Anyone got any Fest hotel tips? Where are the best places to stay and get a fairly good deal? What places are close. are any of the hotels close to the venues?

The Official Fest hotel is what was The Holiday Inn. I don't know what it is now but I'm sure it's changed the name. It's the best location for all the action. There's also the Gainesville lodge which is actually closer to all the venues downtown then the Fest hotel. But if you want the best for your money, stay at the Rush Lake man. It's a little bit farther to walk but it's worth it in the long run imo.

Haha, why did you say Holiday inn changed its name?

And the Gainesville Lodge is absolutely NOT an option for festers. They have not let festers stay there since i think it was, Fest 3. Because of some chaos that went down with a couple of the Fest bands. (I know Mastadon was one of them.) So, do yourself a favor and don't even try to book a room there. I'm betting they'll kick you out mid-Fest. And how much would that suck?

Because last year it had a big blue tarp over the Holiday Inn sign with a different name on it?

If you pay for a hotel room how can a place kick you out? I don't intend to hold ragers in my hotel room?

Also, is parking around town an issues? It's been at least 13-14 yars since I was in Gainesvills last. Last time I was in town Lon Kruger was running the summer basketball camp

it's still called the holiday inn
there also building another hotel in downtown near the suncenter, no idea when it will be open though

Has The Holiday Inn sold out already? I went to their website and went through the process and it currently says "No Availability" ... Or did The Fest just completely buy out all the rooms and holding them for Festers??

if i were you, i'd get really loaded, get in your car, drive recklessly, wrap the car around a tree, and sleep eternally.

but hey, that's just me

my bed, hey-oh

Yeah it was the same last year. Fest will have block booked the whole place.

hotels cost money though. staying at someone's house is free and you might end up sleeping with a band or two,

It probably said Holiday Inn University Center Hotel or just University Center Hotel (or something similar), because that's what it is really called.

Because when you get a room you sign a paper that says they can.

the hampton inn is downtown by the suncenter. it should be open in august. probably priced out of most festers ranges though. it would be ideal, and if i ever come back into gville for the Fest, you can bet i'll be stayin' there, motherfuckers*

*you're not really motherfuckers

So there's a new Hampton Inn opening? The one I can find just now is SW40th Blvd, which is pretty far out, isn't it?