2017 Worldcon Room Booking

[kevin_standlee]

The initial hotel announcement from Worldcon 75 in Helsinki went out yesterday, and as is usual with such things, has triggered Outrage and Horror, particularly from people who are unaware that most European cities do not build convention centers with mega hotels with thousands of rooms adjacent to them. We're facing next year roughly the same

Comments

[bunnybutt]

I got a little verklempt at the idea that the Convention has reserved the most accessible spaces for people with accessibility issues. It's a small step toward being considered full human members of society, but it's a step. No sympathy for able-bodied people for whom it is an inconvenience - for someone with mobility issues, it can literally make the difference in whether someone is able to attend at all, or not.

[msconduct]

My response too, in every respect and 100%.

[a_cubed]

The pass will not cover the initial travel from the airport. It will cover a week - I think they said they're trying to get it slightly extended for those coming in for longer. They did answer questions at this at the FI in KC. They didn't say when/where one would get the pass, but did confirm it only covers the central city zone, and the airport is outside this.

[kevin_standlee]

I figured that the trip from the airport wasn't covered. What would be mildly annoying is having to pay a fare from (say) the Holiday Inn City Centre to the convention center in order to collect the pass that would have otherwise have covered it.

[kjn]

I'm not an expert in Helsinki public transit, but there are several ways to save the EUR 3 single ticket from the hotel to Messukeskus, even if you don't get the travelcard until you register at Messukeskus.

1. If one is touristing in Helsinki early, then just buy day tickets (valid for 1-7 days) for the initial stay. Once that ticket runs out, switch to the con-supplied ticket.

2. If one arrives Tuesday or Wednesday, the single-ticket you buy at the airport is, I think, valid for 80 minutes. Get off at Messukeskus (it's on the way) and collect your con-supplied ticket. Or get to the hotel, put your luggage in the hotel's luggage room, and travel back out to Messukeskus.

Personally, I just chalk it down to that some people will always gripe. No matter that the con and the city provides them with a EUR 32 travelcard.

[kalimac]

Fine, but if you don't already know all this stuff, you're going to be surprised, insufficiently informed, and maybe as a result a little perturbed.

[kevin_standlee]

I think the only people who should be surprised are those who have never attended a European Worldcon. And for that matter, I think that nothing a bid could do would actually educate them. They're going to be shocked no matter what.

[stevendj]

You know, Kevin, I've never attended a European Worldcon, and I don't think it's reasonable or helpful to imply that my ignorance implies ineducability.

[stevendj]

(Well, except for LonCon, which had a significantly better hotel situation.)

[paradoox]

Yes, this is a European City, but ...

There were a lot more hotels within walking distance in London.

These rates are higher than they implied; they most probably knew these rates by the time of the Inquisition in KC and chose not to share them.

[kevin_standlee]

I seem to recall Howls of Protest when London's hotels were announced that there was only one hotel that was "walking distance" and that all of he others were hundreds of miles away across a howling wasteland. I exaggerate only slightly.

Americans expect that there should be thousands of inexpensive hotel rooms, all of which are less than 100 steps away from what they want, all of which are part of their hotel loyalty program, all of which are simultaneously close to parties and also very quiet, all of which have no elevator waits and no stairs to negotiate, all of which have lots of cheap food and fine dining within a few steps of their doors, and anything that does not meet all of these mutually-incompatible requirements is going to be pilloried for some reason. DC's Worldcon would be being yelled at for some other reason about now (or whenever their hotel information came out).

[qeldoq]

I'm enjoying learning more about Helsinki from my desk, as I look at the various hotel websites, look at the maps, start to get an understanding of how their local transit works.

And this is part of the fun of traveling to different places.

I do wish they had an overall map with all of the hotels shown. And I may well see if I can create one. But really, they have told you how long it takes to get between hotel and convention center, which exact route (tram, local train, etc), and how to access the transit info.

Now to decide where we want to stay.

[idancewithlife]

Mark Gerrits posted on Twitter and over on File 770 has got you covered: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1Iiu0EwyuGmmRYsmNY-IlnDJ5T4k