There have been some fantastic posts on BHB this week. Alas, this isn’t one of them.
I whined about conferences, but that doesn’t mean I’ve never been to one. I’ve been to enough conferences and conventions to know that what happens outside the conference can make the difference between having a good experience and a great experience. For the record, I never have a bad experience- I simply don’t allow that to happen.
I’m not picky about hotels because I don’t spend time in them. My criteria is this: No roaches, no bed bugs, and no DNA left by previous guests. That covers any cleanliness issues and that’s my biggest concern in a hotel. On the other hand, I do like to be around the people I like, so a few weeks ago I sent out a tweet asking if anyone had started looking at hotels. I have enough experience with this to know that since my hotel needs are fairly spartan, if someone else wants to do the research, I should step aside and let them. So I did.
Brad Coy and Andy Kaufman were on it, and they have more narrow criteria: They wanted free wifi, and walking distance to the Heard Museum. They talked to Brian Brady who told them about a hotel with a lovely outdoor pool- if this is a family vacation, that might be worth looking for- but I’m from Ohio and have the tan to prove it. No pool for me.
I don’t mind staying alone, but I really fall into the more-the-merrier category with these things. Packing a lot of people comfortably into a hotel room makes things interesting, if not fun, so I was game when HouseChick, Kelley Koehler, and I decided to share a room. We both conceded hotel research to the cool kids, who just this week made an executive decision: Fairfield Inn. Free wifi, walking distance, breakfast, Fairfield Inns work for me- they are not notoriously dirty. I read the Trip Advisor comments, always with a grain of salt, and the reviews were mixed, which is typical. Noise issues mostly, but no one who booked a suite complained. Sweet- they have suites. Togetherness is good, but so is some space. Those cool kids, Andy and Brad, booked one and promptly named it the “Paul Revere” suite. Kelley and I have our own, which we have christened the “Brick House Chick” suite; never having been a cool kid myself, I think of it as the freaks and geeks alternative.
Is there a point to all this? Only one: If any of the above criteria meet your hotel needs, and you don’t want to bother researching hotels yourself, or you are more comfortable staying in a hotel with people you know, join other cool kids, freaks, and geeks at the Fairfield Inn. And you don’t have to name your room- but if you do, I want to hear it!
Andy Kaufman says:
I can’t take any credit for planning, it was all Brad.
BTW, I love the Brick House Chick suite…but I had no idea that we were the ‘Paul Revere’ suite. Is there even a place to park my rental horse?
March 28, 2008 — 6:53 pm
Brad Coy says:
[Commodores sing] Shake it down, shake it down now (repeat)
And I thought I was clever. This will only be perfect if there is disco ball present somewhere on the premises. With freaks, geeks, cool kids, and bloodhounds present, all I have to say is that the Fairfied best be ready to dump some extra chlorine in the pool and keep the MGD on ice.
Looks like we will be forgoing the bus trip from Cali as well. All the better, as for we should be much more lucid upon arrival. With Greg promising to wear us down with plenty of work, I might just have to start training. 😉 Looking forward to meeting everyone.
March 29, 2008 — 1:58 am
Kevin Warmath - Alpharetta Real Estate says:
Is anyone looking for a roommate to share a room walking distance from the conference. I’m a married, forty-something, technology-seeking, lead-generating, blog-posting, male. I’m clean and don’t snore. I won’t be in the room but to sleep and shower.
thx, k.
March 29, 2008 — 9:17 am
Kelley Koehler says:
Am I the freak or the geek?
On second thought – don’t answer that.
March 29, 2008 — 9:34 am
Andy Kaufman says:
Hey Kelley, the freaks & the geeks are the cool kids now. Get it? 🙂
March 29, 2008 — 9:55 am
Russell Shaw says:
Also quite important if you are arriving from out of town – http://www.honeybearsbbq.com/
Just a short walk from that hotel. You will want extra napkins.
March 29, 2008 — 12:06 pm
Greg Swann says:
> Also quite important if you are arriving from out of town – http://www.honeybearsbbq.com/
Oh, great. Now I’m drooling.
Russ is right: Utterly excellent old-fashioned barbecue at incredibly low prices. There is quite a bit of good eating in the neighborhood, but Honey Bear’s totally rocks.
Mexican: Jordan’s is close but not great. Macayo is very savory but a long walk or a short drive. Richardson’s (McCain eats there) is very good high New Mexican cuisine, but you’ll have to drive to get there. Arriba is almost unbearably good New Mexican food made with Hatch chiles — muy mas caliente — also a short drive away.
Should we make a Google map of good restaurants?
March 29, 2008 — 12:15 pm
Teri Lussier says:
BBQ…yummmmmm
>Should we make a Google map of good restaurants?
Absolutely! And I’ll throw in good/cheap.
March 29, 2008 — 12:53 pm
Lane Bailey says:
I was going to go… but my wife turned a cheap informative trip for me into an unaffordable family vacation with three adults and two kids…
I’ll be signing up for the DVDs.
:^(
March 29, 2008 — 3:27 pm
Brian Brady says:
I forgot Honey Bears is SO close! Great reco Russell
March 29, 2008 — 7:39 pm
Brad Coy says:
>Should we make a Google map of good restaurants?
Done! The above mentioned have been added. 🙂
http://urltea.com/31nl
Unfortunately, Google does not leave it open for anyone to collaborate without and invite. Drop your recommendations here if that’s cool or email me at brad (at) sfres.com and I can add you. Cheers!
March 30, 2008 — 1:08 am
Teri Lussier says:
>Drop your recommendations here if that’s cool
I think that’s very cool.
And if anyone else would like company at another hotel, or to share a room, feel free to leave a note here, like Kevin Warmath did above.
Hijack this post!
March 30, 2008 — 9:25 am
Kevin Warmath - Alpharetta Real Estate says:
Haven’t had anyone take me up on splitting a hotel room. Would love to cut my lodging cost in half if anyone who is remotely normal would like to share a room. I don’t have a hotel reservation yet.
Also, i registered for unchained quite a while a go. To date, i’ve never rec’d any sort of confirmation, etc. Should i expect that or would that be unchained 2.0? ;->
thx, k.
May 15, 2008 — 1:54 pm