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South 2017 [Hotel] Partners and Hotel Discussion
Posts
Cabs have always worked out well for me to and from the San Antonio airport.
I stayed at the Red Roof the first year. (And will be this year.) Don't forget anything you may need that first night, as they did not have a shop in the hotel to buy them. And the directions I was given to get to a shop were a little... uncomfortable for a lone, out of town girl to be walking at night. (I do not recall what exactly I was needing...) And you are going under the freeway to get to/from the convention center - it felt out of the way.
The lobby was negligible (I think there was only one table) so we stayed in the tabletop freeplay until closing every day.
But otherwise, nothing really stood out.
Though I *think* they do have a hotel shuttle to the airport, would have to double check.
Yeah, I stayed at the Red Roof year one. They've got decent rooms, but they're definitely a ways away, and not near any other hotels or shops or anything. It's basically right where downtown turns into warehouses. It's not a terrible walk if the weather's nice, and it's a pretty easy bus ride to the con. Getting back, especially a night isn't quite as handy.
Rate was $181 a night + Taxes came out to $30.32/night.
Attending: PAX West 2018 , Hotel - Sheraton
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Contributing writer at Marooner's Rock
Twitch broadcasting! Currently playing through Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance
It's a totally walk-able distance to the convention center, although I kind of regret not booking a place that is a few minutes shorter walk or right next door because that time loss adds up with each trip I made to and from the convention center.
So that's where all the water was going...because we got sporadic water pressure, sometimes it was fine, other times there you stood all soapy and NO water at all. The hvac systems only function was to provide a nice humming noise, but definitely no cooling was provided but the unit. So unless you are on a strict budget, don't mind hearing your neighbors every move and could take or leave a shower...I would agree to skip the Menger! Which is a shame because it does have a great old era feel to it, but is in dire need of renovations.
Probably. We were on the 4th floor so if you were on a lower floor, we probably got the water first and then let it trickle down to the rest of the Plebs.
on the 4th floor too...so their water pressure is all screwed up.
Springhill Suites (the one north of the center) was where I stayed last year and was a lot better in general, I think it's the direction I'll go next year even if it's a little farther from decent restaurants and bars.
In our reservation we had noted a desire for a roll away bed, but when we arrived they said they don't have any at that location. (Not that they were out.) It would have been nice if they told us beforehand
They also seemed to have weird staffing times. When my friend arrived at 2 or 3, there were 4 people with nothing to do. When I got there at 6, there was only one staff and I ended up standing in line for like 20m xD
But their staff was quite nice and amiable.
Wifi seemed iffy at night, I imagine because there were so many people...
However! One major reason we stayed there this year, was because when we stayed there the first year there was breakfast.
This year had no breakfast. (Well, there was a vending machine, but ew.) Since I had to be at the convention center at 7am every day, this kinda messed me up.
Overall... Fine hotel for a budget, but be aware of the lack of amenities.
Next year, I believe we'll spend a lil more for something a bit nicer.
The lock on my room didn't work at first, the door just opened whether you had a key or not. I didn't find that out until Friday night, so I had left my suite unlocked all day; yikes! I told the front desk Saturday morning and it was fixed by the time I got back that evening. Luckily nothing went missing.
It's about a 5-10 minute walk to PAX at street level, and it's right on the inner loop of the Riverwalk. They have a pretty convenient entrance right on the Riverwalk, through the in-hotel restaurant/bar. It's on the south side of the loop, so it's not super close to most of the restaurants since they're on the north or east side.
Overall it was a very nice place and a great experience, the only real downside is the price. It ended up costing just over $800 for 3 nights, with valet parking. That's significant, because they charge $36/day for valet parking. If you can find a cheaper place to park you can save some money, but I was on vacation so I didn't want to mess with it. Would highly recommend it you don't mind the cost, I may stay there again next year.
-- Vroomfondel
They were around $250+ before they sold out almost immediately. I didn't buy one at first because last year I got the same room for around $160. I tried to wait to see if the price would come down but they sold out so fast. A couple weeks before PAX they started listing non-refundable rooms. I got a room on the 16th floor with access to the Grand Club lounge and free breakfast for 2 at Ruth's Chris every morning for I think $259/night. Not cheap, but with a free good breakfast and literally walking right outside the door and stepping into the line at the convention center, it was worth it.
tl;dr It's nice but not worth paying for.
With my reservation it just came free with the room. Or maybe "free" but I didn't have an option of a room without it. I wouldn't pay money for it during PAX. I thought it would be nice to have a place to get food, snacks, and drinks throughout the day but I stayed so busy all I ever got was a few bottles of water the first night and a couple cookies to bring back to my room. I went in a few times just to see what they had and it was almost always empty in there. So if you wanted a quiet place to lounge it would be good, but I don't think quiet lounging is why people go to PAX. Maybe if you and a couple others wanted a quiet space to play a board game it would be nice, but it closes at 10pm. They have a continental breakfast in the morning, snack food throughout the day, and desserts at night. Nothing was really enough to be a full meal unless you only want a light breakfast or lunch, so it won't really save you from having to eat out elsewhere.
Leaning towards Contessa. Looks like about a 15 minute walk.
What's your plan to get from Austin to SA? Austin is worth a day or so, I suppose, but you may be better served by flying into SA and renting a car for the day to drive up. If you do it from an off-airport site, it can be pretty cheap.
You'd have to look at the difference in flight costs, add in a rental, subtract the transfer, etc., but I think you'll enjoy it.
Unless, and until I had a daughter I would have said "even if", you are a solo girl, I don't think you need to get a car back to the hotel. The river walk and Houston are buzzy enough through midnight that you'll be fine. If you're in a group, even better. We have stayed in the Holiday Inn Express on Cameron and the walk has been uneventful. On the other hand, Apple tells me I walk 15-20 miles that first day. That being said, finding friends to go with you is always prudent and I take no responsibility for your specific experience.
Thanks for the info. We thought about flying into austin but the more i look at San Antonio it looks like if we fly in there we wont even need a car. We may just save austin for another trip in the future. Im a guy so ill judge how i feel at night about taking an uber back. How late does public transport run?
I cant wait to get my ticket tommorow!
We had a very, very bad experience at the Menger. Cleanliness was lacking (to say the least). And they put a hold on my card for /way/ more than I was told (after confirming multiple times) to the extent that I had no money until Sunday and had to rely on friends to simply eat. It was my absolute worst hotel experience to date. There were multiple smaller issues as well.
Basically - I cannot recommend enough to stay way from the Menger.