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Lodging??

What does it matter what the gender dynamic of the group is? I'm sure that MANY of our members, male or female, and for a variety of reasons would prefer a private bathroom, a comfy bed and a climate controlled room. That's not always possible. Many of us are looking forward to the rally, and would go no matter where the group decides to hold it. The location is secondary to the event - the meeting up with friends and acquaintances, putting faces to names, taking in the seminars etc. I can only speak for myself, but I'm not looking forward to hearing 6+ more months of pi**ing and moaning about the location and the perceived lack of amenities/conveniences/suitable roads/shopping opportunities/sightseeing venues/whatever. If you're not happy with it, by all means, give it a miss.

+1
:thumb
 
Here's some South Dakota choices. However, a bit far to enjoy the rally.

Spearfish, SD 94 miles (188 miles round trip)
Quality Inn $126.66
Days Inn $106

Sturgis, SD 113 miles (225 miles round trip)
Best Western Sturgis Inn $107
Super 8 Sturgis SD $69

Deadwood, SD 108 miles (216 miles round trip)
First Gold Hotel and Casino Deadwood $92
Best Western Hickok House $89
AmericInn Deadwood $116

Rapid City, SD 141 miles (282 miles round trip)
 
Wow, after reading this thread I think kenk should bypass Gillette and stick to rallies like the Curve Cowboy Reunion! Seriously, I usually book a motel room for the rally but in Gillette that'$ not an option for me. OK, I guess that means I can P&M about it for the next 5 months, thrown an icky fit and threaten to not go (like that will make the organization change the site or the setup), or deal with the situation as it is. Personally, I think the latter is the way to go so I plan on staying in Buffalo, or Sheridan, or Casper, or ??? the night before the rally and show up early to be a VOLUNTEER. Maybe I can help make things better in some small way....

So where on the rally page do I go to sign up? I can handle anything except latrine duty or security.....
:^)

GTRider
 
Gillette Lodging

Here's some information for you about lodging in Gillette that's a bit disturbing (specifically the Clarion Inn) - if you've tried to plan early, as we did for 5 couples, so that we could gather, from literally all sides of the country, and made reservations at the Clarion Inn - don't count on them honoring them.

We called, got our room reservations with confirmation numbers at a $119.00 rate way back in August after returning from the Wisconsin rally.

Returning home to Nevada after our Christmas holidays, we had a message from the Clarion informing us that they couldn't honor that rate and they had cancelled all our reservations.

Seems these rates were only intended for our BMWMOA board members and there were only 2 people who were authorized to release these rooms at this rate.

Funny, we didn't ask for any special BMW rates - just called to make reservations. How unprofessional of the Clarion. I don't fault the MOA board for getting a special block rate for their group, but shouldn't they have made it clear to the folks at the Clarion exactly who that group consisted of?
A bit of egg on the face of both our Board and the Clarion Inn.

So, they decided it was OK to just arbitrarily cancel our rooms and, by the way, good luck with finding something else...........

Sure hope this isn't an indication of how the entire rally will be unfolding........

jesaus in NV
 
Here's some information for you about lodging in Gillette that's a bit disturbing (specifically the Clarion Inn) - if you've tried to plan early, as we did for 5 couples, so that we could gather, from literally all sides of the country, and made reservations at the Clarion Inn - don't count on them honoring them.

We called, got our room reservations with confirmation numbers at a $119.00 rate way back in August after returning from the Wisconsin rally.

Returning home to Nevada after our Christmas holidays, we had a message from the Clarion informing us that they couldn't honor that rate and they had cancelled all our reservations.

Seems these rates were only intended for our BMWMOA board members and there were only 2 people who were authorized to release these rooms at this rate.

Funny, we didn't ask for any special BMW rates - just called to make reservations. How unprofessional of the Clarion. I don't fault the MOA board for getting a special block rate for their group, but shouldn't they have made it clear to the folks at the Clarion exactly who that group consisted of?
A bit of egg on the face of both our Board and the Clarion Inn.

So, they decided it was OK to just arbitrarily cancel our rooms and, by the way, good luck with finding something else...........

Sure hope this isn't an indication of how the entire rally will be unfolding........

jesaus in NV

This practice is not uncommon. A couple years ago, I booked a room at a Holiday Inn Express for my wife and I in Indianapolis on the day they announced the next years date for the USGP F1 race for $98 a night. With confirmation numbers, I thought I was safe. A couple weeks later, I received an email canceling my reservation. So I call the hotel and talked to the manager. The manager stated the clerk made a mistake and wouldn't honor the price. The new price was $198 a night. So I call the National Headquarter of Holiday Inn Express and was told although not a good business practice, each hotel was individually owned and I had no recourse. I then told the man I did have recourse. At the time, I was staying 90-100 days a year in hotels. My recourse was I no longer stay in Holiday Inn Express Hotels. In addition, I instructed all the folks that worked for me they were no longer allowed to stay in Holiday Inn Express Hotels.
 
I'm still trying to figure out how a town like Gillette with only 13 hotels was first considered and then selected. Since there are no towns within 20-23 miles, the selection committee must have counted the number of rooms available in the prairie dog towns. :scratch
 
I'm still trying to figure out how a town like Gillette with only 13 hotels was first considered and then selected. Since there are no towns within 20-23 miles, the selection committee must have counted the number of rooms available in the prairie dog towns. :scratch


With enough cheap beer and great entertainment who needs rooms?
 
I'm still trying to figure out why the number of hotel rooms would ever be a criterion for a rally site.
 
Other rallies to

:lurk :scratch :dunno :type Just wondering Paul is there to be a Salty fog this year? any how to far for me I will be attending Fingerlakes,Laconium and The return to Trenton, That's my club, "The Loonie-tics" put a great show(The steaks melt in your mouth) in August, and if you know is the green mountain going this year? Thanks hope you all have a great time in wyo.

Michael R
12636x
K75rt
VE3CEH
RCE ret.
 
I'm still trying to figure out how a town like Gillette with only 13 hotels was first considered and then selected.

We get it, Ken. Heard you loud and clear. No can you give it a rest please?

Thank you.
 
We get it, Ken. Heard you loud and clear. No can you give it a rest please?

Thank you.

I'm sure the board and the committee get it at this point, however no one has answered his question. I suspect the best way to end this thread would be to provide one.
 
I'm sure the board and the committee get it at this point, however no one has answered his question. I suspect the best way to end this thread would be to provide one.

Au contrare, mon ami.... He has been answered:
By Board members Michael Friedle and Dave Swider.
By Site Selection Committee members Friedle and Schmiesser.
By former rally chairmen.
By other experienced rally volunteers.

http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?t=21479

Each rally site carries it's own pluses and minuses. For instance,

***West Bend did not have adequate inside air conditioned space for all of our seminars and vendors.

***Burlington Vermont had an 11 PM noise curfew.

***Lima, Ohio had NO air conditioned spaces.

***And Gillette has less hotel rooms than we could use.

None of these are show stoppers. The bottom line is that site in Gillette was well researched. It provided everything needed for a great rally. There will never be a perfect rally site. Continuing to gripe about this location is getting old.
 
I'm sure the board and the committee get it at this point, however no one has answered his question. I suspect the best way to end this thread would be to provide one.

Thanks, tkpinsc(?) and thanks to Sue for jumping in!! Sue's experience with succesful rallies is very helpful!!

Actually this was answered many moons ago, and is lost somewhere in forumland. The Rally Site Selection team was aware of the limited hotels in the area, but felt the site advantages far outweighed the disadvantages.

Many of the mom & pop hotels have been taken over by construction workers. The BMW MOA found out about the power plant construction schedule after the decision was made and contracts signed.
As everyone is aware the negoiation on rally sites takes place long before the actual rally.
For many years BMW rallies have been known as "camping rallies". This year we have more options for Sherpas than in years past, and are trying to make the best of it. We know the membership is changing, and the RSS team will definitely have more rooms as a priority, but if we hold out until every criteria is met......we may not have a rally.:hungover
 
Au contrare, mon ami.... He has been answered:
By Board members Michael Friedle and Dave Swider.
By Site Selection Committee members Friedle and Schmiesser.
By former rally chairmen.
By other experienced rally volunteers.

http://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?t=21479

Each rally site carries it's own pluses and minuses. For instance,

***West Bend did not have adequate inside air conditioned space for all of our seminars and vendors.

***Burlington Vermont had an 11 PM noise curfew.

***Lima, Ohio had NO air conditioned spaces.

***And Gillette has less hotel rooms than we could use.

None of these are show stoppers. The bottom line is that site in Gillette was well researched. It provided everything needed for a great rally. There will never be a perfect rally site. Continuing to gripe about this location is getting old.


I just re-read the thread you linked to. I found posts by the folks you mentioned posted, but I did not see anyone answer his question. Please send me the post numbers so I can find them. Thanks.
 
Thanks, tkpinsc(?) and thanks to Sue for jumping in!! Sue's experience with succesful rallies is very helpful!!

Actually this was answered many moons ago, and is lost somewhere in forumland. The Rally Site Selection team was aware of the limited hotels in the area, but felt the site advantages far outweighed the disadvantages.

Many of the mom & pop hotels have been taken over by construction workers. The BMW MOA found out about the power plant construction schedule after the decision was made and contracts signed.
As everyone is aware the negoiation on rally sites takes place long before the actual rally.
For many years BMW rallies have been known as "camping rallies". This year we have more options for Sherpas than in years past, and are trying to make the best of it. We know the membership is changing, and the RSS team will definitely have more rooms as a priority, but if we hold out until every criteria is met......we may not have a rally.:hungover


Thank you. I may be wrong, but I sense what kenk is fishing for is which advantages were felt to out weigh the lack of motels. I'm really not trying to be contentious, just trying to bring this issue to an end. If someone in the know could/would spell this out, some folks on this thread will not like the answer, but hopefully we can then all move forward.
 
Thank you. I may be wrong, but I sense what kenk is fishing for is which advantages were felt to out weigh the lack of motels. I'm really not trying to be contentious, just trying to bring this issue to an end. If someone in the know could/would spell this out, some folks on this thread will not like the answer, but hopefully we can then all move forward.

The advantage: THE PEOPLE, THE EXPERIENCE of the rally being held in Wyoming.
The wonderful State of Wyoming and ALL the roads and times to be had on the way there, and the way home.

Each to their own, but that's mine. Wyoming is different than say, Wisconsin, but for those of us who know this state, it's worth it to me when you mix in all the ingredients.

Rock on Wyoming!

red
 
kenk

We may as well quit complaining about this rally. It's a done deal and nothing is going to change it. We can only hope that future sites are better suited for what we want in a rally location. As the Cub fans always say "wait til next year".

I will not go because of the distance involved, expenses involved (motels, etc) and there is nothing special (for me). I will probably substiture the RA rally in the UP of Michigan. It is just over half as far for me, is a nicer location for visiting as well as riding and it has a far more comfortable temperature.

The size of the MOA rally makes it far more difficult to find venues that can handle the number of people attending.
 
kenk

We may as well quit complaining about this rally. It's a done deal and nothing is going to change it. We can only hope that future sites are better suited for what we want in a rally location. As the Cub fans always say "wait til next year".

I will not go because of the distance involved, expenses involved (motels, etc) and there is nothing special (for me). I will probably substiture the RA rally in the UP of Michigan. It is just over half as far for me, is a nicer location for visiting as well as riding and it has a far more comfortable temperature.

The size of the MOA rally makes it far more difficult to find venues that can handle the number of people attending.

I have a question; whats the temp like in the UP of Michigan in the summer time? No humidity? Not too hot, but not too cold?

I really don't know.
 
Think 'West Bend'

I've done a fair amount of riding in Michigan's UP in the summer months, and found it quite pleasant. Very much like the weather we enjoyed at the Rally in West Bend this past July.

Temps can even be a little cooler, due to higher latitudes and that big air conditioner we call Lake Superior.

Have ridden to Watersmeet, Land O' Lakes, Munising, St. Ignace, Mackinaw City and spent time on Mackinac Island. Take a look at the May, '07 issue of ON - "Bridges To Adventure." Gives a more detailed account of the area and what I thought of it when I wrote the article.

By the way, where and when is this RA Rally?!
 
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