It's nice to be in the dead center of everything, but is it really completely necessary? (And I ask this a person who lives in the dead center of everything and clearly likes that).

San Francisco is a tiny city. It's 7 miles by 7 miles. It's surrounded by water on three sides. There is no outlying. Our hotel prices aren't high or low by central or outlying, they're by neighbourhood. The Wharf Holiday Inn, without the views offered by the Holiday Inn Civic Center, is $45 a night more expensive. It's the hood.

From what Susan was saying, her early look at Seattle was a similar situation: the Comfort Inn, Susan, wasn't it? Was at just over $100 a night.

Yup. And that's before taxes.

The thing with Seattle, IMO, is that once you go very far out of central, you're really non-central. We don't have a subway, just buses, which are slower and less convenient. We have heavy traffic, and the geography of the place, with the city itself long and skinny and some of the major suburbs on the other side of a big lake, and with all the hills and waterways that make it so beautiful, limits the number of alternate routes. So unless we take the attitude that we just want a good hotel, and seeing Seattle doesn't matter, I think we want either downtown, the Seattle Center area, or maybe near the UW campus--anywhere else is too out of the way. Jilli and Plei may disagree, but that's my take.

Maybe we could just steer clear of speaking for anyone else. Stating your own opinion is fine. Saying a lot of people tends to lead to problems.

Could not possibly agree more with this. Really. I've tried. I am at 100% agreement with Nicole.

So unless we take the attitude that we just want a good hotel, and seeing Seattle doesn't matter, I think we want either downtown, the Seattle Center area, or maybe near the UW campus--anywhere else is too out of the way. Jilli and Plei may disagree, but that's my take.

No disagreement here. NONE.

just buses, which are slower and less convenient.

That is ... well, maybe not an understatement, but close.

I am at 100% agreement with Nicole.

a lot of people are! oh, wait . . . :)

a lot of people are! oh, wait . . . :)

Snerk. Right? I was going to write Nicole speaks for me... about not speaking for other people... d'oh! It got all logic loopy.

Moooommmmmmm! Vortex is generalising again.....!

Seriously, folks. I'm at an impasse until I know whether Abi feels the requirements are non-negotiable, or whether they aren't. Because I hadn't even planned to offer up hotels that didn't meet all of them. And the question of "a cheaper motel in proximity" won't fly here, either, because, as already said, SF pricing goes by neighbourhood. Lombard Street is the best value for the buck, but they aren't hotels, they're motor inns, they won't have the internet access or the space anywhere nearby for prom, and I doubt they'd take a block booking this far in advance anyway, because they're never hurting for custom.

Reality is what it is, and I know my city, yo.

And I honestly don't want to sound pissy, but I'm finishing off one book, I'm being paid to finish one that has a 15 November deadline, and when I enthusiastically offered to do all the research for SF, I wasn't counting on the requirements being skewed, or having to wander off to North Berekeley (which I love, mind you - cool area) or Cupertino or somewhere, in search of outlying hotels that match the price but not the amenities requirement.

I just heard back from the Seattle Convention Bureau contact. She's sending our proposal out to various properties today (she is a speedy one!).

Having already asked several questions I assume she'd have said something if she thougth our list was utterly impossible.

Having already asked several questions I assume she'd have said something if she thougth our list was utterly impossible.

Probably. (And thank you again for helping with this! I'm apparently the only editor in the office for the rest of the week, so I suddenly have work.)

When you get the list of what properties, let me know the names & addresses, and I'll try and figure out where they are & what they're near.

(loving Jilli's Brides of Batman tagline)