How's the hotel experience?

kaitanuva · Post by **kaitanuva** » Mon Feb 17, 2014 10:26 pm

I live near Boston, so last year I commuted to and from the convention using the MBTA. This year I'm open to hotelling because I'm actually cosplaying this time.

1. Would the hotel, esp. Sheraton, make life alot easier for me if I'm cosplaying?
2. Are there any events happening in the "Social Block" of the hotel usually?
3. Worth it?

Any other things you can add is appreciated. Thanks!

Master of NERV · Post by **Master of NERV** » Tue Feb 18, 2014 8:32 am

kaitanuva wrote: 1. Would the hotel, esp. Sheraton, make life alot easier for me if I'm cosplaying?
2. Are there any events happening in the "Social Block" of the hotel usually?
3. Worth it?

Being at the Sheraton is always a good idea, especially if you're cosplaying; dragging your costume around on the T can't be fun, and you risk damaging it en route (I've seen it happen). Even if you're not cosplaying, the walk to the Hynes is only a couple of minutes, allowing you to spend a lot more time at the con itself.

I cannot answer to "happenings" in the social block, but I imagine that they are spontaneous affairs. But be cautioned: social or quiet block, you're still held answerable to the hotel's and convention's code of conduct. My best advice is to review these matters on the con site; click "Convention Info", then "Convention Policies".

Post by **Sayoria** » Tue Feb 18, 2014 9:14 am

kaitanuva wrote:I live near Boston, so last year I commuted to and from the convention using the MBTA. This year I'm open to hotelling because I'm actually cosplaying this time.

1. Would the hotel, esp. Sheraton, make life alot easier for me if I'm cosplaying?
2. Are there any events happening in the "Social Block" of the hotel usually?
3. Worth it?

Any other things you can add is appreciated. Thanks!

1 - Yes. If you are cosplaying, and say, start feeling uncomfortable in it, you have a room to change, get comfy in, and relax. If you are hot, you can shower. If you need a break from the people, there's where you can go. If you buy stuff from the dealers room or artist alley, you can store it there for the convention. If you want to see late night festivities, you can without worry about trains running and such.
2 - I don't know. My group was in the social block of the Marriott, and since they aren't the official con hotel, I doubt they did.
3 - Definitely. If you have a group of friends who are going with you, spending that extra time is worth it. No rush to get anywhere. More time to see events. Back when I was commuting, I used to have to leave at like 9PM, which cut off the AMV contest, the Masquerade, and many other great things. Extreme Geek, Hentai Dubbing, basic late night fun. Get a room if you can.

For more backup on the hotels, if you get into an AB block of certain hotels, you also get free wifi, which is great. I don't know if they will this year, but in pervious years, the Sheraton even had a channel streaming AB events. I personally feel like if you aren't rooming nearby, it's like you are wasting half of the convention practically.

mikami · Post by **mikami** » Tue Feb 18, 2014 9:44 am

I love having a room every year. My cosplays have gotten crazier year after year, and after a while I need to go change and take a break from it. One year I had a horrible migraine attack and the noise was way too much. I grabbed some food, went back to the room and recuperated while my friends continued to enjoy the con. I can't imagine having to commute each day, I wouldn't get anything done!

Flemtee · Post by **Flemtee** » Tue Feb 18, 2014 11:42 am

I always book a room at the Marriott each year and it's one of the best decisions I could spend money on at the con. There's always an option to go to if you're exhausted and need a rest and it saves you from having to carry cool con swag around all day long. As both press and a panelist, there's crazy amounts of equipment that has to be put somewhere and certainly saves the risk of anything getting damaged. That, and I can carry specific items as I need them.

On your point with cosplay, I have many friends who like to cosplay with really big props and big dressed and makeup and 'tattoos' so the fact that they have a place where they can get ready and jump right into the con action is great for them! Traveling by train each morning runs the risk of someone ruining that makeup or giant prop.

But in all, I think the hotels are worth it solely based on the fact that you always have a place to crash and even possibly get an early start if you would like one!

Mamacass · Post by **Mamacass** » Tue Feb 18, 2014 12:09 pm

I was in the Sheraton hotel in 2011, and the Marriott 2012-present. Personally, I prefer the Marriott. *shrug*

Post by **Sayoria** » Tue Feb 18, 2014 3:14 pm

Mamacass wrote:I was in the Sheraton hotel in 2011, and the Marriott 2012-present. Personally, I prefer the Marriott. *shrug*

Same here.... kinda. My friends got a room at the sheraton, and me and my other friends got ours at the Marriott (The other two booked at the wrong hotel) and they had a walled view (I know, luck of the draw) and they told us they liked our room better. I agreed when I went there. Marriott's felt.... homey. Been going there since 2008. No plans to ever change that.

coolforever · Post by **coolforever** » Tue Feb 18, 2014 5:48 pm

I've actually stayed at 4 different hotels in the 8 years I've gone to the convention. I've stayed at the Sheraton, the Marriott, the Westin, and the Hilton. Out of the four, The Hilton is BY FAR my favorite. Right across the street from the Sheraton, friendly staff, clean rooms, there was NOTHING I didn't like about that hotel. We are staying there again this year and probably a long time to come after.

I like the Marriott, but it's a bit of a hike compared to the Sheraton/Hilton. The Westin I also liked a lot, but it's a pretty decent walk from the con itself compared to the other hotels though. Haven't stayed there since 2008 though.

As for the Sheraton....well, it's convenient, especially since it's right there in terms of being at the convention....but....there's a lot of things I DO NOT like about that place. I would go into detail, but I don't want to make anyone second guess themselves. Maybe it's just my personal experience, but I don't plan on staying there again.

Post by **Sayoria** » Tue Feb 18, 2014 5:59 pm

Marriott isn't really a "hike" though. Maybe another one or two minutes extra to walk. It's really not too bad. I personally rather walk there than crossing the street every time I needed to get back to my hotel. I haven't used the Hilton before, I assume it IS great, especially since I use it for work sometimes (business center)... but eh. Plus, it would be awkward as hell having co-workers see me in cosplay. >_>;

coolforever · Post by **coolforever** » Thu Feb 20, 2014 12:02 am

Even though you can only get to the Hilton from the outside, I still think it's a lot quicker compared to the Marriott. Again, I do like the Marriott, not saying there's anything wrong with it, but everything about the Hilton just makes it so much better for me to stay there instead.

Post by **Sayoria** » Thu Feb 20, 2014 12:09 am

Oh, the Hilton is closer, no doubt about it, but the Marriott isn't really far enough to be considered a hike. I'd like to see a Hilton room sometime in the future though, since I have an idea on the Marriott and Sheraton rooms only.

kaitanuva · Post by **kaitanuva** » Thu Feb 20, 2014 3:06 pm

Alright you guys convinced me.

Apparently nearly hotel was booked on a website when I posted this thread, both online and when I tried calling them. But then I checked today on booking.com and found a Executive Suite for 3 or 4 in Sheraton for $790 for 2 nights - not bad, I'd say. Gonna make my first cosplay appearance the best it can be

coolforever · Post by **coolforever** » Thu Feb 20, 2014 5:56 pm

kaitanuva wrote:Alright you guys convinced me.

Apparently nearly hotel was booked on a website when I posted this thread, both online and when I tried calling them. But then I checked today on booking.com and found a Executive Suite for 3 or 4 in Sheraton for $790 for 2 nights - not bad, I'd say. Gonna make my first cosplay appearance the best it can be

If you do stay in the Sheraton, I would advise taking the stairs if a lot of people are waiting for elevators. Trust me, I've dealt with way too many people thinking it was Christmas and lighting up everything in that damn lift just because they thought they were funny. It was also the main reason my friend stopped staying there as well.

Either way, hope you enjoy your stay there, because it is overall a better decision to stay there if you have a cosplay rather than travel out and about all over the city.

Mamacass · Post by **Mamacass** » Thu Feb 20, 2014 6:25 pm

Coolfever, the wait for the elevator is the Main reason why my family started staying at the Marriott!!!

Mamacass · Post by **Mamacass** » Thu Feb 20, 2014 6:29 pm

Sorry, coolforever.
My bad.

Post by **Sayoria** » Thu Feb 20, 2014 6:35 pm

If the elevator is backed up, what my friends and I do is work backwards. Like on checkout day one year, we HAD to go down 20 flights of stairs, because the elevator was always full. From then, we learned that going UP then back down is a successor.

coolforever · Post by **coolforever** » Thu Feb 20, 2014 7:09 pm

I've actually learned recently that stairs are my best friend for the most part during the rush of the convention. Not just with Anime Boston, but also especially with AAC, and even Portcon.

Mamacass · Post by **Mamacass** » Thu Feb 20, 2014 7:27 pm

A Lot of the time, it's just Easier (and faster) to use the stairs.

Post by **Sayoria** » Thu Feb 20, 2014 7:29 pm

Stairs are good if you have a light bag or nothing at all. With the suitcases WE bring, the stairs are tough.

Mamacass · Post by **Mamacass** » Thu Feb 20, 2014 7:36 pm

True. I meant using the stairs During the Con. Unforunately, the elevator is (almost) mandatory during check-in/check-out (for nearly Everybody)

Kalyoth · Post by **Kalyoth** » Sat Feb 22, 2014 6:15 am

I have to say the Hilton has been my choice ever since their regular rates were cheaper than the going con rate for the Sheraton. You avoid the bulk of the con check in/out & have a more manageable use / wait on an elevator. I also forgot to mention - much more friendly hotel staff I have found, no experiences with late night shinnanigans in the halls & a sense that you have exited the con to return to your room vs. just hoping into your room after the elevatorcon & not quite getting that mental sleep/recharge you need. It helps immensely

nightmareman00 · Post by **nightmareman00** » Sat Mar 01, 2014 6:41 am

I say it's worth the cash having a hotel room give you a place to rest up and freshen up even as well as place to keep any thing you might have bought from the con or brought from home

as for events in the social block not sure of any unless someone is planning some kind of party this year don't think they really do anything

added bonus to a booked hotel being able to get at least 5 hours of sleep means you won't have to worry about falling asleep inside the con or on the way back Home

LittleShadowPC · Post by **LittleShadowPC** » Sat Mar 01, 2014 7:14 am

The hotel experience is a good one if you have the money for it. I've been staying in a hotel, the Sheraton, since I started coming to the convention back in 2009. This is the first year I'm going to be commuting back and forth from a friend's apartment that is only about 20 minutes away by the T.

I've paid between 150-200 dollars each time I've stayed in the Sheraton (which isn't terrible for three days) when I've stayed with friends. Being literally feet away from the convention center was a huge deal as I could rest when I needed, grab food from my room, and easily change cosplays! It was great! I, personally, have never had a problem with the Sheraton; with that in mind, I have heard horror stories from other con goers. But pick the hotel you think would be best suited for you and your needs.

I'm not sure on events in the "Social Block". I've stayed in that block once and it wasn't very terrible noise wise!

I feel like the hotel experience is worth it, especially one close to the convention. If you have the money for it, I say go for it! I know if I had the money, I'd try to get a room! Thankfully I don't have any bulky props this year so the commuting shouldn't be bad at all!

Skylercat · Post by **Skylercat** » Sat Mar 08, 2014 12:26 am

I'm looking forward to staying at the Sheraton this year. Last year the boyfriend and I stayed in a hotel in south Boston. Unfortunately, the hotel we were staying at didn't offer shuttle service to the convention center so we took the T. Even though we had a lot of fun at the Con, we felt that we couldn't do as much because we needed to make it on time for T.

This is my second year going to the Con and with us staying at the Sheraton we will be able to do more. I hope we have a good experience at the Sheraton, since this will be our first time staying there.

princessai · Post by **princessai** » Sun Mar 09, 2014 4:00 pm

I stayed at the Sheraton my first year and the Hilton my second. I'm going back to the Hilton this year! I found the sheraton, though fun and always filled with con goers, to be crowded noisy and the rooms outdated. This year myself and 3 friends are staying at a deluxe corner suite at the hilton for less than we would spend on a regular room at the Sheraton. The staff is friendly, it's a crosswalk away from the con but removed enough that we can take a break when we want! Another big thing at the Sheraton is that we were in between two loud rooms and the security came to our room multiple times to blame all the noise on us! The Hilton is a great cheaper local alternative to staying at the Sheraton, and I would recommend it to anyone!

Skylercat · Post by **Skylercat** » Mon Mar 10, 2014 7:16 pm

We were thinking about booking at the Hilton but opted to at least try out the Sheraton at least once. We booked on the "Quiet Block" so we'll see how quiet it really is haha! I think next year we'll try out the Hilton and just compare the two. Though reading the post it sounds Hilton is a crowd favorite. I'm just so excited for this year!

writesinwhite · Post by **writesinwhite** » Mon Mar 10, 2014 9:34 pm

Not exactly to OP, but to anyone that doesn't mind walking to save a bit of money. I have always stayed at the 40 Berkeley Hostel about .8 mile down the road. Once you get used to the walk, it's really not bad at all. During cons you're already standing and walking around. Last year was nice even though it rained a lot, the walk wasn't too bad. This year is going to be a bit colder obviously.

My fiance and I paid about 350 total for 4 nights (Thurs-Monday checkout). Free breakfast (not continental, an actual breakfast eggs, bacon the works) dorm style rooms. It helps the con experience if you have to walk to get back to your room. It forces you to find something else to do, a panel to attend, a game room to go into. You're less tempted to go back unless necessary. We attended so many more panels we wouldn't have normally and it was a great time.

I think they are booked solid, at least for fri-sat nights, but something to remember for next year. It's a cheap place to crash after a long day at the con. You can have up to 4 people in a room, you have the choice in what type of room you want. We get the cheapest one, a double (full) bed for two people occupancy. It's like 70 dollars a night for both of us. Book early for better rates, we saved 200 dollars last year because we booked in months in advance.

coolforever · Post by **coolforever** » Sun Mar 30, 2014 11:11 am

So, how was the hotel experience for everyone this year?

Again, I have absolutely no regrets staying at the Hilton. Everything about that hotel is so convenient!!! Barely any waits for elevators, friendly staff, free bag storage, 24 hour convenience store at the lobby, and right across from the Sheraton! My friends and I were VERY happy with our stay and are definitely going back to the Hilton again next year.

LittleShadowPC · Post by **LittleShadowPC** » Sun Mar 30, 2014 11:33 am

I can say how it was not staying at a hotel. This, again was my first year not staying at the Sheraton in my 6 years of attendance to AB, and I can say that it will be my last. Not staying at a hotel close to the convention is very difficult and I now give people a boat load of credit if they are able to do it every year. It is extremely stressful to have to carry around costume changes and not have a good place to relax/escape from the con craziness during the day.

It is also very stressful to travel and be fearful of being late for an event due to traveling complications.

I will definitely be staying at the Sheraton again for 2015.

But I can also say that the several friends who stayed at the Sheraton this year had good experiences; their only problem that came up was the stuffed to the brim elevators (which I don't find surprising)!

Smallapple · Post by **Smallapple** » Sun Mar 30, 2014 12:02 pm

We barely spent time in our room except to crash, but I just wanna say for the annoying elevator situations - normally I try to get a room high enough so it's not a problem, but this year we ended up on a lower floor and waited ages for a free elevator to come. In fact, I guess you can say a free elevator never did come, but while we were waiting a family came up to the elevators and I told them it might be awhile. I suppose in all elevator areas there is a phone nearby, and what this family did is they called the front desk (I assume?) and asked for someone to takes us down on one of the security elevators. Almost immediately staff from the hotel directed us to this elevator and brought us down. I'm definitely looking into this for the future, and the staff was extremely nice and accommodating. This was at the Marriott.

Post by **Sayoria** » Sun Mar 30, 2014 1:23 pm

Marriott was great as usual. Had two problems though. I ended up asking the Marriott person if I could get a corner room, since they are bigger, and we wanted the space. The concierge got us just that, but said it only had a stand-up shower, so I agreed.

Well, went in there, and the TV had a problem and wasn't working. It would turn on, the remote wouldn't do anything. They sent up a tech guy to take a look, and he had to replace the whole TV. He offered us free Wifi in compensation.

Second was, Friday morning, I woke up, and got in the shower. I adjusted the shower head upward (it's one of those hose ones you can take out and put back on) and when showering, the head creaked downwards. Now, I shower AWAY from the water, so I didn't see it. I hit it with my hand, it came off of the holder, and shattered the soap holder. Went downstairs after the shower, explained everything. They had security come up to look, then the maintenance guy. The guy tells me that the piece keeping the shower head tight broke off, so he would have to fix it. I told him we would manage for the week, since we had to get going for supper, and don't want to leave our stuff unattended with people in the room. He took off the shower head holder, and we just had to manually by hand, use the hose/head.

chaobunny · Post by **chaobunny** » Sun Mar 30, 2014 1:55 pm

I really like staying at the Sheraton because of how close it is. There were some minor issues at the Sheraton this year, though. I keep food cold in the room by filling up an ice bucket, but the ice machine on our floor wasn't working. And getting to another floor shouldn't be a huge issue except for the fact that the stairwell door was jammed and wouldn't open, so I had to take the elevator up one floor, which was very time consuming since the elevators were slow. Also, ignoring the ice issue the stairwell door being jammed was in general a fire hazard.

Skylercat · Post by **Skylercat** » Mon Mar 31, 2014 12:14 am

Overall, my boyfriend and I had a good experience at the Sheraton. The staff were very friendly and helpful which is always a plus for me. My boyfriend wasn't happy that the rooms are kinda small for the price you're paying to stay there. That was really the only main complaint he had, but the issue with the elevators were troublesome. I understand that is going to be an issue and to be expected. I had mentioned it to the front desk clerk when were checking out and he said there were fewer elevators for use this year because of their two year maintenance. So at least one or two elevators had to be shut down every couple of weeks, that was explained to me.

ABFAN · Post by **ABFAN** » Sun Apr 13, 2014 9:55 am

A friend and I split the bill for a one night stay from Friday to Saturday at the Sheraton. I liked it, it was our first time staying at a hotel for AB. This was my third year at AB. I would do it again. The staff was nice, and everything was easy. The elevators were a bit full though. We were in the quiet block, and it was.... quiet. The breakfast was good, but too pricey. But overall it is convenient, and I would recommend the Sheraton.

Anime Boston

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