New San Diego Marriott policies officially SUCK ASS!!!

I was kind of surprised that it took all of August for Comic-Con to decide what half of the San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina (shown here overlooking the north end of the San Diego Convention Center) they were going to block for next year. They usually take the entire hotel off the market until they negotiate which part they'll block off to dole out themselves in February. Normally that only takes a few weeks...but the whole month?! Tuesday I had a very rude surprise when I called to make reservations. The good news: rooms are finally in the cue to reserve. The bad news, which applies only to the week of Comic-Con 2010....

You now have to PRE-PAY for your entire stay!!! You CANNOT cancel after you've made reservations!!!

Now to put it plain and simply...WHAT THE HELL IS THIS BULLSHIT!!!!!

The Marriott is already GORGING everyone who stays in their hotel right next to the convention center! For the last three years prices have DOUBLED and TRIPLED!! I'm amazed that it took them so long to finally think they could overcharge people as they walk in the door! NOW their doing it ALMOST A WHOLE YEAR IN ADVANCE!!! UN-FUCKING-BELIEVABLE!!!

I DO NOT have the money to pay for our whole stay up, upfront, right now, NO WAY!! Typically I start putting money together each year for the event throughout May and June, as the major industry work begins. This unfortunately means that we won't be staying in what has become home to me during the late July event. I love that hotel, and consider it to be part of the Comic-Con experience. The Marriott is right next door to the convention center, making it super convenient as well as very attractive and comfortable to stay at.

So to sum up, the bottom line is to find another hotel, preferably one of the other three or four that's right next door or right across the street from the San Diego Convention Center. Of course on a positive note, there's at least one of those hotels I've considered giving a try, being curious about the view and good accessibility...and just flat-out to try something different!

To that end, I now have a reservation for our complete stay at the newly opened Hilton San Diego Bayfront (shown here overlooking the south end of the convention center across from Hall H). Having opened it's doors last December, it's located at the exact opposite end of the convention center from the San Diego Marriott & Marina. For the last couple of years I've been interested in checking out the San Diego Omni Hotel located right across the street from the convention center, and probably having the optimum view of everything from the lines going into Hall H to the entire street-facing side of the multi-football field long facility.

I certainly think the Hilton is a great choice, but want to keep my options open to the Omni as well (shown here overlooking the south end of the convention center across the street from Hall H). Right now it looks like Comic-Con has still not released whatever half of the hotel they're not using to the general public...meaning they're still in negotiations for their block and the entire hotel is 'sold out'. In the meantime, with our reservation secure with the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, I'll keep trying the Omni.

Hey, I still love the Marriott! I just HATE their room policies for this event!! It's moronic, money grubbing, self-centered, and will ultimately yield a major income loss due to the number of people turning to other hotels. In this truly awful economy we all need to work together. Both parties, the Marriott and the Comic-Con attending public, will suffer from these idiotic policies! Do they not look out their figurative window and see that THIS COUNTRY IS PARALYZED BY OVERWHELMING DEBT AND ECONOMICAL CRISIS?!! HELLO?!...MCFLY?!

Apparently not.