[Updated 18-Nov-2008]
A few months ago I wrote an article complaining about outrageous charges for hotel rooms at or near the various national genealogy conferences. I have now vowed that I will never pay those rip-off prices again. Today I made my reservation for a hotel room at the 2009 conference of the National Genealogical Society's annual conference to be held in Raleigh, North Carolina, on 13 through 16 May 2009.
There will be a shortage of hotel rooms in the city during the 2009 NGS conference. Three major universities in the city reportedly will all hold their graduations the same weekend. As a result, hotel rooms are expected to be fully booked months in advance. If you are planning to attend this conference, I'd suggest you make a reservation NOW in some hotel.
The official conference hotel will be the Marriott City Center, adjacent to the convention center. Don't bother checking for rooms; it is already sold out, seven months in advance of the conference. The hotel charges $124 a night plus taxes.
Other nearby hotels listed on the conference web site include the Sheraton Hotel at 421 South Salisbury Street (a short walk away, $120 a night plus taxes but with free parking) and the New Clarion State Capitol Hotel at 320 Hillsborough Street at $79 per night (nine-tenths of a mile away and also with free parking). Both of those locations are too far to walk for some people.
I just made reservations at the Raleigh Days Inn at 300 N. Dawson Street. The price is $59.49 per night plus taxes.
UPDATE: The Days Inn is still offering rooms on the www.DaysInn.com web site for $59.49 per night for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday ONLY but have now increased the rate to $102.00 for Friday and Saturday night. I am guessing that is in reaction to all the graduations going on in Raleigh that weekend.
That price includes free parking, free high speed Internet access, and a free continental style breakfast. It also includes a king-sized bed in a non-smoking room with a micro-sized refrigerator. I doubt if the Days Inn will be as nice as a Marriott or a Sheraton, but I don't plan to spend much time in the room. I expect to spend long days in the convention center. What more could I need?
The Raleigh Days Inn is about two miles away from the convention center. That's an easy drive if you have an automobile but too far to walk. I suspect there will also be parking fees at the convention center. Even so, I decided that the savings in hotel fees alone will more than pay for a rental car plus parking fees. Besides, having a rental car also provides more freedom in choosing restaurants and other travel.
You can learn more or even make a reservation at http://www.daysinn.com/DaysInn/control/home. If you prefer to use the telephone, call 919-828-9081.
You can see even more hotels in the vicinity of the 2009 NGS Conference at http://tinyurl.com/ngs-hotels.
I think it is high time to fight rip-off prices at conference hotels. There are many cost-effective alternatives, I'd suggest using one of them.
For more information about the 2009 NGS conference, look at http://www.ngsgenealogy.org/Conferences/2009/index.htm?CFID=4802765&CFTOKEN=60385986.
My thanks to Carole Magnuson for telling me about the Days Inn hotel in Raleigh.
