Well, I signed up for Summit and then went online to check out the Gaylord Palms Hotel.

The recent kayak.com reviews are terrible but tripadvisor is positive.

Kathy Drago says: "I'm confident you will indeed enjoy the hotel," based on her two previous experiences, including Summit 2009.

So despite the negative reviews, I guess I'll make my reservation.

However the parking could be an issue: It's $17 + tax a day for hotel guests, according to the hotel - $13 according to the IBI website.

Non-guests will have to pay $17 + tax every time they enter the parking lot, so going out for lunch could get expensive.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: George Patton,

Gaylord Palms is designed to be all-inclusive. That is, have lunch there, shop there, have fun there (they have things like a water park in there), and then have the convention there. Gaylord caters to a lot of conventions - local, national, and international. So they capitalize on the concept that you really won't have much time to run around town in the middle of the convention so they give you everything to keep you entertained while keeping the focus on the convention.

It is quite a distance from all the regular Orlando touristy stuff like the Disney theme parks and the shopping areas. A lot of the Gaylord Palms customer would fly in through the Orlando Airport, get shuttled into Gaylord and hole in. Visits to Disney and such are shuttled around. They partner with a transportation company that does just that 24 hours a day.

When I go to Gaylord Palms to visit people who are staying there, I park way down by the tennis courts so I don't have to pay for parking. It's an aerobic exercise to climb up the hill to the hotel. And yeah, I don't think you're supposed to park there unless you're playing tennis. So yeah, if you're bringing a car, you'll need to prepare for parking fees.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Anatess,

Shuttle to and from the Airport to Hotel is $30.
Might be easier to forget the car and find shuttles to where you might want to go.

I'll be driving in from Miami, even though I'm normally in Canada. So I'll bear in mind the tennis courts!

Hi George,

The hotel is very nice and the hotel staff really does go above and beyond. Information Builders is also sending a ton of staff to cover the meeting as well. Any issues you have while you are there just let us know at the registration desk and we will be happy to assist you.

For the internet acces you mentioned in your earlier post, just ask for it at the registration desk when you check in. We will provide you with the code.

Information Builders will provide conference attendees with a Sunday Night Welcome Reception, Monday night Cocktail Reception, Tuesday night Off-Site Event, Wednesday night President's Reception (Ask Gerry), breakfast Monday – Thursday, and lunch Monday – Wednesday.

You probably won't have to venture out of the hotel much.

We look forward to seeing everyone at Summit 2012! It really is a super event and I'm sure many will agree.

Don't hesistate to contact me if you have any questions. Be sure to visit me at the Focal Point Booth!

Sincerely,

Kathleen_Butler@ibi.com
Information Builders

You know what really sucks? Having a Summit right in your backyard and not have tickets.



But, I have passes to Sea World. So, if somebody wants to demo some stuff at Sea World, I'm there. lol!

I know the Gaylord is a nice hotel, but Ive always thought it was a bit pricey for a conference hotel. We had the same parking issue a few years ago when it was at Orlando, if I remember right, there wasnt a free shuttle to the theme parks. So if your looking to capitalize on being in that area then you will need a car. They should, in my opinion, comp parking as part of the conference. They have a nice large lot, it wont cost them a thing.

Parking at any of the Orlando theme parks can run you up to $15 per park per day as well. So, shuttling versus theme park parking may be a toss-up.

This is one of many reasons to hold the conference on Las Vegas. Just saying.