ProgPower USA IX: Hotel Warning

i hate all he stands for !

When we were getting a shuttle from the Granada last year the driver had mentioned that the Granada was going to be under new management. He also mentioned that Donald Trump had purchased a large amount of property in the Atlanta area - now I'm wondering if it was Midtown (ha ha).
 
Oh you're just mad that he bought it before all of us could pool our resources and make our own little Progpower gated living community for active seniors (big laugh).


i hate all he stands for !

When we were getting a shuttle from the Granada last year the driver had mentioned that the Granada was going to be under new management. He also mentioned that Donald Trump had purchased a large amount of property in the Atlanta area - now I'm wondering if it was Midtown (ha ha).
 
In all seriousness... having inexpensive hotels right next to the venue is just a perk. In the case of many fests both past and present, this perk doesn't even exist. (Remember when we used to crowd into rental cars to go to Powermad?) Only time will tell what's going to happen, but I don't see this as too much of an obstacle, myself... after all, it's easy enough for fest attendees to crowd into a cab or someone's rental car in order to ride back and forth. Hell, there's still the MARTA for getting to the venue during the day as well.


QFT.
 
We'll have to get the venue to let everyone exclusively rent the parking facility underneath the building for the weekend - then make it a mini metal city for the few days we're all there!
 
In all seriousness... having inexpensive hotels right next to the venue is just a perk. In the case of many fests both past and present, this perk doesn't even exist. (Remember when we used to crowd into rental cars to go to Powermad?) Only time will tell what's going to happen, but I don't see this as too much of an obstacle, myself... after all, it's easy enough for fest attendees to crowd into a cab or someone's rental car in order to ride back and forth. Hell, there's still the MARTA for getting to the venue during the day as well.

MARTA can't get you home at night...but the cab idea seems like a good one, especially if you plan on getting hammered BEFORE the show.

Maybe someone needs to inform the local cab companies that they can expect a ton of business next year from the venue and should be ready to line up for fares.

I don't mind paying 4 or 5 bucks each way for a cab, if I can save 75 bucks a night on the hotel!
 
thru no fault to Glenn is becoming an elitist festival. If it were not for an extremely generous metal brother of mine I would not be attending this year. Looks like next year might be the final straw. Airfare and hotels have DOUBLED for me over the last few years. It was a great run while it lasted. Forgive my leftist liberal attitude but this country's all about profit , greed and upscale attitude make me sick ! Somehow directly or indirectly this falls into that catagory. The rich will get richer and a metalhead can't afford his fix anymore.

Pissed and proud

Patrick.

Meh, I don't believe this is becoming an elitist festival. Just one that draws the same people every year because it's quality. Due to that, and the attraction of the new fans every year, supply stays the same as demand goes up. It's just a natural market reaction to see price increases with everything that surrounds it. And Airlines don't up their ticket costs to atlanta during the fest specifically...

Regardless, I think this years fest is going to be out of reach for me financially. I just can't afford a plane ticket and hotel now. Well, I can, but this years lineup really can't help me justify it. I, along with some of the others, echo the sentiment that it's going to take a HELL of a lineup to get me there next year if prices increase that dramatically.
 
My ticket price may not increase at all if I can find alternatives to the Granada. I may have just done that with a few other calls I made this morning. Plus, there *are* other cheaper hotel options available if you are simply willing to get outside of the Granada/Residence Inn/Courtyard traditional bookings. The trip can be done for cheap. It's just a matter of how much you are willing to work to find the deals and try alternative methods. All it took was one phone call this morning and a cheap hotel/free shuttle are now available to those staying just an extra 3/4 mile away.
 
My ticket price may not increase at all if I can find alternatives to the Granada. I may have just done that with a few other calls I made this morning. Plus, there *are* other cheaper hotel options available if you are simply willing to get outside of the Granada/Residence Inn/Courtyard traditional bookings. The trip can be done for cheap. It's just a matter of how much you are willing to work to find the deals and try alternative methods. All it took was one phone call this morning and a cheap hotel/free shuttle are now available to those staying just an extra 3/4 mile away.

Glenn, that's awesome!

Not that you need to be told this, but I figure the next step is calling the Grenada and Midtown Res Inn and telling them that you have 1200 people looking for rooms, and can get X rate at other hotels that are offering free shuttles. Perhaps the competition and chance of losing business will induce these places to offer a PP rate?

I have the Grenada for this year, but I know that if they too enter the $190 / nt range like the Residence, I'll be exploring other options as well.

Steve in Philly
 
I'm moving to Atlanta, so if I move close enough to the venue(looking into the Arts Center Tower), I can fit quite a few of you in my living room and guest room.
 
Look, what do you expect when a formerly crime-ridden city rises rom the ashes? Rooms at $25 a night? Every urban area that rises from when they were once considered nightmares ends up in skyrocketing interests. They do not remain cheap. Look at New York City. There was a time in the mid- 90's when you could buy a house in the West Flatbush section of Brooklyn for $85-100K. Now, that same house in what was once a crime-ridden area you can't touch for under $800K! Same is happening to Atlanta. Trust me, when we start shelling out $200-250 per ticket in 4-5 years, we will be saying, "Remember when ProgPower cost $110?" Think it won't happen? Got news for you, Glenn may not have a choice.

Peace,
Ray C.
 
If the costs are too high, I will just drive down, and sleep in my truck tent :lol:


OptimizedNoCan.jpg


(not my truck)


Omg that's so cool! hehe!! :D

Yeah we should all totally have a pow wow outside the venue. How bout it? Bad ass tent parties! Hahha :lol:
 
In all seriousness... having inexpensive hotels right next to the venue is just a perk. In the case of many fests both past and present, this perk doesn't even exist. (Remember when we used to crowd into rental cars to go to Powermad?) Only time will tell what's going to happen, but I don't see this as too much of an obstacle, myself... after all, it's easy enough for fest attendees to crowd into a cab or someone's rental car in order to ride back and forth. Hell, there's still the MARTA for getting to the venue during the day as well.

True, it is a "perk", but it is one of the nicer things about the whole PP layout since it moved to Atlanta. (Almost) everyone within walking distance, no need for a vehicle the whole weekend, run back to the hotel to "freshen" up, have a beer or four, and go back to the venue. The "one big family" aspect will get a bit diluted as people scatter around to avoid the local hotel fees.
I don't know about you, but I come to the fest as much for the people as I do the lineup. It has always been a perfect combination, at least for me.

As for cabs, they seemed to be few & far between last year, at least early in the a.m., but I suspect that once the cab companies realize there's $'s to be made, the situation might improve.

I think that everyone will just have to adjust their strategies in planning for the fest next year, and I'm glad Glenn gave us a major heads up with this. I hope the Marriotts & the Granada's upscale plans backfire on them, and they lose a bunch of business, at least from this festival. Oh well, I can't say it wasn't expected, but I still think it (the hotel situation) sucks.
 
My ticket price may not increase at all if I can find alternatives to the Granada. I may have just done that with a few other calls I made this morning. Plus, there *are* other cheaper hotel options available if you are simply willing to get outside of the Granada/Residence Inn/Courtyard traditional bookings. The trip can be done for cheap. It's just a matter of how much you are willing to work to find the deals and try alternative methods. All it took was one phone call this morning and a cheap hotel/free shuttle are now available to those staying just an extra 3/4 mile away.

It's got less to do with the cheapest cost of the fest (ticket prices) and more to do with hotel/airline/travel/food/my financial situation, none of which you have control over. Believe me, I'm the last person you need to sell this festival to. Rising costs, however, every year, add up, and I just got blind sided by a few other trips i don't generally take this year. I didn't save enough, and I don't have $450 this year for planefare on top of the hefty price of the granada (I stay with Curufin, this is a non-option for my attendance) and food. $700 this year just isn't doable, and probably won't be next year unless it's a killer not-to-be-missed lineup. This years lineup is good, and I don't WANT to miss it, but I just can't do it.

Besides, you know as well as I do that if I don't come, someone else will buy my ticket that year. I will be back. Hopefully, that house renting thing will work out. I'd be down for that.
 
Last year we stayed out by the airport. It does suck, because it makes it harder to hang out with people, but you do what you have to do. It's more about the music for us than partying anymore, so it works. It did make the schedule a little rough at times... Wake up, eat, drive downtown, enjoy music till wee hours, drive back, crash, repeat. Really didn't have time for anything else. It was a lot cheaper, but did have to add a rental car to the budget.

I'm pissed I can't go this year, but will be back no matter what happens for the next one.
 
Not that you need to be told this, but I figure the next step is calling the Grenada and Midtown Res Inn and telling them that you have 1200 people looking for rooms, and can get X rate at other hotels that are offering free shuttles. Perhaps the competition and chance of losing business will induce these places to offer a PP rate?

Doubtful... with hotels closing over the past few years, plus more businesses moving into Midtown, their competition is decreasing. Plus, it seems like the whole reason they're renovating is so that they can start charging exorbitant prices.

Pretty soon, it'll be cheaper to stay at the Four Seasons. :lol:

I'm moving to Atlanta, so if I move close enough to the venue(looking into the Arts Center Tower), I can fit quite a few of you in my living room and guest room.

sorry for the OT comment... but just out of curiosity, how much are those places going for, do you know?

True, it is a "perk", but it is one of the nicer things about the whole PP layout since it moved to Atlanta. (Almost) everyone within walking distance, no need for a vehicle the whole weekend, run back to the hotel to "freshen" up, have a beer or four, and go back to the venue. The "one big family" aspect will get a bit diluted as people scatter around to avoid the local hotel fees.
I don't know about you, but I come to the fest as much for the people as I do the lineup. It has always been a perfect combination, at least for me.

I agree -- in fact, I come MORE for the social aspects than for the bands -- but I also think there are tons of other reasons why PPUSA has the best fest atmosphere in the country, and those reasons won't be going away anytime soon. Besides, we will probably be migrating to the same hotels as each other... the after-parties and get-togethers won't be going away.
 
I've got two spare bedrooms plus the living room floor (convenient to the widescreen TV). Only problem is, I'm about an hour northeast of the venue. :cry:

I'm about an hour south, but I drive really.....really fast....and for some "odd reason" I never get stopped