seeking Origins hotel advice

[Prest0]

This will be my first trip to Origins, and I'm looking for advice on hotels. One of the people I'm going with can use reward points to get a fantastic deal on a nice hotel... 8 miles away. Is it worth it? How bad is traffic around the convention area? How about parking? My personal preference is to stay within walking distance, but on the surface this seems like a great deal that would save us a lot of money. So I thought I would turn to my fellow ENWorlders for their Origins experiences. What's it like staying at an on-site hotel? What's it like driving and parking from one further away? Help me interweb. You're my only hope.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

This will be my first trip to Origins, and I'm looking for advice on hotels. One of the people I'm going with can use reward points to get a fantastic deal on a nice hotel... 8 miles away. Is it worth it? How bad is traffic around the convention area? How about parking? My personal preference is to stay within walking distance, but on the surface this seems like a great deal that would save us a lot of money. So I thought I would turn to my fellow ENWorlders for their Origins experiences. What's it like staying at an on-site hotel? What's it like driving and parking from one further away? Help me interweb. You're my only hope.

I didn't stay at a hotel in 2005, I stayed at a friend's place. So I can comment on parking.

Parking is pretty easy, though you might end up a few blocks away. There are several lots. We found traffic to be a problem at night as it overlapped with some of the July 4th celebrations. Otherwise it was not a problem.

That said, the 20 min drive pretty much meant we could not party late and it was a disincentive to 8am games. Also, if you get a hotel across the street, you can take a short cab ride to the convention center from the airport and a second one back. Some of the hotels may even offer shuttle service. So you lose $ for your expensive hotel, but you gain $ because you don't have to worry about a car.

 

[kenobi65]

Staying onsite is nice. I stayed at the Hyatt last year, which is attached to the convention center (and, directly on top of the meeting rooms that they used for the RPGA events). All I had to do was stumble downstairs in the morning.

I compare this versus going to GenCon in 2001 (back in Milwaukee), when I was staying at a hotel about 10 minutes north of the Midwest Express Center. Nothing more annoying that ending a slot at 1am, and then having to find the car and drive.

We're staying in the Hyatt again this year; at $116 a night for a four-person room, that means each of us are paying $116 for the con, which I consider a good deal (but I probably have a different idea of "affordable" than some people).

Oh, and fireworks shouldn't be as much of a hassle this year. The 4th of July is the Wednesday immediately before Origins, and, IIRC, they actually do their big downtown fireworks display on the 3rd, anyway.

 

[GwydapLlew]

Which hotel are you looking to stay at? I ask because I've worked for the hotels in Columbus for about five years.

It's going to depend on where you are coming from. If it's near the airport, that will be problematic with traffic. If it's not near the airport, it won't be a problem at all. I find that staying onsite is more conducive to enjoying the stay than traveling to and from another hotel but not everyone can get into the Hyatt, the Crowne Plaza, or the Drury.

Edit: Also, you'll have to consider parking costs. They aren't bad - maybe $20 a day - but it can quickly add up.

 

[Ghostwind]

The Crowne Plaza isn't bad for the money, but you can expect their elevators to break down at least twice. It's been this way every year for the last 4 years. I suggest the Hyatt or Drury. Parking will cost at least $20 a day, but it's a lot more convenient.

 

[GwydapLlew]

If you do stay onsite, the Hyatt and the Crowne can net you awesome savings on parking.

 

[DonTadow]

My advice for conventions is to stay at a hotel in walking distance. Nothing will frustrate you more than a 15 minute commute back and forth to game. Add to that that two of the days is on a weekday and there's a possibility that you could hit traffic and the negatives start piling up.

If you stay away from the convention, you'll find yourself sticking more rigidly to a schedule and some of the most fun I've had at conventions have been spur of the moment pick me up games.

 

[kenobi65]

The Crowne Plaza isn't bad for the money, but you can expect their elevators to break down at least twice. It's been this way every year for the last 4 years. I suggest the Hyatt or Drury. Parking will cost at least $20 a day, but it's a lot more convenient.

The Hyatt's elevators were pretty overstressed at peak times during the con (i.e., right before the first slot of each day, at dinnertime, etc.) They've only got one bank of 4 elevators serving the whole hotel, and it's just not enough at "rush hour."

 

[Crothian]

Commuting down isn't bad depending on where you are coming from. But on site would be better at least I perfer on site of Gen Con to my commuting to Origins.

 

[Seonaid]

On-site, no question. As others have said, it's much easier to find spur-of-the-moment gaming goodness when you aren't worried about driving home, or catching a shuttle or something. "Can I stay and keep playing after this slot is over? Of course I can, all I have to do is stumble upstairs to my room afterwards!" That's the biggest benefit, the lack of having to schedule your days, though it is not the only one (as others have said).

I stayed on-site when I was at Origins and it was fantastic.