OFFICIAL - Hotel/Site Selection

[Imran Siddiqui]

2. They're not capable of taking basic reservations this far out. (this is an easy test - just choose a different date).

3. Their website is messed up.

Neither are it (IMO). I tried reservations all around the projected date... worked fine.

Hopefully it is because of the scheduled space... might be something to ask though .

[JohnT]

Yeah... it could prove important.

[JohnT]

Did you try different weekends, or weekdays?

[duke o' york]

Originally posted by JohnT

it will come down to KrazyHorse's and my judgment this upcoming weekend.

Hey, that instils confidence!



Chieftess, you'd really pass up the chance to meet and greet Sid and Firaxis just because you don't "know" any 'polytubbies? I've only met some of the London branch, and I'm hoping to be able to make it. Besides, you get to go home in the evening/morning when you're tired of LAN gaming, and we'll have to find hotels. Short of the release of a new game, this is the biggest event for Civ fans I'm aware of, and you won't go despite it being on your doorstep?
TF won't sack you for attending you know.

[Chieftess]

I've met Sid before. I worked at Firaxis through Absolute Quality during C3C and met Soren, Sid and the gang.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by JohnT
Did you try different weekends, or weekdays?

Yes to both. Worked for both.

[JohnT]

I've already talked to KH - we're meeting at 9:30 tomorrow at the Marriott to discuss the days agenda.

We made it fine and I've already taken walking tours of all three hotels.

Three?

Yes. On our way up here, I noticed a "Holiday Inn Convention Center" next to the offices of BHG. I think it was mentioned earlier, but as to why I didn't pursue it... I have no idea.

Anyway, we checked into the Marriott and had their Thanksgiving dinner, after which Laura and Sophie retired to the room and I went to work.

First thing I did was check the wireless signal throughout the entire hotel. I have a chart that I can scan into a PDF and upload when I get back, if necessary, but overall, with a couple of spots, the signal is quite strong in all corners of the hotel.

Except for two corridors, first and second floor, in which there was no signal at all. The same corridor, on the third floor, was at full strength. Go figure - I'm pretty sure I was doing something wrong, but I can't figure out what.

Anyway, I then drove down to that Holiday Inn... and my nebulous misgivings of the Marriott were crystalized. The Marriott was no fun, being a rather stuffy "executive" type resort, with dark oak trim and a very well-mannered staff. The Holiday Inn, however, was a place to have fun in... I mean, a clean, well-lit hotel with a bar, pool tables, and an indoor heated pool is a lot more appealing than the Marriotts heavy-oak dining room, which dominates their entrance.

The HI's wireless connection was never strong anywhere except near the elevators - a lot of 1's and 2's (out of 5) on my little meter. As the Marriott, it was based upon rooms along a line of corridors, but it wasn't as... well kept as the Marriotts. Not seedy, no, but you could tell it's been a hour+ since housekeeping last made a sweep of the room service remains.

Another thing about the Holiday Inn - it's right next to Big Huge Games - literally.

Lastly I went to the Embassy Suites. The atrium layout was similar to the Holiday Inn, but what made it appealing was that all the rooms were oriented towards the atrium - it gave the hotel a far more cozy and friendly feel, especially for our purposes as we would all be right there.

Lots of bad spots on their wireless network - the number of "0" readings in there was far more than either of the other hotels, combined.

Anyway, that's my first impression. The Marriott is impressive, but too formal. The Holiday Inn is party-friendly, but seemingly the dirtiest. The Embassy Suites, like the third bears bed, chair, and porridge, was just right.

[DanQ]

Thanks for the report, John.

In my book anyway then, the ES maintains their overall early lead...

--
Dan

[JohnT]

This is why you make the trip if you want a successful convention...

I'm pretty sure we have a winner, a dark horse coming out of nowhere, the Holiday Inn Select (HIS) in Timonium. This hotel, while older than the other two, has everything we need, including an open atrium for after hours gathering and gaming - what better respite from a gaming convention than a bar with a pool table?

But that's not the only reason - there are solid, financial and contractual reasons for choosing the HIS over the other two:

1. They are available the weekend of July 7th. Now I've heard that this can cause some problems, as it coincides with the World Cup... but this is also the only weekend Brian Reynolds can attend. C'est la vie.

2. The room rate is $20-$30 cheaper per night than the other two hotels. They're still $92/night (plus a 13% sales tax, but there's nothing I can do about that) but that's better than ES' $119/$129 and Marriotts flat $129.

3. Their attrition formula rocks. "Attrition" is the formula used to prevent groups from overbooking the hotels rooms - to Embassy Suites, we are allowed up to 20% attrition, meaning that if we still have 20% or less of our requested rooms still to register at a certain time, we won't owe the hotel a penny. However, any room drop off greater than 20% and I'll be on the hook for the lost revenue.

For example, say I reserve 100 rooms (50 rooms/night). The Embassy Suites attrition formula states that if we fill 80 rooms (80%), we'll be OK. However, if we fill but 60 of those rooms, the convention is on the hook for 20 rooms @ $129.95 + 13% tax ($2,936.87)!!!

However, HIS' attrition formula works like this: Their meeting rooms are priced higher per sq ft. than the Marriotts or ES's (ES pretty much just gives us the rooms). As you fill your block, the meeting room rate declines according to a predefined formula, eventually reducing to $0.

The kicker? Their "exhorbitant" meeting room rate is $350/room, or $1,400 for the entire meeting space (including all workshop, Q&A, and banquet space)! This is but $400 more than my earliest "let's plug a number in" estimates for the rooms in the first place, and is quite an incentive as it puts a cap onto a potentially serious loss scenario. We're limited to $1,400 liability, whereas with ES we are liable for every room that we tell them, in January, that we'll need in July (up to $14,684.35).

And it's not like we aren't going to need the meeting space!

4. Their banquet and refreshment prices are slightly lower than the other two as well. Actually, soda and water is a bit higher, but a three entree dinner buffet is lower in price than a two entree buffet at the other hotels.

I still have the meeting at the Marriott on Monday, but quite frankly they're no longer in the running - as I've said, it's too formal and they nickel and dime ya to death. $10/night for wireless internet service! But since they've given me two free nights stay, I really have no recourse but to meet...

Embassy Suites isn't out of the running, but they will have to pull some serious rabbits out of their azz, er, hat, to make me turn my eyes away from that attrition formula. I mean, capping the conventions liability in regards to rooms is a powerful incentive.

So... unless something radical happens over the weekend to make me change my mind, it looks as if the decision has pretty much been made:

The Holiday Inn Select in Timonium. We'll see ya' there.

[JohnT]

Another thing... those rates are good for 24 hours. If we want to have a LAN party in the meeting rooms, we can do so.

[DanQ]

W00t, HIS.



Adding to John's summarized list above, they have July 7th available... which is the only date we've been looking at during which time Brian @ BHG can be available to participate.

--
Dan

[Donegeal]

OK... weekend is over... What happened?

[JohnT]

Lots. Check out the update above and the Big Huge Games thread.

[Donegeal]

Oooo....

Map?

This thing is really going to happen, isn't it?

[JohnT]

Of course it is. There's even more happening than we're letting on, but all will be revealed in due time...