Topic: Booking hotels

Do we need to book hotels ahead of time?  I saw one hotel listed on the registration site which I am guessing is the check-in.

VENUE
Quality Inn
Location    Dunmore, PA

Do we just need to book that one hotel and then find out the rest when we arrive?  I'm not driving a death trap 12 hours a day and then sleeping in it at night.  How does this work?

1973ish ford bronco - 3 speeds but none are fast.

Re: Booking hotels

It's entirely up to you. For the first rally some people reserved rooms for each night well in advance. On the other hand, I just drove each day and booked a room upon my arrival at each destination, in part because I'm lazy and in part because I didn't want to deal with additional complications if I didn't reach the intended destination that day (which I suppose is itself another aspect of my laziness). It turned out not to be an issue. Admittedly with this casual approach there's a risk that no rooms will be available, but (a) even though it's convenient to be at the "official" hotel, there's no requirement to stay at it, so chances are something in the area will have a vacancy, and (b) I was prepared to sleep in my deathtrap if necessary.

1982 MG Metro 1300: IOE 2015 Pacific Northworst GP, Longest Distance 2010 Cd'L Box Wine Country Classic
1980 KV Mini 1: Worst of Show and Fright Pig Supremo 2009 Concours d'Lemons
1978 H Special: Second-Round Elimination 2010 Lemons Pinewood Derby at Sears Pointless
1967 SAAB 96: IOE 2012 Pacific Northworst GP, Organizer's Choice 2022 Hell on Wheels California Rally

Re: Booking hotels

I booked hotels in advance for the last rally, although went for slightly cheaper but still proximal hotels if I could without going tens of miles out of the way. My experience was that staying at the base hotels was definitely more convenient, and would be what I would do this time around, although I'm having trouble rounding up a codriver... Anyone want in for half the cost of the trip? I assure you, the Niva I'm planning on taking hasn't had an engine in it since October and hasn't been driven since May, so I can guarantee it will make for a great ride.

Re: Booking hotels

gogmorgo wrote:

I booked hotels in advance for the last rally, although went for slightly cheaper but still proximal hotels if I could without going tens of miles out of the way. My experience was that staying at the base hotels was definitely more convenient, and would be what I would do this time around, although I'm having trouble rounding up a codriver... Anyone want in for half the cost of the trip? I assure you, the Niva I'm planning on taking hasn't had an engine in it since October and hasn't been driven since May, so I can guarantee it will make for a great ride.

Hmmmm.... A Niva is tempting. Are you already registered? I am in the same predicament (none of my friends from Florida want to drive through snow in the winter) but I have a rather fun (read as, horrific) vehicle waiting for me in PA to pick up.

Hell On Wheels "Totally Not a Rental Car" Chrysler 300
Retreat From Moscow "Traded a Bar Tab for a Wagon" Subaru Legacy
Monterey Car Weeeeak -Dishonorable Mention- "Cocoa Beach A.S.S. Team" Oldsmobile Wagon
Fail Inc Motorsports Intergalactic Headquarters

Re: Booking hotels

Do we have a list of hotels yet? Or even cities?

Driver, Pit Monkey, Rod Buster and Engine Fire Starter
Team FinalGear

6 (edited by gogmorgo 2016-12-18 06:38 PM)

Re: Booking hotels

Shvd_Box wrote:

Hmmmm.... A Niva is tempting. Are you already registered? I am in the same predicament (none of my friends from Florida want to drive through snow in the winter) but I have a rather fun (read as, horrific) vehicle waiting for me in PA to pick up.

I haven't registered yet, no. I was waiting to make certain I could attend before dropping what is approaching $700 up here on the registration. I had a friend lined up to come with who really wanted to, but a couple things came up at the shop she works at and now she's pretty confident she can't get the time off work. That's honestly the biggest thing, nobody can get time off work. Or maybe that's just the excuse they hide behind....  But as far as winter weather putting people off, well, let's just say it's been below -30°F every morning for the last week and a bit. The warm weather expected down south has been a bit of a selling point, to be honest.

Re: Booking hotels

Tuesday night, Pittsburgh PA
Wednesday night, Asheville NC
Thursday night, Memphis TN
Awards, Friday at Barber during tech.

It Ain't My Fault

Re: Booking hotels

FWIW, I went ahead and booked a cancellable reservation at each of those. Upon receipt of the rally points, the codriver's first job is to determine if it makes sense to rebook to be closer, and their second job is to actually do it. Their third job involves actually navigating.

This practically ensures we will start the rally by driving 50 miles out of our way in the wrong direction because the codriver isn't paying attention to navigation, but at least we won't have to go far to sleep when we get there.

Driver, Pit Monkey, Rod Buster and Engine Fire Starter
Team FinalGear

Re: Booking hotels

EyeMWing wrote:

FWIW, I went ahead and booked a cancellable reservation at each of those. Upon receipt of the rally points, the codriver's first job is to determine if it makes sense to rebook to be closer, and their second job is to actually do it. Their third job involves actually navigating.

This practically ensures we will start the rally by driving 50 miles out of our way in the wrong direction because the codriver isn't paying attention to navigation, but at least we won't have to go far to sleep when we get there.

What is this codriver and navigator you speak of? Maybe you are talking about the person sleeping in the passenger seat/back seat, at least this is how my team rolls.

It Ain't My Fault

Re: Booking hotels

Dave wrote:

Tuesday night, Pittsburgh PA
Wednesday night, Asheville NC
Thursday night, Memphis TN
Awards, Friday at Barber during tech.

Any idea when the specific event hotels (or ones that the majority of people will be staying in) will be publicized? If I do book ahead, I'd like to be in the same hotel as others if they are reasonably priced.

Re: Booking hotels

Last run we kinda took a driver/navigator approach, but I was hoping for a driving team approach this time. That was just way too much driving for one person.

Re: Booking hotels

Now that Steve sent out the official hotel list, some notes from my rebookings:
- The Super 8 in Asheville is in a strip of hotels. For those of us with too much class for a Super 8, a quick jaywalk across 4 lanes of traffic and through a Waffle House parking lot gets us:
Country Inn & Suites By Carlson Asheville Downtown Tunnel Rd, 199 Tunnel Rd, Asheville, NC 28805

- The Vista Inn and Suites in Memphis is sold out. I have substituted:
Best Western Plus Gen X Inn 1177 Madison Avenue, Memphis, TN. It's nearly sold out.

There is a much cheaper Motel 6 at 210 S Pauline St, Memphis, TN 38104 that's a hair closer to downtown and the Vista Inn, but it strikes me as super-sketch.

Driver, Pit Monkey, Rod Buster and Engine Fire Starter
Team FinalGear

Re: Booking hotels

EyeMWing wrote:

Now that Steve sent out the official hotel list, some notes from my rebookings:
- The Super 8 in Asheville is in a strip of hotels. For those of us with too much class for a Super 8, a quick jaywalk across 4 lanes of traffic and through a Waffle House parking lot gets us:
Country Inn & Suites By Carlson Asheville Downtown Tunnel Rd, 199 Tunnel Rd, Asheville, NC 28805

- The Vista Inn and Suites in Memphis is sold out. I have substituted:
Best Western Plus Gen X Inn 1177 Madison Avenue, Memphis, TN. It's nearly sold out.

There is a much cheaper Motel 6 at 210 S Pauline St, Memphis, TN 38104 that's a hair closer to downtown and the Vista Inn, but it strikes me as super-sketch.

There is seriously a Gen X Inn?

Trying to write some kind of a slacker joke, like, "Checkout time? Who cares?"

Tradewinds Tribesmen Racing (The road goes on forever…)
#289 1984 Corvette Z51 #124 1984 944 #110 2002 Passat
Gone but not forgotten, #427-Hong Kong Cavaliers Benz S500
IOE (Humber!) Hell on Wheels (Jaguar)

Re: Booking hotels

Type44 wrote:

There is seriously a Gen X Inn?

Trying to write some kind of a slacker joke, like, "Checkout time? Who cares?"

Yeah. There is. From the pictures it doesn't say Best Western anywhere on the building, either.

Driver, Pit Monkey, Rod Buster and Engine Fire Starter
Team FinalGear

Re: Booking hotels

LOL. We're staying at mostly unofficial hotels the way down, too. It looks like the Lemons crew is staying swanky this round.

Re: Booking hotels

Swanky!? Did you get a different hotel list than I did?

Quality Inn - Typical midrange road hotel.
Double Tree - Okay, it's a Hilton prop and fairly swanky. THEY GIVE YOU A COOKIE!
Super 8 - Budget road hotel.
Vista Inn and Suites - The name looks super badass, but if you look at it on Google Street View, it's a simple motel. And if you look at the room pictures... It clearly used to be where the roaches paid by the hour to have furtive sex with used heroin needles, until somebody covered everything with a thick coat of boldly colored dark paint and insufficient lighting.
Hampton Inn - Typical midrange destination hotel.

1 out of 5 swankiness factor at best.

Driver, Pit Monkey, Rod Buster and Engine Fire Starter
Team FinalGear

Re: Booking hotels

EyeMWing wrote:

...somebody covered everything with a thick coat of boldly colored dark paint....

Oooh! Fresh paint! That's at least a 3 out of 5 swankiness factor. Maybe more if they let it dry before accepting new guests.

1982 MG Metro 1300: IOE 2015 Pacific Northworst GP, Longest Distance 2010 Cd'L Box Wine Country Classic
1980 KV Mini 1: Worst of Show and Fright Pig Supremo 2009 Concours d'Lemons
1978 H Special: Second-Round Elimination 2010 Lemons Pinewood Derby at Sears Pointless
1967 SAAB 96: IOE 2012 Pacific Northworst GP, Organizer's Choice 2022 Hell on Wheels California Rally

Re: Booking hotels

mharrell wrote:
EyeMWing wrote:

...somebody covered everything with a thick coat of boldly colored dark paint....

Oooh! Fresh paint! That's at least a 3 out of 5 swankiness factor. Maybe more if they let it dry before accepting new guests.

There's a theme in that.

I painted a part on my car that's been "drying" for more than a month now, and it's still tacky.

Driver, Pit Monkey, Rod Buster and Engine Fire Starter
Team FinalGear

Re: Booking hotels

I hate hotels with non-refundable cancellation policies, suck as the Super 8 in Asheville, guess I'll just leave that one to chance.

Squatting Dog Racing
2000 Mustang - sold to those Hokie Pokie losers
1970 Valiant - 2015 Southern Discomfort Organizer's Choice - 2016 Southern Discomfort Most Heroic Fix

Re: Booking hotels

I must have missed that email. Can someone please post the list or email it to me?

Team Fairlylame
HumidiTT '14 IOE Winner

Re: Booking hotels

Suggested Hotel List, but stay where you want...

Moscow to Paris/February 2017 Rally

Monday January 30
Quality Inn 1226 O'Neill Highway, Dunmore, PA, 18512

Tuesday January 31
Double Tree by Hilton (Greentree) 500 Mansfield Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15205

Wednesday February 1
Super 8 180 Tunnel Road Asheville NC 28805

Thursday February 2
Vista Inn and Suites Downtown 265 Union Ave, Memphis, TN 38103


Friday February 3
Hampton Inn Birmingham 310 Rex Lake Rd, Leeds, AL 35094

Squatting Dog Racing
2000 Mustang - sold to those Hokie Pokie losers
1970 Valiant - 2015 Southern Discomfort Organizer's Choice - 2016 Southern Discomfort Most Heroic Fix