The San Diego Hotel Hoop-jump Part B
Mar 19th, 2010 by Todd
Went to bed last night with no reply from Travel Planners about my room reservation request, and I have to admit I didn’t sleep well, silly as that sounds. This morning I found the reply email saying I have a room at the US Grant hotel for $300 a night. I believe that was the 12th choice on my 12 hotel choices, I threw it on when the Hyatt wasn’t listed. More than I really wanted to pay, but it’s 8 blocks from the convention center, next door to the Westgate, where I’ve enjoyed staying several times, so I’ll take my punishment and be happy. I don’t think the time-stamp system worked for me, or wasn’t honored, as I submitted my form as soon as I could physically fill it out, minutes after it went online, so I can’t fathom how my first 11 choices were full. As always, the prices are a convention dates rip-off…a room at the Grant this weekend can be had for $170 a night, and I see that they charge extra for internet access in the room (unlike the Westgate, where it’s included, though like all the other SD hotels I’ve stayed at), but it keeps me close to the con. If you have a car and want to deal with the traffic (which I don’t), you can stay in surrounding towns for about $100 a night, but that’s not for me. I want to walk (or take the Con shuttle). A look on Hotels.com reveals that only two downtown hotels are listed as available there for under $300 a night, and both are farther from the convention center than I’d want to be.
The reservation isn’t final until I make a deposit, and the website isn’t open for that until this evening, but when it is, I’ll be doing that. At least I got a good deal on airfare: $400 round trip on American Airlines from Philadelphia through Travelocity. (A similar itinerary on the AA website was $1000!) Well, this con is my one splurge for the year, and it is a business write-off at least, as it’s my main chance to talk to my DC editors about work. The real reason I’m going, though, is I love the con and the city it’s in. This will be my 18th straight year, and I can’t imagine missing it.