<p>Since orientation is over night for the students and we live 4 hrs away, can current parents/students rank their preference order for hotels.</p>
<p>I am also thinking if we are booked out that maybe we will drop DD off and actually go camping with our other 2 boys and then come and collect her.</p>
<p>I do not mean to sound rude, but this is our 2nd child going to college and I have no desire to sit through the parent orientation. I trust our DD and she is very particular in her demeanor, so if Tech says XYZ to her without a doubt she will say XYZ to us.</p>
<p>Tech has been her dream for 18 months, we live and breathe it with every conversation. She is even trying to find a ringtone for me that when she calls it plays Mr Sandman. Thus, she will make sure I live by everything they tell the students whether or not I go to the parents orientation.</p>
<p>In terms of Blacksburg/Christiansburg hotels, some possibilites are (from highest to lowest priced)- Inn at Virginia Tech, Hampton Inn, Microtel. The Microtel is bare bones but cheap and has a free continental breakfast and always has lots of Virginia Tech families staying there. There are also some nice looking bed and breakfast places in the area. Camping is another issue but there are many camping areas nearby.</p>
<p>The Hilton Garden Inn is also supposed to be nice and I think is fairly new and more expensive. Just depends on how much money you want to spend.</p>
<p>I can vouch for the Hilton Garden Inn - we stayed there in March. Very nice and new - just across 460 on Price’s Fork Road. There’s also a ?Hawthorne Suites? (I know it starts with an H) on that side of 460 - used to be an Amerisuites. </p>
<p>Also Hampton Inn in Christiansburg next to Outback (Pepper’s Ferry area) is probably a little cheaper, although further from VT.</p>
<p>My favorite is the Inn at Virginia Tech but it’s not cheap. </p>
<p>I think you’d be fine to skip the parent part of orientation; I went for my D but not my S and it was fun but I don’t think we learned anything too earthshattering - nothing chuy or KandK’smom couldn’t tell you here!</p>
<p>I honestly don’t intend to attend the parent orientation, as I stated this is our 2nd, pretty sure that the Bursar is the Bursar regardless of the school.</p>
<p>Price is not an issue, availability is. How far in advance should I make reservations?</p>
<p>Honestly, since it will probably be me alone I would rather splurge on somewhere nice so I can just go down the elevator for dinner than go cheap and eat at Maggoos by myself.</p>
<p>Make reservations now (or as soon as you know her orientation dates). AND make them for move-in, too!</p>
<p>The Inn does have a restaurant on site and the Hilton GI also has a restaurant - I know they have breakfast, but you may want to check on lunch/dinner.</p>
<p>The nice thing about the Inn at Va. Tech is that it is within walking distance to the orientation sites, and has lots of parking.</p>
<p>Also, there’s a new Main Street Inn right in downtown B’burg that looks really nice, but we haven’t stayed there. Not sure how parking would be there.</p>
<p>We will be not staying for move in because emotionally it is too hard to handle! We do the shoulder roll out of the car and wave :eek: Seriously, we understand they want to start living their life and we get them in and the minute we feel the foot on our arse WE LEAVE.</p>
<p>Second time MOM, so here is my tip for 1st time MOM</p>
<p>DON’T LOOK BACK!</p>
<p>HUG THEM GOODBY AND WALK AWAY!</p>
<p>CRY THE NIGHT BEFORE UNTIL THERE ARE NO TEARS LEFT! DON’T LET THEM LIVE WITH WORRY ABOUT HOW YOU ARE, YOU ARE THE PARENT! SMILE SMILE SMILE…then as soon as you are out of sight collapse into tears, but until then SMILE SMILE SMILE!</p>
<p>Trust me I laughed this yr because parents walked away sobbing and kids skipped back into the dorm. There really is no reason for tears…come DECEMBER you will be begging for them to go back 3 days after they get home, especially since Burgundy and Orange clothing means separate laundry ;)</p>
<p>bulletandpima,<br>
We have stayed at the Hampton Inn in Christiansburg as well as the Courtyard by Marriott (pretty new) in Blacksburg. Both very nice. The Marriott doesn’t include breakfast, HI has a very nice spread. We are staying this weekend at the Holiday Inn Express in Cburg for the first time so I will be able to compare after that. There is also the Fairfield Inn and Suites (another Marriott chain) in Cburg that was recommended. </p>
<p>Yes, as soon as you find out the orientation dates, make the ressies. Also, if you want to stay for a football game, make them…those also go very, very fast and most demand a two night stay and boy do they jack up the rates. </p>
<p>Good luck- you are starting early so you should be ok!</p>
<p>If you choose to stay, the Inn is def. worth it. We stayed there the night before the engineering open house and it is so convenient!! We parked the car and never moved it. I didn’t find prices to be terribly higher than anywhere else. Go online and look for a AAA rate, or call and ask for the best available rate. They may even have a special for that weekend. Check the cancellation clause before you book in case you decide to do the ‘stop, drop, & roll’. It’s usually a 48 hour notice with the exception of certain rates.
Good luck!!</p>
<p>We stayed at the Inn at Va. Tech this past weekend, and it was very convenient! I am eyeballing the Main Street Inn for Orientation though – it’s gotten some positive reviews on TripAdvisor, and it’s right amongst a number of good restaurants :-)</p>
<p>Bullet and I talked about it last night. We have decided that I am off the hook! Bullet is going to take DD to orientation and then go camping overnight with DS. So now the question is anyone know a good campground for them?</p>
<p>We are not hardcore campers, we like to walk the trails, but it is more about being in the woods, making smores at night and family time with no tv or diversions. We lived in AK and NC, when the kids were young, and that is how DS2 got hooked. I am sure students and parents know of great sites around Tech that is worth going to, so inform me PLEASE!</p>
<p>If it matters we are open to either tent or camper sites since I am not going! If I were going it would be only Camper sites!</p>
<p>Woodall’s has a website that you can put in the city and your requirements and nearby campsites will pop up that give amenities, ratings,etc. That might get you started with some ideas.</p>
<p>I saw this and had to say something! I’ve stayed at the Main Street Inn on a few different occasions. I like it better than the Inn at VT since it’s downtown. It is also next to campus. I did not have to move my car the whole time while I was there either–restaurants are all around as previously mentioned! My family used their lobby as a meeting place (it is like a living room) and the staff was courteous and even looked up a list of apartment rentals for my niece.</p>