Post early hotel deals here?
Posted by del_grande

It's never too early to see what rooms are available - especially as the hotel lottery is less than three months away as I post this.

Here's a spot I stumbled across a few years ago: Emerson, just south of I-465.  A few "amenities" (Rally's, White Castle, Steak & Shake, McDonald's, Firehouse, and a few others, plus a WalMart), plus four hotels, all of which have rooms available for GenCon weekend (I checked for 7/30 through 8/5):
Super 8 - $85 for two doubles or one queen
Holiday Inn Express - $155 for two kings, nonsmoking
Red Roof - $153 for two fulls or one king
La Quinta - $209 for two queens or one king

Posted by gib_rebeg

Most people who are going to want a room will want it Downtown near the convention.

While your posting is nice, you might also want to include links to said hotels too. I think there are something like 5 La Quinta's in the Indy area alone.

Posted by del_grande gib_rebeg

gib_rebeg wrote:Most people who are going to want a room will want it Downtown near the convention.
While your posting is nice, you might also want to include links to said hotels too. I think there are something like 5 La Quinta's in the Indy area alone.

True, but you know as well as I do the number of people who want downtown hotels far exceeds the number in the convention rate block, and most people also want an affordable room.

As for the hotel locations, while there are five La Quintas in Indianapolis, only one is near Emerson and 465.  Still, you make a point:
La Quinta Indianapolis South

Red Roof Inn Indianapolis South

Holiday Inn Express Indianapolis Southeast
(not South - that's a different location, although that's not a bad area either, with a Comfort Inn and another La Quinta)

Super 8 Indianapolis (on South Emerson)

Posted by technoir

To early? My friend you're running a little late. Many of us have our downtown room already reserved 
 

Posted by glory technoir

irontk wrote:
To early? My friend you're running a little late. Many of us have our downtown room already reserved 
 
Trutu. Early hotel deals occurred in July.

Posted by raidkillsbugsded glory

glory wrote:
irontk wrote:
To early? My friend you're running a little late. Many of us have our downtown room already reserved 
Trutu. Early hotel deals occurred in July.

I just reserved a room a few days ago 3 blocks from the hall for about the cost of an airport area room, so it’s certainly not too late...

Posted by gib_rebeg raidkillsbugsded

raidkillsbugsded wrote:
glory wrote:
irontk wrote:
To early? My friend you're running a little late. Many of us have our downtown room already reserved 
Trutu. Early hotel deals occurred in July.

I just reserved a room a few days ago 3 blocks from the hall for about the cost of an airport area room, so it’s certainly not too late...
Hotel name?

Posted by raidkillsbugsded gib_rebeg

gib_rebeg wrote:
raidkillsbugsded wrote:
glory wrote:
irontk wrote:
To early? My friend you're running a little late. Many of us have our downtown room already reserved 
Trutu. Early hotel deals occurred in July.

I just reserved a room a few days ago 3 blocks from the hall for about the cost of an airport area room, so it’s certainly not too late...
Hotel name?

What’s the first rule of Fight Club?

Posted by matthias9 raidkillsbugsded

raidkillsbugsded wrote:
gib_rebeg wrote:
raidkillsbugsded wrote:
glory wrote:
irontk wrote:
To early? My friend you're running a little late. Many of us have our downtown room already reserved 
Trutu. Early hotel deals occurred in July.

I just reserved a room a few days ago 3 blocks from the hall for about the cost of an airport area room, so it’s certainly not too late...
Hotel name?

What’s the first rule of Fight Club?

Hmm...  The purpose of this thread is to assist people with tips on lodging.  I think you may be in the wrong place -- I think Fight Club serves a different purpose.

Posted by ssoulfly

Just booked a king size bed at the Le Meridien (couple blocks away) via Hotwire.  Free cancellation and no down payment for $291/night

https://vacation.hotwire.com/Indianapolis-Hotels-Le-Meridien-Indianapolis.h8600.Hotel-Information?tmid=21579014132&currency=USD&rfrr=Header.Currency.USD&exp_dp=277&chkin=7/30/2019&chkout=8/4/2019&rm1=a2&paandi=true

Looks like the still have a couple left after booking

Posted by mikeboozer matthias9

matthias9 wrote:
raidkillsbugsded wrote:
gib_rebeg wrote:
raidkillsbugsded wrote:
glory wrote:
irontk wrote:
To early? My friend you're running a little late. Many of us have our downtown room already reserved 
Trutu. Early hotel deals occurred in July.

I just reserved a room a few days ago 3 blocks from the hall for about the cost of an airport area room, so it’s certainly not too late...
Hotel name?

What’s the first rule of Fight Club?
Hmm...  The purpose of this thread is to assist people with tips on lodging.  I think you may be in the wrong place -- I think Fight Club serves a different purpose.

Agreed, it serves no purpose to say you found a deal on a thread dedicated to helping people find deals when you're not willing to say what that deal is.

Posted by gride

First time GenCon-goer here.  How tight, if anyone knows from experience, is the time frame on those downtown hotel room blocks come January?  I'm really looking into specifically getting the Marriott because of its closeness to the con center.  Any insight would be helpful, thanks.

Posted by andrewj.rager

If you do not have a Hotel Lottery number within the first 2 hours it is unlikely you will get a DT room through the lottery. However, there are always opportunities to get a DT room if you are willing to pay.

Posted by kd8esu andrewj.rager

andrewj.rager wrote:
If you do not have a Hotel Lottery number within the first 2 hours it is unlikely you will get a DT room through the lottery. However, there are always opportunities to get a DT room if you are willing to pay.

That's not entirely true.

Yes, you probably won't get a downtown room that day and a good chance you won't at all if you don't have time within the first 3 (2018 I had a 2:15 and got one).  The reality is that downtown rooms will begin to slowly and occasionally show up in the portal between the first day and the time they are locked in.

Better luck will occur if you aren't picky on your room size (willing to take a single bed instead of requiring 2 beds) and you don't need a connected hotel.

Of course, people will also post ALL THE TIME about wanting a roommate or a few; if you aren't lucky on the lottery, that may be an option.

Posted by selene314 kd8esu

kd8esu wrote:
andrewj.rager wrote:
If you do not have a Hotel Lottery number within the first 2 hours it is unlikely you will get a DT room through the lottery. However, there are always opportunities to get a DT room if you are willing to pay.

That's not entirely true.Yes, you probably won't get a downtown room that day and a good chance you won't at all if you don't have time within the first 3 (2018 I had a 2:15 and got one).  The reality is that downtown rooms will begin to slowly and occasionally show up in the portal between the first day and the time they are locked in.
Better luck will occur if you aren't picky on your room size (willing to take a single bed instead of requiring 2 beds) and you don't need a connected hotel.
Of course, people will also post ALL THE TIME about wanting a roommate or a few; if you aren't lucky on the lottery, that may be an option.

Last year the downtown rooms lasted closer to 4 hours, but that's all of downtown; Marriott doubles could have sold out in 1 hour. 
It was longer than previous years because they instituted a policy that you cannot transfer a reservation to another account, so people stopped booking the maximum number of rooms their group might need.

Posted by rayken

Downtown rooms stayed available through 3:45 PM (Eastern Time) last year. This will hopefully improve as more and more downtown rooms are added to Indy. Some of us believe it was due to the changes in the transfer policy for rooms as well. 

I should clarify, two bed hotel rooms sold out fairly quickly, but King rooms at downtown hotels stayed more available. 

Posted by insane

missed on the lottery (6hrs out) but watched the portal off and on and was able to snag a marriott king 10 days before the locked in

Posted by technoir raidkillsbugsded

Hotel lottery last year lasted to ABOUT 4hrs for downtown rooms. So that's pretty dang good. 

raidkillsbugsded wrote:
gib_rebeg wrote:
raidkillsbugsded wrote:
glory wrote:
irontk wrote:
To early? My friend you're running a little late. Many of us have our downtown room already reserved 
Trutu. Early hotel deals occurred in July.

I just reserved a room a few days ago 3 blocks from the hall for about the cost of an airport area room, so it’s certainly not too late...
Hotel name?

What’s the first rule of Fight Club?

Please reread what I said "My friend you're running a little late" 

Which is true, many of us have been working the system for months. Something popping up is a rarity now. Especially for "airport cost" 
 

Posted by gingerjsm

If I have the money I’m definitely going to book a room for 2020 in July 2019. As it stands I have an AirBNB a mere 1.4 miles from the Convention cheaper than a hotel room. Also looking for a female willing to go halvsies and take the couch (I’m bringing a mattress)

Posted by sjenks

Very slim pickings downtown right now. Not even at ridiculous prices unless I am missing something? I reserved a back up at the Staybridge, ways from the convention center but a extended suite with kitchen so that is nice. Got in block at the Hyatt Regency last year and that spoiled me so I don't really want to go back to $450 for half mile walk.

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