DARK SHADOWS FORUMS
Members' Mausoleum => Calendar Events / Announcements Archive => Calendar Events / Announcements '24 I => Calendar Events / Announcements '08 I => Topic started by: Bette on June 26, 2008, 10:34:57 PM
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Hi all,
Living here in SoCal I decided to take a drive out to the Fest Hotel for this year, the Burbank Airport Marriott, just to look around and acquaint myself with the neighborhood. I'm glad I did because there are some major things going on there right now.
First of all, for those who are driving, there is MAJOR construction going on at the hotel, and the entrance, which is listed as being on Hollywood Way, is closed. You have to drive around the corner to Thornton Ave and enter the parking area. There are plenty of signs once you drive in, and the parking lot is pretty big, but you will probably have to slog your bags quite a way to get to the registration desk--which is a temporary small desk just inside the building. The lobby itself is for the most part closed, and there is a path you have to follow to get through the construction to the elevators, pool, restaurant, etc. I have no clue where the Fest will be held. They have a separate convention center as well as meeting rooms. The lady at the registration desk said that the lobby should be open by the end of July, so don't know what will be the situation for the Fest. This is not good news for those who have the habit of sitting around in the lobby waiting to greet old friends.
There is only one restaurant in the hotel--the Daily Grill (a national chain). My companion and I had lunch there today and it was quite good. There is also a small area to get coffee and pastries, located right near the restaurant.
The area around the airport is mostly residential, but located at the corner of Thornton and Hollywood Way, across from both the airport and the hotel is a mini-mall where I saw a McDonalds and a few other fast food places. There may be other restaurants there too. I didn't notice.
There were two different, and very obvious, airport shuttle waiting areas, which look to be convenient for those of you who are flying into Burbank (Bob Hope) Airport.
I hope this info is of help to my fellow Fest goers. See you in a few weeks! [ghost_smiley]
Bette
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Thanks for the info. It is a big help. I don't plan to rent a car so the mini-mall is good news.
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Thanks so much for the advance warning! I have never been to Burbank, so I have no idea what to expect! I hope they have the construction finished by the fest(you'd think they would)! [ghost_sad] And only 1 restaurant?? ?? I bet that stays VERY busy!!!!! Oh well, I'm STILL gonna have a BLAST!!!!! [blob9] [cheerleader] [clap] [banana] [6283] [banana2] [laughing6]
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Yeesh, the news about the construction is a real bummer. [ghost_angry] It doesn't sound like there will be much of a place for after-Fest partying.
I had always figured the events would be in the convention center; I've attended two other conventions in this same spot back when the hotel was a Hilton. It's a small building, but then CA attendance does tend to be smaller anyway.
I was out near the hotel back in April, and from my recollections, the mini-mall also has a Panda Express, a Subway, and a small Greek restaurant that had recently opened. There was also a Denny's under construction. These additions were a huge relief to me. The Daily Grill is a nice enough restaurant, but it's not exactly budget-friendly; also, during the weekends most Daily Grills have only a (very) limited menu.
ProfStokes
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Is there someplace near by to by adult drinks or maybe supplies to fix them ourselves?
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Is there someplace near by to by adult drinks or maybe supplies to fix them ourselves?
There is a bar in the hotel. I think it is a part of the Daily Grill. It looked to be pretty good size. Don't know about the availability of liquor stores nearby, but I'll bet Midnite will find it if there is one within hailing distance. [ghost_grin]
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Midnight, we need to talk! [ghost_smiley]
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'Kay, borgosi. [ghost_smiley] Unfortunately, there isn't a liquor store within walking distance, but there's one only about 5 minutes away if you follow Hollywood Way south to Victory. It's not far at all, but I'm remembering that you can't turn left out of the hotel onto Hollywood Way so you'd have to turn right and then turn around as soon as you can; is that right, Bette?
BTW, if you want something other than the chain restaurants that's still fairly close to the hotel, there's the Ramp: http://www.garybricsramp.com/ for fish, steak, and a decent bar. The place is on Hollywood Way heading north, just before the 5 freeway. I don't think it's expensive.
Also, by Fest time, a ban on the use of handheld cell phones while driving will have gone into effect!
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Oh foo - Unfortunately, I can't go to the California fest now. Wah. You'all have fun.
Nancy
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Oh yeah, there's a Burbank Store2Door (http://www.store2door.us/) that delivers liquor, beer, wine, mixers, sodas, munchies, etc. for $3.99 per order, no minimum.
Nancy!!!! Oh crap.
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I'm remembering that you can't turn left out of the hotel onto Hollywood Way so you'd have to turn right and then turn around as soon as you can; is that right, Bette?
You can't turn on to Hollywood Way at all from the hotel. That is the construction area.You have to use the Thornton entrance/exit, and I think that you can turn left on to Thornton, then either left or right on to Hollywood Way.
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Ugh. Thanks!
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Oh foo - Unfortunately, I can't go to the California fest now. Wah. You'all have fun.
That's too bad. We'll have fun for you. Don't worry.
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Thanks for the info. midnight, I think I'll send for something.
Is there a place close enough to walk to where we could all meet? Maybe for lunch Friday?
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I'm surprised that the hotel hasn't sent out an e-mail or snail mail to people with reservations to inform them of this major construction. Back in '01 when I booked a room at the Marriott Financial rather than stay at the World Trade Center Marriott (because I like the Financial better and the WTC was only a half a block away), at least a good month and a half, maybe even closer to two months before the convention date the Financial sent out an e-mail to explain that they were doing some renovations to the main entrance and apologized for any inconveniences that might have caused (it actually caused very little inconvenience by convention time) - and from what I saw that renovation was nothing compared to what this situation sounds like.
Perhaps they will mail out notices as the convention draws nearer. Or perhaps they have hopes that everything will be completed before the convention. But still - and it certainly doesn't sound that way from Bette's descriptions...
Maybe, even though the reservations are for a convention at the hotel, they fear that if people get wind of the renovations, they'll cancel and book rooms elsewhere? Though even that seems unlikely at this late date when rooms aren't very likely to be available elsewhere for everyone. Or maybe in this economy they fear even losing a small amount of reservations? Though even at that, it's not at all professional behavior to leave their guests in the dark until they arrive to check in...
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I'm glad I'm not driving! I hope the construction will be finished by Fest time. Thanks to all who supplied useful info about the hotel and restaurants. [bigok] I hope there will be a place for us all to meet. [ghost_smiley]
----- Sally -----
[coolg] [hippy2]
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Because I and my room-mate were concerned with airline problems, we're coming in on Wednesday, and leaving Tuesday. Thus we'll be there (and another hotel for one day) for six whole days. Because of this, I have become obsessed with the necessity of a laundromat, which this Marriott doesn't have (a couple in the past actually did have small guest laundries, which is a GREAT benefit.)
Does anyone know of any laundry facilities within safe walking distance of the hotel? I looked them up on the computer, but it really doesn't tell me exactly where they are in relation to the Marriott (and with all the manuvering one apparently must do just around the hotel itself at this time, the distance could be even longer.)
I'd appreciate any help on this, because packing just one or two changes of clothes in a carry-on bag (with all my other necessities of life) is NOT an option!
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I hope this helps, D Friedlander. I've done, in the past, a great deal of travelling with a limited amount of clothing (in order to get them in a carry-on; I hate checking luggage, but now with the new restrictions, it's hard to take everything on a carry-on, plus the airlines - greedy b*st*rds that they are - are now charging for checked luggage). Here's what to pack. One extra pair of pants or slacks. Make them "semi-formal" when you need to wear something for a more "formal" occasion. Make sure they're at least 50% polyester; cotton takes too long to dry and wrinkles. Wear jeans when you are flying. Pack about three shirts, maybe one or two more; again, check the material that's pretty much wrinkle-free. Take along socks and underwear that you can discard. I'm serious. Who sees them? Bring along a bigger bottle of shampoo (one that is now allowed with restrictions for size of fluids, plus don't forget that most hotels provide shampoo). Use the shampoo to hand-wash your shirts in your hotel room sink at night and hang them up on the shower-curtain rack. By morning, they should be dry (wrinkle-free shirts is the reason for this). Shampoo works just like Woolite (many shampoos will say they can be used for laundering hand washables).
I've spent weeks in Europe with just a carry-on, minimal clothing, and shampoo for hand cleaning. It works like a charm.
Gerard
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Because of this, I have become obsessed with the necessity of a laundromat, which this Marriott doesn't have (a couple in the past actually did have small guest laundries, which is a GREAT benefit.)
Actually, the Burbank Marriott does have coin-operated machines-- that and laundry service are listed under their guest services. I phoned the hotel and they're available now and are expected to still be available in mid-July. Which is a good thing because I don't believe there's a cleaners OR laundromat within walking distance of the hotel in any direction.
Hope that helped.
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Thanks! What a relief! I guess I didn't read their online page that carefully. I don't mind doing some washing by hand if necessary, but with roommates (we have another friend coming in Friday) it makes things easier.
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Bette,
Thanks for the info on the hotel. I'm curious if the mini-mall is easily walkable, or is it a situation where you take your life in your hands trying to cross. Also, is it easy to walk to the airport from the hotel instead of take the shuttle?
Thanks,
Miranda D
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I'm curious if the mini-mall is easily walkable, or is it a situation where you take your life in your hands trying to cross. Also, is it easy to walk to the airport from the hotel instead of take the shuttle?
Oh yes, I would think the mini-mall is easily walkable. I was driving and didn't take the time to go over to it, but it is at a big intersection governed by traffic lights, and is close to the hotel. And the hotel is close enough to the airport that one could walk it, though one would have to negotiate the streets leading in and out of the airport, the airport parking lots, etc. and with luggage that could be a hassle. But, distance-wise it is doable.