Club Quarters in NYC a few years ago; clean, courteous staff, but the place is built more for business travelers than luxury. Also, I highly suggest going to the pre pax dinner; I was there last year and given how Vision has described how well the BiH is willing to accommodate, it should make for a better place to socialize.
Also, let me be one of the first to welcome you to across the pond from the colonies, albeit electronically (if they even still call the atlantic the pond and New England the "colonies"....I'm working with old british idioms).
I'm in the Club Quarters too! Wanted to book my hotel in british pounds on my credit card so i had various protections if the hotel company went bust.. i'm ever the optimist (or just super nervous about organising my first holiday ever)
You'll do fine, RazorD. I've stayed at the Club Quarters in NYC a few years ago; clean, courteous staff, but the place is built more for business travelers than luxury. Also, I highly suggest going to the pre pax dinner; I was there last year and given how Vision has described how well the BiH is willing to accommodate, it should make for a better place to socialize.
Also, let me be one of the first to welcome you to across the pond from the colonies, albeit electronically (if they even still call the atlantic the pond and New England the "colonies"....I'm working with old british idioms).
Why thank you, kind sir!
Club Quarter's makes it super easy to get to the pre pax dinner though, which is awesome - Plus honestly, free wifi + comfortable bed is really all I'd ever need!
I wanna go to my first PAX this year but have no one to go with me and I can't really afford a hotel for three days by myself.
This is not a problem. There will be a Hotel share thread closer to the time of PAX East. When that goes up, post that you need a room, and keep looking for people who have space.
As for going alone, it's really not that big of a deal. You're on the forums here, so get to know people, participate in pre-PAX events, and remember, we're all geeks together.
Thank you ^_^ this made me feel A LOT better bro :rotate: cmon PAX!
I just contacted the Westin Waterfront and they quoted me a rate of $1369.95 for four nights, tax included.
I have no idea how people were getting 100 a night from them. O_o;
Same here, I went ahead and booked the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel instead, it was a lot cheaper and not too far away.
I'm going to wait until the PAX rates are revealed - the concierge at the Westin strongly suggested that the rates are much more reasonable as part of the con. And he did confirm that there is a PAX block at the Westin - he just couldn't reveal what the prices were going to be.
I just contacted the Westin Waterfront and they quoted me a rate of $1369.95 for four nights, tax included.
I have no idea how people were getting 100 a night from them. O_o;
Same here, I went ahead and booked the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel instead, it was a lot cheaper and not too far away.
I'm going to wait until the PAX rates are revealed - the concierge at the Westin strongly suggested that the rates are much more reasonable as part of the con. And he did confirm that there is a PAX block at the Westin - he just couldn't reveal what the prices were going to be.
If the actual pax rates are that much better for the Westin I'll change hotels, I can cancel my current hotel with no fees.
I just contacted the Westin Waterfront and they quoted me a rate of $1369.95 for four nights, tax included.
I have no idea how people were getting 100 a night from them. O_o;
Now you know why I am worried about them mysteriously losing my reservation the room. Oh I got the receipt but I should call back and get the confirmation number they gave me.
I said the price was going up. I was at 80 bucks a night and is 313.92 after taxes but is a 1 king bed room.
I just contacted the Westin Waterfront and they quoted me a rate of $1369.95 for four nights, tax included.
I have no idea how people were getting 100 a night from them. O_o;
Now you know why I am worried about them mysteriously losing my reservation the room. Oh I got the receipt but I should call back and get the confirmation number they gave me.
I said the price was going up. I was at 80 bucks a night and is 313.92 after taxes but is a 1 king bed room.
Are you sure that you got the right Westin? O_o
As I said, the cheapest room they could find was 300 a night, for a single king-size bed.
I just contacted the Westin Waterfront and they quoted me a rate of $1369.95 for four nights, tax included.
I have no idea how people were getting 100 a night from them. O_o;
Now you know why I am worried about them mysteriously losing my reservation the room. Oh I got the receipt but I should call back and get the confirmation number they gave me.
I said the price was going up. I was at 80 bucks a night and is 313.92 after taxes but is a 1 king bed room.
Are you sure that you got the right Westin? O_o
As I said, the cheapest room they could find was 300 a night, for a single king-size bed.
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Why don't you just commute from your house? I did that last time and it worked out fine (I live rather close to you so it's doable)
How far away is the new location from the old? I know the T stopped running long before we wanted to go home last time.
I have a similar concern to Ferris007's. I would like my hotel choice to be in an area with a (at least somewhat) lively nightlife and though on a normal day that would probably mean getting one near last years convention location, I wonder if the sudden influx of people will create that liveliness in this new area. I guess one way to tell where guarunteed goodness is going down at night is to watch for where any community parties are going down, i.e. Kotaku will probably have something, Capcom-Unity perhaps, etc. But we won't know about those until later anyways so it won't help with hotel choice. I'll probably end up just doing the Westin for ease and traversing the city if needed; it just means I'll have to stay sober enough late into the night to be able to use the public transport system effectively..or at all.
I hate driving from Salem and back and the commuter rail's weekend schedule isn't the best. Staying closer worked out last year and should prove well this year. To each their own, though.
PAX East 2015: -Pass [X] -Hotel [X] -Time off[X]
twitter: acumen101 | fb: fb.com/acumen101
Steam: acumen101 | xbl/psn: caseBlaster101
PAX East 2015: -Pass [X] -Hotel [X] -Time off[X]
twitter: acumen101 | fb: fb.com/acumen101
Steam: acumen101 | xbl/psn: caseBlaster101
Good to know, I was going to try that myself, think I'll hold out until after the PAX hotels go up. The Renaissance isn't far away at all, and it's still a decent property, but docked hotels are just so damned convenient!
When I did GenCon in 2009, we stayed at a quaint B&B about 3 miles away (a friend selected it, saying he liked staying there the year before). Normally decent walking distance, but in the awful heat of Indianapolis in August, it was just a mistake. It made going to and from the convention center a nightmare, and we instead chose to use the rental car we drove down in and just pay $20 for full day parking to use at our leisure. Though there was never a guarantee that if we left, we'd be able to park in there again.
We are not going to make that mistake again and will definitely be holding out for a deal at the Westin.
Steam: TheArcadeBear
Little bit worried about this disclaimer on the reservation though:
Guarantee Rules
For reservations guaranteed with a form of payment at time of booking, rooms are held until hotel check-out time the day following arrival. For reservations not guaranteed with a form of payment at time of booking, rooms are held until set cancellation time per the rules of the reservation. In the event more guests arrive than can be accommodated due to hotel overbooking or an unforeseen circumstance, and hotel is unable to hold rooms consistent with this room hold policy, hotel will attempt to accommodate guests, at its expense, at a comparable hotel in the area for the oversold night(s), and will pay for transportation to that hotel.
I didn't prepay, so I have to hope that they don't overbook?! I'm sure they'll at least sell out.
1) I would like a badge please (my last PAX was Prime in 2009)
2) I would like to get you a drink or a plushie of some kind to thank you, since I don't think I even met you in 2009
Infamous/Awesome, yes :-)
G+: MStublefield
Twitter: dmmagic
Why did you book a hotel before the PAX hotel site is up? Shouldn't you just wait until that site is up?
If I remember right, you only have to pre-pay the first night with the hotel site. Yes, it's still not fantastic for cancellations, but also not impossible to offload to others who might need it. Also not the same as pre-paying $600-900 for the full weekend.
XBox: Loki HKD
PSN: Loki_HKD
I didn't prepay anything at all. The only instances in which most major hotels charge ahead of check-out is when you aren't using a credit card, and in that case it's not dependent on if you use a third-party booking system.
Also, minecraft.
I'm still debating. I'm on the West coast and I go to PAX Prime but I've been itching to try to go bi-costal (once you go...wait a minute...)...maybe enlist as an Enforcer for PAX East...The big problem is cash flow. Not sure I'll have any in time for the trip.
I will probably end up doing the same thing. By the time March rolls around I'm sure we'll have a little entourage of people who enjoy taking a break from gaming to grab a pint or 5. We can all split cab fare and keep the costs down.
This is not a problem. There will be a Hotel share thread closer to the time of PAX East. When that goes up, post that you need a room, and keep looking for people who have space.
As for going alone, it's really not that big of a deal. You're on the forums here, so get to know people, participate in pre-PAX events, and remember, we're all geeks together.
PAX East 2015: -Pass [X] -Hotel [X] -Time off[X]
twitter: acumen101 | fb: fb.com/acumen101
Steam: acumen101 | xbl/psn: caseBlaster101
I'm in the Club Quarters too! Wanted to book my hotel in british pounds on my credit card so i had various protections if the hotel company went bust.. i'm ever the optimist (or just super nervous about organising my first holiday ever)
You'll do fine, RazorD. I've stayed at the Club Quarters in NYC a few years ago; clean, courteous staff, but the place is built more for business travelers than luxury. Also, I highly suggest going to the pre pax dinner; I was there last year and given how Vision has described how well the BiH is willing to accommodate, it should make for a better place to socialize.
Also, let me be one of the first to welcome you to across the pond from the colonies, albeit electronically (if they even still call the atlantic the pond and New England the "colonies"....I'm working with old british idioms).
PAX East 2015: -Pass [X] -Hotel [X] -Time off[X]
twitter: acumen101 | fb: fb.com/acumen101
Steam: acumen101 | xbl/psn: caseBlaster101
Why thank you, kind sir!
Club Quarter's makes it super easy to get to the pre pax dinner though, which is awesome - Plus honestly, free wifi + comfortable bed is really all I'd ever need!
Thank you ^_^ this made me feel A LOT better bro :rotate: cmon PAX!
I have no idea how people were getting 100 a night from them. O_o;
Same here, I went ahead and booked the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel instead, it was a lot cheaper and not too far away.
I'm going to wait until the PAX rates are revealed - the concierge at the Westin strongly suggested that the rates are much more reasonable as part of the con. And he did confirm that there is a PAX block at the Westin - he just couldn't reveal what the prices were going to be.
If the actual pax rates are that much better for the Westin I'll change hotels, I can cancel my current hotel with no fees.
Now you know why I am worried about them mysteriously losing my reservation the room. Oh I got the receipt but I should call back and get the confirmation number they gave me.
I said the price was going up. I was at 80 bucks a night and is 313.92 after taxes but is a 1 king bed room.
Are you sure that you got the right Westin? O_o
As I said, the cheapest room they could find was 300 a night, for a single king-size bed.
I was curious about this as well, upon further investigation I found a Westin 15 miles from downtown Boston for about 100 a night. hm... http://www.starwoodhotels.com/westin/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1036