FanimeCon 2024 Forums

So as always we like to have a survey of where you stayed and what you liked and disliked!! Keep in mind that this will help us con-goers next year!

Please Use the following Format:

Hotel Name:
Would You Book Next Year:
Pros:
Cons:
Special Notes to Share:

Thanks all!

Hotel Name : Sainte Claire
Would you book next year: YES!
Pros: No elevator drama, only 6 floors tall so easy to take the stairs until Sunday when legs are dead, nice rooms and beds.
Cons: The hallways look like they come from a horror movie from the Shining, breakfast can be slow even for fruit, a problem with my shower that is not the Con's fault but they need to fix in my room specifically.
Special notes: This is a historic hotel, but it is a nice place to stay and as a staffer I would stay there again.

Hotel Name: Doubletree
Would You Book Next Year: Yes-If Clockwork Alchemy stays there

Pros:
Away from the madness that was Fanime
Had Clockwork Alchemy adventures going on there
Free freaking cookies!
Free Wifi
Comfy Beds!
Easy check in and check out!

Cons:
Because it's ten minutes away, I had to rely on the shuttles. Kind of a small pain, but the drivers were incredibly nice!
The shuttle wasn't 24 hours like they had said. So the communication kinda went to hell in a handbasket. But we can work on that.
Longest hallways ever. Ever. Yes I know it's not the hotel's fault, but it's a bitch if you've got a bunch of bags.
Parking wasn't cheap, but it was still better than most hotels!  
Food at the hotel isn't cheap, but you do at least get a decent amount of food for the price you pay. If you do breakfast, get the buffet, cause it's the best bang for your bucks, especially if you don't eat anymore during the day. (16 bucks including tax)

Special Notes to Share: I had heard bad things online, but overall, the hotel isn't as bad. Now keeping in mind, we got good deals with being a part of the Fanime block, but it was still a great hotel. If Clockwork Alchemy stays at the Doubletree next year, I will be hihgly considering staying here, as I prefer the smaller convention feel.

Hotel Name: Hyatt Place
Would You Book Next Year: Sure!
Pros: Perfect location! Right across the street from the con and right next to parkside hall (perfect, since i was on staff for BW Ball and had to bounce between there and J Ballroom). Staff was friendly, welcoming and super helpful. Also remotely quiet with not a lot of partying. Perfect place to rest after giving late night ballroom dance lessons. :)
Cons: No microwave, which kinda sucked if I had something I wanted to reheat and take with me to lessons (since con food is expensive and I was pretty much working all day). Parking seemed a little crazy, so I just ended up parking in the open lot across the street from the SJCC and paid $7 each day.
Special Notes to Share: Overall, it was a good experience. Room service was superb and always left the room smelling good and fresh. It was nice to know I had new fluffy sheets and a comfy bed to flop into once lessons were over. They even had a cute little "living room" in our room set up. It was cute. :)

Hotel Name: Hilton

Would You Book Next Year: Yes, if not already planning on staying at the Marriott (we switch every other year)

Pros: No elevator dramas (we were not there during the power outage); mini fridge; housekeeping staff extremely friendly, responsive to little demands (extra towels, send up toilet paper, etc); called to fix air conditioning and got immediate response; 

Cons: Far from Fairmount, ended up having to drive and park there for the swap meet with our bins; vending machines gave change in quarters but would not take quarters; no valet parking available as of Thursday afternoon when we checked in; no hotel parking available as of Friday evening - ended up at the convention center parking lot (but they took our parking fee off, and we were able to get the discounted parking at the convention center)

Special Notes to Share: Getting a low floor (5th) helped bypass any slow elevators (up or down); had a nice view of the construction from above.

HOTEL NAME: Fairmont

WOULD YOU BOOK NEXT YEAR: Yes, but we won't next year because we have connections at the Marriott

PROS: Free business Wi-Fi for signing up for the President's Club, which is also free, President's Club-exclusive check in/out area can save time, not too far from the SJCC or Tech Museum, LodgeNet app for iPhone/Android lets you control your TV from anywhere and works faster than the remote, TVs have 2 HDMI and one component video input with easy access to using them

CONS: Bathroom had no vent fan, someone yacked in one of the ice rooms and left towels down to cover it up, one valet parking guy was a total jerk by instantly writing up a valet ticket even though I said I was just unloading, and we asked for a luggage trolley only to have them give it to someone else when I left to park my car.

Hotel Name: Fairmont
Would You Book Next Year: Yes if events like the Swap Meet stay at the hotel
Pros:

• Close to convention center
• Nearby various restaurants
• Excellent front desk service
• Nice view of the Santa Clara mountains and the Silicon Valley

Cons:

• Elevator wait would be long at times especially when people are returning from large events or checking out
• Was in a bit of a rush on Monday, so had to resort to using stairs walking down from the 20th floor
• No free wi-fi (not much of a problem as we were able to use my phone's 4G via hotspot)

Special Notes to Share: It's a pretty decent hotel for what you pay for, but do expect a bit more trouble when staying in the rooms on the upper floors. Be prepared to either be patient or resort to walking down (and a bit of up, you have to be there to know why) many flights of stairs during the last day of the convention, which is when most people are checking out. Lack of free wi-fi might not be too much of a problem for most people, but if this upsets you, either have a phone that you can use as a modem and utilize your mobile network or look elsewhere. All in all, I felt like the Fairmont offered nice accommodations for what it was charging.

Hotel Name: Ramada

Would You Book Next Year: Most likely

Pros:
-Three floors
-Free parking
-Free Wi-Fi
-Free breakfast (eggo waffles, hard boiled eggs, pastries, coffee, juice, milk, cereal)
-Flat screen TV in room
-$65 a night for a clean single bed room
-mini refrigerator in room

Cons:
-10 minute walk to the convention center.  Not the best thing in heels.  It's also not the safest walk at night, and you have to walk past several clubs.  There are usually a bunch of clubbers around during the long weekend, which could be both good and bad.
-The housekeeper woke us up early one morning asking if we wanted the room cleaned.  She ended up coming back at least two more times, despite telling her we didn't need housekeeping services.  When we came back to the room later that day, we found that she had come in anyway.  You'd think that she'd want less work...  Fortunately, nothing was disturbed in the room.
-Someone stole our "Do Not Disturb" sign.  Not the fault of the hotel, though.
-Some idiots started smoking pot one night and the smell permeated into our room.
-Free parking not guaranteed.  Basically you're screwed if they run out of parking.  I parked my car early on Thursday and did not move it until I left on Monday.

Special Notes to Share:  Free parking, breakfast, and Wi-Fi!  The only problem is the distance from the convention center.  I would not recommend walking back to the hotel alone.  Also, if you're a vendor or have a more elaborate cosplay, it might be best to stay at the closer hotels if you can afford it.  Finally, don't forget to sign up for the Wyndam Rewards program.  You might end up with a free hotel stay after a few years!

Hotel Name: Ramada

Would You Book Next Year: No way, San Jose.

Pros: Fridge and microwave.

Cons: Walk to and from Convention Center is horrifying with street brawls and clubbers trying to sell you weed. Serious.

Around the same price as the other hotels so when compared, the Ramada seems like it's ripping you off with its poorly designed and dirty rooms.

Special Notes to Share: I only stayed here for Day Zero and switched over to the Hilton for the rest of the weekend. Thank goodness.

Hotel Name: RAMADA
Would You Book Next Year: YES
Pros: PRICE, FRIENDLY SERVICE, FREE PARKING AND BREAKFAST AND WIFI AND PARKING(YES, TWICE!)
Cons: A BIT FURTHER THAN FAIRMONT TO WALK, NOT THE BEST NEIGHBORHOOD.
Special Notes to Share: MICROWAVES AND DORM-SIZED MINI FRIDGES! SLOW ELEVATORS, BUT SHORT TRIPS UP STAIRS.

Hotel Name: Hyatt Place

Would You Book Next Year: Unsure (I hope to!)

Pros:Great location, calm setting, nice room accommodations, friendly staff, and the atmosphere felt quite safe.

Cons: Hotels keys had to be replaced about 5 times as they randomly stopped working often for both rooms and parking, power outages in some rooms, lots of small parts of the room falling apart (shower control, bathroom doors, etc.), occasional extensive waits for the elevator and stairs weren't clearly marked for everyday use, extensive waits for repairs of issues within the rooms, mini-fridge temperature would not drop to proper levels to refrigerate food

Special Notes to Share: Most of these problems only occurred with only one of three rooms my group had booked, so half our experience was perfectly fine and the other half was bombarded with troubles. I would like to stay here again, however I don't believe all of the other members of my party will agree.

Hotel Name: Marriott
Would You Book Next Year: Always!
Pros: Really accommodating, friendly staff, clean rooms, thorough housekeeping, no parties (where i was at least), comfy beds, great views, short walks, fast check in, and so on
Cons: No lock on the bathroom, a very 'loud' bathroom
Special Notes to Share: The staff was nothing short of awesome. Front desk got my special requests done, they were great about getting the room ready, they answered all kinds of questions (directions to places, parking suggestions) the housekeeping staff was great. They tidied the room more than I could have expected! People were friendly there. It never seemed like anyone was bothered by me. Oh, and the stairwell wasn't too creepy at night.

Hotel Name: Marriott

Would You Book Next Year: Possibly? If I not, then I'll take Hilton.

Pros:
Bed's are really comfy to the point where I had to over slept. D:
friendly staff cept for one.
Connected next to the con.
Housekeeping cleaners were some awesome people.  ;)

Cons:
No mini fridge or microwave.
Kinda far if you want to head out to e-gaming/dealers hall/artist alley
elevator took forever and a day to get down (I stayed on the 19th floor)

Special Notes to Share: Marriott is really a nice place to stay, but I just really hope they will just fix the elevator so it won't take as long. Yes, I really hate the elevator. Only because I had to walk up and down 19 flights of stairs to get up and down quickly.

Hotel: Marriott

Would I book it next year? Might wanna try Saint Claire but only because I just wanna try something new :)

Pros: staff was really friendly and helpful. The housekeeping cleaners were super on point! Would really stay again because I trust their cleanliness! The hotel staff assisted me in every way possible and helped me out greatly on my requests. Room is also very nice and bathroom is pretty spacious and our floor was pretty quiet :)

Cons: elevator issues as everyone knows. I don't know what took 20 years to get on an elevator so after attempting on Friday I gave up and just walked the stairs for the rest of the con. Thank goodness I was on one of the lower floors >.< I also wish they provided complimentary fridges or microwaves or something! I was also pretty upset with check in. The front staff needed to have a credit card on hand to check in instead of just taking my cash deposit? I thought they automatically charged it to the credit card account when fanime sent in the rooms data. I don't own a credit card and had to call my friend to leave work to check in for me. I might not stay because of this last year.


Special notes: all in all The Marriott was a pleasant stay. Room service was very fast!

Hotel Name: Fairmont
Would You Book Next Year: yes

Pros:
- BIG rooms. Granted, I was the only serious cosplayer out of the three of us, but we still had a good amount of space, even on the last day when we had our stuff, things for two friends (including camera gear and more cosplays), and about eight people sitting around the room.
- Vanity outside the bathroom with good light and mirror.  Super-convenient for dealing with cosplay makeup without getting into everyone's way. XD
- TV worked fine with a friend's laptop.
- Roomy, fast elevators.
- Located right next to all sorts of food options.
- Pretty quiet hotel in easy walking distance of con.

Cons:
- Water heaters were wonky.  We had issues with the shower temperature over the course of the weekend, but never intolerably cold.  Still, kind of annoying.
- Hallways are a little twisty and it's easy to get yourself turned around. XD
- Valet-only parking which takes a little while to get your car, and cost is fairly steep.
- The beds we had dipped into the middle, which was hell on a friend's back. Don't know if it's a commonality or if it was just our room (and I didn't have problems because I tend to sleep halfway off the edge of the bed anyway), but still.

Special Notes to Share: I really like this hotel mostly because of the lack of elevator troubles.  I've stayed in both the Hilton and the Marriott, and while I like them for the convenience, being as I tend to have cosplays that are not very stairs-friendly, I think I'll stick to the Fairmont.
Also, it's an awesome place to shoot in. ^_^

The Fairmont does hit you with a pretty steep deposit, which might be an issue for some.  Also, they will apply the deposit to multiple credit cards if you split room charges at the beginning (or so I was told); we bypassed this by splitting at the end.  The lady at checkout was very helpful with getting that set up.

Hotel Name: Marriott
Would You Book Next Year: Maybe (it was definitely better than the Fairmont stay I had last year. WAY better.)

Pros: Connected to the con which makes it easier for late-night con events
HUGE freakin' bed, uber comfy, tons of pillows
Decent size room with lots of space to put your things
Staff wasn't bad, though we didn't see much of them throughout the con
Pool and hot tub on 3rd Floor (giggity)


Cons:
Elevators...Crowded, slow, had technical difficulties, made worse on check-out day
No microwave, fridge, or anything of that sort for food stuffs
Bathroom door didn't lock, was just a sliding door and not sound-proof.
A door that connected to the room next to us?! O_o why... just... why
Parking. When I left on Thursday to drive back to my house to pick up a few things I forgot and came back I was told by the guy managing the garage that it was "full, even for valet for Marriott" even though I could clearly see people still parking valet cars. He kept waving and shooing me and any other people trying to go in to the garage away. I ended up driving my car back to my house again and having a family member drop me off at the con.


Misc Notes: I've stayed at the Marriott previously, it's never been a bad stay. You have to understand that because it's connected to the con there is going to be a lot of people. My only suggestion to the staff at Marriott next year is to have someone better prepare the elevators due to the amount of con-goers that stay at the Marriott.

Hotel Name: Hilton

Would You Book Next Year: Yes

Pros:

- It was very quiet this year, they had a security guy roaming the hall ways frequently.

- I also loved that even on some of the busiest moments, the elevators were not a problem.

- Bar & Grill downstairs was convenient.

Cons:

- They still allowed non-guests to take up the limited parking spaces they had. I was limited to remaining in the area in order to NOT lose my parking spot, considering they charged me $40 for it (and they still didn't guarantee I'd have a spot).

- They wouldn't allow anyone to pick up a cart to move stuff to the hotel room, they forced a staffer to tag along. I hate this because it kind of pressures me to tip the guy for doing the work I didn't ask him to do. They claim they've always done this, but having been at Fanime every year since ever, and staying at the Hilton most of the conventions at SJ, this was never the case before.

- Bar closed too early, 12 am really? Also the bartender, tho nice, didn't do a good job with making drinks. None of them were powerful enough to give me as much as a smirk, and that's after drinking $40 worth of random drinks.

Special Notes to Share:

I purposefully chosen the Hilton for one reason, the elevator situation. Everywhere else is a mess, at the Hilton, it was smooth at all times this year.

Hotel Name: Hyatt Place

Would You Book Next Year: HELL. YES.

Pros:
-The room my friends and I booked had (in addition to the double beds we were expecting) a couch and a mini-fridge. Perks we weren't initially expecting!
-Staff was SUPER nice and helpful
-The first floor was completely redone from last year (when it was still the Crowne Plaza); now contains a relaxing lounge, a full bar, and a 24-hour snack/meal "store" (with filling food worth the price, don't be fooled!)
-Breakfast buffet in the mornings ($5 per person)
-Discounted parking! (plus in-and-out privileges)
-Across the street from the convention center and out of the way of the usual hustle-and-bustle
-Free WiFi!

Cons:
-My key seemed to short out from around Sunday on; it would take about two or three trys for it to work. Not sure if that was my own fault for gripping the barcode (if that's even possible), but it got just a tad frustrating the more it happened.
-Not really the hotel's fault, but on Friday night (Saturday morning, technically) my friends and I got woken up around 3am because the people in the room next to us were talking and laughing really loudly. I went over and told them to keep it down, which they eventually did. If anything, the walls may be a tad thin; it helps to keep your voice and antics down once it gets late.
-Drinks at the bar were a tad overpriced; it was cheaper to just walk somewhere else if we really wanted to have a drink or two
-One of the elevators got stuck up on the ninth floor and it didn't seem like it was going to be fixed by the end of the con; it only slowed the elevator traffic by a bit, but it was still noticeable

Special Notes to Share: The Hyatt may be small, but in my opinion its staff and services blow the Marriott and Hilton out of the water. I loved staying at this hotel back when it was still the Crowne Plaza, and I still love staying at it now, if not even more. Overall our stay was quiet and relaxing (minus the first night, lol). I would HIGHLY recommend this hotel for anyone, especially those who aren't built to party day and night and would like a temporary escape from that atmosphere, hehe. ;D

Hotel Name: Sainte Claire

Would You Book Next Year: More than likely!

Pros:
*Close to the convention center and all the little shops behind the Fairmont~
*GORGEOUS HOTEL!
*Amazing staff! They were so friendly and accommodating! They were quick to respond to requests as well~
*Absolutely no wait for the elevators! I think we were able to cross the street, get to our hotel room on the top floor (6th), then return back to the con center in less time than it took our friends at the Marriott~
*Sizable refrigerators in the hotel rooms! We went grocery shopping on Thursday and were able to store all of our food that needed to be chilled in the said fridge for the entire con. :3 We even had a cake from Bijan fit in there!
*I've read online that some of the rooms were small while others were big, and we were kind of worried that we'd get a small room (we're cosplayers lmao). We winded up with a pretty spacious room with a really high ceiling! It's no Fairmont, but there was definitely tons of space~
*Really comfortable beds! Again, we read reviews stating otherwise, but our bed and pillows were WAAAY comfortable~
*DVD players and MP3 cables in our rooms!
*The business center, although small, had quick computers and color printing. We used our user/password given for the internet, but no charges on the printing that we did~ :O
*Speaking of, FREE INTERNET! And it was FAST!

Cons:
*Across the street from the con, so you have to go outside~
*It's obviously an older hotel, so I wouldn't recommend it for those who like more modern things~
*The rooms got really stuffy! We had to open our window a few times~
*For some reason, we smelled bacon in our room, lmao. We figured it might've been from opening the window, or because of the restaurant down stairs. It wasn't over powering, just something we noticed on occasion when we'd enter our room.
*The walls were pretty thin. Although we really couldn't hear our neighbors, when our side of the room got quiet (like working on cosplay stuff or getting to sleep), we'd be able to hear their mumbling/laughing. They got really loud a couple of times, but at that point I don't know if it was because of the walls or because they were just being loud~

Special Notes to Share:
Although we didn't think the air conditioner was loud at all, I've read reviews of people complaining about them being too loud for light sleepers~
We heard that sleeping in a room facing the streets were really loud as well, but we had an interior room so we had no problems with that~
The hotel allowed us to split the cost of the room between cash and cards, as well as putting our security deposit on another card. There was a wedding going on I believe Sunday of the con, so the lobby got a little crowded with that, ha ha~

We did a lot of research on this hotel, since my girlfriend and I are picky and wanted the weekend to go as smooth as possible regarding our hotel accommodations (especially considering that we were arriving earlier/departing later than usual). I've stayed at the Hilton, Fairmont, and Crowne Plaza/Hyatt since I started attending Fanime, and I gotta say, I really enjoyed staying at the Sainte Claire. I'd totally recommend it if you wanna stay within close range of the con, but don't want to deal with those awful elevators~ :D

Hotel Name: Marriott
Would You Book Next Year: Likely, if I can't get the Hilton
Pros:
-They let me use a fridge for free: I forgot to request one at check in, but found one in my room anyway. I told the lady at the front desk about it and she let me use it :)
-I like the fitness room
Cons:
-Elevators, blah blah blah
-Internets download speeds >_<
-My mom told the lady at check out time that she was paying for half of my bill via debit card. Turns out the hotel charged her for the full bill. Edit:Since then, our bank has made a correction on that charge  :)
Special Notes to Share:
-Nothing to add except to say that I simply like to be connected to Fanime itself. I'm too lazy to cross the street to go to bed XD

Hotel Name: The Fairmont (Day 0)

Would You Book Next Year: It's quite likely

Pros:
• They still have a telephone in the toilet portion of the bathroom (https://forums.fanime.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi142.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fr100%2Fpuccachan%2Ftardface2.png&hash=8cc293163614d647864e4f3a80881e9f31230d64)
• Beds are soft.
• The little bench thing (not sure if this is supposed to be a bed) was actually really comfortable to sleep on when combined with the provided corner chair.
• Spacious Rooms.
• Freaking gold elevators (why not).
• Staff is super friendly.
• The bar/lounge downstairs has a live band in the evening.
• The Swap Meet was there (which was a pro for this year at least).
• Check in was quick and easy.
• The bathroom was very large.
• Vanity separate from the bathroom so you could still get ready while someone else is using it.
• Closer to restaurants and Safeway.

Cons:
• It's not connected to the convention center, small walk.

Special Notes to Share: Nerp.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Hotel Name: The Marriott (Remainder of con)

Would You Book Next Year: Most likely, though the others in my group want to stay at the Fairmont.

Pros:
• Connected to the convention center.
• Room was decent, space wise, after we moved around all the tables and chairs.

Cons:
• Elevator hell as always, and worse every year. For anyone who hasn't experienced this, look up a reference video of boarding a train in India.
• The water pressure in the shower was awful.

Special Notes to Share:


Just judging by the lack of pros on the Marriott side I think we're staying in the Fairmont next year. >_>

Hotel Name: Marriott
Would You Book Next Year: Maybe, it depends on our budget.

Pros:
-One of our roommates has a handicap placard, which automatically gave us free valet parking at the Marriot.
-We booked a jr suite this year. Totally worth it. Sooooo much space. Great for people with bulky cosplays.
-You get a king bed, and a couch that can be rolled out into a bed. You can easily fit three on the king and two on the couch.
-We were also surprised to find a complimentary mini-fridge in our room, since the hotel never mentioned it on their site. But then again, what kind of suite doesn't come with a fridge?
-Bathroom was also wide and spacious and I loved how it came with toiletries and even a mini sewing kit(Great for cosplay repairs!)!
-Staff was great this year. Room service always brought in extra towels and toilet paper when we requested them.
-Compared to last year when we had a standard room, check in and check out went surprisingly smoothly(I guess it helps if you pay all in cash). Even the elevators at check-out weren't so bad. And god bless that bell hop for letting us take the service elevator with all our luggage. i wished we could have tipped him.

Cons: There were times when Marriott staff would leave us in the dark about certain hotel amenities, such as the mini fridge and the deposit fee. We were told it would $100 per night, only to find out at check-in it was $50. Unlike other hotels who let you pay at check out, you have to pay the full amount UP FRONT. Also if we had known we were getting a fridge, it would have saved us the trouble of bringing a cooler. The elevators during the weekend were the worst though. It would take me an average 10-15 minutes to get an unpacked elevator. Also with Valet parking, you're not allowed to go near your car. So if you forget some luggage in your trunk, only the staff can get it for you.

In addition, while this isn't the hotel's fault at all, we were on the 14th floor which seems to be the PARTY floor. A drinking party was going on next door. Con goers and even fanime staff members were crammed in this standard room, getting drunk, being noisy, and spreading their body heat outside our door. It felt like a sauna made from human heat. EW. D: I wished the Marriott staff had come in to settle things down earlier instead of waiting for hours.

Special Notes to Share: Not much to share. The jr suites were amazing! I've always disliked the Marriott standard rooms, and wish they provided similar services like the suite we got. Considering how pricey the Marriott can be. But please know this, just because it's a bigger space DOES NOT mean you should have more roommates. Then you'll just have a bigger mess to take care of.

Quote from: obliviousedward on May 30, 2012, 04:17:11 PM
Hotel Name: Hyatt Place


Just one little question. How big are the rooms in Hyatt? The site said they were 600 sq ft, but back when it was the Crowne Plaza the rooms were about as small if not smaller than the Marriott and Hilton. Did they gut the entire insides or something?

Quote from: Touya no Miko on May 31, 2012, 01:22:00 PM

Quote from: obliviousedward on May 30, 2012, 04:17:11 PM
Hotel Name: Hyatt Place

Just one little question. How big are the rooms in Hyatt? The site said they were 600 sq ft, but back when it was the Crowne Plaza the rooms were about as small if not smaller than the Marriott and Hilton. Did they gut the entire insides or something?

The room we had wasn't huge by any means, but it never felt cramped. I'd say it was roughly the same size as the rooms were back when it was still the Crowne Plaza; if anything, the space may have been utilized a little differently. The two beds and couch took up most of the space, leaving room to walk between them and the TV, drawers, etc. We used the cabinet and drawer space to store all our things, so it didn't take up all the floor space.

Hope that answer helped you somewhat, if at all, hehe. XD

Hotel Name: Fairmont
Would You Book Next Year: Maybe, though I'd rather stay at the Hilton or Marriott (since they're right next door to the convention center and are less expensive)
Pros: large rooms, locks on the bathrooms, soft beds, roomy (never crowded) elevators
Cons: a block away, so I had to walk back and forth if I needed to do anything in my room. I also hated the keycard thing for the building, as if one forgets his/her keycard, you can't get into the elevator or up the building
Special Notes to Share: I had never stayed here before, so didn't know they would charge for the snack bar and the full amount of the room on the credit card of the person using a credit card. I think it's ridiculous, so I don't think I'll be staying at this hotel again, despite how much more walking would've done me. Plus, it's a bit too costly for me, and there wasn't a jacuzzi like at the Marriott. Another thing was that my driver's side door handle got pulled off by somebody. :(

I want to make a small comment on my hotel stays for Fanime over the years. I've stayed at the Marriott and Hilton more than once as well as the Fairmont.

Personally I don't know what was up with the Fairmont last year but I do warn to book with caution if staying at the Fairmont.

Cons of the Fairmont:
No one helped us check in to the hotel. We stood around for 30 minutes trying to get a hotel cart and some help. They either told us "It'll be another minute" or ignored us completely.
Room DOES require a deposit
I got mad bed bugs in the hotel bed, same with my fiance.
I tried phoning the staff as to the location of the ice machine and they seemed very irritated to have to help me. It was just a simple "Is there one on every floor" yes or no question.

I've never had issues like that at the Marriott or Hilton and I usually ALWAYS book with either or. Just something for con-goers to keep in mind for next year. I'm only trying to help  :'( :( :(

Hotel Name: Fairmont
Would You Stay there again: A Possibility!
Pro: Big Room.  Big Bathroom w/ Walk-in Shower.  No crowded elevators. Nice nice bakery on the corner ^_^
Cons:  No Ice Machine! (Least on the floor/building i was in) If youre not going to have a mini fridge (and i dont mean the one with the little bottles of liquor in it) at least have an ice machine on the floor!

Quote from: SweetNiar on May 31, 2012, 04:32:26 PM
on top of the deposit before check-in.  No Ice Machine! If youre not going to have a mini fridge at least have an ice machine on the floor! 

O.o The Fairmont has ice machines..  It's just that it's behind a door instead of out in the open.  :p Literally right across the hall from my room was a door that said "ice".    Also, I looked at my bill, there was no charge for using the ice bucket or coffee machine.  Snack Bar yes, but the staff told me about that right up front. 

Now for my own review.

Hotel Name: Fairmont

Would you book next year: YES.  This is officially my Fanime Hotel.
Pros:
Large Rooms
Vanity area
Close to food and the Bijan Bakery.
Friendly Staff ( at least in my experience)
Fast uncrowded elevators ( though there was a bit more crowding this year, probably due to the swap meet and autographs being there)
The lounge/lobby area is gorgeous.

Cons:
Expensive, Especially since I stay until Tuesday.   However if you plan ahead, know about the deposits and don't use a debit card.. you should be fine.

Housekeeping: This usually isn't my experience, but this year.. housekeeping was a little.. lacking.  Shampoos and soaps weren't replaced, dirty glasses and mugs were taken but new ones weren't given..    I've stayed at the Fairmont before and this is the first time this has happened.

A bit of a walk.  Honestly I don't mind the walk, but it's a little unnerving when I leave the convention center at 2:00 AM in the morning and I don't have anyone to walk me back.

Tips!
Join their President's club.  There are different tiers, and you can get some good benefits at their basic level. (Which is free) Benefits include: Your own check in/check out line, free internet and wireless, and some others. 

They DO offer refrigerators for rent for $25 a day.  Something I will be looking into next year.

Quote from: Konekogami on May 31, 2012, 08:00:05 PM

Quote from: SweetNiar on May 31, 2012, 04:32:26 PM
on top of the deposit before check-in.  No Ice Machine! If youre not going to have a mini fridge at least have an ice machine on the floor! 

O.o The Fairmont has ice machines..  It's just that it's behind a door instead of out in the open.  :p Literally right across the hall from my room was a door that said "ice".    Also, I looked at my bill, there was no charge for using the ice bucket or coffee machine.  Snack Bar yes, but the staff told me about that right up front. 

Not in the building i was in....there was no door that said "ice".  I walked up and down the entire hall and even looked behind a door that was slightly open where it possibly could have been and there was nothing there besides a bright white room with nothing inside.  And i didnt say about being charged for the coffee machine...just under the TV where there were glasses and an ice bucket had a sign saying i'd be charged for removing anything from the tray so i just didnt touch it :P And it was referring to those and not just the snacks :U

Quote from: obliviousedward on May 31, 2012, 01:49:58 PM

Quote from: Touya no Miko on May 31, 2012, 01:22:00 PM

Quote from: obliviousedward on May 30, 2012, 04:17:11 PM
Hotel Name: Hyatt Place

Just one little question. How big are the rooms in Hyatt? The site said they were 600 sq ft, but back when it was the Crowne Plaza the rooms were about as small if not smaller than the Marriott and Hilton. Did they gut the entire insides or something?

The room we had wasn't huge by any means, but it never felt cramped. I'd say it was roughly the same size as the rooms were back when it was still the Crowne Plaza; if anything, the space may have been utilized a little differently. The two beds and couch took up most of the space, leaving room to walk between them and the TV, drawers, etc. We used the cabinet and drawer space to store all our things, so it didn't take up all the floor space.

Hope that answer helped you somewhat, if at all, hehe. XD

That did help a little bit. Thank you. :3 I'm trying to contemplate about where to room next year. If the room is small we might have to get two rooms or try our luck with the suite again. We always need a room with a fridge, which is why I would love Hilton but my friend who has a bad respiratory system hates their air ventilation.

Quote from: Touya no Miko on May 31, 2012, 09:21:58 PM
That did help a little bit. Thank you. :3 I'm trying to contemplate about where to room next year. If the room is small we might have to get two rooms or try our luck with the suite again. We always need a room with a fridge, which is why I would love Hilton but my friend who has a bad respiratory system hates their air ventilation.

No problem. :3 Not sure if every room at the Hyatt comes with a fridge now or what, but I'm sure the staff would be glad to accommodate you in a room that does have one if you ask. Also, the room we had fit four people comfortably, if that's any consolation. The air quality seemed fair as well; if anything, it never got stuffy (at least that I noticed).

Staying at the Hilton was good and the staff was very nice. The only thing that bother me is the public bathrooms in both the Hilton/Marriot did not have a baby changing table. Even in the SJCC I only found one which was in the dealer's room. I am shocked that they didn't have these amenities available especially with the SJCC. Suffice to say it made it very awkward changing diapers in front of people in the bathroom.

Hotel Name: Doubletree

Would You Book Next Year: Yes

Pros:
• Clockwork Alchemy
• Good rooms, beds, showers.
• Quiet.
• Easy check in/out.
• Easy parking.
• No lines for Fanime/CA registration.
• No strange extra charges on bill.

Cons:
• Long halls
• Bus ride to Fanime. (Bus service was excellent.)
• Major issues with food. The main cafe ("Sprigs") was usually closed, and when it was open it was just an overpriced breakfast buffet. The hotel's main restaurant was about $40 to $50 for a dinner. The bar served food, but it was just a remote station for room service. $15 for a BLT. ($2 for miso soup, though.) The hotel's gift shop had energy bars at about 2x the normal retail price, but was usually closed. No vending machines other than canned soft drinks.

Special Notes to Share:
• Sonoma Chicken is about 1/3 of a mile away, very good, and cheap.  $11 for an excellent half chicken (way above KFC level) with fries and drink.
• Dennys offered 10% off to Fanime members.  But it's tough to get to on foot, because there's a freeway underpass in the way and all the crosswalks are in the wrong place.

Hotel Name: Hyatt Place

Would You Book Next Year: Definitely

Pros: Great room size, Had huge TV, fridge and a long couch! Lovely lobby, small gym, great breakfast and dessert bar/drinking bar.

Cons: Doors was super hard to shut! I think there was a few people experiencing this as well because you can clearly hear other people slamming their doors to get it to shut! My room mate had no idea that you need to give the door a really hard slam to shut so when I walked out the shower I found the door still open... I really don't blame him they really need to get those doors fixed!

Special Notes to Share: The doors becareful with the doors double check they are closed! I'm so glad the doors were opened when I was there... We had some really expensive stuff in that room I would've been heartbroken if they were stolen :'[ Lolita clothes they are expensive man...

I have had a room at some point at every hotel affiliated with the convention center.

Hotel Name: Fairmont
Would You Book Next Year: Possibly.
Pros:

• First off, the people working check in on Thursday night were extremely helpful and very nice. I paid entirely in cash, and they were more than kind enough to not charge me a deposit for the stay! Rather they charged me $300 cash for "incidentals" which basically functioned as a credit for possible charges that could amount. I thought this was more than generous of them rather than charging me $300 + $400 for the deposit. Quite pleased by this and it was a major bonus to their staff for being so kind and accommodating.
• The rooms are large which is one of the most helpful factors in deciding since the amount of cosplays our collective group has always takes up a massive amount of space.
• The staff was extremely helpful and always called to ask if we needed housekeeping or anything and they were, for the most part, extremely kind and professional.

Cons:

• Seriously didn't know what was up by with the seeming lack of housekeeping in the common areas. There was a major problem with the trash in some areas which I attribute most definitely to the convention goers who seem to have no respect leaving alcoholic containers and empty soda containers spread in seemingly every corner along my hallway, but it was also there for substantially longer than two days so it was also a relatively large failure on the staff of housekeeping.
• Some of the hotel buttons did not work and there were several construction shortcuts which were quite apparent. The tile was set quickly and without spacers so there will several areas where the craftsmanship was quite shoddy for such a high level hotel. The reasons the plugs were also quite loose in some of the hotels is because they cut corners when applying wallpaper and they just cut into the wallpaper and shoved it into the gap, they also didn't screw the faceplate into a secured surface. Which, having worked on hotels, are all extremely common time savers to finish a floor a week.

Special Notes to Share: This is an awesome hotel overall and I would definitely stay there again.

Also to the person that said Hilton was cheaper than the Fairmont, it was $115 at the Hilton and $122 at the Fairmont. (Not exactly end of the world difference but Haha) The Marriott was cheaper though.

Hotel Name: Fairmont

Would You Book Next Year: Yes We will

Pros: Check in was fast at the front desk. When we got up to the room me and my wife were amazed at how big and roomy the room was. My wife loved the vanity ( she did her lolita makeup) and the bathtub. I loved how there was side tables and a comfy chair for me to use my laptop. There was a nice flat screen tv that my wife used right away. Oh shit the bed was so soft my husband jumped in it and claimed he's sleeping spot immediately. We knocked out every night. Soft bed and pillows.

Cons: We had to keep calling for info about an earlier check in time since 3 was way to late for us to go. No free parking so parents couldn't come see us. We had to wait 10 minutes for them to bring our luggage to our room. Housekeeping was a bit lacking. They didn't restock everything. The room felt like it was in a maze in the far corner and my wife thought something scary would pop out. The door was messed up and it had a gap in far top left corner. No free internet my husband had to use his android hot spot. The shower and tub was a bit confusing to use. The garbage didn't have bags. The elevators were hell. On Monday we waited 5 minutes to get an almost empty elevator to fit all our luggage because the bellhop would have taken an hour to get it from our room.

Special Notes to Share: Really close to food and short walking distance from the con. Great room and view.

p.s. written by a husband and wife

Hotel Name: Marriott

Would You Book Next Year: No.

Pros: This hotel is connected to the primary hub of Fanime in regards to its location to the panel rooms, and viewing rooms. Comfy beds.

Cons: Checking in was a nightmare to the point I've lodged 1 complaint against the primary employee who was uncooperative and extremely rude. I'll note I also called their customer care to praise one of their Manager's Jesse, who accomplished the only thing we actually wanted when the other employee said it was impossible and went as far as to use made-up terminology for how rooms were booked (I have family who work at hotels as managers, and there were those in our room who have worked at hotels as managers).
Had to pay for a fridge, unlike the Hilton. Not only that, but the fridge was smaller than a standard dorm Fridge. Plus I had to call for the fridge 3 times because no one ever placed it on our room. And this issues wasn't fixed until I found one of the hotel's Manager's, Jesse in the lobby and asked about it.
No microwaves allowed in the rooms.
Upon check-out there was an additional Valet charge. It was removed as it was no one from our room. The person shared a common last name with the person in our group. So I'd say their organization in handling large attendees is not up to par with other hotels I've stayed at.

Special Notes to Share: This is a note on their a comment one of their employees said. An engagement ring was lost or left in our room, and missed when we did our final run through. When a person in my group contacted the Marriott when they discovered it not in their bags (hoping that perhaps housekeeping located it), the employee said that no ring was found. That's OK. I can understand that.
But she went on to tell my roommate that one of the people that they roomed with probably stole the ring from them and sold it to a pawn shop.
If this is the mentality of how the employees at the Marriott see us as customers, guests, or attendees, I'll most certainly never room with this hotel again.

Hotel Name: Marriott

Would You Book Next Year: No

Pros: Close to the convention center and the other hotels with Fanime events. Decent AC if you left it running all day.  

Cons:  When enquiring about a lost item the staff insisted that someone I let into the room must have stolen it. (Interesting since the only people I let into the room was the housekeeping staff.)  No Security.  Drunks in the elevators, hallways, and lobby. Loud parties until the wee hours, when the 'guests' would run through the halls screaming.  Housekeeping was lax. The hallway quickly turned into an obstacle course of piles of dirty towels, bags of trash, pizza boxes, and dirty room service dishes. Hotel staff was rude and inattentive, and complained to me about the behavior of con attendees (as if it was my fault, or that I could do something about it).
 
Special Notes to Share: Never again.

Quote from: Touya no Miko on May 31, 2012, 01:09:09 PM.
In addition, while this isn't the hotel's fault at all, we were on the 14th floor which seems to be the PARTY floor. A drinking party was going on next door. Con goers and even fanime staff members were crammed in this standard room, getting drunk, being noisy, and spreading their body heat outside our door. It felt like a sauna made from human heat. EW. D: I wished the Marriott staff had come in to settle things down earlier instead of waiting for hours.

Omg I Heard that too! Same floor but we were lucky to have our room be directly next to the ice machine so weren't as close to the room in question. The noise wasn't too bad until a large group of them started running up and down the hallway and talking EXTREMELY loudly. My husband was literally five seconds away from calling the lobby when they finally got on that elevator they were waiting for.

Hotel: the Marriott

Would you book again: if I didn't my husband would throw a tantrum lol

Pros: great staff except for the female employee at the front desk. My husband and I prefer the sliding bathroom door considering no one else is in our room but the two of us. The beds are AMAZING! And for the first time this year we had room service and even my simple chicken noodle soup was TO DIE FOR and honestly the price was equal if not cheaper to any of the tiny portioned sized food you buy at the con. (I'm never buying anything save for beverages at the con again. Rediculious prices for food that has no nutrition at ALL) I love that it's connected to the convention center and the little deli area next to the lobby is my one stop shop for all breakfast and lunch needs!

Cons: I mentioned it a little on my pros section, but with every handful of great staff there's always one or two that just have to go and ruin the experience for you. I already went over this in a different thread but I'll sum it up here. My husband and I checked in at 10am on day zero and the woman behind the lobby counter actually smirked at me for being partially in costume (sorry, I'm not putting my death the kid wig in my luggage to be destroyed thanks) and honest to got shoved my confirmation number print out back at me and said "I don't need THAT" as if it were a pile of crap. I'm sorry, didn't want to work the con weekend hunny? Too bad, don't treat your customers that way. I very rarely go to management about employees but this woman's face looked like she had something crammed up her butt.

Special Notes to Share: Despite the bad service when we checked in I have to mention that a day prior to day zero a friend of ours was kind enough to lug my husbands almost 5ft cross punisher into the hotel to have them keep it there overnight. The staff there took such great care of it and even wrapped it in bubble wrap in case it were to fall over. The bellhop.brought it up to the room with mybhusbands help and didn't so much as even give our outfits or quite frankly the seemingly offensive wrapped cross a sideways glance. He was tipped handsomely. ^_^ and the maids are great at this hotel. When they realized we weren't the destructive type like so many con goers they were very happy to clean the rooms while avoiding all our props and swag.

I want to add that, as a result of our not getting parking at the Hilton (valet full/Hilton parking full on the Friday night forcing us to park in the convention center), we were able to get a parking spot right outside the doors facing the Hilton lobby.  So very easy for us to get to our luggage/bins in the car, and easy in and out of the garage using the discount ticket.  I may consider trying to get the discount parking rate if they offer it again next year instead of relying on the valet parking.

Hotel Name: Fairmont

Would You Book Next Year: If I can't get the Hilton or Mariott, then of course!

Pros:
-Huge rooms! I was pleasantly surprised. We had a room of girls who don't pack lightly, an we were all very comfortable. We actually all fit in the bathroom to do our makeup and hair and talk
-Very close to restaurants and cafes
-I had no problems with housekeeping, they cleaned very nicely (around our hoards of stuff)
-Staff was very friendly!
-Close to parkside hall and the black and white ball! It made my walking in heel adventures shorter
-No horrible waits for elevators on Monday morning
-If you can afford it, breakfast at the hotel restaurant is great.

Cons:
-A bit of a walk from the convention center. Not too bad, but not very fun when you come back at 4 in the morning.
-The use of card keys for the elevator was annoying. I get it on the door for security reasons, but for the elevator just made things difficult because if you didn't do it fast enough, it took you back to the groud floor.

Special Notes to Share: The Fairmont is great for those who want to be close to Fanime, but far away enough to be able to take a break from crazy con people!

Hotel name:  St. Claire

Would you book next year: Yes, only if I can't get the Hilton.

Pros:
* Check-in was quick
* Hotel was quiet. Can actually get some sleep. There was no rowdiness at all.
* Staff were nice.
* No issues with the elevators (ok there are only 6 floors but still)
* Rooms have a mini refrigerator
* Rooms have an electronic safe to store your valuables
* It's not the Marriott or Hilton but still very close to convention center. Just have to cross the street.
* Subway is very close by (if you like Subway)

Cons:
* Rooms are small (it is an older hotel). Could be problematic if you have multiple cosplayers staying in the       
   room
* Iron was not the best. Had a hard time getting rid of the wrinkles in my cosplay outfits

Special Notes to Share:
Like I said before, it's not the Marriott or the Hilton when it comes to being connected to SJCC but it's still very close. Actually, if you need to attend a panel in the Marriott, the St. Claire is closer to the panel rooms than the Hilton. I've stayed at the St. Claire the past two Fanimes because I couldn't get the Hilton. I like the St. Claire but I miss staying at the Hilton.
       

Stayed at Fairmont on Thursday, then Hyatt Place rest of week.  First time at Fanime.

Hotel Name:  Fairmont
Would You Book Next Year:  Not first choice, but not last.
Pros:
1.  Superb service (but maybe just because I checked in while President Obama was in the building?).
2.  Location has lots of quick service food right outside doors. (Johnny Rockets, some Chinese fast food, Tandori Place, etc.)
Cons:
1.  Valet was $26 per night.  Fast service, but pricey compared to my second hotel. *down*
2.  High $100-a-night deposit, compared to my second hotel.  *down*
Special Notes to Share:
1.  I've stayed in further hotels at other conventions, so this walk wasn't terrible.  But for someone who has many gatherings & costume changes, it can be a bit irritating.  But it certainly isn't a deterrent.  5 minutes tops, including the two crosswalks.


Hotel Name:  Hyatt Place
Would You Book Next Year:  Yes, first choice.
Pros:
1.  Location, location, location.  Just 1.5 minute walk (in high-heels!!) tops, to enter front or Hilton side entrance.   
2.  Parking (self) was just $9-ish per day, and they did not charge me extra for the hours I parked after checking out and spending Day 4 at convention center.
3.  Elevator was not dismal.  Waited about 5 minutes at most on a Saturday afternoon, but that is because 1 elevator out of 3 was out.  Check out was not terrible either, because I planned ahead and checked out early before any rush.
4.  Price was superb!
5.  Room wasn't as tragic or tiny as I was expecting.  Don't know if they secretly upgraded me, but I had a mini-fridge and full sized couch that one of my girls slept on.
6.  Was able to check in immediately early Friday morning (10AM?).
6.5.  Management slipped bill & check-out statement under door early morning, so I didn't actually have to do anything such as call in or wait in a line.
7.  As for noise, our room was close to elevator so you could hear attendees coming back at night, but it wasn't enough to bother me.  I'm sure it's worse at Hilton/Marriott?
8.  Unless I was not paying attention, I don't think they charged a deposit.  If they did, it was not enough to corrupt my debit card account. : )
Cons:
1.  None worth complaining about. Maybe except that the stairs supposedly start at the 2nd floor and are closed for emergency use only?  But we can blame fire marshal or structure engineers on that. 
Special Notes to Share:
1.  I think the only thing that might be a downer is the elevator situation, but honestly, if you just plan ahead and avoid the rush times, you should be fine. 

Hotel Name: Marriot

Would You Book Next Year:  Yes

Pros: Conveniently attached to the convention center, high quality room, helpful staff.

Cons:  Broken elevators on the last day.  Expect crowding every day.

Special Notes to Share:  On the last day, some stuck up harpy on the elevator said it was full when it wasn't, and wouldn't move to let people on, resulting me having to walk down the stairs from the 22nd floor after having waited 20 minutes.

Quote from: Affliction on June 04, 2012, 08:34:21 PM

Quote from: Touya no Miko on May 31, 2012, 01:09:09 PM.
In addition, while this isn't the hotel's fault at all, we were on the 14th floor which seems to be the PARTY floor. A drinking party was going on next door. Con goers and even fanime staff members were crammed in this standard room, getting drunk, being noisy, and spreading their body heat outside our door. It felt like a sauna made from human heat. EW. D: I wished the Marriott staff had come in to settle things down earlier instead of waiting for hours.

Omg I Heard that too! Same floor but we were lucky to have our room be directly next to the ice machine so weren't as close to the room in question. The noise wasn't too bad until a large group of them started running up and down the hallway and talking EXTREMELY loudly. My husband was literally five seconds away from calling the lobby when they finally got on that elevator they were waiting for.

We were right next to this room. There were times when hotel staff would come to OUR room because we were making too much noise. Which was odd since we hardly had that many roommates and most of the time we were quiet. I guess if you have a suite you're labeled as a party room.

Hotel Name: Mariott

Would You Book Next Year: Unless my friends decide otherwise, yes!

Pros:
-Excellent front desk service. It is incredibly easy to call them for help. No one in our hotel room knew anything about staying in a hotel room (all teens, checked-in by parent), but we were able to call for extra towels or bedding, no problem and free of charge!
-Friendly and helpful staff
-Discounted valet parking! I have no idea if it was a mistake or not, but the price was half of what we expected to pay nightly. My friends were pleasantly surprised.
-Close proximity to con and Artist Alley made my life a hell lot easier lugging my merchandise every day. It was safer to go back to our rooms at night than walking outside and across the street.
-You can use the coffeemaker to make cup noodles. ;D Just remember to pick up chopsticks or forks beforehand.
-This was mostly or the lolz, but we got an excellent view of the Fairmont park and all the gatherings and events they held there. :D
-There's a filtered water machine in the gym on the 3rd floor with unlimited, free refills. My friends and I would just grab a bottle and bring it down there to refill it after we left our room and before we returned. Just make sure you have your room key to access the room.

Cons:
-Elevators, Elevators, Elevators. Two of them broke down before Monday, so check-out was a nightmare. I IMPLORE PEOPLE ON FLOOR 10 OR LOWER, PLEASE USE THE STAIRS IF THE ELEVATORS ARE BUSY AND YOU DON'T HAVE A MEDICAL CONDITION PREVENTING YOU FROM DOING SO. The people on the high floors really need the elevators! (Coming from someone who walked up and down the stairs from floor 2 to 20 five times the whole convention. With heavy luggage.)
-My friends and I didn't care much about it, but there was no microwave or fridge, but I think some people like that feature.
-Again, we didn't care since we all have iPhones -trollface- but the internet was apparently not too great?
-The bathroom doors were sliding only, with no locks. I'm sure if you remember to knock before entering though, that shouldn't be a major problem.

Special Notes to Share: Up is the new down, and down is the new up. At the Mariott, take the first elevator that opens to you with space. Trust me, you won't regret it. Also, if you're on floor 10 or lower, use the stairs. I guarantee at busy hours, you will be faster than the elevator.

Hotel Name: Hilton Garden Inn San Jose/Milpitas

Would You Book Next Year: Yes, if other options in the same area don't pan out

Pros:
-Inexpensive- we got our room for $68/night. Split three ways, the hotel cost per person for the whole convention was $107.
-Room had mini-fridge and microwave
-Right near 99 Ranch, a Micheal's (good for emergency cosplay repair supplies), and a couple of other restaurants.
-Room was clean and quiet.
-Late checkout time (12:00pm. Since we got back to our room at almost 4am the morning we were leaving, we were able to get a late check-out at 1pm at no extra cost.)
-Complimentary internet access.
-Good service, with amenities information clear and easy to find.
-... Apparently some rooms have a king bed and sofa instead of the two doubles, as well as a jacuzzi tub.

Cons:
-6 miles from the convention center, meaning you have to drive and deal with parking or sort out the public transit options. Short drive however, and generally we arrived early enough in the day to get the cheap $7/day parking.
-Regular double beds are a little cramped for sharing. I had one all to myself, however my sister and her husband had some trouble sleeping on theirs.
-Room was a little cramped with three people and convention luggage. Unless you spring for one of the king rooms, probably a bit too cramped for cosplayers to adequately store their gear.
-Breakfast downstairs isn't complimentary. (Don't know what the pricing was at the little cafe; we got most of our convention food supply at the aforementioned 99 Ranch.)

Special Notes to Share: The distance from the convention center is a little bit of a pro and a con. While yes, it was a bit of a hassle driving a couple of miles to/from the convention each day, it also meant that we were far enough away from the convention at night that we didn't have to deal with drunken partiers, crowded/broken elevators, or any of the general 24/7 noise of a convention hotel. Given the holiday weekend, the only time we really hit any traffic was on the way into town on Thursday afternoon/evening, and on the way out of town Monday afternoon; to/from the convention center the rest of the time was pretty much smooth sailing. (Well, Day 0 with all the traffic signals around the convention center out notwithstanding.)

Hotel Name:
Hyatt

Would You Book Next Year:
Maybe (??)
I actually wanted the Hilton because I love the Hilton, but the Hyatt was nice too! So If the hilton is booked, then I'll probably stay at the Hyatt. : D

Pros:
- STAFF was very nice and accommodating!
- Got free parking even though we had 2 cars cause we didn't get a double bedded room as was reserved. Which was nice of them!
- Mini-fridge in the room! Even though the housing said that there was no fridge, THERE WAS. 8D
- Very clean and nice interior of the hotel. It was pretty to take pictures down in their lounge area lol.
- Had breakfast (which we didn't wake up early enough to go to..LOL) and they also had a place to purchase food. It was expensive (as is the Marriot's) but we were ok with it because we were hungry and tired.
- Used the gym to work out at night, which was very nice because there was a temperature setting and hardly anyone was there.
- Bathroom was really spacious.
- Bed was very comfortable.
- Very quiet compared to the other hotels! I liked how they locked the doors at 6pm so only guests staying at the hotel could enter with the key card. Made it good for those of us staying there and didn't have to deal with random/loud people.
- Short distance to and from the con. I think the cop standing at the light was tired of seeing us go back and forth LOL
- Free wi-fi throughout the hotel : D Definitely a plus for us since we were googling up places to eat nearby.
- The con-goers in the hotel were also very friendly. With the bad elevator situations, they let us squeeze in even though it was already jammed (which I know is bad but it saved us another whole 10 min wait!)

Cons:
- Elevator situation was horrible on Saturday. Literally had a huge line waiting outside. It eventually got better, but it was still a bother. Especially since our room was on the second floor =_= We were told the stairs dont go all the way to the first floor but they opened it on monday cause everyone needed to leave lol.
- Wish they had more blankets and pillows to accommodate us with, but it's ok since it was Hyatt's first year!
- BATHROOM DOORS DO NOT LOCK. I think this was the only thing I did NOT like about this hotel the most. We did get around to being ok with it eventually but it was still kind of weird especially since we had one guy and 6 girls. Definitely not a fan of huge sliding doors that look like you're changing in a dressing room.
- Wish the hotel had more mirrors. :/ Only 2 mirrors in the entire room: one long mirror next to the table and one in the bathroom.

Special Notes to Share:
If you have special needs when sleeping, definitely bring your own pillows and blankets. They ran out when we asked for some but we didn't mind. Their bathrooms don't lock so just be weary of that if you have privacy concerns.

Other than that it was a very nice and lovely hotel. I love the renovations they made to it.

Hotel Name:marriot
Would You Book Next Year: yes
Pros: -floor 6 corner room near the stairs
       -big and spacious and it was a single bedroom too! :D

Cons:
-the people rooming next door to me were loud and rude!
if the people rooming next door to me somehow read this i have something to say: you are all a bunch of annoying assholes who needs to learn to show some respect to the people in the next room over. what do you accomplish by banging on the wall and screaming and partying at 3 in the morning? you might not need to sleep but i do. be a little more considerate to others

-sloooooowww elevators as always

- no freebies this year :(  fridge/free wifi

special notes: no lockable bathroom doors! >.<

I keep seeing bathroom doors not locking coming up as a "con" for the hotels.  What is the issue here?  If you can trust someone enough to sleep in the same room with you, wouldn't it be reasonable to trust they aren't going to surprise you in the bathroom while you're using it?  If that isn't the case, you may want to re-evaluate the type of people you associate with.

Quote from: Amanojaku on July 11, 2012, 02:14:39 PM
I keep seeing bathroom doors not locking coming up as a "con" for the hotels.  What is the issue here?  If you can trust someone enough to sleep in the same room with you, wouldn't it be reasonable to trust they aren't going to surprise you in the bathroom while you're using it?  If that isn't the case, you may want to re-evaluate the type of people you associate with.

Some people just like a little security when going to the bathroom, nothing wrong with that. There's been a few times when we did have bathroom surprises(Marriott and their sliding bathroom doors, smh). I had a roommate in the past who didn't understand the meaning of "consideration". She had no problem barging in to brush her teeth, while one of my friends was on the john. Quite traumatizing I must say.

Hotel Name:
Marriot
Would You Book Next Year:
Planning on it!
Pros:

• It was connected!
• Our room had a level view, 18th floor if I remember correctly.
• Check in was simple, they didn't charge me a deposit..but I gave them the full amount for the hotel in cash. Plus turned off internet/room service.
• The staff was extremely nice, they gave us an extra two blankets when asked because two out of four of us in the room prefer a cold room, so the others were nice and just piled blankets on.
• The room was big enough for two cosplayers with multiple cosplays.
• They offered us another nights stay for the con rate, which we all almost took up but one of our group had to be back on Monday.

Cons:

• The shower never got that hot, once it was the perfect temperature but it was at 3AM.
• I had to take the stairs on Monday to go check out on time the elevators were bad.
• No free wi-fi in the rooms.

Special Notes to Share:
This was my second year staying at a hotel, but my first staying at one so close to the convention. Even though it was cheaper to stay a hotel a few miles away, we saved money by not taking the light rail and we could stay as late as we wanted at the convention without worrying about having to walk in creepy parts of San Jose to get to our hotel. [/color]

Hotel Name: Raddisson

Would You Book Next Year: If I can't get my first choice, yes.

Pros: Good price, rooms were very nice(two bedded room btw), comfy beds, good ac/heating and the bathroom had a fan(always good when 4 people are showering one after another, free parking.

Cons: Have to take the shuttle to the con center since its a good distance away(not that the shuttles were bad, met some very awesome people on those rides) but if your on a schedule for panels or gathering you can run late very easily if your not careful. Had a hard time getting into the parking garage, we literally got the last spot saturday night on the very top level.

Special Notes to Share: Its really not a bad choice if your okay with the shuttle and/or driving to and from the con everyday. Its right next to a bowling alley which was a fun break from the con atmosphere and right around the corner from a 7/11 when we ran out of milk.

Hotel Name: Marriott

Would You Book Next Year: Yes, if I can reserve on time that is, if I can't then Fairmont, Four Points, or Hilton

Pros: Connected to the convention center, Best hotel next to Fairmont in my opinion, Staff is super friendly and enthusiastic about conventions, great rooms, Easy check in/Check out

Cons: Elevators, Hotel sells out the fastest, no free parking, no free internet

Special Notes to Share: I have always had a great experience at this hotel and met a lot of friends attending who were staying in it, they have pulled through for me since 2010 and I hope they will for years to come

Fanime Veteran here, 2013 will be my 7th go around and I plan to go for as long as live in the area. I usually room with at minimum of 3 people and the most 6. I've been to the Fairmount, the Hyatt, and the Hilton and I figured I'd post my thoughts on all 3 of them here.

Hotel Name: Hyatt
Would You Book Next Year: Yes this is my second choice but a CLOSE second, and it's most of my friends first choice.

Pros: First I love the parking situation, it makes check-in awesome. The decor is very modern and sleek and the renovation has greatly improved the lobby. The decor is definitely wonderful no doubt about it. Breakfast is cheap if you wake up early enough, about $5 per person and it's a good amount of food. It's SO CLOSE to the convention, S-Hall and where they are currently holding the Black and White Ball, seriously about a min walk to all of the above. I like the fact that it's not connected to the convention because the noise factor is cut down severely. The beds are pretty comfortable and there is a couch in each room now. There is free Wi-Fi and the number of guests is MUCH lower than the Fairmount or the Hilton so much quieter hallways and when the elevators are working less traffic. I love the check in it's super fast and check out is even better. You can open the windows slightly you want a breeze. also if you're on the higher floors you get a pretty great view of the Fairmount park. You can even here the bands that sometimes play there(IF you have the window open). The view on the other side of the building is the convention center which is AWESOME. Really great views all around. The bathrooms were quite nice. I like the fact that you can't enter the building late at night without a key card. Good ventilation over all, it never got stuffy.

Cons:They have refrigerators but when I went they weren't THAT cold. To be fair this was the second month after the renovation. The elevators, every time I go to the Hyatt I can almost guarantee that one of the elevators will break on Saturday, but if you plan ahead you can avoid it. Last year I'm sad to say was probably the worst when 2 elevators broke down on late Saturday and were like that till late Sunday. If you ABHOR walking even across the street than this hotel is not for you.

Special Notes to Share: The rooms can comfortably fit 4 people but I've seen 6 people manage to fit decently well. The closet space is smaller than at the Fairmount so if you have lots of cosplayers rooming together not a good idea. Also multi-cosplayers there are only 2 mirrors so I would not recommend. There's plenty of room in the closet otherwise. GREAT if you are going to the masquerade or concerts. I've seen a lot of the special guests while in this hotel.

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Hotel Name: Fairmount

Would You Book Next Year: Yes, it's MY personal favorite. My friends disagree with me.

Pros: Again very great views, you can see the silicon valley and the park. There are plenty of great restaurants nearby:  a cute bakery, a bistro, johnny rockets, and a few others. by nearby I mean either DIRECTLY across the street or in the lower portion of the building. THEY HAVE A POOL!!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE their bathrooms, by far the most spacious and luxurious of the hotels and GREAT for cosplayers. They give you a robe and they have a hairdryer in the room. The decor is my favorite of the hotels every part of the room, elevator, corridor, and lobby is gorgeous. The beds are comfortable and they have refrigerators. I think their TVs have great quality and it's SUPER easy to hook up a gaming station or dvd player. It's really great for watching all that anime you just bought at the convention. I can't remember off the top of my head if they offer a dvd player. The staff is very helpful if you arrive as soon as check in starts they have plenty of luggage carts. They have a big lounge chair which is comfortable enough to sleep in. Also if you're in a a single king size room you MAY request a second bed but be sure to do it fast otherwise the will run out. Very secure hotel. Rooms are pretty soundproof I've never had a problem with noisy neighbors. LOTS of closet space like 3 hardcore cosplayers will have enough room for their costumes. I can't guarantee room for major props.

Cons: To my knowledge no microwave.Watch out for the food in the rooms they charge it to your account if you pick them up. If you have kids that like to play with things beware. If you are in the main building the corridors get REALLY confusing cause they all look the same, not good if you're tired. It IS a walk to the convention center, but not for a party. Definitely a lot of people stay at the Fairmount so elevators get packed. I've noticed the Tower has faster elevators instead of the main building. The parking is expensive and kinda hectic on check out. But you have a spot. Using the key cards in the elevators gets complicated, you have to do it fast. It's quieter than the Hilton but not as quiet as the Hyatt.

Special Notes to Share:I feel like I should add that the decor of the Hyatt is comparable but a completely different feel. Also the fridge is stocked with alcohol and I put this in the special notes cause it's either a pro or con if you have minors. I went with a lot of my minor friends and it costs money to empty the fridge, which I think is unfair. The reason I had the fridge emptied was a promise to the parents so this just could just be me. Again comfortable for 4 people and at MAX have 6. The room size is almost the exact same as the Hyatt just differently planned out. Definitely out of all the hotels this is my favorite. Definitely for cosplayers it's the best hotel.

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Hotel Name: Hilton

Would You Book Next Year: No, my least favorite.

Pros: Part of the convention center. Parking is very easy and cheap. Pretty views and one of the newer hotels it got remodeled two years ago(I haven't seen the new remodeled rooms). The beds are comfortable. The restaurants in the lobby are REALLY good if slightly pricy, but I should note you can visit them even if you aren't a guest. Lots of parties.

Cons:When I went the air conditioning was awful and the room was SO stuffy. It was hard to open the windows even a little bit. I was rooming with 4 other people. I hate the bathroom set up, not that much privacy and prefer a door that can lock. REALLY loud parties, the rooms aren't that sound proof and sounds carry. LOTS of activity in the halls. I sleep lightly so this hotel is awful for me. Check out is awful and if you do stay here try and get a lower room because the elevators are super busy.

Special Notes to Share: Great for people who prefer the late night events that happen in the convention center. Either be a late night partyer or a heavy sleeper.

^ Hilton has no lock on its bathroom door? News to me  ???

Quote from: Barnes on December 04, 2012, 07:54:36 PM
^ Hilton has no lock on its bathroom door? News to me  ???

I thought that was the Marriott. The Hilton bathroom doors definitely lock.

I see my last topic was deleted. Gonna make it short and sweet then. Stayed at the Marriott last year, first time in the many years since I've been coming to Fanime.

Laundry list of insanity:

First day: Checkin was at 11am. We arrived at 10:45 and had to wait until 5pm to be checked in. Never happened at any other hotel. The service was crap, the staff was rude, and we had to juggle rooms and floors to get anything despite already having paid. In the end they "Did us a favor" and gave us different rooms then we paid for on a floor reserved for pilots.

Last day: The Marriott REFUSED to let us load our car before we left on Valet until the INSTANT we had to leave. So for 20-30minutes while we unloaded our rooms we left luggage with them in the back storage room, which we were told was for storing luggage.

When we went to get our luggage to load into our car twenty minutes later, my wife's anniversary present (A large and expensive Charmander doll), and a cosplay fur coat (100ish bucks on ebay were gone). She LOVED that doll. We met at Fanime and the doll took two years to track down (They DO NOT make those damn things anymore). All the front desk had to say was "You'll probably never see it again."

So now my wife is crying. And I have to fill out a bunch of forms. I call every week for a couple months but nothing. I come into the hotel 3-4 weeks ago on business to follow up. They don't even know what I'm talking about. After some complaints I finally get an investigatory email from their corporate office. Admitting wrongdoing and trying to build a case. And now. AFTER ALL THAT. All I get is this email:

"There's a disclaimer on the claim check ticket that reads the following: "In consideration of the free storage of the property covered by this check the owner or person depositing same agrees: This establishment is not liable for the theft, loss, damage, or destruction of the property in the absence of gross negligence on the part of this establishment or its employees.  If the property is not called for within ten (10)days, this establishment shall have the right to assess reasonable charges for its storage and after sixty (60) days, shall have the right to see the property according to law."

We have no alternative but to disclaim liability for the loss you sustained, since there is no evidence to indicate that your loss resulted from the negligence of the Hotel or its staff.  As a gesture of good faith we would like to offer you a Marriott Travel Card valued at $100 that can be used at any Marriott property.  If you accept please reply to this email with your mailing address."

Seriously? First they say they'll reimburse me. Then they don't talk to me. Then they claim there IS no claim ticket. Then they want to reimburse me again. NOW, they say there is a claim ticket they claimed didn't exist, exonerating them because I Didn't call for my property. But they already admit they gave me a claims ticket within ten days because I reported my items missing immediately and called every week.

Screw the Marriott, don't ever go there.

Wow, that's really terrible, I'm sorry that happened to you :(

I've never stayed at the Marriott before but will definitely remember this if someone ever suggests it in the future.  The fact that the staff was so unhelpful and treated the situation with an attitude of "oh, it's just another person's lost stuff, who cares" is offensive to me, because I know how sentimental things can be and that they can't easily be replaced.  Shame on the Marriott for letting this situation happen!

Quote from: Topagae on January 28, 2013, 11:25:13 AM

Last day: The Marriott REFUSED to let us load our car before we left on Valet until the INSTANT we had to leave. So for 20-30minutes while we unloaded our rooms we left luggage with them in the back storage room, which we were told was for storing luggage.

It should be noted that the Marriott does not actually have very much say in the rules for their valet. It's a separate company that has a contract WITH the Marriott to offer it's services to the people who stay there, but the Marriott does not actually control what they do/say most of the time.

I also want to make note that while I'm TERRIBLY sorry that you're experience was awful - I think it's more of an exception of seriously unfortunate bits rather than an true reflection of the entire hotel or their staff. I've stayed with the Marriott for Fanime almost every year since 2004, and other than the occasional party in the hallway, I've never had any problems with hotel staff or their service. My room is always clean, the maid service is discreet and does a fantastic job, I even recommend their room service menu. Everyone at the front desk or on the phones for help has always been accommodating. When I arrived early - before check in - and my room wasn't ready, they even offered to hold my luggage and call my cellphone while I went to take care of the rest of my convention registration. They even had my luggage already waiting in my room by the time I picked up my room keys!

I'm really sorry you had such an awful experience, and I don't blame you for being angry. I just thought I'd offer some insight for everyone else considering where to stay for the convention.