<p>Planning the ole fashioned college road trip and Pitt is stop #2. I am having alot of trouble finding decent hotels in the area...the ones worth the money. I know there is a Holiday Inn right next to Alumni Hall where this day starts but the reviews make me hesitate to drop $180 for a night!</p>
<p>Let me know if there are other options. I did want to stay somewhat close to give my ds a feel for being in that area at night/day. Thanks!</p>
<p>We stayed at the Holiday Inn when we visited and it was a lot less than that. It was also clean and I had no problems staying there and would again.</p>
<p>I have also found at both the Holiday in and the Wyndham that when I called the hotels and told them I was visiting Pitt they had a special lower rate.</p>
<p>The Holiday Inn is very convenient and we have stayed there several times. The other place that we like is the Courtyard at the Waterfront.</p>
<p>I used Hotwire when we went for PittStart in May and ended up at the Wyndham for $59. Like DonnaMom, got a much lower rate (I think it was $132) at the Holiday Inn when we first visited campus last November.</p>
<p>Yes, this is for night of 8/6, I am getting lowest rate of $172 for Holiday Inn and $160 for Wyndham. I’m going to try hotwire.</p>
<p>Did you call the hotels directly? For move in time the Wyndham was 199 on line but 125 when I called and asked for Pitt rate.</p>
<p>Monroeville hotels are a bit cheaper and you don’t have to pay hotel parking. You will pay parking on campus (I always park in Soldiers and Sailors close to the Union).</p>
<p>If you can get the Wyndam on Hotwire, that is the best one. Parking is another $17 (I think) a day and breakfast is not included. Pamela’s for breakfast if you stay in Oakland.</p>
<p>There are also a couple of old hotels closer to Carnegie Mellon on Fifth Avenue. I don’t know the names, nor have I stayed there, butthey are really close to campus.</p>
<p>@MD Mom - is the Wyndham as convenient to Forbes as it appears? We are staying there for move in and DS is living in Forbes.</p>
<p>The Wyndham is about a half a block from the Forbes dorm. I would stay there every time if I could get a good price. We usually stay at a Marriott property because of points, but I like the Wyndham better. There are plenty of places to eat along Forbes and down the side streets. Coffee shops are everywhere too: Caribou, Starbucks, Panera–all on Forbes.</p>
<p>Hotwire turned out to be the best way to book our hotel for our previous two visits to Pitt AND for the upcoming move-in week. Sure, you don’t get to see the name of the hotel until after you’ve booked it, but the risk is minimal if you refine your search to only include the Oakland area hotels–basically chances are you’ll end up with either Holiday Inn or Wyndham. The first two times, we ended up at Holiday Inn (for around $60/night). For move-in week we’ll be staying at the Wyndham (for about $70/night), which was actually even better since S will be living in Forbes. I just tried your date (08/06) and two Oakland hotels came up on Hotwire, one for $64, the other one for $113.</p>
<p>Yes, never used Hotwire before but it worked great, at the Wyndham for $64 which is a heck of alot more interesting than the $160 I was quoted. Thanks for all the help. Where would you park closest to Alumni Hall? I’m kind of nervous because I am doing this trip with two teens on my own and I am not a city driver to say the least!</p>
<p>Soldiers and Sailors garage is one block over from Alumni Hall (down Forbes from hotel, left in front of Cathedral of Learning, cross Fifth and garage is on left) and you don’t have to keep feeding a meter. You can probably walk form the Wyndham to Alumni Hall. It’s maybe six blocks (I did not count it, but I am old and fat and I walked it when we were there for PittStart last year).</p>
<p>One important tip, since you don’t like to drive in the city…Forbes is one-way going toward Alumni Hall (across from the Cathedral of Learning) from the hotel. Fifth takes you back to the hotel (also one-way). There are bus lanes going the opposite direction on Fifth. DO NOT turn into a bus lane: it is very scary.</p>
<p>If you have any specific questions, send me a PM.</p>
<p>It is not bad walk at all from the Wyndham to Alumni Hall. When we visited last year we left the car at the Holiday Inn and walked where we needed to go on campus. It is a very walkable campus and gives you a better feel for the school than driving through it.</p>