2012/4/22 Tomasz Kozłowski odder.wiki@gmail.com:
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1
I can't find anything ridiculous in organising a conference well; on the contrary, I think we all should try to reach the standards set by the Haifa team.
I am absolutely /not/ surprised by the impatience shown on this list; the later people know about their accommodation options, the more it's going to cost them -- and we are talking about the Real Life Money(TM) here.
Not necessarily. We pursued fixed rates and we have been working on this for months now. All the negotiating work is done and has been done. The issue is logistical—we have to wait for these hotels to set up the registration codes.
Tomasz Kozłowski a.k.a. [[user:odder]]
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.4.10 (GNU/Linux)
iQEcBAEBAgAGBQJPlBH7AAoJEKvZGSRfXI2nj28IAJdSYDqC8xKRTUC1TxGBFJgd Le8kglk6cJPFTlSmqTBA6GVF1GbUb3dt6oIwgCaJeOIg9Dl8wuu+YUmmwRly+WfJ 8ummtwKe3DtdI7FZWZJv9fToB8YevphrgOaeerza5/WFNFjOuSTt0hYCJPH5xo4y GzSFUIjgqba7z8Rh07Z36o+L/jwCBBrj776lwDiu1bO1SfHiajAnvA6Fc/eGht1c 16Ro+sV7dzs2hWp8pC6MYm6qrYW2j6/jXEH21bVSd1zfzovFbFCvuyBbzrYU+CAc 9O7Dl/eIL3SI8BaCY7WM2v6+DeCOjVX1rNMyTD7451d7PlUxPNPclyiqtTgxDNc= =q10Q -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
Wikimania-l mailing list Wikimania-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
It does seem like we're being mute about things, and I do regret that. But as a personal rule I don't like announcing things before they're done. You have a right to complete information and that is what you will get—once it is available.
Here is a sneak peak. We have the "official hotel" which will run $189/night. It is a brief walk from the venue (or you could take a $6 taxi if you insist). It gets you some of the best free hotel wireless in DC as well as continental breakfast. We will also be making a deal with a $149/night hotel that is VERY close to the venue, but you have to purchase breakfast. We also got a couple of hotels thrown in at $149/night with free breakfast and wireless, but they are farther from the venue (but we can easily arrange for group transportation). These prices are before DC's ludicrous hotel tax. I'd also like to make some beds in the hostel available for general consumption, but between all the people receiving scholarships, I am not sure that can happen.
If I had my druthers, we'd have cheaper hotel rates. However, the $189/night hotel is already at a steep discount (it normally sells for $240 in the summer) and the $149 rate is the best you will get in Washington, DC during the summer. It is worth noting that as a conference we are prioritizing hotels that are close to the venue (except for the two which are farther away, but those were too good an offer to pass up—they're NICE hotels). You are all free men and women and are welcome to book somewhere cheaply if you can find somewhere cheap, since we figured that those looking to save money are going to go to Priceline no matter what.
I shouldn't be saying this, but you may be able to get a good rate on hotels if you book in Arlington; specifically, near the Rosslyn, Court House, or Clarendon metro stations. Those are all on the same line as the venue (located by the Foggy Bottom–GWU station), but are urbanized enough areas that you don't need a car. Additionally, since they are outside the city and in Virginia, the hotel tax is significantly cheaper. If you're of limited means, consider booking in Arlington. If you can afford the extra cost and would like to stay close to the venue, adjacent to our special events and to great neighborhoods in general, and in close proximity to other Wikipedians, please consider the hotels we'll be promoting on our website soon.
I can't wait to see you all at Wikimania!
Regards, James Hare