Comments on: Hoteloween: the day after http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/07/hoteloween-the-day-after/ The News Blog of Comics Culture Thu, 08 Jan 2009 17:22:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: NVigneaux http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/07/hoteloween-the-day-after/#comment-56178 Fri, 09 Feb 2007 10:19:27 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/07/hoteloween-the-day-after/#comment-56178 People who buy full access to the convention should be allowed advanced access to the hotel room reservations. Pre-sell to them for an entire week before opening it to everyone else. There's nothing more frustrating than trying to book a hotel for 5-6 nights and having friday or saturday nights be the only unavailable nights thereby preventing you from getting a room or being forced to stay at two different hotels. The hotel rooms there are already overpriced because it's a major tourist destination. Moving the convention to a different city or a different part of the year with less tourist traffic could only help this whole ordeal. People cramming into a convention hall for the entire day don't much care about the beach and whatnot. Also, would it kill them to add more shuttles to hotels farther away? In the grand scheme, those additional buses shouldn't add much more to the cost when you factor in how many more people would attend the convention. or just go to Heroes-Con in Charlotte instead. I forgot about the hotel reservations, and when I did remember, I knew there was no way for me to have made one anyway because I was at work for 9am PST. I have to say that I was disappointed for 2 seconds before I remembered that I would see posts and news items like these detailing how hellish the process was. (10, 000 rooms for 100, 000 people?) Comics professionals must make a whole lot of money there to keep putting up with that crap. As as attendee, not being able to go SAVES me a lot of money. I'm not masochistic enough for SDCC. People who buy full access to the convention should be allowed advanced access to the hotel room reservations. Pre-sell to them for an entire week before opening it to everyone else. There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to book a hotel for 5-6 nights and having friday or saturday nights be the only unavailable nights thereby preventing you from getting a room or being forced to stay at two different hotels.

The hotel rooms there are already overpriced because it’s a major tourist destination. Moving the convention to a different city or a different part of the year with less tourist traffic could only help this whole ordeal. People cramming into a convention hall for the entire day don’t much care about the beach and whatnot. Also, would it kill them to add more shuttles to hotels farther away? In the grand scheme, those additional buses shouldn’t add much more to the cost when you factor in how many more people would attend the convention. or just go to Heroes-Con in Charlotte instead.

I forgot about the hotel reservations, and when I did remember, I knew there was no way for me to have made one anyway because I was at work for 9am PST. I have to say that I was disappointed for 2 seconds before I remembered that I would see posts and news items like these detailing how hellish the process was. (10, 000 rooms for 100, 000 people?)

Comics professionals must make a whole lot of money there to keep putting up with that crap. As as attendee, not being able to go SAVES me a lot of money. I’m not masochistic enough for SDCC.

]]> by: Scott Bieser http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/07/hoteloween-the-day-after/#comment-55501 Thu, 08 Feb 2007 17:23:37 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/07/hoteloween-the-day-after/#comment-55501 Requiring everyone to buy 4-day passes would also discourage kids from attending the con. As neeb explained, San Diego really screwed the pooch on this one. Yes, Vegas is really hot in July -- during the daytime, when everyone is going to be in the air-conditioned Convention Center. At night the dry air cools down quickly to a pleasant 70-80 degree range. Requiring everyone to buy 4-day passes would also discourage kids from attending the con. As neeb explained, San Diego really screwed the pooch on this one.

Yes, Vegas is really hot in July — during the daytime, when everyone is going to be in the air-conditioned Convention Center. At night the dry air cools down quickly to a pleasant 70-80 degree range.

]]> by: Tom S. http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/07/hoteloween-the-day-after/#comment-55334 Thu, 08 Feb 2007 13:37:04 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/07/hoteloween-the-day-after/#comment-55334 I would not want the convention in Vegas because it would be so hot during the summers there. It would probably bring more adult entertainment to the convention. We still need kids and teens to get into Comics and manga for the artform to be viable business. We would lose the Hollywood angle, so that may bring down attendance a bit also. It is that this year's con will be about the same numbers wise or they will implement a cap. I think they should make only those who have four day badges be allowed into the con. That would change the numbers, but would encourage people to pre-register. I would not want the convention in Vegas because it would be so hot during the summers there. It would probably bring more adult entertainment to the convention. We still need kids and teens to get into Comics and manga for the artform to be viable business. We would lose the Hollywood angle, so that may bring down attendance a bit also. It is that this year’s con will be about the same numbers wise or they will implement a cap. I think they should make only those who have four day badges be allowed into the con. That would change the numbers, but would encourage people to pre-register.

]]> by: neeb http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/07/hoteloween-the-day-after/#comment-55065 Thu, 08 Feb 2007 07:23:52 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/07/hoteloween-the-day-after/#comment-55065 A large of part of Downtown San Diego's hotel shortage can be laid directly at the feet of the Padres (baseball team not the metaphorical founders, though I've plenty of bile for them too). Well, not so much the team, but their owner- John Moores. Back in the late 1990s when the city decided to buy the Padres the downtown stadium, a 'gentleman's agreement' was made between Moores and City Hall (particularly Mayor Golding). The city would take on a lot of additional funding and clear the way for Moores' to develop Downtown so long as he paved the way for a lot of hotels to go up in the immediate area. Well, this being San Diego and Mayor Golding being corrupt (see Pension Scandal), the city honored its part of the bargain and Moores preceded to build condos as opposed to hotels. So, for those who choose to journey to SDCC this year, look around- every steel and glass eyesore (San Diego taste in architecture is terrible) you see SHOULD have been a hotel. Other matters: for penny pinchers, there's a hostel on Market between 5th and 6th Aves. I've not met anyone who's ever stayed there and it's Hostel-living, but it is only 2 blocks to the convention center (yeah, I know, a place like Vegas would never shunt people to a hostel...) A large of part of Downtown San Diego’s hotel shortage can be laid directly at the feet of the Padres (baseball team not the metaphorical founders, though I’ve plenty of bile for them too). Well, not so much the team, but their owner- John Moores.
Back in the late 1990s when the city decided to buy the Padres the downtown stadium, a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ was made between Moores and City Hall (particularly Mayor Golding). The city would take on a lot of additional funding and clear the way for Moores’ to develop Downtown so long as he paved the way for a lot of hotels to go up in the immediate area.
Well, this being San Diego and Mayor Golding being corrupt (see Pension Scandal), the city honored its part of the bargain and Moores preceded to build condos as opposed to hotels.
So, for those who choose to journey to SDCC this year, look around- every steel and glass eyesore (San Diego taste in architecture is terrible) you see SHOULD have been a hotel.
Other matters: for penny pinchers, there’s a hostel on Market between 5th and 6th Aves. I’ve not met anyone who’s ever stayed there and it’s Hostel-living, but it is only 2 blocks to the convention center (yeah, I know, a place like Vegas would never shunt people to a hostel…)

]]> by: The Beat http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/07/hoteloween-the-day-after/#comment-54865 Thu, 08 Feb 2007 02:04:37 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/07/hoteloween-the-day-after/#comment-54865 Yow, Kathleen, I never saw that quote before but it's going in my meme file for every time someone complains about getting a hotel room in San Diego! Yow, Kathleen, I never saw that quote before but it’s going in my meme file for every time someone complains about getting a hotel room in San Diego!

]]> by: Katherine Keller http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/07/hoteloween-the-day-after/#comment-54846 Thu, 08 Feb 2007 01:37:31 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/07/hoteloween-the-day-after/#comment-54846 Oh, I had much of the laughter when I read this page: http://www.sdccc.org/meetingplanners/hotelinformation.cfm "Downtown San Diego Hotels Over 10,000 hotel rooms conveniently located within one mile of the San Diego Convention Center in and around downtown." I can gurantee you that in Vegas, you'll find double that number in a one mile radius of the LVCC. Oh, I had much of the laughter when I read this page: http://www.sdccc.org/meetingplanners/hotelinformation.cfm

“Downtown San Diego Hotels
Over 10,000 hotel rooms conveniently located within one mile of the San Diego Convention Center in and around downtown.”

I can gurantee you that in Vegas, you’ll find double that number in a one mile radius of the LVCC.

]]> by: shelle http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/07/hoteloween-the-day-after/#comment-54764 Wed, 07 Feb 2007 23:50:31 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/07/hoteloween-the-day-after/#comment-54764 A lottery would be lame. I think they may just start limiting on-site registrations and start selling 1/2/3 day passes online or by phone. I would hate for the con to leave San Diego, it's so convenient considering I live there ;) There were murmurs of going to Anaheim, but you don't want to be outside in Anaheim in July/August. A lottery would be lame. I think they may just start limiting on-site registrations and start selling 1/2/3 day passes online or by phone.

I would hate for the con to leave San Diego, it’s so convenient considering I live there ;) There were murmurs of going to Anaheim, but you don’t want to be outside in Anaheim in July/August.

]]> by: Sean Dulaney http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/07/hoteloween-the-day-after/#comment-54685 Wed, 07 Feb 2007 22:07:07 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/07/hoteloween-the-day-after/#comment-54685 Saw where one of the "roach motels" between the airport and Convention center was charging $266 for the week on Expedia. Checking the same place a half hour later on Orbitz resulted in "no rooms available on dates requested." I've tried to be optimistic about '08 with the Hard Rock opening roughly a week after this year's con (Great timing), but yesterday pretty much confirmed for me an extra 420 rooms (assuming they'll work with TP) won't mean Jack. Saw where one of the “roach motels” between the airport and Convention center was charging $266 for the week on Expedia. Checking the same place a half hour later on Orbitz resulted in “no rooms available on dates requested.”

I’ve tried to be optimistic about ‘08 with the Hard Rock opening roughly a week after this year’s con (Great timing), but yesterday pretty much confirmed for me an extra 420 rooms (assuming they’ll work with TP) won’t mean Jack.

]]> by: Primate http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/07/hoteloween-the-day-after/#comment-54663 Wed, 07 Feb 2007 21:33:57 +0000 http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/02/07/hoteloween-the-day-after/#comment-54663 Holy price gouging, Batman! I've never been to Comicon, so I don't know what's reaosnable. Is that what people actually pay for these sorts of things? Holy price gouging, Batman! I’ve never been to Comicon, so I don’t know what’s reaosnable. Is that what people actually pay for these sorts of things?

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