TOPIC: Gamehole Con Housing

Just FYI. Housing for Gamehole is an epic failure. I don't know who picked the dates, but he/she colossally screwed up. You cannot get a hotel room in Madison on Halloween. Madison routinely gets 100,000 people in to party on Halloween.

So if you cannot find a room for Gamehole, adjust your search to be from Nov 1 through Nov 3, and they are almost all available. The Clarion never was an option. It was completely booked before the housing portal opened.

We ended up at the Sheraton across the street starting Nov 1.

Good luck!
Tom

Update: There is a Comfort Inn next to the Sheraton across the street. They have rooms from Oct 30 through Nov 3, and are not part of the housing block.

I was able to get the Sheraton 10/31-11/3.

Per Facebook the Comfort Inn and Holiday Inn Express should've been in there but weren't and they are working on adding them.

Last year I had a bunch of IHG points and so I spent them on a hotel several miles away and drove in each day. That wasn't a problem at all.

I got a room at the Sheraton for 10/30-11/3

The clarion was gone when I checked as well

Same here. I know I was very prompt getting into the portal and surprised that The Clarion was already not available. I also ended up at Sheraton. I guess quite a few of us will be there. I think Sheraton is now also not available on 10/31.

Cranston wrote: Just FYI. Housing for Gamehole is an epic failure. I don't know who picked the dates, but he/she colossally screwed up. You cannot get a hotel room in Madison on Halloween. Madison routinely gets 100,000 people in to party on Halloween.

So if you cannot find a room for Gamehole, adjust your search to be from Nov 1 through Nov 3, and they are almost all available. The Clarion never was an option. It was completely booked before the housing portal opened.

We ended up at the Sheraton across the street starting Nov 1.

Good luck!
Tom

Update: There is a Comfort Inn next to the Sheraton across the street. They have rooms from Oct 30 through Nov 3, and are not part of the housing block.

The usual weekend has a UW home football game. That would have been far worse.

When I got on right at 2pm central only four hotels were available for booking. Sheraton across the street was the only one less than 2 miles away from the convention center.

Comfort Inn and Holiday Inn Express were not available through the housing portal when I originally checked and when I checked again a few minutes ago.

Halloween = missed Con for me. Really wish it would have been a different weekend.

It feels like they were stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place this year. Given how cold it was last year, I'm sort of glad they are a couple of weeks earlier. Some people may view it being on Halloween weekend as a plus and use it as an excuse for more partying.

Unfortunally they are beholden to UW football schedule

uwbadgers.com/schedule.aspx?schedule=439

the Weekend of the 9th and 23 were impossible and I am not sure why the 16th wasn't picked but I am sure they had a good reason.

I just checked the housing portal for Nov. 1-3. The Holiday Inn Express & Suites didn't show up the first time I looked, but when I hit refresh, it appeared. Both 1 King and 2 Queen (or Double, not sure) rooms were available. (We're not going to be able to make it up to Madison on Halloween, nor do I particularly want to be in Madison on Halloween.)

Yeah, I saw the options and immediately booked an out-of-block room at the Comfort Inn. It's close, free parking (unlike downtown), no extra fees for more people (up to 4), free breakfast (so-so, but free), and free beers or sodas in the evening -- they even had Spotted Cow. It is also about $20 a night cheaper than the In-Block rates.

Beertram wrote: Yeah, I saw the options and immediately booked an out-of-block room at the Comfort Inn. It's close, free parking (unlike downtown), no extra fees for more people (up to 4), free breakfast (so-so, but free), and free beers or sodas in the evening -- they even had Spotted Cow. It is also about $20 a night cheaper than the In-Block rates.

Thank you.
Comfort Inn Madison - Downtown
722 John Nolen Drive, Madison, WI, 53713, US

Still has rooms at $117/night.