TOPIC: Room Reservations

I too am out at the airport. First time I have never been able to get a room downtown. The worst part is my time was 45 minutes, but ended up being 2 hours. Yes 2 hours !! I received a "unable to connect" error for 1.25 hours. I refreshed 68 times ( yes, I counted) and didn't get through until I spoke with a customer service agent. Wow what a mess.

Matt: What hotel are you at? I'm at the Staybridge.

Larry

Ended up at Crown Plaza Airport, after 30min of refreshing just took it to have a room. I need to step back and see like everybody else to see what options are. Indy is one of the places/time of year i can drink and relax. Love being able to relax at scotty's and walk/stumble back to hotel in the morning. 2nd (1st depending on day) part of going to Gencon. My back pay for being the DD the rest of the year. Something'll work in my group, need to really sharpen pencil on different costs (no idea what the average taxi bill is for example) to see if its still worth going.

Stuck out in the nowhere airport too. The best part of Indy is being totally walkable with all the fun events downtown. Now (if I go) i will be locked out of all that.

How are you supposed to volunteer? Do shuttles run 24hr? how do you get back after midnight?

Man, I am really grateful for the room I get as a volunteer!

My first GenCon was in 2011 and I booked an airport room since I was flying in and not knowing how terrible the shuttle service was going to be. In 2012-2014 I was happy to have rooms in various downtown hotels which made a HUGE difference in overall enjoyment of the con.

Now I'm back at an airport hotel again and although I plan on having my car there I know it just won't be the same as being to walk back to my room. I'll have to commute in each day wasting time, I won't be able to go back to my room multiple times per day to change and/or drop things off, and I'll have to fight in the battle for parking spots every morning.

GenCon LLC you have failed this city!

Gencon has just become too big. There just are not enough downtown hotel rooms to meet the demand.

First time for me as well not staying at a hotel downtown

Tomorrow I will start training for my first half marathon at the end of July. 12 miles away from the convention center....

Just trying to put some perspective out there: I have been going either 10 or 11 years now. Never once have I gotten a hotel in the gen con housing block. That being said, about 5 or more of the tears, I have been in a connected hotel.

So for everyone upset about how the housing block sold out, do what I have done every year I have ever wanted a connected hotel: go outside the housing block and pay about 2 to 3 times as much for the exact same room. Alternatively, just don't stay within walking distance and commute in by taxi. The money you save on the room can pay the taxi fares.

This weird notion that you should be entitled to a hotel that is both close and cheap when going to gen con just baffles me, especially since I have never had both of those things. And even more so when the people who feel that way are True Dungeon players. Now, I have no problem with the price points of True Dungeon, but I do acknowledge they are high relative to the amount of time played and in comparison to other games.

My first year in Indy GC (the first time it was in Indy), I had an inexpensive hotel within walking distance. Since then, I have relied on the volunteer room benefit. I do miss having TD in the Marriott, since then you could make it to your room during a bubble.

Good luck to Rob for training! I am depressingly envious.

As has been mentioned, there should be plenty of rooms remaining, just not at the block price. If staying within hamster tube distance is a must, you will have to pay a bit more. I am more bothered by the hotels not committing enough rooms to the block than Gencon not having a top shelf reservation system. Blame the hotels that are going to gouge people that did not get into the block.

Harlax wrote: Gencon has just become too big. There just are not enough downtown hotel rooms to meet the demand.

I kept starting to say this but kept removing it. There are enough hotels in Indy for GenCon. GenCon is not too big for Indy. It is too big for downtown hotels (in particular those within walking distance). There are few cities that have enough hotels that within walking distance to a major convention center.

I have been to some other major conventions and you don't always get hotels within walking distance to them as well.

I know most of us want something within walking distance (myself included) I just don't think there are that many options out there (NYC does come to mind). If someone does know of a city that has enough rooms within walking distance to the convention center please chime in.

With the exception of those that need walking distance access due to medical need (or work needs for you volunteers) I'm really not understanding why this is a make or break thing for so many folks. I've attended GenCon for 6 years now and I have never stayed downtown. I pay for parking or I take cabs/busses. I'm still able to go out drinking with my friends and be safe. Hotels outside of downtown are a 15 minute car ride - and yes, parking can be awful sometimes, but I'm pretty sure even with cabs and parking fees I'm still paying less than I would have paid to be staying downtown overall. Staying downtown is convenient, I would imagine, but it shouldn't be required to enjoy the convention. Am I missing something?