Debet, I was thinking something along the lines of right before signing a contract with a hotel.

That's what I was thinking, too. Right before we lock ourselves into a contract.

OK. Just got off the phone with Margaret, at the Miyako. Here are the amenities:

1. net access in every room; most are DSL high speed, some are dial up, all have access.

2. The prices (below) include both tower (yumyumyum) rooms and Garden rooms. The hospitality suite - which has fridge, tv and DVD player - along with the ADA compliant handicap access rooms, are ground floor, Garden building, rather than the tower.

3. Yes, handicap access.

4. I do have a concern about the proposed hospitality suite, since it may be too small for the purpose - I suspect it's about the size of the one in LA, but I have an appointment for Margaret to take me on the full tour, next Thursday, so I'll know then. They also have a business centre.

Prices: I only asked her about May of next year. Here's the block rate per room, three nights (Thurs through Sunday, with the option for some people to extend one additional night), based on 25 rooms, not including the hospitality suite:

25 rooms, all with at least two beds (either two twins or two doubles):

18 - 21 May (week before Memorial Day): $109 per night (normally $129 per night; this is the discount)

25 - 28 May (Memorial Day): $99 per night.

Here's the link: [link]

edit: Duh, I'm an idiot. The proposed Hospitality Suite is $149/night. It has fridge, TV, DVD player; they understood about the pajamas and the TV watching.

I did not ask about Prom; I have some ideas about that and would prefer to view the place first.

deb, you rock. IJS.

Nicole, I don't rock yet. This is the opening salvo only. I want to see what else is out there. But I adore soaking tubs....

I don't have Memorial Day on the ballot for dates, as it has been traditionally reserved for family stuff and travelling then sucks a lot (in my understanding of the reasoning). Does that need to change?

I SAID YOU ROCKED!

THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT YOU WON'T ROCK *HARDER* AS TIME GOES ON!

SO THERE!

Why not put it on the ballot, Debet? If it's untenable it will be voted against. Since we're voting anyway.

Holy shit, -t just used "untenable" in a sentence. That's hot.

It's been voted down three times so far - I'd as soon see some later dates added without getting too unwieldy.

Debet, I just handed Margaret two consecutive weeks for sample purposes; it's interesting, isn't it, that Memorial Day is cheaper? But it is, and I expect that's standard.

Thing is, if she asks what dates we're looking at and I answer with sixteen possible weeks? Her head will explode and she'll be dead, and therefore unable to show me around the rooms.

I want to float my Prom idea past people. It seems to me that one of the biggies - I know it made me nuts in DC - was the requirement of the larger hotels to use their inhouse catering staff. Eight hundred or whatever bucks for soggy lettuce and dead shrimp rolls?

If we had an old fashioned rehearsal room, with PA and dance floor, we could hire a bartender, stock it, and dance the night away. And I could cater the damned thing. Not only would it be a fraction of the cost, since I wouldn't charge anything over the cost of the food itself, but I can guarantee better nosh than the hotel catering.