Actually, also fridges are nice to refrigerate leftovers for reheating later when you have mega-portions but don’t like tossing good food. It’s more like a mini-apartment. They’re serving mini-meals M-Th too, so that’s nice, with wine and beer!
Call me paranoid, but one way I narrow down the hotel list is by searching the hotel name plus bed bugs. If I see recent reports, I bail. Also won’t stay at hotels where people reported bed bugs and management pretends it isn’t true or blames the customer. It is so much work to get rid of bed bugs that I would much rather not take even a small chance.
One of my relatives got bedbugs from a LA hotel. I count my blessings that has never happened to any of us in our travels. I guess that’s something more to search. I read the recent reviews–all were glowingly positive. I will check for bedbugs in the reviews. Have rarely ever read any reviews mentioning bedbugs. That would be very off-putting.
We have decided to stay with BIL for part of our trip, since we never spend enough time with him when we are at a hotel. It’s good for H and he to spend time together.
“sometimes by the time they give me my registration number, the lodging nearest the conference center has all been taken and I don’t always have the stamina to walk from the furthest hotels back and forth to the conference.”
@HImom Most conferences do not require completed registrations for special rate hotel booking. You can book the closest hotel as soon as registrations are opened, and cancel this reservation later if you choose not to register for the conference. As for the prices, they can indeed get high if you pay put of pocket - I usually get reimbursed for business travel. However, many convention centers have no affordable hotels within a walking distance, so the conference rates are still the best deal, especially if you book very early - the cheapest hotels are always gone first, sometimes during the first day.
Thanks–most of the conferences I attend, I’m on my own for making hotel reservations and can’t get the conference rates because of the way the organizers handle things. I mostly am able to figure out my workarounds, but it takes some luck and a bit of work in my part. I usually book as far in advance as possible, and generally can get some very nice rates.
Sometimes I have been able to book conference hotels at a fraction of the cost or hotels right next to the conference hotels.
I’m like @busdriver11 – I like nice places at low prices. I really don’t need meeting rooms or room service or business facilities when I’m staying at a hotel.
Location, location, location is most important to me.
I search “best boutique hotels” in city I’m traveling to. Then I look at their websites and read reviews. Then I book. I don’t like the big chain hotels (Westins, Hyatts, etc.) I find them impersonal. The one chain I will stay at is Kimpton. I’m at their hotel in Austin now. It’s fab. Their hotels are smaller then the big chains and always reflect the vibe of city they are in.
I do like Kimptom and smaller hotels, WHEN they’re near where we want/need to be. Often they are not near the places where our meetings are and location is very important to me, especially if temperatures may be much colder than we are used to. We stayed in a Kimpton once. They had a fabulous restaurant, where we enjoyed many meals.