Where do you stay at SOE Fanfaire/Live? (Past and Future attendees plz)

Khay · 02-02-2013, 02:00 AM

So I am trying to figure out where the majority of folks stay when they attend SOE Fanfaire/Live. Do you stay at the hotel that is hosting the convention, or do you stay at another hotel and walk/taxi?

Thanks in advance.

Texana · 02-02-2013, 03:13 AM

I have stayed at an RV campground and in the Fanfaire hotel.

The RV campground was much cheaper and it was really nice to have your own space with your own stuff. However, staying at the Fanfaire hotel was much better even though much more expensive.

If you get tired or sick you are only minutes away from your room. If you want to drink you don't have to worry about driving. If you wear a costume it is much easier to ride an elevator than to drive and park or ride another form of transportation.

So even though more expensive and even with the bad service we had last year at Balley's, I will be staying in the event hotel because of the convenience factor.

Ylyrra · 02-02-2013, 11:18 AM

I have always stayed at the event hotel for the convenience.

Kela · 02-02-2013, 03:28 PM

I sayed off site the first year I went to fan faire, and I will NEVER do it again. First, you will likly be in the Convention Center the entire time it is going on, therefor having a car those 2-3 days isn't worth it and you can get a round trip shuttle to the airport(including the Car Rental area) for like $12 that is a large savings right there. Second, like the above poster said the convenance factor is very big, Fan Faire runs late into the night and depending on your group it tends to have "after events" that run even latter, then getting up at 10am for some of the morning events makes having a bed close very benifisial. Third, you can't drive drunk and there is always an Open Bar Night, if you want to enjoy that you must at the very least stay at a hotel on the monorail or with-in walking distance.

BTW, I usually stay over a couple extra days and just use my return trip with the airport shuttle to go pick up my car, they day or two after, you could also do the reverse and turn your car in the on thursday and take the shuttle to the hotel and back for your flight.

Cyliena · 02-02-2013, 03:51 PM

I've always stayed on site as well. Kela's reasons summed up why I do so fairly well. It's more expensive usually but it's also the one time a year I spoil myself. SMILEY

If you have a close friend to share a room with that will half your hotel cost, too.

Khay · 02-02-2013, 07:53 PM

This years SOE Live is going to be at Planet Hollywood on Aug 1st through 4th. I was actually considering the Paris or Bellagio, one is next door and the other is right across the Street. I just can't seem to figure out the best course. I mean I've been reading some reviews on PH and it seems some rooms there need a little TLC. I wanted something a bit nicer so I am unsure what to do, and where my compromise should be.

Cyliena · 02-02-2013, 10:13 PM

A few things to keep in mind if you're thinking of staying in another hotel:

You won't get the group discount rate, which means you may have to shell out quite a bit more for your room.
Further travel time--not too bad if it is a nearby hotel, but the further away it is, the more you need to keep in mind factors like getting up even earlier to get to panels on time and staying not-quite-drunk enough to get to your room in one piece.
You really don't spend that much time in your room. Of course the exception is if you're staying a few extra days, then the time spent may be a factor.

I have no idea what new hotel's rooms are like, hopefully some with personal experience here can chime in!

RinQual_Gorgshriek · 02-02-2013, 11:16 PM

Well, I'm going for sure this year.

Reading the Messages. Best Hotel in Las Vegas to reach Planet Hollywood in a fair ammount of time, would be?

feldon30 · 02-03-2013, 12:59 AM

RinQual_Gorgshriek wrote:

Well, I'm going for sure this year.
Reading the Messages. Best Hotel in Las Vegas to reach Planet Hollywood in a fair ammount of time, would be?

Er.. other than Planet Hollywood?

Paris is next door.

Bellagio is across the street (there's an elevated walkway with escalator).

I saved a few bucks staying in another hotel the first year. Wasn't worth it. Spent extra money on the monorail and didn't get to visit as much as I wanted to. Also the rooms were substandard.

RinQual_Gorgshriek · 02-04-2013, 08:22 PM

feldon30 wrote:

RinQual_Gorgshriek wrote:
Well, I'm going for sure this year.
Reading the Messages. Best Hotel in Las Vegas to reach Planet Hollywood in a fair ammount of time, would be?
Er.. other than Planet Hollywood?
Paris is next door.
Bellagio is across the street (there's an elevated walkway with escalator).
I saved a few bucks staying in another hotel the first year. Wasn't worth it. Spent extra money on the monorail and didn't get to visit as much as I wanted to. Also the rooms were substandard.

So it would be worth staying to the Hotel Attached/Next to it?

Dexella · 02-04-2013, 09:16 PM

I go to Vegas quite a bit. Here are some personal recommendations -- please be aware, these are just notes from my own experiences with Vegas and previous Fan Faires/SOE Live 2012.

-- Yes, Bellagio is across the street, but crossing the street in Vegas can be troublesome and problematic. You'd be better off, in my opinion, staying two or three hotels away on the same side of the strip as opposed to staying somewhere "directly across" from the venue.

-- If you know you want to come to SOE Live, sign up for e-mails from various Las Vegas hotel chains now. I get multiple e-mails a day; never from the same hotel, of course, but yeah...it's a hefty amount of messages. A lot. However, you can sometimes get amazing deals and specials (my brother got $13 rooms at Flamingo last week).

-- Planet Hollywood does not have a monorail stop. On that side of the strip, if you pick up the monorial at MGM Grand (which you would if you were staying there, Tropicana, NY/NY, Excalibur, or anything south of there), and take it to the next station, which is the Bally's/Paris station. Or walk, of course.

-- Staying at the hotel where the event is, if you're able, provides a type of convenience unlike any other. I'm speaking as a player-attendee here (and, well, as event staff). It's really, really, really nice to only be an elevator ride away from taking a nap.

-- Of course, my main recommendation would be to find a hotel that offer amenities you want in a price bracket you can afford.

Just my $0.02.

BuddieRowe · 02-27-2013, 12:09 PM

Ok here is my 2 cp worth ...its August ....in Vegas....even at night temp will be 90 deg. ....done it and even a short walk will make you uncomfortable ....do that after a long day of panels or evening of adult beverages and chatting with other players and devs and that short walk is even more bothersome. room is for sleep ..awake time is for panels /players/dev interaction.....

Bisxoni · 03-01-2013, 07:07 PM

This year, my wife and I set up a vacation home and a rental van for the week we are staying for FF and have a couple of guildes staying with us to offst the cost of the home. Yes, it is offsite but it is only a 15 min drive to get to PH and I don't have to take LVB to get to the parking area for PH. For us, the benefits outweight the downsides for staying offsite.

Bexee · 03-04-2013, 04:11 AM

Since I travel halfway across the planet to get there I stay to 10 days in the States. Last time I stayed in the Venetian for 4 days then Paris since I dont like the suites in Ballys (shabby). I still think the best restaurant in the strip is the one at the front of the Paris hotel, and that the casino there has about the best atmosphere.

I am in PH for the convention and will probably split the trip to go see friends in LA during the week.

02-02-2013, 03:51 PM	#5
Cyliena SOE Community Council Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 36	I've always stayed on site as well. Kela's reasons summed up why I do so fairly well. It's more expensive usually but it's also the one time a year I spoil myself. If you have a close friend to share a room with that will half your hotel cost, too.

02-02-2013, 10:13 PM	#7
Cyliena SOE Community Council Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 36	A few things to keep in mind if you're thinking of staying in another hotel: You won't get the group discount rate, which means you may have to shell out quite a bit more for your room. Further travel time--not too bad if it is a nearby hotel, but the further away it is, the more you need to keep in mind factors like getting up even earlier to get to panels on time and staying not-quite-drunk enough to get to your room in one piece. You really don't spend that much time in your room. Of course the exception is if you're staying a few extra days, then the time spent may be a factor. I have no idea what new hotel's rooms are like, hopefully some with personal experience here can chime in!

02-03-2013, 12:59 AM	#9
feldon30 SOE Community Council Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 262	RinQual_Gorgshriek wrote: Well, I'm going for sure this year. Reading the Messages. Best Hotel in Las Vegas to reach Planet Hollywood in a fair ammount of time, would be? Er.. other than Planet Hollywood? Paris is next door. Bellagio is across the street (there's an elevated walkway with escalator). I saved a few bucks staying in another hotel the first year. Wasn't worth it. Spent extra money on the monorail and didn't get to visit as much as I wanted to. Also the rooms were substandard.

02-04-2013, 08:22 PM	#10
RinQual_Gorgshriek Happy Camper Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 17	feldon30 wrote: RinQual_Gorgshriek wrote: Well, I'm going for sure this year. Reading the Messages. Best Hotel in Las Vegas to reach Planet Hollywood in a fair ammount of time, would be? Er.. other than Planet Hollywood? Paris is next door. Bellagio is across the street (there's an elevated walkway with escalator). I saved a few bucks staying in another hotel the first year. Wasn't worth it. Spent extra money on the monorail and didn't get to visit as much as I wanted to. Also the rooms were substandard. So it would be worth staying to the Hotel Attached/Next to it?

02-02-2013, 02:00 AM	#1
Khay The Quiet Type Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 6	So I am trying to figure out where the majority of folks stay when they attend SOE Fanfaire/Live. Do you stay at the hotel that is hosting the convention, or do you stay at another hotel and walk/taxi? Thanks in advance.

02-02-2013, 03:13 AM	#2
Texana Happy Camper Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 15	I have stayed at an RV campground and in the Fanfaire hotel. The RV campground was much cheaper and it was really nice to have your own space with your own stuff. However, staying at the Fanfaire hotel was much better even though much more expensive. If you get tired or sick you are only minutes away from your room. If you want to drink you don't have to worry about driving. If you wear a costume it is much easier to ride an elevator than to drive and park or ride another form of transportation. So even though more expensive and even with the bad service we had last year at Balley's, I will be staying in the event hotel because of the convenience factor.

02-02-2013, 11:18 AM	#3
Ylyrra Happy Camper Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 16	I have always stayed at the event hotel for the convenience.

02-02-2013, 03:28 PM	#4
Kela Master Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 394	I sayed off site the first year I went to fan faire, and I will NEVER do it again. First, you will likly be in the Convention Center the entire time it is going on, therefor having a car those 2-3 days isn't worth it and you can get a round trip shuttle to the airport(including the Car Rental area) for like $12 that is a large savings right there. Second, like the above poster said the convenance factor is very big, Fan Faire runs late into the night and depending on your group it tends to have "after events" that run even latter, then getting up at 10am for some of the morning events makes having a bed close very benifisial. Third, you can't drive drunk and there is always an Open Bar Night, if you want to enjoy that you must at the very least stay at a hotel on the monorail or with-in walking distance. BTW, I usually stay over a couple extra days and just use my return trip with the airport shuttle to go pick up my car, they day or two after, you could also do the reverse and turn your car in the on thursday and take the shuttle to the hotel and back for your flight.

02-02-2013, 07:53 PM	#6
Khay The Quiet Type Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 6	This years SOE Live is going to be at Planet Hollywood on Aug 1st through 4th. I was actually considering the Paris or Bellagio, one is next door and the other is right across the Street. I just can't seem to figure out the best course. I mean I've been reading some reviews on PH and it seems some rooms there need a little TLC. I wanted something a bit nicer so I am unsure what to do, and where my compromise should be.

02-02-2013, 11:16 PM	#8
RinQual_Gorgshriek Happy Camper Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 17	Well, I'm going for sure this year. Reading the Messages. Best Hotel in Las Vegas to reach Planet Hollywood in a fair ammount of time, would be?

02-04-2013, 09:16 PM	#11
Dexella Community Relations Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 5	I go to Vegas quite a bit. Here are some personal recommendations -- please be aware, these are just notes from my own experiences with Vegas and previous Fan Faires/SOE Live 2012. -- Yes, Bellagio is across the street, but crossing the street in Vegas can be troublesome and problematic. You'd be better off, in my opinion, staying two or three hotels away on the same side of the strip as opposed to staying somewhere "directly across" from the venue. -- If you know you want to come to SOE Live, sign up for e-mails from various Las Vegas hotel chains now. I get multiple e-mails a day; never from the same hotel, of course, but yeah...it's a hefty amount of messages. A lot. However, you can sometimes get amazing deals and specials (my brother got $13 rooms at Flamingo last week). -- Planet Hollywood does not have a monorail stop. On that side of the strip, if you pick up the monorial at MGM Grand (which you would if you were staying there, Tropicana, NY/NY, Excalibur, or anything south of there), and take it to the next station, which is the Bally's/Paris station. Or walk, of course. -- Staying at the hotel where the event is, if you're able, provides a type of convenience unlike any other. I'm speaking as a player-attendee here (and, well, as event staff). It's really, really, really nice to only be an elevator ride away from taking a nap. -- Of course, my main recommendation would be to find a hotel that offer amenities you want in a price bracket you can afford. Just my $0.02.

02-27-2013, 12:09 PM	#12
BuddieRowe The Quiet Type Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 13	Ok here is my 2 cp worth ...its August ....in Vegas....even at night temp will be 90 deg. ....done it and even a short walk will make you uncomfortable ....do that after a long day of panels or evening of adult beverages and chatting with other players and devs and that short walk is even more bothersome. room is for sleep ..awake time is for panels /players/dev interaction.....

03-01-2013, 07:07 PM	#13
Bisxoni The Quiet Type Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Dudley, MA Posts: 13	This year, my wife and I set up a vacation home and a rental van for the week we are staying for FF and have a couple of guildes staying with us to offst the cost of the home. Yes, it is offsite but it is only a 15 min drive to get to PH and I don't have to take LVB to get to the parking area for PH. For us, the benefits outweight the downsides for staying offsite.

03-04-2013, 04:11 AM	#14
Bexee The Quiet Type Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 8	Since I travel halfway across the planet to get there I stay to 10 days in the States. Last time I stayed in the Venetian for 4 days then Paris since I dont like the suites in Ballys (shabby). I still think the best restaurant in the strip is the one at the front of the Paris hotel, and that the casino there has about the best atmosphere. I am in PH for the convention and will probably split the trip to go see friends in LA during the week.