I know this has been posted before, but I don't have the attention span to search for it. Anyway, what are folks experiences/local recommendations for a trip to Columbus to catch a game? I was thinking downtown, just to have something to look at during the time not spent at stadium, but I am not sure what is around there.
I believe the Travel Guide has some suggestions in the Columbus section. Although the site was down just now when i checked it, try again later on http://www.dansoccerzone.com/SoccerGuide/ I cannot say the Adams Mark, although the location is perfect the service there several times has been terrible in my experiences.
I stay in Columbus for business on a regular basis and for games too. There are two hotels near the stadium. But I don't recommend them, because the neighborhood is dicey and there's nothing else around there. Downtown, near the convention center is a great place to be. You can walk to bars, restaurants, and clubs in the Arena District and Short North. But hotels there can be pricey. When someone else is paying I stay at the Crowne Plaza. Rooms start at about $120 a night. http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/cp/1/en/hd?hotelCode=CMHOC $100 and up is what you'll pay for most rooms near the convention center. The exception is the downtown Red Roof Inn. It's not the Crowne Plaza, but at $65 it's the cheapest in the area. http://www.redroof.com/reservations/inn_details.asp?innNumber=262 When I'm paying the bill my prefered hotel is the Clarmont Inn. It's in the Brewery District. The Brewery Disctrict isn't as hopping a place as it used to be, but there still are plenty of restaurants and bars in the area. What's nice about the Clarmont is that it doesn't get the convention business, so it's usually easier to get a room on short notice. Rooms go for about $75 a night. http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwes...78BEF77B6930D71502988D3491?propertyCode=36116 No matter where you stay, if you're near downtown you're only 10 minutes from Crew Stadium. Enjoy.
anybody heading up from boston? best flight price , logan, providence, manchester. anyone travelling solo and potentially looking for travel partners? i may have people with me but will go alone.
For the last UNMNT against Mexico in Columbus, we stayed in some faceless hotel next to a McDonalds that was in walking distance of the stadium. That was great because we walked to and from the game with masses of other US fans who were in attendance. Before the game, we hung out in the parking lot with all the other US fans and gave the evil eye to the handful of Mexican fans in the McDonalds parking lot. What could be better than that situation?
I will be in Columbus for a wedding - sweet!!!! What is the deal for ordering tickets, and where is Sam's Army sitting? Is there a section I should look at
Is that a 10-minute drive or walk to the stadium from downtown? If it's a drive, is taking a cab the easiest way to get to the stadium if you're without a car?
I would hold off until you have tickets. Last time the few that were offered up the general public were gone in less than 30 minutes.
It's a 10 minute drive. You can't walk to the CCS from downtown. If you won't have a car, here's the deal. If you stay at one of the 2 hotels near the stadium you can walk to the game. But, there's not much else around there, so you're basically standed the rest of the time. If you stay in a hotel downtown, you'll need transportation to the game, but the rest of the time you'll have plenty of opportunites for entertainment, food, etc. I'll be staying here: http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwes...057505CF920CDF049649130EA4?propertyCode=36116 I know other supporters will be staying here too. I don't see why we can't establish a car pool thread to make sure everyone gets to the game.
Tickets shoulnt be a problem if your on the ball, just make sure you order them ASAP when the special offer comes up from ussoccerfan.com or thought the Sams Army web page order them fast!. Bd
I booked my hotel a few weeks ago at the Holiday inn express near the stadium. I got the room for Saturday thru Monday for a avg of 65 a night for 4 or 5 people. Now just need the tickets.
I stayed there for Jamaica, I think we're going for downtown this time. We're driving from Memphis, so we'll have transportation. The HIX is a more than decent hotel and you can walk to the match. I think my wife will like the shopping w/in walking distance of downtown though. One thing about the HIX is that there's a DRIVE-THRU liquor store across the street! CLASSIC!
Make sure you stay at the north end of downtown (Crowne Plaza or the Hyatt at Nationwide Arena), because all of the 'shopping' is north of downtown. I don't know how familiar you are with the city, but the mall that used to be downtown is gone. If you're looking for a place with entertainment for the weekend I would suggest you consider Easton. There's about four hotels in Easton (Hilton, C'yard, Res Inn, one other maybe) and it is right across the street from a giant indoor/outdoor town plaza-like mall. Bookstores, nice restaurants, a Fado's, comedy clubs, shopping, etc. Easton is about a 10-15 minute drive to the stadium.
There are lots of theories here, and to each her own. (Please note the non-sexist random pronoun useage) 1) The Adams Mark Downtown is likely where the team will stay. If you dig running into the guys in the elevators and/or the lobby - which is a real treat - then that's cool. 2) The places near the stadium which allow you to walk over are fine, although nothing fancy but - as the esteemed nancyb noted - the whole gang up and march over deal is cool. 3) Something to keep in mind though: the OTHER part of the equation is Friday night, which is when the serious party will begin. German Village still recalls the game four years ago and the concommittant Sam's Army invasion. And believe me - ask anybody - they both know and love soccer down there. So basically the game starts Friday night and you can meet 2/3 of BigSoccer. Being Downtown allows you to walk to all of that, which is safer seeing as how there's no excuse for not being completely drunk. 4) fid will likely want to gin up a pregame crowd at the Rose and Thistle in Grandview, which is a third location. With a 7:30 start, eating bad English food around noon is certainly agreeable. What I'm saying is that if you're really coming for the whole experience there are several considerations not just the match. As for me, I will never forget driving into the lot before the game 2/28/01 and driving past ten guys linked arm-to-arm singing the Star Spangled Banner - not well but very loudly - serenading the line of cars for A FREAKING HOUR as they drove by. Matched only y the absolute shock and fear in the eys of the people on the charter bus full of Mexico fans as they pulled into the mob scene of Red WHite and Blue. This is the real deal, people.
I should just add one thing: Remember: this is the United States, not some third world sinkhole. We do not engage in scurrulous tactics like airhorns in the opponents hotel hallways at 3 AM (or a little after, because the damned security guard was hanging around) or calling opponents rooms at five AM even if the nice young girl at the desk was ever so helpful with the correct spelling of "Hernandez", and certainly never condone anything illegal, like pulling fire alarms, setting off smoke bombs and or firecrackers without adult suprveision. We have higher standards than that, people. The Columbus Fire Department thanks you in advance for your cooperation.
Just one correction to Bill's extremely accurate post: The Adams Mark in Columbus is no more. It has come under different ownership and is called the Columbus Renaissance. I think it's now owned by Marriott or someone. Regardless, I would guess the team would still be staying there, unless they're bunking with Frankie Hejduk in the Brewery District.
Here is a more comprehensive list of hotels in selected parts of Columbus. The prices are meant to serve as a rough guide as to how much you can expect to spend per night. There are certainly more hotels, but these are in areas that most visitors would find interesting. I've stayed in many of them and can offer a review if you like. I encourage everyone to book early. OSU football, conventions and other events can affect availability. Crew Stadium Walk to the stadium, but you'll have to drive everyplace else. Holiday Inn Express, $80+ http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/ex/1/en/hd/cmhhs?irs=y Days Inn, $65+ http://www.daysinn.com/DaysInn/control/Booking/property_info?propertyId=06189&brandInfo=DI Downtown North Arena District/Short North - walkable urban neighborhoods near the convention center and Nationwide Arena with restaurants, bars, nightclubs, galleries and shops. 10 minute drive to Crew Stadium. http://www.arena-district.com/ http://www.theshortnorth.com/ The Lofts, $169+ http://www.55lofts.com/ The Columbus a Renaissance Hotel (previously the Adam's Mark), $129 + http://marriott.com/property/propertypage.mi?marshaCode=CMHBR Hampton Inn, $125+ http://hamptoninn.hilton.com/en/hp/...B2AJKQDK5QCSGBIWMVCQKIYFC5UUC?ctyhocn=CMHHSHX Crowne Plaza, $105 + http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/cp/1/en/hd/cmhoc?irs=y Hyatt Regency (Convention Center), $99+ http://columbus.hyatt.com/property/index.jhtml Courtyard, $94+ http://marriott.com/property/propertypage.mi?marshaCode=CMHCY Drury Inn, $90+ http://www.druryhotels.com/properties/columbuscvc.cfm Red Roof Inn, $65+ http://www.redroof.com/reservations/inn_details.asp?innNumber=262 Downtown South Brewery District/German Village - historic urban neighborhood. Quieter and less busy than Arena District/Short North, but plenty of nice restaurants, shops, and bars within walking distance. 15 minute drive to Crew Stadium. http://www.brewerydistrict.org/dev/home.asp http://www.germanvillage.org Clarmont Inn, $71+ http://book.bestwestern.com/bestwestern/productInfo.do?propertyCode=36116 German Village Inn, $65+ No website. Old fashioned motel, recently renovated. Call (614) 443-6506 Easton Easton Town Center - a "life style" retail and entertainment center (i.e. a mall designed to look like a 19th century town) with upscale shopping, restaurants, bars, movie theater and other entertainment venues. 25 minute drive to Crew Stadium. http://www.eastontowncenter.com/ Hilton, $169+ http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/hotels/...B2AJKQDK5QCSGBIWMVCQKIYFC5UUC?ctyhocn=CMHCHHF Residence Inn, $139+ http://marriott.com/property/propertypage.mi?marshaCode=CMHNE Courtyard, $129+ http://marriott.com/property/propertypage.mi?marshaCode=CMHCE
Any other hotels within walking distance of the stadium? The HIX and Days Inn are sold out for the night of Sep 3.
I've been told the walking distance hotels are horrible. Least I was told that when visiting for the WWC.