Where best to stay in Austin for the race | FerrariChat

Where best to stay in Austin for the race

Discussion in 'F1' started by wolfe F360, Sep 26, 2014.

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  1. wolfe F360

    wolfe F360 Karting

    May 7, 2009
    195
    Tennessee
    Full Name:
    Wolfe
    Where is the best place / area to stay for the race weekend? Any race merchandise areas etc....event areas?
     
  2. wolfe F360

    wolfe F360 Karting

    May 7, 2009
    195
    Tennessee
    Full Name:
    Wolfe
    Best grandstane or turn to view the race?
     
  3. wolfe F360

    wolfe F360 Karting

    May 7, 2009
    195
    Tennessee
    Full Name:
    Wolfe
    If you went previous years, where and what would you do to have a better experience ?
     
  4. tifosi12

    tifosi12 Four Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Oct 3, 2002
    48,581
    @ the wheel
    Full Name:
    Andreas
    Best stands are 12 and 15

    Best place to stay is downtown so you can participate in the weekend long party
     
  5. hairy_scotsman

    hairy_scotsman Formula 3

    Apr 3, 2013
    1,134
    Austin, Tx.
    Full Name:
    Tim
    #5 hairy_scotsman, Sep 26, 2014
    Last edited: Sep 26, 2014
    Shark move is T9. You can see from T6 around T11 and beyond T12.

    T15 is good for viewing from T12 to T16 & T8 in the distance. T12 is good for the braking area of 12 out to 16, T1 & T8 in the distance.
     
  6. goachild2000

    goachild2000 Karting
    BANNED

    Jul 20, 2004
    244
    Houston, TX
    Full Name:
    Shardul Mehta
    that is if you can find a hotel room

    All official team merchandise shops are in by turn 15
     
  7. greyboxer

    greyboxer F1 World Champ

    Dec 8, 2004
    12,282
    South East
    Full Name:
    Jimmie
    #7 greyboxer, Sep 26, 2014
    Last edited: Sep 26, 2014
    These questions tend to be asked and answered every year - try an advanced search on Austin in this section for maximum information
     
  8. hairy_scotsman

    hairy_scotsman Formula 3

    Apr 3, 2013
    1,134
    Austin, Tx.
    Full Name:
    Tim
    There are plenty of hotel rooms available in the Austin area. More in the San Antoniio area.
     
  9. tifosi12

    tifosi12 Four Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Oct 3, 2002
    48,581
    @ the wheel
    Full Name:
    Andreas
    But none downtown where the action is.
     
  10. bundas

    bundas F1 Veteran
    Owner

    Dec 31, 2005
    7,090
    lexington ky usa
    Full Name:
    mitchell barnes
    FCA HAS A hotel BLOCK downtown this year. be quick, be nimble
     
  11. hairy_scotsman

    hairy_scotsman Formula 3

    Apr 3, 2013
    1,134
    Austin, Tx.
    Full Name:
    Tim
    #11 hairy_scotsman, Sep 26, 2014
    Last edited: Sep 26, 2014
    There are a couple available, not many. The rest are sold or blocked off by COTA (no doubt to flood the market with rooms as they're released a couple weeks before the race, as has been done been the other years). I understand you really wanna stay downtown. It can still be done, but you'll have to wait until the blocked rooms are released. But downtown's not the only place anyone wants to stay. There have been plenty of rooms available here every year, and even more this year.
     
  12. tifosi12

    tifosi12 Four Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Oct 3, 2002
    48,581
    @ the wheel
    Full Name:
    Andreas
    Why do they block rooms in the first place? I never understood that.

    Let the forces of supply and demand figure it out. Jack the prices sky high if you must but at least leave the rooms on the market.
     
  13. tifosi12

    tifosi12 Four Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Oct 3, 2002
    48,581
    @ the wheel
    Full Name:
    Andreas
    That might be a reason for me to join FCA again.
     
  14. hairy_scotsman

    hairy_scotsman Formula 3

    Apr 3, 2013
    1,134
    Austin, Tx.
    Full Name:
    Tim
    #14 hairy_scotsman, Sep 26, 2014
    Last edited: Sep 26, 2014
    COTA does it so they can sell their own package deals at ridiculous prices. Then when they don't sell, as has been happening every year, they release them as late as possible and leave the hotels with the problem of trying to sell the huge inventory that has just flooded the market. I believe more and more of the hotels are waking up and realizing it's a problem for them to sell these rooms. People generally believe, especially early on, that there are no rooms downtown at all (largely because supply has been artificially reduced by COTA's blocking), so they book elsewhere. Once the rooms open up a few weeks before the race, it's hard for the hotels to counter the perception that downtown is sold out, and people have already booked elsewhere anyway. That's why the Hotels.com people came to us for help getting the word out in October of 2012. They had warned the hotels that this would happen, that their rates were too high, and that historically F1 demand is not as high as the COTA guys had told them it would be (real pie-in-the-sky stuff...you know, "Austin will be full of princes, Arab sheiks, and celebs for whom money is no object").

    I'm guessing COTA still makes out on this because it's not their room that's sitting empty at the end of the day. They make what they can and then leave the hotels holding a bag full of empty rooms. COTA creates the problem for the hotels and then leaves them to deal with it. Now a couple of hotels have sued over COTA not paying for some of the rooms they blocked.

    Hell, I know a couple who booked the 2012 Saturday and Sunday at the Four Seasons...on Saturday afternoon.
     
  15. Duck_Hollywood

    Duck_Hollywood Formula Junior

    May 21, 2006
    326
    Dallas, Tx
    2 years ago I was able to walk into the down town hilton a little after 5 on friday after getting of the shuttle from the track and managed to get a room. my plan was to stay with a friend in north austin, but everything to do seems to be down town, just the place to be.

    last year, and doing the same this year, I am renting a down town condo.
     
  16. wolfe F360

    wolfe F360 Karting

    May 7, 2009
    195
    Tennessee
    Full Name:
    Wolfe
    Thanks to everyone for your responses, it really is a great help!
     
  17. Fast_ian

    Fast_ian Two Time F1 World Champ

    Sep 25, 2006
    23,397
    Campbell, CA
    Full Name:
    Ian Anderson
    Do you know if you were just lucky, or they had "plenty"?

    Cheers,
    Ian
     
  18. "StormBringer"

    BANNED

    May 20, 2014
    37
    Greenwich/Malibu
    The first year of the race I had a block of rooms at the Four Seasons and I entertained a bunch a Navy friends and some from the EOD wounded warrior program. The city had about 11 city blocks that were closed to traffic. Well over 100 music acts that took place.
    If you want easy transport to the track I would suggest contact one of the heli transports. For me time was more important and those of my friends. Contact some of the members
    from Austin directly because I received loads of intel from one before the first race.

    The W and Barton Creek Resort I have stayed there since are very nice.
     
  19. Fast_ian

    Fast_ian Two Time F1 World Champ

    Sep 25, 2006
    23,397
    Campbell, CA
    Full Name:
    Ian Anderson
    Well, for better or for worse, I've just booked flights in on Weds, out the following Weds. Any tighter than that and even Southwest fares went nuts!.....

    Waiting to hear back from my Travis County living buddies. Hopefully stay with, and maybe attending with, them.

    Haven't bought tix yet. I'm figuring 3 day GA, and then see what grandstands are available for Sunday when I get there..... (?)

    Incidentally, Southwest offered me the usual hotel bookings link - seems there's plenty open, including the Hyatt Place Downtown, which I think is where some of the teams stay. $652 per night is beyond me, just an FYI.

    Now, what I *really* need is a pitpass for part of it...... Friday or Saturday would be cool! I'm not worried about the hospitality stuff, but I'd like to get up close & personal for a while. (Krafty - obviously why I asked how your buddy did it! ;))

    Anyone got any ideas, either PM me or just post 'em up! Maybe have some fun with it.....

    If I do get in, "pix or it didn't happen" is a given of course. I'll report back regularly. ;)

    Cheers,
    Ian
     
  20. tifosi12

    tifosi12 Four Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Oct 3, 2002
    48,581
    @ the wheel
    Full Name:
    Andreas
    Thanks for the explanation. I had a hunch that's the case. So totally retarded. Who is dumb enough to buy a package deal in the first place?

    It was the same story in Indianapolis. And after a few years the hotels realized that these packages don't sell and booking a hotel downtown became easy. Now the same crap is happening in Mexico City.

    Anyway, I'll keep an eye open for the Austin downtown hotels this year hoping to play the same strategy next year.
     
  21. Ferris Bueller

    Ferris Bueller Formula 3

    Mar 23, 2004
    1,850
    New Jersey
    Full Name:
    Dominic
    I would like to know what hotels downtown have rooms available?
    I been checking for weeks and nothing is available
     
  22. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 6, 2002
    79,143
    Houston, Texas
    Full Name:
    Bubba
    The closest hotels are actually in Bastrop, look at Lost Pines Resort.

    There are also the B&Bs around New Bransfels, that don't even know what F1 IS, and it's shifted to "off season" there...I like Gruene Mansion Inn, but the master suite bed is over the Dining Room (fair warning!!) if you bang the wall.....

    Sure the Austin hotels are gouging downtown, so try South Congress.

    When I need to, the Holiday Inn Express in Pleasant Valley (South Lamar at Hwy 71) puts you right back out to Hwy 71 east towards the track, and at 6AM flows pretty well.

    To the Track, I stay on 71 to the Del Valle Schools stoplight, go south, past the schools, (and the retired USAF jet) turn left at the Texaco, and you hit the north end of Kellums Road (COTA Blvd, north end)

    See you at the Landing Strip, I have VIP cards....

    Worst case come pitch a tent in the yard, big green house Live Oak at S. Congress
     
  23. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 6, 2002
    79,143
    Houston, Texas
    Full Name:
    Bubba
    I am too, they have a big party at Camp Mabry, where we can catch up to Rifledriver......
     
  24. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 6, 2002
    79,143
    Houston, Texas
    Full Name:
    Bubba
    Yep, I was getting Panic Sale VIP suite offers for downtown, the week before the race!



     
  25. hairy_scotsman

    hairy_scotsman Formula 3

    Apr 3, 2013
    1,134
    Austin, Tx.
    Full Name:
    Tim
    Yesterday I saw the AT&T Hotel & Conference Center at the University of Texas‎ available & one other I don;t remember now. Someone else said the Hilton was available. Not cheap though, I'm sure.
     

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