I'm ridin' in from Arkansas and stayin' at a downtown hotel in Austin. I really appreciate the ROT discounted rates. At so many other big rallies, the hotels take advantage and raise the rates. It's gonna be great! 

I passed along your compliment to ROT management. :)

We are going to arrive Tuesday Night and need a motel/hotel for that night only, so we no nothing about Austin, what part of town do we want to be in? Or not be in...LOL

does anyone know of the closest hotel to the rally is?? That is what I'm interested in finding

Alright Hicups, you're making it again this year!!!  Glad to hear it!

 

As to closest hotels, I'll defer to the locals on that one.  We stayed at the Doubletree our first year there and it wasn't a bad drive.  But that is the only hotel I have personal experience with in Austin. 

I've stayed at the Hilton and the Omni but mainly for their proximity to 6th Street. Still and all it was only a 15 minute ride out to the Expo Center. Nice secure parking at each facility....Street

The Super 8 motel is the closest to the Fair Grounds:

5606 East 51st Street, Austin
(512) 926-5100

My riding partners stayed there last year for the entire rally and found it both reasonable and clean/safe.  If you're only staging to come onto the grounds, it's the closest.  Otherwise, your choices are a balance between price and proximity to 6th ST & Congress; the next closest hotel to the Rally Grounds is over 5 miles away.

Rocket

thanks rocket,  did your friends tell you tif they had motorcycle parking or not??? i will be staying in a motel for the rally....was hoping to camp but that is another story for another time

thanks street

thank you spirit for the info. I remember one called "red lion" or something on the corner of 35n and 290. they have a bar inside and the hotel/motel has been ther for years and years

The Red Lion was next door to the Doubletree where we stayed.  They have a parking garage and during ROT the top floor (and I think think it was two floors) are bike parking only.

Red lion (was) next door?? is it still open? same/different name??? anyone know?

"Is" as far as I know.   "Was" there 7 yrs ago when we stayed at Doubletree. :)

My friends said the Super 8 had an area for motorcycles to park set aside.  I've also stayed downtown in '07 and '08.  In '07 we were at the Hilton down on 6th.  It was nice and convenient to the downtown party.  They had motorcycle parking on one of the levels and provided cleaning rags and supplies.  In '08, we were at the Embassy Suites on Congress, just across the river.  It was still walking distance to the downtown party and of course, the breakfast and manager's receptions were great.  They provided towels and hoses to clean the bikes and set aside parking right up front.  Stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn in '09 for the one night of the downtown activities and regretted it.  Our neighbors on the fairgrounds described what we missed...can't look at our two lounge chairs without recalling the description of the activities that transpired upon them in our absence...you fill in the blanks.  

 

Hope that helps!

 

Rocket 

 

thanks rocket

Motel 6 has the cheapest rates, $81 per night. only 9 miles away

where is that motel 6 located????

we stayed at double tree at hwy 290 & I-35 N, the hotel was not hard to get to by using Cameron St. off of HWY 290, THE PRICE ($129.00 + TAX per night). I was not happy with the $8.00/night parking fee, but it was covered even though we did not have any rain

there were gas stops, convenience stores, and eataries all along the 290/decker lane route we took mostly

What... no rain? I thought it always rained weds. before ROT. At least it did both times we went and yes.... both times I got stuck parking the truck where it shouldn't have been. Bet that don't happen this year.Yeah, I'm a little slow but there won't be a third time getting pulled outta the mud.

For some reason it dose I always tell people it will rain wed

Actually, R. O. T. stands for Rain On Thursday, didn't ya know? lol  That's actually when we usually get bombarded; but we have gotten inundated on Wed a couple of times, too.  The big toronado threat was on Thursday year before last.  It not only stopped the REK concert, ended my meet and greet and stole my popup canopy but the dang lightening hit the big light on my lots!  That was a scary storm!

Yeah if you are going stay offsite .. it does help out alot if they give ya a break on the cost of a place to sleep and shower..otherwise you are on the rally grounds or you are missing out.

yeah that was the year we camped...crazy

Spirit said:

The big toronado threat was on Thursday year before last.

 

OK Spirit...too much fun is running the years together.  The Robert Earl Keen-cancelling thunderstorms and tornadoes was 2009.  We were at Purple E-25 watching the local Austin TV stations report the tornado at Round Rock.  Just as the first gust of the thunderstorms hit, a bolt of lightning hit the power pole/light at the corner of Purple E-row/Green A-row/Lime.  There were people standing under it who scattered incredibly fast...sparks hit the ground where they had been standing.  I turned to ask my wife is she saw the lightening and she wasn't there...had run into the Hobbi faster than I thought humanly possible!  In true ROT fashion, the staff opened the T-dome for shelter.  Given the rain, that turned into a large wet T-shirt assembly/party.  Within 30-minutes of the line passing, the parade route was back running and the party resumed. 

 

Hope this year's party is as resilient and not quite as windy/wet!

 

Rockett

Okay, 3 ROT's ago.  I'm old, leave me alone. lol!

 

I didn't know it hit two poles.  Bruce and Eileen were camped next to us and he was standing in the open doorway watching the storm.  When it hit the pole - right next to their camper - Bruce, big old 6'8" Bruce, screamed like a girl.  Or at least that's what everyone in their camper at the time said. :D

 

Last year we had no rain, right?  Then year before last it flooded on Wed morning as everyone was trying to come in with the RV's and some areas were too muddy to park in for a while.  Then the year before that was the big storm.  And the year before that TexDeb brought the Pink Barbie bike.  I think I have that timeline - oh man I hate the new Timeline on FB - correct.  Using the word "timeline" got my mind wandering ... sorry. :)