This is part 1 of my series, “Planning for the 2008 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament.” It’s intended to help readers find the “perfect” hotel.
Tip 1: Location, location, location
So many factors go into choosing the “perfect” hotel, there’s no way to discuss them all. The best I can do is summarize my family’s thought process over the years and tell you what our current strategy is (and “strategy” is the right word, ’cause you’re in competition with all those Kentucky fans out there who want your hotel room.)
For my first ten tournaments my parents took care of the accommodations. From what I recall, the places we stayed ranged in price, quality, and convenience, from low (your typical Motel 6- type place) to high (the Atlanta Omni). Usually, we would get reservations in advance at a low end place, hope for Kentucky to lose early, and move to a nicer hotel once all the Kats had gone home. This remains a viable tactic to this day. And considering Kentucky’s earlier performance this year, might not be a bad strategy this season.
Since the tournament’s in Atlanta this time (as in most years), I’ll discuss our track record in the ATL:
HOTELS NEAR THE GEORGIA DOME ARE EXPENSIVE!
They are usually quite nice, but you’ll find none are as convenient to the venue as you’d like. Now, the Omni staff will swear up-and-down that they’re the most convenient since they connect to CNN Center and adjoin the convention center. This is technically true, but you’ll still WALK A FREAKING HALF MILE OR MORE if you intend to go to the FanFare. This is no exaggeration. The FanFare is held in Hall “C”, which is the hall farthest from the hotels, the Ga, Dome, and the MARTA exits. (Trust me, you WILL walk about a half-mile, and you WILL be bored the entire time). When you realize this, one wonders what harm an extra 500 feet of walking does you from a hotel like Embassy Suites.
If you want to be in downtown Atlanta (a reasonable choice since you’d be close to a lot of other attractions), I’d suggest finding the best rate you can get of the hotels near Centennial Park or at least near a MARTA rail line. When it’s time to go to the games, either use the MARTA, or walk to the Ga. Dome parking on Foundry St. and Marietta St. and have the parking attendant call for the shuttle to pick you up and carry you to the Dome. (The attendant may try to tell you the shuttle isn’t running, that it’s only for other parking lots, or it’s only for patrons who park in that lot - we had this happen in 2005. But, after emailing Aaron Warmus, the GWCC Event Coordinator at the time, we were assured that the shuttle can be used by any GWCC patrons. Mentioning this and dropping Mr. Warmus’ name solved all our problems and ended the discussion.) Riding the shuttle was a big help to my Mom (who’s in her 60’s) in getting around the Ga. Dome campus.
Last year, we changed tactics and decided to stay at hotels that weren’t near the Dome, but were on the MARTA railway. This way, we’d avoid some extra walking. It took a real leap of faith on the part of my parents that riding “the subway” was “OK” (i.e. safe) and easier than just driving to the games, but after our first day, they were converts. We’d highly recommend staying at Renaissance Atlanta Hotel Downtown. It’s only a block from the North Avenue MARTA station. This was a nice hotel by all accounts. Our only gripe was the extra charge for Internet access, but that’s standard at most downtown Atlanta hotels if you’re not renting rooms as part of a package or special offer.
One other issue to consider (and in truth, this was the tipping point in our decision to try a different hotel this year) is that the North Avenue MARTA station is on the North/ South line. This means you’ll have to change trains at Five Points station to get to the Dome, which is on the East/ West line. This sounds easy, but when you have a baby stroller and two senior citizens in tow, it can be problematic. But for most, changing trains is a minor issue that can be accepted. And, if I hadn’t discovered what I believe will be the “perfect” hotel, we’d be staying at the Renaissance again this time.
This perfect hotel (I hope) is the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Decatur, Ga. Decatur is, apparently, one of the small historic towns that got swallowed up by the Atlanta Metro. This hotel boasts an indoor pool, free wireless Internet access and is only 3 blocks from the Decatur MARTA station - which is on the East/ West line! (Oh yeah, it’s also cheaper than most downtown Atlanta hotels.) Eliminating train changes was the motivation behind finding this gem, but I wouldn’t be surprised if things like less hustle-and-bustle, more affordable dining, and cheaper parking end up meaning more to us. God bless you Holiday Inn!
Tip 2: Membership has its privileges
Join whatever priority club the hotel you’ve selected has. All major chains have these and they supposedly allow access to more discounts and packages than non-members.
The second year my wife and I went to the tournament, we actually got a better rate at the Atlanta Omni by being a member of their “Select Guest” program. I called in to make some changes to our room requests and the helpful lady identified some sort of “sports visit package” that had a better room rate and included two complimentary breakfasts (for two) at the hotel restaurant.
Another “plus” of being a member is the ability to save you room preferences year-to-year. A small detail, but helpful nonetheless. (Now my boy won’t have to stay in a room smelling of cigar-smoking Kentucky fans.)
Tip 3: Make reservations as early as you can
Currently, the tournament is only 4 months away, so smart fans have made reservations about seven or eight months ago. Most hotel websites will only allow reservations fifty weeks in advance. (That sounds like plenty of time, but before the Omni expanded, we were denied reservations fifty weeks beforehand. We discovered that conventions are allowed to book rooms years in advance. So, I suggest making an appointment in Outlook (or whatever email software you use) to remind yourself when that magic date arrives.
One disappointing thing to be aware of is that since your stay will end on a Sunday (the last day of the tournament), most hotel websites will consider your reservation as part of the next week. Meaning, it will prevent you from making your reservation until six days beyond what it really should. A nifty trick I use to get around this, is to go ahead and make your check-out day the Saturday of the tournament. Then, a week later, either call the hotel or go online and extend the reservation to Sunday. (Chances are, your room will be available for the extra day, since you already reserved the most popular days of the week. And even if it isn’t, you’re still better than if you’d waited… and let’s face it, your team probably won’t make it to Sunday anyway.) The down-side to this is you might forget to extend the reservation, so create another Outlook appointment as a reminder.
Tip 4: Double-check your reservations a day-or-two later
Being thorough never hurts. If you’ve made a mistake and you need to correct it, fixing things eleven months in advance is much easier than the day you arrive in the hotel lobby.
Two years ago, I double-checked on my tournament reservation and discovered that instead of the Nashville hotel I thought I’d gotten, I had accidentally reserved a room in the chain’s Washington, DC hotel. Apparently, I’d previously looked at hotels for a possible high school reunion trip in DC, and when I went back, my browser’s auto complete feature enabled me to reserve a room there, not noticing it wasn’t Nashville. Oops.
Tip 5: Plan now, play later
This may seem like a lot of planning for a pretty straightforward part of the trip. But, believe me, having the right hotel in a strange city (especially when you’re the group’s leader) makes the whole trip less stressful and more enjoyable.
I hope this helps any would-be tournament goers find their “perfect” hotel.
Thankyouverymuch & War Eagle!