Travel and Lodging
They sailed away, for a year and a day
Air Travel
Raleigh, NC is served by Raleigh-Durham International Airport (Code: RDU).
www.sidestep.com is an excellent comparison site for airfares.
Lodging
For your convenience, we have arranged a discounted group rate at the:
Embassy Suites Hotel, Crabtree Valley
4700 Creedmoor Rd
Raleigh, NC 27612
1-800-EMBASSY or 1-919-881-0000
Group Code: HEF
$115 for king, $125 for 2 double beds.
Full breakfast included. Airport (RDU) Shuttle available.
(Book early! Rates subject to change and group rate is not available after Sept 12th)
Alternate Lodging
If budget is a primary consideration, you can try the:
Econo Lodge West
5110 Hollyridge Dr.
Raleigh, NC 27612
$55 / night
Bidding Sites
You can also try www.hotwire.com or www.priceline.com's "Name Your Own Price". I've had very good luck on many trips with both services and received some EXCELLENT deals.
Both services have some limitations:
- YOU CAN NOT CANCEL OR CHANGE RESERVATIONS. With most hotel reservations, you can cancel, without penalty, until 6pm on the day of your stay. With both services, you pay in advance and do not get a refund if you can’t attend.
- You do not know which hotel you’re getting. You do get to select an area and a "Star Rating", but no guarantees. Be prepared for the most inconvenient and worst quality hotel that meets the area and star rating and hope to be pleasantly surprised.
Hotwire is currently listing a "3 star hotel in Crabtree" at $59 Link.
The recent reports on Priceline don't have great options in the Crabtree area, although you may be able to get a room for $25-$40 a night if you don't mind the hotel brand/quality.
We were able to stay in Cary for $42 a night (2.5 Stars, the Homewood Suites) on a recent dance weekend. The published rate was $89 a night. Raleigh North might also work, but both locations will involve significantly more travel. For reference, people report getting a Hilton in Raleigh North for $47 a night plus taxes.
If you go with Priceline, be very careful about which areas and star ratings you have selected before submitting an offer.
Priceline and Hotwire can give you excellent deals, but can also be frustrating to work with. And in 10 or 12 trips, I have had at least two occasions when I really needed to cancel a room, but couldn't and had to pay for a wasted night. Good luck if you go this route!