The Comic-Con hotel situation: time for a critical executive decision

The expanse between the San Diego Convention Center is like a giant game board with two players at each end of a very long table. At one end is Player 1: the relatively new Hilton San Diego Bayfront (pictured). At the other end is Player 2: the San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina. Click on the photo for a pictorial reference. These two hotels have been the brass ring as far as our stay during Comic-Con annually.

For four years we stayed at the Marriott. But after they began asking for the full dollar amount when making our reservations with no refund possibility in the case of emergency (still a horrendous policy!), we quite happily decided to head down to the other end of the convention center to what would become our hotel of choice, in our minds from now on.

But after months of the Hilton San Diego Bayfront being 'completely booked', even WAY beyond the time Comic-Con puts a hold on the entire hotel until they make there room block deal for the coming year, our glorious new discovery which wonderfully overlooks Hall H is still 'sold out'. Of course this is not the case due to Comic-Con's actions. What is the case is we still do not have hotel reservations for the big event in July and I've been getting far more than a little annoyed and particularly frustrated at the way they've caused my yearly process to be disrupted.

In lieu of this upset, I've been hounding other hotels, including the Marriott, about availability. Once again, EVERY hotel in the downtown area has Comic-Con's full lock down on it. Something I fully intend to bring up at the bitch session on Sunday and trust me, I WILL be attending that! I mean, WTF??!!

Suddenly a few weeks ago I discoverd the San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina with (OMG, the heavens have parted) available rooms! Even though I was pretty much done with Player 2 at the other end of the convention center for what was surely our new forever home for the event, I realized something had to be done...and fast!! They have rooms, no one else does. And as of this morning the reservation gap is closing. Rooms are going quickly and that means one thing and one thing only: executive decision time!

So with that in mind, I am going to make reservations with the Marriott for our entire stay of Comic-Con. Yes, it's a great hotel and I have no complaints with the place. It's just that the Hilton is so much better for comfort and location. It truly saddens me that we'll have to do this since I won't be able to get a refund if at some point rooms do open up at the Hilton out of Comic-Con's grasp in the near future. Both hotels now have non-refundable policies for CC...and once again, these policies are just plain wrong.