Well, raising the minimum by $500 is the equivalent to $12.50 per room night based on 40 room nights. So, you'd want a room rate drop of $20 before it's worth it.

I worry that the minimum ends up feeling like a hidden fee so I think it's good to minimize it. Still, I'm only staying there one night, so YMMV.

But a $2000 minimum split between 40 people, for example, is $50 and $1500 is $37.5.

Assuming every room gets the $10 Wifi, 40 rooms, 2 days of hospitality suite and minimums for catering, the Monaco's total cost comes to $280 less than the Crowne total cost (rooms and everything) [$10,190 vs $10,470].

Question: do the quoted catering costs count towards the minimums?

Question: do the quoted catering costs count towards the minimums?

Yes. And again, that was just me picking from the catering menus we can tweak up or down depending.

But, I think we could spend $2000 on booze and food - especially between Vortex, ND, and me.

Just what are you saying?

Have you met us?

Oh, I get it. Doesn't affect my back of the envelope calculations, really, but my mental picture is a bit clearer.

I didn't factor in the cost of getting the fancy rooms either side of the hospitality suite

-t, at the Crowne you can also get a nicer room, if you want (they showed us one of those).

At the Monaco, a single queen is 169, if someone wanted that.

-t, those room charges aren't borne by the group, so I don't think we need to worry about that for calculating overall costs.

Have you met us?

Hee.

I just made my reservations for my flight to the F2F! Something I'd never done before (my one other trip on a jet, the friend I was going with was going through work, so she took care of the reservations). I'll also be renting a car. Arriving late Thursday night and flying out late Monday.

Yay!

So, just to prod this thread; are we waiting a final negotiation with the Monaco about room prices or should we start the ball rolling on picking the hotel?*

We're about 10 days away from being only 2 months out from the event so it's time to finalize.

( *Hint: Monaco )

Monaco sounded good to me.

I have no idea about airline prices anymore. Is $308 a good fare from the east coast? I mean, it's clearly more about whether or not I can afford it, which I'm debating, but I just wonder if I should wait to see if fares go down. Anyone?