Filed under: Macworld, Analysis / Opinion
Macworld hotel booking under the magnifying glass
Are you planning on attending Macworld Expo in January? If you are, you might want to start the process of booking a hotel room (if you have not already) so that you can ensure close proximity to the Moscone Center and (theoretically) better rates.Today on Twitter, @MacworldExpo tweeted the following message:
Beware of imposters. IDG World Expo is the only company authorized to contract with hotels for rooms for Macworld. http://tinyurl.com/5emlye
That link goes to the Macworld Expo Hotel site, where you can review the approved show hotels and rates. While we think that attendees should certainly be warned about "imposters" or "fraudulent" booking companies, there is something about the underlying message that just doesn't sit right with us.
IDG, the company that sponsors Macworld Expo (and publishes Macworld magazine), encourages attendees to register hotels using its site. Presumably, IDG receives some sort of booking commission. Over the years, Macworld hotel rates have increased dramatically due to the popularity of the conference. However, because of the current economic climate, we're hearing that some hotels are having a hard time booking rooms. Rather than simply lower rates, the tactic seems to be to subversively advertise and promote their hotels using Macworld Expo's social network.
About a week and a half ago, a reliable source tipped us to this Macworld Expo Ning user profile. This user, "Intheknow" purports to help attendees find the best deals on hotels at Macworld. What "Intheknow" does not disclose, is that he or she is an IDG employee. Representing yourself as an independent contributor on a social site, while actually shilling for a brand or vendor, is a form of astroturfing, and it's troublesome.
According to our source, because hotels are having problems filling rooms for MWE, "Intheknow" is promoting rates and offers for those hotels in an effort to drum up more business. In and of itself, there is nothing wrong with any of this. It is perfectly legitimate for Macworld Expo to encourage booking through its site and to promote partner hotels. What bothers us, is the lack of transparency -- especially in light of "imposter" allegations.
Really though, what concerns us the most is that some of these preferred hotels are not in the nicest parts of town, the Good Hotel and the Best Western Americana in particular. This isn't to say you are not perfectly safe staying in one of those hotels, but the surround area is not great. As a woman, I wouldn't feel safe walking back at night, let's put it that way.
While we don't have any SF natives in the office, frequent visitor Steve Sande offers these observations:
1) The Parc 55 is OK, but pretty expensive for what you get -- $229 -- and not terribly close. No free internet the last couple of years, although they claim to have it.
2) The Hotel Monaco is great! $209 a night, nice place, free internet.
3) Courtyard by Marriott -- relatively new, fairly close to Moscone, free internet, $221, and I think I remember a free breakfast, too.
4) Westin Market Street -- close to Moscone, $229 a night, rather boring, $15/day for internet.
5) Hotel Palomar -- expensive ($259) but really cool place. Close to Moscone, free internet, pet-friendly (and you can get a goldfish as a companion for free!). One of the best places I've stayed in SFO, just too pricey!
We contacted some local San Francisco friends, who offered up these suggestions:
If money is not a huge object, I would avoid Best Western, Carriage Inn, The Good Hotel, and any South of Market hotels near 6th or 7th. Avoid Golden Gateway or Van Ness area hotels. I think Triton looks cool from the outside, great location right at Chinatown gate. The Pickwick is reasonable. Other than that, I think anything near Union Square is fine.
Despite our discomfort with its own lack of transparency, Macworld Expo still offers good advice: be wary of any booking service that is promoting Macworld bundles. The service might ultimately be completely safe, but check them out first and make sure you have confirmation with the hotel before paying any money.
Alternatively, you can use Macworld's hotel site to narrow down hotel choices, and then use a service like Expedia or Priceline to try to get a better rate. Calling the hotels directly might be an option as well -- if booking is on the decline, you might be able to score an unpublished price.
Thanks Dan Z. and Mollena for hotel recommendations.
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Low Impact Development said 4:55PM on 10-21-2008
Looks like a great place to either commit adultery or get murdered. But the holidays will have been over by then, so it's OK:
http://www.low-impact-development
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Fritz Laurel said 5:35PM on 10-21-2008
We stayed at the Mark Hopkins on Nob Hill a couple of years ago when I went. It was a nice hotel and only a short cab ride (or walk up a hill, if you're into that) from Moscone. No idea what it cost because my company was paying...
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mare said 5:50PM on 10-21-2008
I'm always on a budget and don't want to pay a lot of money for a hotel room where I only sleep.
I always end up in the Mosser hotel. It used to be cheap and cheesy, but it is renovated now and a bit less cheep and less cheesy. Still $100 is doable, and it's right across the Marriot and very close to Moscone.
http://www.themosser.com/
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SubGenius said 6:02PM on 10-21-2008
If you are on a budget or like meeting interesting folk, you can try http://airbedandbreakfast.com/
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Jordan Yeo said 6:15PM on 10-21-2008
Does anyone else find it weird that the macworld website is running .NET? (Protip: Look at the URL)
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briannakicksass said 6:42PM on 10-21-2008
the hotel intercontinental just opened and it's right next to moscone
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Chrys said 9:56PM on 10-21-2008
The Handlery Hotel just off Union Square is a nice place. Their rates have gone up a bit, but the rooms are generally clean and relatively quiet, if that matters to you. Another good place to check for room rates is QuikBook.
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Chrys said 10:10PM on 10-21-2008
Whoops. HTML got stripped out...
Handlery Hotel: http://www.handlery.com/sf/
Quikbook: http://www.quikbook.com
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Andy said 12:16AM on 10-22-2008
We stayed at the Pickwick last Macworld (2007), and found it poorly maintained with wireless Internet that absolutely choked under the Macworld load. We are returning to the (formerly) Renaissance Parc 55 this year, as it is a great value for the money if you like a bit of luxury. The Marriott Courtyard is also fantastic, with a nice pool and fitness center, but breakfast is definitely NOT free. At almost the same price as the Parc 55, I'll choose the more luxurious of the two.
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Chris said 1:49AM on 10-22-2008
Since I travel from overseas, I enjoy some sightseeing/tourist stuff while visiting Macworld. So I selected the Argonaut at Wisherman's Warf like I did last year. It's not cheap: ~250$ if you book directly, but it can get lots better if you book a flight/hotel package at a travel agency, especially from overseas.
Very nice location there (see water and the bridge, yeah!), cable car in front of the hotel goes straight to Market St. and they have really big and nice rooms
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Ted T. Bear said 7:05AM on 10-22-2008
I like the http://www.greentortoise.com hostel on 494 Broadway. Just between North Beach and Chinatown. Around 25 $ for dorm rooms. Rooms for two around 50$. Free WiFi! Includes breakfast and dinner on monday, wednesday and friday.
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Jeremy said 10:34AM on 10-22-2008
I live in the Bay Area and I am shocked people are spending that much to actually stay inside San Francisco. You guys don't realize just how simple it is to get inside SF via BART subway train. The Bart drops you off literally two tiny (they are small) blocks from Moscone. This way you can stay practically anywhere in the bay area. South San Francisco, the East Bay, anywhere BUT the city.
Tickets for Bart can be purchased at the stations via automated machines. They take cash, credit or ATM. The thing is absurdly easy to ride, because when you look at a system map, there aren't a lot of options to get lost, not like New York. Just remember, each train is named after its final destination. So a "Richmond" train is going there.
http://www.bart.gov
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Mollena said 4:08AM on 11-02-2008
Jeremy, dude.
Man, the BART SHUTS DOWN AFTER MIDNIGHT.
If folks want to party, or just catch a late movie or meal, they are screwed. If they miss the last train and are staying in the East Bay, that's a hell of a cab ride. If you are visiting family in SF, sure, stay outside of the city. But you'd be daft to rely on a system that stops running.
Peace.
Mollena
Native NYer, SF Lover, STILL underwhelmed by the transit systems here.
jeana said 2:00PM on 10-23-2008
I stayed at the Green Tortoise Hostel last year as well. I don't feel the need to splurge on a fancy hotel room when I can get more amenities for only $25 a night. It was perfect. It was an amazing deal for the price. I didn't have to worry about going out to breakfast in the morning and they even had a sauna to relax in when I got back from the expo. I would highly recommend it.
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Nicholas said 12:08PM on 11-05-2008
www.airbedandbreakfast.com
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