However, if you are ever planning to attend a science fiction convention, especially in Australia, it may pay to check into alternate ways to book your accommodation. Some hotels seem to believe that con attendees are simply a captive audience, to be milked at the door.
Here are a few examples. Note that these are real prices. US hotels usually try to misrepresent their prices by leaving taxes out. Priceline and Hotwire are even worse, as they also add fees to their quoted nightly rate.
Convention | Dates | Hotel | Con rate per night |
Lower rate per night | Where to book | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conquest 90 | 5-7 Oct 1990 | Mayfair Crest | $135 | $126 | Flag Inns | Required (free) membership of Flag's Inn Club to obtain the lower rate |
Swancon 26 | Easter 2001 | Rydges Perth | $146 | $138 | Hotelclub.com | Rydges themselves offered an even lower weekend rate near the time |
ConJose | 29 Aug-4 Sep 2002 | Hyatt Sainte Claire | US$130.90 | US$61.30 | Priceline.com | Unusually lucky, but shows how much hotels may discount rooms sometimes |
Swancon 28 | Easter 2003 | Kings Perth | $95 | $78 | Hotelclub.com | |
Continuum | 11-13 Jul 2003 | Hotel Y | $115 | $102 | Hotelclub.com | Cheap rate wasn't available close to the convention, as the con filled up the hotel |
Swancon XXX | Easter 2005 | Emerald Hotel | $95 | $80 | Entertainment Book | |
Continuum 3 | 14-17 Jul 2005 | Hilton on the Park | $170 | $157/$140 | Hilton.com | $140 rate for Sunday only |
Interaction | 4-8 Aug 2005 | Glasgow Hilton | £100 | £95 | Hilton.com | Cheaper rate only worked for booking 3-8 Aug, but many would arrive the 3rd anyhow |
Convergence 2 | 8-11 Jun 2007 | Rydges Melbourne (Spa suite) | $259 | $199 | Rydges.com | Standard rooms were marginally cheaper through the con. |
Nippon 2007 | 30 Aug-3 Sep 2007 | Intercontinental The Grand Yokohama | ¥31,000 | ¥20,790/¥32,340 | Intercontinental.com | Official con bookings had to be paid in full in advance, as well as costing more! ¥32,340 rate was for Friday only |
Denvention 3 | 6-10 Aug 2008 | Sheraton Denver | US$171.12 | US$80.39 | Hotwire.com | Cheaper rate for Thursday onwards, even available when the con rate was sold out | US$158.12 | Tchotelsavings.com | Cheaper rate for Sunday only, even available when the con rate was sold out |
Aussiecon 4 | 2-6 Sep 2010 | Hilton Melbourne South Wharf | $225 | $152.50 | Hilton.com | Fri/Sat/Sun, including breakfast, pre-paid by 31 Jan |
$188 | Hilton.com | Pre-paid rate | ||||
Holiday Inn On Flinders | $205 | $189.75 | Ichotelsgroup.com | Entertainment Book rate | ||
Hotel Enterprize | $95 | $85 | Ubook.com.au | |||
Swancon 41 | Easter 2016 | Pan Pacific Hotel Perth | $219 | $132/$177 | Panpacific.com | Thu/Sat $177, Fri/Sun $132, but did not include breakfast as the con rate did |
Swancon 42 | Easter 2017 | Metro Hotel Perth | $139 | $117.56 | Metrohotels.com.au | Also 1BR Apartments even cheaper |