Convention Tip#3 – Stay in the Main Hotel

AKA Look Who's Over There ...

Conventions come in many sizes, from occupying a single hotel to taking over a convention center and having multiple hotels. Regardless of the size of the convention, if you can, stay in the main hotel.

There are pros and cons to this, as with any decision. Here are my thoughts:

PROS

• easy access to your room if you need a break from the masses
• a close place to store all the stuff you buy in the dealer’s room so you don’t have to haul it around all day
• you never know who you’re going to see or meet

CONS

• may also be the “party hotel” so be prepared for late night noise
• elevators can get overloaded and sometimes have a line
• likely more expensive than other hotels associated with the convention

goal one

For me, the last Pro – you never know who you’re going to see or meet – outweighs all the Cons.

I don’t enjoy loud, crowded parties, so my chance to talk and meet with people happen during the day-to-day activities of a convention.

Talking to John Picacio in an elevator at Worldcon, sitting and listening to Bernard Pearson tell stories in the courtyard at the first North American Discworld Convention, having dinner with Peter S. Beagle and Connor Cochran at ConDFW are moments I treasure.

And all of those happened because I stayed at the main hotel of the convention, and was at a right place at a right time.

I can control what hotel I stay at. The ‘right place at the right time’ is something I trust will happen on it’s own because I’m making the effort to be there and be engaged in what’s going on. And it does.

Mr. Ecko: Don’t mistake coincidence for fate.
- Lost, “What Kate Did”

Sep 8, 2009

Tags: con tip  |  condfw  |  hotel  |  nadwcon  |  worldcon

Categories: conventions