Your Hotel Stay, Good or Bad?- 2008 Version

[heeroyuy135]

You know the drill. Post your opinions on your hotel stay this year.

Despite some wait times on the elevators (but I didn't expect any waits when we checked in or checked out), I really liked the Marriott. 1/2 off Vallet with In-and-out Privillages is awesome, free internet is freakin' awesome (I was able to update my blog often), and the staff was top-notch. A ton of tip money to the bellhops and the people who got my car.

[Runewitt]

it were awesome, even though we ended up letting a random cool guy we met up with on thursday crash in our room, we were at the ramada on the ground floor, so even though it was a short walk, we didnt need to wait for an elevator, and we kinda became a social spot for some people staying at the ramada, even to having an all night DnD game, with star wars type results!

[Gwydion]

The Crowne Plaza has the loudest damn toilets and air conditioners EVER. One sounds like an explosion, the other an airplane taking off. And the walls are thin, so you get to hear when everyone around you flushes their toilet. Friday night sucked because of this, I got woken up every two seconds because of one or the other. Had to fiddle with the A/C so it would shut up at night so I could sleep. Otherwise they were nice and polite and the room was cleaned really fast. But I'm trying the Hilton or going back to the Sainte Claire next year, for quieter rooms. ^^

[billgoku]

Other than the elevators constantly being over used..the Marriott was amazing this year. Quiet, comfortable and a perfect stay indeed. The price wasn't even that high either for 4 nights. I'll be reserving with them again next year for sure.

[Rainbow Ichi]

stayed in the hilton the entire weekend.

Everything was good, except for these few points:

-I hated the elevator to death >.< every frickin time i head to my 15th floor room, i end up wanting to puke at the front door of my room. It never happened, but who knows..next time...

-City Bar & Grill, worst service during late evenings.

  Me and my bro wandered for an hour looking for a good place for solid, not-too greasy food restos, ended up not loving the seafood restos or burgers, so we head back to grab a bite there. We got formally seated at the bar, and were handed the menus, after 5 mins we tried attracting the attention of any of the waiters, to no avail. We conversed with the person who sat us at the front desk and asked what was the proper way to get the waiter's attention, she mentioned they were busy, but it was possible for her to take the order for us, so we did request our orders. Lo and behold more people sat near us and got serviced, except for that two kids that also got formally seated, we were waiting for the waiters for 1. our food to be served, 2. for the two kids to get orders. Around 30 mins later the kids left having had no service whatsoever at all, AND we still don't have our FOOD/BEVERAGE. 45 mins later we eventually called the attention of a newer waiter who seemed to have just started his shift. And we explained. Turns out that lady never gave the order paper to another waiter/chef/cook before she left, ending her shift. That really turned us off waiting for an hour past hungry (10:50pm then) and left frustrated.

[Raydere]

Hilton 5F here.

- Elevators are FAST.  You spend only 2/3 second or so passing by a floor.
- $14 for wifi? Screw that!
- Since I had to walk outside for a bit to go between the con and the hotel, that meant:
-- walking out in the cold
-- being back by a certain time
- On Saturday, I came abck to the room around 3 am, and all of my roommates took up beds. I tried sleeping on the floor, didn't work. So instead I took a couple chairs and slept o them.
- I called for laundry service and told them I needed my shirt by 11 am on Sunday morning (for a gathering), got my shirt back around 9 am.
- Bell desk = UGH. I miscounted my bags and wrote on my tag that I had 4, so they gave me only 4 bags even though they had a 5th one (containing my Lelouch, Suzaku, and shmup figurines, all totaling up to $64). I had to come back from my home in Santa Clara and convince them to let me look around in the storage rooms for my bag.

[Hylia]

My hotel was a mile away, so I had to pay 16 dollars to the cabs for everytime I went there and back...
That was the only shitty thing.
I roomed with some kick ass people though!

[BunofGovt]

The Marriott was pretty good this year, in spite of elevator slowness depending on the time of day.  Staff was friendly, had room service twice, if we needed extra towels, just made a call (even though the Marriott started to run out of towels), no problems until I tried to check out on Monday.  I called at 11 for someone to come get our almost 20 bags/suitcases/etc. and was told there'd be about a 30 minute wait.  No problem.  An hour later called again, was told 'oh, well, everyone's checking out right now so we'll get someone up there as soon as possible.'  I ended up stuck in my hotel room until after 3:00pm waiting for the bell service to get my bags.  The big problem was not that people were checking out, but that the same people were having their luggage held in concierge (down in the lobby) and no luggage carts were available to get me!  It ended up okay since I still had snacks, watched TV, took a (much needed) nap and saved myself from spending too much in a last dash at the dealer's room  ;D.

I'll probably stay at the Marriott again next year but will either check out much earlier or stay over to Tuesday.

Oh, and couldn't get on the Internet, dunno if because of where my room was (on the corner overlooking the fountains and the convention center).

[The Sax]

I think the Marriot overbooked the twin rooms actually. My friends and I had two rooms, and both of us got King beds. Did anyone else get the same treatment and have to ask the hotel to transfer you to a double?

[heeroyuy135]

Video Checkout + getting luggage down at 9 in the morning + no elevator wait + Vallet parking hold until late in the evening (meaning I can still use Vallet even if I'm checked out) = no hassle!

[AngelofTrilogy]

I actually did not like the Marriott at all. The elevators were busy a lot. When I was trying to check in at 11 because one of my other buddies had got their room already and there stuff was already in it too (lucky >_<). I tried to do it and my room was not ready. They took down my phone # and said they'll guarantee to call me before 3 when my room was ready. I waited till 4 and the manager did do anything about it and couldn't care less. They tossed my stuff on the ground in the lobby and my fan had to be kept opened because it sticks, they put it together and I had only 1 day to get it repainted and finished. When they did that, I told them specifically that after all that, don't touch my stuff and they still did when I was trying to get it in the room. They even tried to charge me $25 a day for parking when its only $12.50 a day! Honestly, I stayed at the Hilton and I've done much better. I'm never staying at the Marriott ever again. Sorry for ranting about this, but just being honest on what happened to me. I'm not sure if this happened to anyone else, if it did, I'm verry...sorry... T_T

[Kaura117]

My friends and I were lucky enough to get a sexy corner room at the Marriot. Emphasis on sexy. That was a stylin' little place we got, and there was some idle talk about trying to swing both corner rooms next year so as to lay dibs on the anteroom joining the two as well.

[FanFicGuru]

Well, the Hilton was "Ok". The shower-heads were nice, and the beds were comfy...but the TV had no AV hookups. Somehow I got confused and thought they did have AV connections. This pretty much eliminated any decent alternative entertainment in-room. Last year I had a suite at the marriott and we could watch Anime or play PS2 or something even if the convention was slow. I liked being on the 4th floor however, easy stair access. Also, they let us check in super early on Friday, like 10:15 AM.

Next year I'm staying at either the Marriott or the Fairmont.

[Moonblossom]

Stayed at the Hilton again this year, and was very happy with the service, as usual. Housekeeping was discrete and actually paid attention to the Do Not Disturb signs, which almost never happens to me. My friend had some emergency dental work done after we arrived and spent a lot of time in the middle of the day napping, so it was really nice that they didn't just barge in and start making noise.

The elevators were prompt, the concierge and desk service was always helpful. The hot tub was blissfully hot and quiet on Monday night, after most people had checked out, and they let us stay there an extra half-hour or so, since we were just sitting and talking, not making noise.

I do wish the TVs had inputs, but we just watched movies on our laptops instead.

Also, to whoever set up the wireless computer to computer network in their room on the eighth floor, thank you, I mooched off it all weekend ;)

[Super No 1]

I was at the Marriott (8F).  I have no complaints.  My room was cleaned every morning when I was out.  The hotel's fitness center was actually one of the nicer ones that I've seen.  I stayed in this hotel in 2005 and I knew how busy the elevators could get so I was expecting it.  I don't have a laptop, so the free computers in the lobby were very helpful when I needed to grab some important emails.  I would definitely stay there again.

[Snakey]

I thought the Saint Claire was pretty good. The hotel staff were considerably nicer this year. They oversold in double bed rooms, but offered my group a suite so I was fine with that. They were also pretty nice when some of my friends had trouble with room keys and they were rather quick in getting towels and such to us. No issues with the elevators either...besides the speed of the elevator, but I didn't mind much.

[Varnado Barolius]

Personally, the Mariott by the convention center seemed a great hotel.

My only complaint would be the press in the elevators. The waiting times, and then the lack of space within the elevators, were not fun. I don't see how the hotel could have prevented it, though, since four elevators are more than enough for twenty-six floors in a hotel with around a normal rate of occupancy, and they were very fast when they did move, so much so that I heard someone complain it was disconcerting on the first night. It was definitely uncalled for when assholes took the confusion in the elevator chamber to press all the buttons, though, since it's rediculous to wait through when you have to go to the twenty-fifth floor.

It was a really nice room, and never smelled bad or got crowded or littered, though those points are probably just because all but one other in my group canceled just days before the con started. The free business center downstairs was also a nice perk, though I didn't use it since I can check my email from the phone and don't have a website to update or anything. The staff did everything they were supposed to with the room, making the beds, keeping things clean. I can't say that about a couple of places I've stayed in. The staff really went above and beyond what I expected, too. My group had signed up somewhat late for our room, and the person who had actually signed us up decided not to show up. I thought for awhile that I'd be forced to go a few miles away and look for some empty motel. But the staff were really committed to helping me get the room I'd paid for, even though they had no rooms available when I approached them, putting me on a special waiting list, eventually giving me a room when someone canceled.

Overall, it was a great experience.

[Xeluu]

My stay at the Marriott this year was SUPERB. My father travels a LOT for his job, so I was able to put in his membership code/number and was given treatment as a silver member. When I checked in on Thursday the valet guys were nice and patient, and quickly brought a luggage cart. (I had a LOT of stuff with me. >_>) Check in was fairly quick, and the room was wonderful. The only real complaint I have is that the king bed we had transfered motion really well. (>_< That wasn't a fun night.) Elevators were a problem as usual, but no worse than before.

The housekeeping ladies were wonderful. On... Friday or Saturday, I can't remember which, they had to check three times before cleaning our room. >_< We kept leaving and coming back at inopportune times.

I'll be staying at the Marriott again next year. It was definitely a wonderful stay.

[Kender]

Stayed at the Hilton like I have since 2004.

Pros:
Selfparking
Fridge standard in room
Microwave easily requested
Friendly staff
Issue with internet easily resolved*

Cons:
Self-parking was a 50% increase from last year**
Shower water was barely luke warm from Friday through Monday***
Details of internet use were not clearly labeled*
No easy access for plugging in gaming systems****


*I had asked a friend to set up the internet as I wanted to be able to have easy, in-room access to my email all weekend and said I would foot the whole $25 bill for 3 days of it.  When I came back very late from my errands and plugged in my laptop it was asking me to pay again.  After speaking with staff it seems that unlike every single hotel I've been to before the internet is per computer, not per room.  But they very nicely listened to my complaints and took care of the issue to my satisfaction.

**I would need to find my bill from last year, but I am fairly sure parking, though we had originally been told $15, ended up being $12 a night.  Paying $18 a night for four days hurt badly, but having selfparking with a guaranteed spot and in-and-out parking sort of made up for it.  Still, though, ouch.  With gas costs lately it really hurt paying $72 for my parking ^^;

***The shower water was nice and hot on Thursday, but from Friday on, even when turned to the highest "hot" setting it was still barely warm.  Now, I usually take cold showers during the summer, but I look forward to convention time because of the ice-cold AC allowing me to take my preferred scalding hot showers.  But I chalk this up to I tended to use the shower at "peak times" so I was possibly fighting with a good chunk of hotel guests for hot water.

****However I don't bring systems with me, but more because I know the TVs do not currently have these outlets nor do I usually have the time to be playing.  But from what I heard they are renovating and the new TVs will be able to support game systems without calling for the panel to be removed (:



Overall I am still very pleased with the Hilton as I am every year.  I have friends who stay in the Marriott, but nothing over there tops the Hilton for me.  I can put up with a few minor hiccups.

[blancoisma]

I ended up staying at the Fairmont this year. I apparently booked too late and couldn't get a connecting hotel room, but my stay was very pleasant.

The standard two bed room I was in was incredibly spacious. We had a nice hall, a seperate shower from the tub, a huge vanity mirror, and a seperate little cubicle for the bathroom. The only problem with the room itself was the lack of a main light. There were a million lamps, but no main light, so that was a bit of an annoyance.

Also, the Fairmont felt VERY ritzy. Like, I almost felt out of place compared to a lot of the guests staying there.

Other pros included:
-quiet nights, not as many congoers were staying there compared to the Marriott/Hilton therefore no crazy people being stupid.
-quick elevators, didn't have to wait as long ( except for Monday, I guess anywhere it's going to be busy on Monday )
-being somewhat closer to food sources.

All in all, the Fairmont was the best hotel I've stay at for Fanime. But, for next year, I will try to be at the Marriott or Hilton just because of convenience.