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Motel Reservations in Gillette

#2 By the amount of bitchin and a moanin, many WOULD like to go, but cant/won't experience the wonders of democracy in action, and pay the high cost of hotels. From the sound of it, the room ARE there, just going at a pretty penny.



Red

I don't believe providing input should be considered "bitchin" and "moaning" only a true bureaucrat would think that that way.

The high cost of motel rooms in Gillette seems to be a supply/demand issue rather than democracy in action. Burlington Vt. was right on Lake Champlain and the rally was in July. But guess what there were plenty of reasonably priced rooms available.

I don't think we need to have a Rally in Las Vegas just to ensure ample rooms at a reasonable cost. What we need is competition and alternatives within reasonable driving distances of the rally site. This is a problem in some locations in the west due to the vast land areas and sparse population.

I think the rally committeeÔÇÖs do a great job and deserve all the credit one can give. However I donÔÇÖt see the issue with trying to make the next one better.
 
I don't believe providing input should be considered "bitchin" and "moaning" only a true bureaucrat would think that that way.

The high cost of motel rooms in Gillette seems to be a supply/demand issue rather than democracy in action. Burlington Vt. was right on Lake Champlain and the rally was in July. But guess what …there were plenty of reasonably priced rooms available.

I don't think we need to have a Rally in Las Vegas just to ensure ample rooms at a reasonable cost. What we need is competition and alternatives within reasonable driving distances of the rally site. This is a problem in some locations in the west due to the vast land areas and sparse population.

I think the rally committee’s do a great job and deserve all the credit one can give. However I don’t see the issue with trying to make the next one better.

That’s all you got out of the post? That I called a bunch of repeat cry babies bitchers and moaners? How about the Sherpa Mayberry idea? Did you even read the post? No matter.

If you have followed the posts concerning this issue on this forum thread and other related threads, there are some with real opinion who I do value their input and the powers above should as well, but too many who want no solutions other than to tear to sunder what obviously has taken much to set up and plan. That is "a bitchin and amoanin" I'm talking about. Constructive crique is one thing. tearing it up and spitting it out for alarmist purposes is entirely another issue, and needs to be addressed. Picking a conducive rally site in future years with motels as a #1 priority is a real goal, I would think.

No amount of repeat caustic trump speeches painting the Wyoming horizon black is going to change this rally. The point of the lack of moderately priced hotels has been made, re made and thrashed about to the point where the only reason to continue to berate Wyoming is in MY opinion bitchin and moanin. Next year? Let’s hope the hotel issue can be addressed in a more positive direction.

I think my point was here is a potential solution, so don't rip too deep into the semantics of what I was saying. Sorry to offend if you took it that way.

Red
 
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The high cost of motel rooms in Gillette seems to be a supply/demand issue rather than democracy in action. Burlington Vt. was right on Lake Champlain and the rally was in July. But guess what there were plenty of reasonably priced rooms available.

I think the higher prices in Gillette as compared to Burlington is a supply and demand thing. The lower prices in Burlington are possible because the occupancy rates are higher due to the location so the cost of building and operating the motel can be spread out more. In Gillette, the average occupancy rate is much lower because the demand is more in bursts when something is scheduled there. Therefore, the building and operating costs are passed on to fewer customers and the results are higher prices.
 
I agree with Scootstado. You can interpret this thread as bitchin' an moanin' or as constructive input. As has been mentioned, motel availability and rates should be considered in the future when a rally site is picked. It should have been this time. Perhaps the committee got a great deal on the facility. If so, great, and they should speak up. I seriously doubt the city will be able to bed the number of people who choose, for personal reasons, to stay in a motel. Others will be forced to commute a long distance from the rally. This plus the cost of rooms should have been a major consideration when Gillette was selected. If it was, then it must have been considered less important than some other unknown factor.

It is usually very hot in Gillette in July. The "sherpa option" isn't really an option for people who don't want to put up with the heat, unless the sherpa tents are air conditioned.
 
I agree with Scootstado. You can interpret this thread as bitchin' an moanin' or as constructive input. As has been mentioned, motel availability and rates should be considered in the future when a rally site is picked. It should have been this time. Perhaps the committee got a great deal on the facility. If so, great, and they should speak up. I seriously doubt the city will be able to bed the number of people who choose, for personal reasons, to stay in a motel. Others will be forced to commute a long distance from the rally. This plus the cost of rooms should have been a major consideration when Gillette was selected. If it was, then it must have been considered less important than some other unknown factor.

It is usually very hot in Gillette in July. The "sherpa option" isn't really an option for people who don't want to put up with the heat, unless the sherpa tents are air conditioned.

Some has been constructive and some is not. thats all I'm saying. Kudos for those of you who have constructive thoughts in mind when posting. Other posters , in many others do not meet that criteria.

Red
 
It is usually very hot in Gillette in July. The "sherpa option" isn't really an option for people who don't want to put up with the heat, unless the sherpa tents are air conditioned.

Naturally, the tents won't be air conditioned :laugh

I am a bit perplexed, however, the many comments on how hot it's going to be. I'll add a couple graphs pulled from weather.com, one from Gillette and the other from West Bend. Not much difference, four degrees warmer in Gillette (on average) and six degrees cooler at night. Plus, I assume (I don't know for sure) that the humidity tends to be much lower in Gillette.

It's going to be warm pretty much everywhere in the country in July, which is why I provide shade canopies for folks to use during the day. Worked out pretty nicely in West Bend.
 

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Thanks for the graphs. I'm not going now.

*snicker*

I'm going and I'm bringing my sense of humor and some extra in case somebody loses theirs.
 
URL for Graphs??

Super neat graphs, Ted. What site did you use to get them?

I'm going anyway. Love riding in that area, and I'm looking forward to meeting friends old and new.

Holly
 
Super neat graphs, Ted. What site did you use to get them?

I'm going anyway. Love riding in that area, and I'm looking forward to meeting friends old and new.

Holly

The graphs are produced by www.weather.com, just plug in the city you want info on, and in the 36 hour forecast window is a button labeled "averages".

Getting them to jpg format side by side is another and much longer story :)

I really like Wyoming myself, looking forward to it. And, given the lower humidity, it will on average feel cooler than West Bend (my estimate, not from the weather.com site).
Also will be really nice sleeping weather.
 
Very nice graphs, and a nice find to post. Thank you, SherpaMayberry.

But it inadvertently kinda supports the "bitchin' and whinin'" theory: 85 degree highs is hot to some? Wish we had those here in July instead of 105 to 115 or so, but I also know many other temperature ranges and climes since I travel a lot and have lived in three far apart cities, so excuse me, but a 54 to 85 day is not "hot". Warm, maybe, but w/o an unusual heat wave, a tent seems useable.

My issue with tenting is I'd rather pay for a hotel than try to carry it. I do not have much luggage space, and like it that way. But to claim its too hot for one?
 
Quote: "But it inadvertently kinda supports the "bitchin' and whinin'" theory: 85 degree highs is hot to some? Wish we had those here in July instead of 105 to 115 or so

If you look at the same weather.com graph for Scottsdale, you'll see the average high in July is 104 or 105, not 115. But it does get to 115. Same for Gillette. Talk with someone from Gillette and they will tell you it gets hotter than 85 degrees in July, regularly. If you want to sleep in a tent, fine. But for 40% of the members, they prefer a motel, and Gillette just may not be able to provide it. ( 40% of 8,000 attending is 3,200. Are there 32 motels in Gillette with 100 empty rooms? )
 
Quote: "But it inadvertently kinda supports the "bitchin' and whinin'" theory: 85 degree highs is hot to some? Wish we had those here in July instead of 105 to 115 or so

If you look at the same weather.com graph for Scottsdale, you'll see the average high in July is 104 or 105, not 115. But it does get to 115. Same for Gillette. Talk with someone from Gillette and they will tell you it gets hotter than 85 degrees in July, regularly. If you want to sleep in a tent, fine. But for 40% of the members, they prefer a motel, and Gillette just may not be able to provide it. ( 40% of 8,000 attending is 3,200. Are there 32 motels in Gillette with 100 empty rooms? )

Look at the record highs for Scottsdale, and you'll see it gets to over 115, it shows 118, and that's wrong as in too low because I have been here when we hit 122. We also hit over 110 for 28 days this summer tying the all time record, and tomorrow's forecast is for 111. That's hot and because of the "heat island" no one thinks we will have lower highs soon. Gillette's usual highs are far less than 115 and that's a cakewalk for me.

Also, it is clear you did not read my posts because I NEVER carry a tent, nor do I want to put enough luggage on my bike to do so, I'd rather spring for hotel. In other words I do not want to sleep in one.

So if there aren't 32 hotels with 100 empty rooms, I guess I will be one who does not get a reservation and go. Maybe you will be one, too. It's all in the choices we make.
 
I believe it was posted earlier

I think the higher prices in Gillette as compared to Burlington is a supply and demand thing. The lower prices in Burlington are possible because the occupancy rates are higher due to the location so the cost of building and operating the motel can be spread out more. In Gillette, the average occupancy rate is much lower because the demand is more in bursts when something is scheduled there. Therefore, the building and operating costs are passed on to fewer customers and the results are higher prices.

by a member involved with the Rally that since Gillette is undergoing a boom of sorts,hotel occupancy remains high year round.Not just gouging during our "special event".So I don't believe your supposition flies here.While it won't lower the rates,at least it explains in part the high charges.
 
Do you also have a graph

Naturally, the tents won't be air conditioned :laugh

I am a bit perplexed, however, the many comments on how hot it's going to be. I'll add a couple graphs pulled from weather.com, one from Gillette and the other from West Bend. Not much difference, four degrees warmer in Gillette (on average) and six degrees cooler at night. Plus, I assume (I don't know for sure) that the humidity tends to be much lower in Gillette.

It's going to be warm pretty much everywhere in the country in July, which is why I provide shade canopies for folks to use during the day. Worked out pretty nicely in West Bend.

that shows the number of trees (shade) on both sites?Shade is good,no?:dunno
 
Also, it is clear you did not read my posts because I NEVER carry a tent, nor do I want to put enough luggage on my bike to do so, I'd rather spring for hotel. In other words I do not want to sleep in one.


Tweety1 Actually, I did read your entire post, including the part about not wanting to carry a tent. My point was about how unreliable the "average high temperature" graph on weather.com is. Like you said in your post, it doesn't reflect individual and record high temperatures.

I'm sorry I implied you wanted to sleep in a tent. I share your not wanting to carry camping gear on a bike. I do it, occasionally, and I like to camp out in Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah in the Spring and Fall, but not Gillette in July. I certainly don't blame you for not wanting to carry camping gear and regular touring gear all the way from Scottsdale. I'm sorry I mistated your intentions about not sleeping in a tent.
 
Tweety1 Actually, I did read your entire post, including the part about not wanting to carry a tent. My point was about how unreliable the "average high temperature" graph on weather.com is. Like you said in your post, it doesn't reflect individual and record high temperatures.

I'm sorry I implied you wanted to sleep in a tent. I share your not wanting to carry camping gear on a bike. I do it, occasionally, and I like to camp out in Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah in the Spring and Fall, but not Gillette in July. I certainly don't blame you for not wanting to carry camping gear and regular touring gear all the way from Scottsdale. I'm sorry I mistated your intentions about not sleeping in a tent.

Your point was about how unreliable the "average high temperature" graph on weather.com is well taken, but then again, how reliable is any weather report or forecast? Here, we have T'storm warnings every day we are in our wet summer season called the monsoon, but if it rains 2 weeks a year that a lot as we only get 7.5" a year. Weather forecasting is like rolling ten dice and trying to get the same number on each. You could check 10 sites andget 10 different reports, and none would be correct.

We just all need to choose what we will do about where we each stay. That's my point.
 
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