Did y'all check into one of the hotels down the hill near Southcenter?

No comments from anyone?

Sorry I didn't see this thread earlier, I know Jeff has been crazy busy lately as well.

We've done a lot of research with hotels in the area trying to find the best combination of the features we are looking for. There were a lot of factors we were looking at and the Seattle Airport Marriott hits most of them. We're pretty excited about this location as we feel it has a lot to offer and that once people show up, they're going to agree!

Okay, I trust Paizo for the most part.

What factors were they looking at? I would think that food would be a major consideration. I don't see many restaurants within walking distance (Spencer's Steaks looks fairly pricey at $$$$).

I love the airport location though as I will be flying in from San Diego again. But the access to shopping and restaurants last year was pretty awesome!

Just my two cents.

Thanks!

The location at Redmond town center was pitch perfect. While the tent setup for some of the games was less than ideal, the availability of stuff in the town center was vastly superior to the Coast Hotel.

As someone who knows the area around the airport, it in a word: blows. It is sketchy to say the least. Angle Lake Cyclery, an awesome recumbent bike shop, isn't far from there. I know the owner and he's had his window shot out in the middle of the night.

Even better are the google reviews of the hotel: https://plus.google.com/102349673092900172805/about?gl=US&hl=en-US.

One guy had his car broken into both times he stayed there. Another had his car stolen.

If you're local, factor in the $17 to $20 per day in parking. Non-valet.

just a heads up

I was going to ask about the parking. A couple of years ago I went to a convention there and they tried to stick me for parking even though I was staying at the hotel. I decided then that I would not be going back there again, and in fact after that year Enfilade moved down to Olympia. Much as I would like to go, if I have to pay $109 a night, plus $17 to $20 a day for parking I think I will give it a pass. Does anyone know if they will be providing free parking with the room?

I was going to ask about the parking. A couple of years ago I went to a convention there and they tried to stick me for parking even though I was staying at the hotel. I decided then that I would not be going back there again, and in fact after that year Enfilade moved down to Olympia. Much as I would like to go, if I have to pay $109 a night, plus $17 to $20 a day for parking I think I will give it a pass. Does anyone know if they will be providing free parking with the room?

Parking
On-site parking, fee: 19 USD daily
Valet parking, fee: 24 USD daily

The location this year does seem to be a fairly bad choice...

The location this year does seem to be a fairly bad choice...

If there is one thing I've learned in all my years... don't judge until you know the facts. In this case, until we've been there and seen first hand how it all works and what the space provides; we really shouldn't judge.

If you don't want to pay the $17 for parking, look about a mile to the north, there is the Light Rail Station, from there catch a bus or the light rail to about a block from the hotel.

For those planning to use public transportation to get to and from the airport or downtown Seattle, I really recommend getting an Orca card. There's a $5 one-time fee, but that quickly evens out because it allows you to transfer between systems (like light rail and Metro bus, or Metro bus and Sound Transit) without paying again—2 transfers and it has paid for itself. And you never need exact change!

Would someone official from Paizocon answer this thread?

Parking used to be included for those renting rooms during other cons at this hotel. This is Paizo's first venture there and it would be good to know this in advance. An extra $60 fee to park is a consideration (F,S,S). Also, check to see if the ATM machine is operating and stocked and that the hotel is not under remodelling. At one recent Rustycon both those situations arose: the only ATM was empty for the entire weekend and the only restaurant was at half-capacity. And it is 3-4 blocks to alternatives for those, not a quick dash.

I'm pretty happy with the choice this year, as it means I won't even need a rental car. I can fly in, catch a shuttle to the hotel and I'm done.

Would someone official from Paizocon answer this thread?

Parking used to be included for those renting rooms during other cons at this hotel. This is Paizo's first venture there and it would be good to know this in advance. An extra $60 fee to park is a consideration (F,S,S). Also, check to see if the ATM machine is operating and stocked and that the hotel is not under remodelling. At one recent Rustycon both those situations arose: the only ATM was empty for the entire weekend and the only restaurant was at half-capacity. And it is 3-4 blocks to alternatives for those, not a quick dash.

Parking at the hotel is extra even for those staying at the hotel. I'll double-check that the ATM is full and as far as I'm aware, there should not be any remodeling during our show. I think we got quite enough of that last year at the Redmond location.