Hotel Location or Price?

[LaffingBear]

Consensus: no consensus

 

All clients want whats most convenient, and least likely to be a deterrent, for them.

[mike carey]

First, he arrived at BWI near Baltimore. Even in decent traffic it can take over an hour to travel between DC and Baltimore. Lots of people here fly in and out of BWI for the cheaper airfare. No big deal.

 

The real problem for this guy was that he booked his hotel near IAD, Washington Dulles International Airport. Which is also 45 minutes to an hour from downtown DC. It's also about 60 plus miles from BWI. The poor guy paid a huge taxi charge.

Great post ArVaGuy. And a rookie mistake, but everyone has to learn the lay of the land in a new city sometime. More power to you for taking and extending your appointment.

 

I travelled to DC with varying degrees of frequency over a number of years from the mid-eighties until the mid-noughties, always for meetings close to the centre of the city. I quickly worked out that flying to National, even if it involved a layover, was a better idea than Dulles on a direct flight (I realise not everyone would think the same way as I do). The removal of previous restrictions on flights to and from National have made using it easier to use now. I've never used BWI but if I did, I would catch the train in to Union Station rather than take a cab. In any case I would choose a hotel near a metro station. Clearly it's different for an escort: I only have to make sure it is convenient for myself.

 

It seems to me that in addition to the general question of 'city or 'burbs' there are specific questions that escorts (and others) visiting a new city would do well to ask for advice here on airports and hotel districts to use.

[rvwnsd]

"Centrally Located" in many cities does not mean "central business district of the largest city in the metro area." In San Diego, the University City area near LaJolla is centrally located for the entire area, while Mission Valley is for the city proper. Downtown San Diego isn't central at all. Likewise, in Chicago downtown Chicago is central for city-dwellers, but for the other 8 million people dispersed throughout Chicagoland the O'Hare area is more accessible. My advice is to stay where you will feel comfortable.

[buckguy]

You need to learn something about each city. In DC, you are best off in the city, somewhere between Georgetown, Woolley Park or Gallery Place and near a Metro. Crystal City or Rosalyn in VA can work but no further and nowhere in Maryland.

 

In Atlanta, Midtown or Buckhead seem to work best, as both are close to freeways, relatively central and accessible to basic needs so that you don't need a car.

 

I would ask for specific cities rather than for a general rule. You may find that you need a car in more car bound cities--sunbelt sprawlburgs and the like and that may cancel out the lower cost of not being downtown.

[gallahadesquire]

#1 but, for goodness sake, please don't pick a hotel with $25 parking.

 

$25? Where?? That's cheap.

[Beancounter]

$25? Where?? That's cheap.

 

Most hotels that charge for parking in Dallas charge between $25-30 for overnight parking. However, there are an equal number of hotels that have free parking and I suspect that helps temper the parking rates at those hotels that do charge. In Dallas $25 is considered on the high side.

[gallahadesquire]

Truth be told, in Chicago, the Hotel at O'hare is optimal. (The same might be true for Midway, but I don't know local accommodations there). It's a SAFE subway ride from downtown. It's convenient to the burbs. I'd rather drive 30 minutes to O'Hare than 2 hours to down town.

 

For Boston, there's the commuter rail, which is ... uncomfortable. The Green Line "D" goes to 128/95 and is cheap. In fact, I have an overnight intown on Sunday, and I"m seriously thinking of leaving my car at Riverside and taking the train in. It's $13 overnight, plus $5.50 to get to the hotel (via the "T") on one of the FUNKIEST, antiquated, and fun subways in the US. Uber would be used any for in-town transport. I assume the hotel parking is the standard $42 / night, and the logistics of actually PAYING for it, rather than it being on my Host's bill, are difficult.

[Rudynate]

Drive and park somewhere else in the city relatively close then take Uber or Lyft to the final location. Works well if you're coming from out of town and have to drive into the city anyway.

 

 

Just park in the city parking garages. My favorites are:

 

Portsmouth Square

Sutter-Stockton

O'Farrell

5th&Mission.

[Rudynate]

Escorts visiting SF tend to stay downtown, around Union Sq. What they don't realize is that San Francisco has become so congested that locals hate traveling downtown. Not long ago, a guy I got together with was staying in Japantown-much more convenient. It wasnt optimal for him though because the neighborhood lacked the amenities found downtown.