Hotel recomendations for York Meet

There is no such thing as a low cost hotel in York for the TCA meet. If you stay about 17 to 35 miles from York I am sure you could find one that suits you, but I can't help you as I stay in York at the Wyndham which is about 2 miles from the fairgrounds. $149 plus taxes. There phone is 717-8469500

Eddie is correct - even the low end hotels in York will be $100 after taxes.  Lowest price I've seen is low to mid $80s per night.  

I stay at the Best Western because it is attached to the Quaker Steak and Lube where we have dinner Thursday night so I don't have to drive if I have too much fun.

If you are fine with driving 15-20 miles to and from the fairgrounds you can find better deals - search Hanover, etc.

By now, most of the better hotels are already booked but don't despair.  Up until 3 years ago I just waited until the night before and got good deals on Priceline.  It all depends on what your preferences are.

- Greg

Decided to check current rates and -- oh my gosh! over $500 a night at Heritage Hills?  No, that's not where I'm staying; just got off on another tangent... 

The Eastern Division Train Collector's Association IS a big deal and the local lodging establishments take FULL advantage of it.   In the case of the establishment where I'm staying, the "off EDTCA prices" run about 40% less than the prices charges during the EDTCA Extravaganza.   It's the old supply and demand monster rearing its ugly head.    Just sayin'

Chief Bob (Retired)

I haven't been for a few years but I used to stay in Hanover.  It's about a 30minute drive over highway 30 which takes you right to the fairgrounds via Market Street.  Prices are medium over there.  I liked the Hampton Inn there.

Dennis

I'm at the Wingate, things are pretty booked up months in advance.  I was going to stay at the Wyndham this time, but it was booked three months in advance.

Last October, I stayed at the new Hampton Inn York South. (Very nice Hotel) It was free after using 30,000 of my Hilton Honors points.   I attempted this past spring to book it again for October 2016, but they wanted 60,000 points for a nights stay.   I then booked Oct. 20th at the Wyndham Garden for $109 (119 after tax) (pre paid non refundable rate booked directly on the Wyndham website).  Then in June a checked the Hampton Inn again for curiosity, and they had a room for 30,000 points on Oct. 20th.  Oh well,  I'll give the Wyndham a try this  year.  It looks like they have a nice indoor/outdoor pool and it's close to everything.

I just did a search on the Hilton site for Oct. 20th.   These two listed below might be the price range you are interested in.

Hampton Inn Shrewsbury Hotel, PA - Exterior

Hampton by Hilton
Quick Look
From $139
$118
Per Night (USD)
NONREFUNDABLE
or 30,000 HHonors Points

Hampton Inn Shrewsbury
Nestled among the rolling hills of S. York County, just 3 miles from quaint village shops, minutes from area wineries, only 6 miles from Brown's Orchard

Hampton Inn Shrewsbury  13.71 miles from York

Hampton by Hilton
Quick Look
From $134
$113
Per Night (USD)
NONREFUNDABLE
or 30,000 HHonors Points

Hampton Inn Hanover
Found less than 3 miles to delicious Utz Potato Chip and Snyder's Pretzel Outlets, 14 miles to Gettysburg National Park, 20 miles to Boyds Bear Museum

Hampton Inn Hanover  17.01 miles from York

Up towards Harrisburg right off route 83 might be a good bet.  Even on Friday when there is business traffic, it's not too bad of a drive.  You are only on route 30 for a few miles between 83 and Carlisle Ave to get to the Fairgrounds.

I routinely get a room for anywhere between mid $60's to maybe a high of around $80-$90 per night.

Prices are more reasonable if you don't mind an ~ 25 minute drive each way.  Even with a car with bad gas mileage (I get around 20 highway), it's  lot cheaper even if adding gas money to do a full cost comparison.

-Dave

For years I've been staying at the Rodeway Inn in downtown York. It's less than 2 miles to the fairgrounds, relatively inexpensive ($81. senior, $90. regular), good size rooms with wi, fridge, micro, and coffee maker. I've always had clean rooms. Free coffee and cold stuff in the morning if you want it. The view is a ugly parking lot, and I would not want to walk around downtown at night...but that's where I stay. Understand that many of the out-of-town motels take a looong time to get to. Getting in/out of York proper can take 15 minutes.

A few forum members love to knock it, which has put one of them on my "ignore" list. 

Dave45681 posted:

Up towards Harrisburg right off route 83 might be a good bet.  Even on Friday when there is business traffic, it's not too bad of a drive.  You are only on route 30 for a few miles between 83 and Carlisle Ave to get to the Fairgrounds.

I routinely get a room for anywhere between mid $60's to maybe a high of around $80-$90 per night.

Prices are more reasonable if you don't mind an ~ 25 minute drive each way.  Even with a car with bad gas mileage (I get around 20 highway), it's  lot cheaper even if adding gas money to do a full cost comparison.

-Dave

Sounds like New Cumberland. The exit with the motels is the first one south of the Turnpike. We stayed there for a few years and ride is not bad. 

Is everything really booked up in York? With the decline in attendance there appears to be many empty spots in the parking lots.

Pete

Norton posted:

Sounds like New Cumberland. The exit with the motels is the first one south of the Turnpike. We stayed there for a few years and ride is not bad. 

Is everything really booked up in York? With the decline in attendance there appears to be many empty spots in the parking lots.

Pete

That's exactly where I meant.  The motel I stay at is fine for my needs, meaning a clean room to stay in.  It's not got spas, etc (I'm thinking the outdoor pool is generally closed in both April and October, but I think it may have a small workout room now). They do offer a very limited continental breakfast included with the room.

Someone looking for a "resort" type hotel will not be happy with it, but that's just a different type of motel/hotel thing, not an "it's a dump" thing.

I haven't seriously investigated staying down closer to York.  I considered briefly for one or 2 meets as attendance dropped, but the hotel I would have considered trying was not well reviewed by multiple forum members (some of whom I trust their judgement pretty well, not just bashers). 

While availability of hotels closer to York may have become less of an issue over the years (you no longer have to "wait for someone with a standing reservation to die" as was the perhaps slight exaggeration of years ago), the pricing is still significantly higher for anything closer to York.

I like the 83 scenario since it limits the amount of time on route 30.  All those traffic lights on a business day with heavy traffic might be where I would draw the line for my patience.  I can't imagine staying in Lancaster out near the TCA museum and Outlet malls, but others routinely suggest it works for them. (Then again I once had another member suggest to me that if he lived as "close" as I do about 2 hours away, he would just drive back and forth each day!  I couldn't imagine spending 4 hours in the car each day to do York.  The gas and tolls would probably make it only a $20-$30 savings each night)

Different strokes for different folks.   I'm sure there are others who don't like highway driving and would not like the drive down 83 at highway speeds to start each day.

-Dave

I've stayed at lots of places in & around York for many years.  Depending on your objectives and tolerance level (and that of your traveling companions), there is a range of choices.  My thoughts... 

Super 8 in York - deteriorated in recent years, relatively less expensive, some sketchy folks but parking lot is well-lit.  I've never had a problem there.

Days Inn (former Billy Budd) - One of the staff (Margaret) goes out of her way to accommodate TCAers, and there is a special rate.  Lots of remodeling in the past couple of years.  Easy in/out.  Call Margaret and see what she can do for you.

Wyndham - Very nice, very close, bandit meets on site.  Pricey, and fills up quickly.

You can also stay in Carlisle (if it's not the car meet week).  Much less money than York.  About a 40-minute scenic drive (on PA 74) to the fairgrounds, and you enter York from the northwest, so it's easy to get to the meet.  Great beer and decent food at Market Cross Pub makes Carlisle a nice stay.

Lancaster - The modest chains like Super 8 are much cheaper in Lancaster, and it's only about a half-hour drive to York, albeit in the traffic on US 30.  You can save a bunch of money, reservations are easier to get, and it's a short drive to all of the train attractions in Strasburg.

IMO, Harrisburg is the worst option - relatively high prices, no nearby attractions, and the drive to/from the fairgrounds is brutal. 

Just as a add-on: The reason for me using a place very close to the fairgrounds is because I live only 1 hour and fifty minutes from York. Therefore, it makes little sense to drive over a half hour to a motel. I may as well just drive home and save the $.

BTW, there are at least 4 rooms left, as of today, for the Rodeway. Use their direct website to insure senior discount.

I stayed at the Comfort Inn and Suites in York in April. It was about a 10 minute drive (with traffic) to the fairgrounds from the hotel. I was happy with it and will stay there again next time I am able to go.

I stayed at the Comfort In and Suites this spring for the first time, the traffic noise from I83 was really bad, never again.

We stay at the Sheraton Four Points right behind the Round The Clock Diner.  Prices seem to go up every Meet but we use our Starwood points that we accumulate during the year.  Nice and clean with an indoor pool (which we never seem to use because we are tired from walking the Halls all day).  And their restaurant is pretty good too.  Even with heavy traffic it's a ten or fifteen minute ride to the Fairgrounds.

I have stayed at the York Hampton Inn . The newest one, and it is a beautiful hotel. We usually stay at the Hampton Inn in Ephrata which overlooks the city. Its about 35 minutes to York but you are close to alot of attractions in the amish country . Usually  150 a night.  I only go to York on Thursday so this works for us. John

"For years I've been staying at the Rodeway Inn in downtown York."

Here we go again with our semi annual "Rodeway" battle. Joe and I have disagreed for a long time on this one. Worst motel of all time !!

There are still rooms available near downtown York in the $150-200 per night range.  Check hotels.com, Expedia, or other travel site for particulars. 

Thank you for your help. I now have a room.

This is a WATCH YOUR STEP story, please read all the way through.  The word to the wise is: If you use an agglomeration site like Hotels.com or Trivago.com to look for a hotel, be careful.  

Here's my story:

• I searched for York hotels yesterday using Trivago.com.
  
  
• I keyed in "York, Pennsylvania" and the York dates as my search criteria and the results were displayed.
  
  
• When I'm not traveling with the woman in my life, I view a hotel as the place I go to change my socks.  As long as the towels actually bend, I'm fine with it.  I.e., I'm looking for CHEEP.
  
  
• When the results were returned, I sorted the list by "Price: Lowest to Highest".  I saw pictures of the "usual suspects" (e.g., Super 8, Motel 6, Rodeway, et al).
  
  
• I noted that the lowest prices are currently $85 per night, before taxes.
  
  
• I looked through the different deals and, by changing bed combinations (e.g., a king instead of 2 queens), I found a deal at Motel 6 for $51 per night!
  
  
• I booked it as fast as I could. Lucky me!  (....or so I thought.)
  
  
• When my confirmation email arrived (from Booking.com, a unit of Priceline.com), it confirmed that I indeed had booked for two nights at $51 per night at the Motel 6 .............................. in York, Nebraska.

UGH.  It seems that, in the data exchange among Trivago.com => Priceline.com => Booking.com => Motel6.com, York, Pennsylvania became York, Nebraska.

I went through their process again to confirm that it was an error in their system and not something I did with an errant mouse click.  There truly is a flaw in their processing during the handoff among the companies/websites involved.

I canceled the erroneous reservation on the spot, but it's a darned good thing I looked over the confirmation email when it arrived.  I would have felt quite foolish returning from a night of beer with the boys, trying to check in, and having the overnight clerk point out that the reason she couldn't find my reservation ... was because it was 19 states to the west ... and that she was sorry because they were all booked for the night ...

So: Be careful out there, boys and girls.  If you use an online service like Trivago, Expedia, Hotels.com, Booking.com, etc., check your confirmations.

Steven J. Serenska

I would also add when booking via a 3rd party to call the hotel a couple weeks out and check your reservation, get a confirmation number from said hotel (not the 3rd party booking site), and a human's name that you spoke with.

I booked at the Wyndham last spring, called 2 days before and spoke with the front desk who assured me of my room.  Went to check in and no room.  Even though I checked days earlier.  Go figure.

MartyE posted:

I would also add when booking via a 3rd party to call the hotel a couple weeks out and check your reservation, get a confirmation number from said hotel (not the 3rd party booking site), and a human's name that you spoke with.

I booked at the Wyndham last spring, called 2 days before and spoke with the front desk who assured me of my room.  Went to check in and no room.  Even though I checked days earlier.  Go figure.

Good advice.  One addition as someone who used to book the night before or the morning of.  The first time I did this it was for the Heritage Hills Golf Resort. Showed up to check in and they had no record of my reservation.  Fortunately, I had printed out all the confirmation info and had it with me to present to the front desk.   Some other late arrival must have lost their room because I got one.

Best to print out the confirmation and have it with you.

- Greg

Serenska posted:

This is a WATCH YOUR STEP story, please read all the way through.  The word to the wise is: If you use an agglomeration site like Hotels.com or Trivago.com to look for a hotel, be careful.  

Here's my story:

• I searched for York hotels yesterday using Trivago.com.
  
  
• I keyed in "York, Pennsylvania" and the York dates as my search criteria and the results were displayed.
  
  
• When I'm not traveling with the woman in my life, I view a hotel as the place I go to change my socks.  As long as the towels actually bend, I'm fine with it.  I.e., I'm looking for CHEEP.
  
  
• When the results were returned, I sorted the list by "Price: Lowest to Highest".  I saw pictures of the "usual suspects" (e.g., Super 8, Motel 6, Rodeway, et al).
  
  
• I noted that the lowest prices are currently $85 per night, before taxes.
  
  
• I looked through the different deals and, by changing bed combinations (e.g., a king instead of 2 queens), I found a deal at Motel 6 for $51 per night!
  
  
• I booked it as fast as I could. Lucky me!  (....or so I thought.)
  
  
• When my confirmation email arrived (from Booking.com, a unit of Priceline.com), it confirmed that I indeed had booked for two nights at $51 per night at the Motel 6 .............................. in York, Nebraska.

UGH.  It seems that, in the data exchange among Trivago.com => Priceline.com => Booking.com => Motel6.com, York, Pennsylvania became York, Nebraska.

I went through their process again to confirm that it was an error in their system and not something I did with an errant mouse click.  There truly is a flaw in their processing during the handoff among the companies/websites involved.

I canceled the erroneous reservation on the spot, but it's a darned good thing I looked over the confirmation email when it arrived.  I would have felt quite foolish returning from a night of beer with the boys, trying to check in, and having the overnight clerk point out that the reason she couldn't find my reservation ... was because it was 19 states to the west ... and that she was sorry because they were all booked for the night ...

So: Be careful out there, boys and girls.  If you use an online service like Trivago, Expedia, Hotels.com, Booking.com, etc., check your confirmations.

Steven J. Serenska

 

I almost did this my first time too - was about to book a room for York, England.

-Greg

I found going through the chains website offers me a senior rate that sometimes is not offered by the travel sites.

Joe Hohmann posted:

I found going through the chains website offers me a senior rate that sometimes is not offered by the travel sites.

Also helps to join the rewards club for whatever chain you tend to stay at.  The rewards club I use has worked out pretty well, as it covers several chains at different price points - I build up points at the cheaper places, then get a free night at a better place.  It can be really beneficial when staying at a time when "special event" rates are in effect, as the points needed for a free night usually doesn't vary.  

I've heard complaints about the Roadway for years but we've never had problems, always been adequate for our needs, clean and inexpensive (compared to many others). Or maybe I'm just cheap.

Bill Henning posted:

I've heard complaints about the Roadway for years but we've never had problems, always been adequate for our needs, clean and inexpensive (compared to many others). Or maybe I'm just cheap.

Judging by the spread you put out at your open houses I certainly wouldn't call you cheap!  

-Greg 

FYI - there’s a brand new LaQuinta which just opened in May off of 30 on Kenneth Road very close to the Quaker Steak & Lube and Ruby Tuesdays.

Bill

Yep . Right behind the Best Western.  

-Greg

WftTrains posted:

FYI - there’s a brand new LaQuinta which just opened in May off of 30 on Kenneth Road very close to the Quaker State & Lube and Ruby Tuesdays.. 

Bill

I stayed at one in Ft. Lauderdale...very nice. Like all the other places, they jack their prices up for the York train meet...about $150. compared to the usual $89.

Bill Henning posted:

I've heard complaints about the Roadway for years but we've never had problems, always been adequate for our needs, clean and inexpensive (compared to many others). Or maybe I'm just cheap.

I stayed at the Rodeway once and my only complaint was that the hookers were too loud when negotiating their transactions.  I can't comment on the rates they were charging.

Other than that, it was fine.

(Cough.)  Just kidding.  

I'm cheap, and not much bothers me, but I found that place to be a little on the frightening side.  YMMV.

SJS

Have you considered camping at the fairgrounds? I paid $40 for the whole meet about a year and a half ago, (I think it's up to $50 now), and I pitched a tent. If you come prepared for the elements, it's not a bad way to do it (and it saves money for more trains).

Just make sure you bring quarters for the shower, as well as extra blankets (we had snow the Spring I did it).

I could never camp out for the York Meet.  Worrying about precipitation would make me feel kind of .... tense.

When I was there I will always "ran" where the people are camping.  Because it was past tents.

I've been camping on the grounds with my brother (he has a pop-up camper trailer) for the last two years and it has been nice except for one windy night.  The fairgrounds are so peaceful at night and in the mornings around sunrise.  And even at $50, it works out to $8.33 a day per person for us.  Hard to beat that!

When I was just coming by myself, I stayed at the Super 8 off of 83 in Etters (about 11 miles from the fairgrounds).  It was always adequate for my needs, and it was $20-$30 a night cheaper than anything in York, and I have a card that can get me free nights there every once in a while.

Andy

Room at York ?! 100 bucks? That is insane...

I just park the old four door on the grounds and camp out! 

And if you have a driver for the trip .... you can sleep on the way!

Been doing a fair amount af traveling and found a really different way to do things,  Air BnB.  Every place is different, some better than others.  Usually easy to get last minute spots when free style traveling.  Frequently right in the middle of what we are doing and always about $75 +/-.

Sometimes it is a spare bedroom with full kitchen privileges, sometimes a former in law quarters.

May not be your cup of tea but  some others might like to try it.  In the York, Lancaster area you can find free standing mom and pop one room only BNB not affilliated with Air BnB that charge in the same range.