<p>We’re registered for the Family Weekend, Sept. 16-17-18.</p>
<p>Can anyone give us any inside info on the accommodations? The good, the bad, the ugly?</p>
<p>Especially, which ones are REASONABLE without being nasty? We used to stay in Days Inn hotels, but the last several times we stayed, they were filthy. We’ve switched to Country Inn & Suites and had good experiences so far.</p>
<p>Twice the normal rate may be an understatement in most cases. Rates are sky high on game weekends. You may need to look in Birmingham/Hoover/Bessemer area.</p>
<p>There are a few hotel rooms still out there but not many. And as others have said look to pay at least double (and probably triple or quadruple) the normal rate. </p>
<p>Football weekends are huge events and you need to book your rooms early. I’m talking a year in advance early if possible. </p>
<p>A brief check shows rooms available at the Fairfield Inn which is one of my favorite places to stay because of their friendly staff. The Econo Lodge and LaQuinta also had rooms available for $199 a night. </p>
<p>I suggest you book a room now (DON’T prepay) and keep checking to see if anything better opens up later on. You can always cancel up until the day of check-in without paying any fees.</p>
<p>My father checked every hotel he could find in Tuscaloosa and everything was already full for the 15-18. I’m glad I have an excuse for my parents to not come now…;)</p>
<p>Regina! Why don’t you want your parents to come? LOL</p>
<p>*I suggest you book a room now (DON’T prepay) and keep checking to see if anything better opens up later on. You can always cancel up until the day of check-in without paying any fees. *</p>
<p>I’m not sure that’s possible. In the past, we’ve had to pre-pay about a month or so before.</p>
<p>I currently have reservations for the Greystone Inn (out by the Mercedes plant) at $149.00 per night. I still have to find airfare for my family though.</p>
<p>FWIW, the rate I booked did not require a deposit and has a two week cancellation policy.</p>
Three years of boarding school has taught me that I don’t handle it well when my school and family mix. I just always preferred to keep my home and school lives separate. My parents were mad that I didn’t invite them to Bama Bound, LOL, so I felt obligated to invite them to this…but I guess it doesn’t matter, since everything is booked…how unfortunate. :)</p>
<p>Everything isn’t booked. There are still rooms available for that weekend. The rooms aren’t cheap but there are some available.</p>
<p>Mom2K, I’ve never had to prepay for a reservation in Tuscaloosa. I always book through the property’s website and just put up a cc as a guarantee. But nothing gets charged until check-in/out. And just about every hotel I’ve booked at allows cancellation all the way up to the day before check-in.</p>
<p>I book my rooms for the next season as soon as they allow reservations. I have reservations for Kent St game (which I won’t be using) for $89 a night at the Fairfield Inn. Reservations at the Ambassador Inn for $77 a night for Arkansas game. Reservations for $125 at the Fairfield for Homecoming weekend. And reservations at both the Super 8 & Microtel for LSU weekend at $79. (I’m most proud of these reservations even though they aren’t the best hotels).</p>
<p>My point is you need to book EARLY. And if you do you can usually get in somewhere at a decent rate with no pre-pay requirement and no cancellation penalty.</p>
<p>We LOVE the Country Inn and Suites down McFarland (by the way they are booked for Parents Weekend so file this away for a later visit) They are fairly new and the staff has been wonderful. When I called for a room for the LSU game (called in Feb.) they said they would not book game reservations until April 1. When I got online to do it the price was $239 a night and you had to stay 2 nights! (I consider this a bargain in NYC but Tuscaloosa??) Yikes!!! We were saved because DD has a 4 bedroom condo and so we are going to stay there. Yes NJ…FYI for all who are new at this, rooms do go VERY fast and at a premium :). Heard through the grapevine Hotel Capstone was going for close to $1000 a night!
Regina…so sorry about the parents/school not mixing. I have to tell you I do understand. As each of ours has gone away they have grown and changed into these mature people who perhaps have different views on life than “the 'rents”. That being said I will tell you that we have tried to meet them half way on many things. Perhaps that might work for yall…just a thought :).
For those of you going to Parents Weekend bring your patience, sense of humor and flexibility. Game day is crazy and when you a lot of parents, many of whom have never been to ANYTHING like this before it gets even crazier! If it is a night game the festivities start way early on Saturday morning and it can be a very long day (when we arrived on Fri. my DH was totally enthralled watching the University set up all the tents on the Quad and even more impressed when they started running the cables fr the satellite dishes). Take advantage of free water and food as well as find some shade and a place to rest :).Stop by the Parents Tailgate. Restaurants will be CROWDED…McFarland will be packed (get on line and sign up for the game day traffic updates and routes). Parking is a challenge but we parked pretty close (by the field where the Million dollar Band Practices on Paul Bear Bryant) and I think we paid some dear boy scout $20…If your child has pledged a Frat or Sorority there will Game Day food and activities as well. We had a lot of fun looking at all the vendors. I had to laugh because our seats were way up high in the new section on the north end zone. As the game wore on into the night and the lights of the stadium came on my DH remarked that we were actually ABOVE the lights!!! It is a fun day and yall should do it at least once. Have fun:)</p>
<p>'We were saved because DD has a 4 bedroom condo and so we are going to stay there. "</p>
<p>Yeah go ahead and rub it in, ahpimommy. I’m still upset I wasn’t allowed to sub-lease that room with the 3 sorority girls :-).</p>
<p>BTW, for those thinking Tuscaloosa hotel prices are bad on game weekends, check out State College, Pa (penn st). Rooms at average motels are going for between $599 - $699 a night for the weekend of the Bama game.</p>
<p>Last year, Wingate made us pre-pay by July 31st for Parents Weekend, sign a contract for 2 nights, fax it in…and we didn’t end up using it because son’s roommate didn’t show for his apt, so we stayed there. </p>
<p>Anyway…many others may not do that, but in the past, we couldn’t cancel within 24 hours…more like a few days or a week or so.</p>
<p>You need to stop staying at the prestigious Wingate and start slumming it at the Fairfield and Ambassador Inn where they don’t have those cancellation penalties :-).</p>
<p>I book a hotel room for every weekend in the fall 52 weeks (or as soon as they allow) in advance. I’d be broke if they charged me cancellation penalties. Though 7 days in advance isn’t a problem.</p>
<p>I had to search far and wide for a hotel in New Orleans for the National Championship game that didn’t require a prepaid deposit or harsh cancellation penalties. Finally found one at the Drury Inn though. People should book now because there is no doubt in my mind we are winning #14 this year :-)</p>
<p>Fairfield is only doing prepaid, no cancellation, at this point. No points, either. Oh, well. I’ve been calling weekly for a room since the spring, but if there were any cancellable rooms, they’re gone.</p>
<p>I’m okay with Hoover, though. Not too bad a drive.</p>
<p>Where is the championship game going to be this year, NJ?</p>
<p>Both the BCS National Championship game and the basketball Final 4 will be held in your neck of the woods in New Orleans. National Championship game is Monday January 9th.</p>
<p>I figured you’d be hosting us all for a pre-game party :-)</p>
<p>Which weekend did you need the room at the Fairfield for? If it’s Homecoming then you can have one of my points reservations. I have 2 rooms booked there but doubt I’ll be using either. I don’t have anything for parents weekend because I knew I wasn’t going to that game.</p>