Buffalo Park and Fly

[formill]

We were going to try the Staybridge Suites and booked through Buy Reservations months ago......when I booked the site said it was good for 6 people....anyway people here had good reviews, big room etc.....today I called the hotel directly and they will not change our room to a suite- said we had a studio booked-one queen and one sofa bed- they could maybe put a rollaway bed in which still leaves us short a bed......so I asked if I could upgrade....he finally comes back with I will have to cancel through Buy Reservations and then go through hotel and it is now $199 compared to the $100 I had reserved.......so then I call Buy Reservations and they are no help- they said hotel changed policy not them.......does not matter that when I booked it said for 6 people......and would I like to cancel? Buy Reservations have nothing now for 6 people in one room.......so in the end after some searching online I went back to the same as last year- priceline. We have 2 rooms booked now at the Days Inn Buffalo Airport for $45 each room. I guess in the end since the $199 will include parking if I booked via Staybridge it will be around the same price as what I am doing but I was annoyed they would not honour what I had booked. We have had shuttle issues coming home with long waits so I will probably be happier parking at the airport anyway.

 

[Mickey1Fan]

Friends of mine booked the Clarion and are paying $107. Includes breakfast, shuttle, and keeping the car but for four, not six.

Check out the sleep park fly site. They decided booking that way was easier than priceline or other options.

I usually use priceline but not for six people. It also depends on when you are travelling as to the cost.

 

[stefanospops]

If you are just going to park at the airport anyways then does it matter where the hotel is? You may be able to find less expensive rooms elsewhere near Buffalo or even Niagara Falls.

We are also 6 people and because of issues finding hotel rooms vs price we just book flights that leave no earlier than 8am. We figure that even if we leave for Buffalo at 5am that is still the same 3 hours before we need if we fly out of Pearson, but this way we avoid the long lineup to pass security. I would much rather spend the first hour and a half between loading, driving and parking my car than standing in a line to clear US customs at Pearson.

 

[Mickey1Fan]

That is just too scary for me. I would never travel to Buffalo the day I'm flying out. A few weeks ago I was travelling between London and Toronto and was forced off the 401, it took me two hours a normal 45 minutes ride. The people on the 401 were trapped for four hours. I said to several people that it was why I would never 'assume' I'd get to Buffalo in time for a flight from Toronto.

Just my two cents.

 

[formill]

I am just too paranoid to not stay over the night before a flight and we usually try for an early morning flight so as to maximize Florida time......I would prefer our flight a little later than the current departure time of 5:55 am though! We just like a hotel close to the airport and try and do it as cheaply as possible. We often have used priceline and just book two rooms if we can not get a suite hotel at a good price since there is always at least 6 of us.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

We were going to try the Staybridge Suites and booked through Buy Reservations months ago......when I booked the site said it was good for 6 people....anyway people here had good reviews, big room etc.....today I called the hotel directly and they will not change our room to a suite- said we had a studio booked-one queen and one sofa bed- they could maybe put a rollaway bed in which still leaves us short a bed......so I asked if I could upgrade....he finally comes back with I will have to cancel through Buy Reservations and then go through hotel and it is now $199 compared to the $100 I had reserved.......so then I call Buy Reservations and they are no help- they said hotel changed policy not them.......does not matter that when I booked it said for 6 people......and would I like to cancel? Buy Reservations have nothing now for 6 people in one room.......so in the end after some searching online I went back to the same as last year- priceline. We have 2 rooms booked now at the Days Inn Buffalo Airport for $45 each room. I guess in the end since the $199 will include parking if I booked via Staybridge it will be around the same price as what I am doing but I was annoyed they would not honour what I had booked. We have had shuttle issues coming home with long waits so I will probably be happier parking at the airport anyway.

If at all possible, I always prefer booking direct with a property rather than through a third party (such as Buy Reservations). In our experience, you simply get treated more favourably and have a much better chance at getting any special requests honoured. Not that we have been treated "badly" when booking through Expedia, Hotwire, etc., but there is a definite trend to lesser quality accommodations, inferior views, more resistance when a special request is noted, and so on. Maybe we've just been unlucky but that's certainly been our experience.

We have the Days Inn booked for our December park and fly in Buffalo. With all taxes and an extra day's parking (outside of the 7 nights under the package), it came to $131. We thought that was pretty reasonable, but we are family of 3 and don't need some of the extra space that you would require with a larger group. That said, the shuttle is free and breakfast starts early enough that we can grab something to eat before we depart for our 7:55 am flight. And there's a Tim Hortons right next door....so DH can get his last triple-triple before we embark on a week in the Florida sun .

 

[stefanospops]

I understand there are those people who don't like to "chance" it, but from my perspective, unless the QEW is closed from Oakville all the way to Niagara Falls then we're okay to make it there on time. We've got our choice of the QEW/403/407 all the way to Buirlington that really the most dangerous chance we take is that the QEW is closed between Hamilton and Grimsby and we are forced onto side streets. Even if there is an accident and we are reduced to a lane or two we are still driving there at 5am or 6am when traffic is significantly lighter and going, for the most part, in the opposite direction.

We are always prepared to jump into a car the night before and get a hotel room should the weather dictate it in the winter. I guess no matter which option you go with the best thing you can do is be quick to move to an alternate plan if needed.

 

[who's ur daddy?]

Jaunt.ca Hotel Promo...

Never stayed there, but sounds like a deal and a half.

http://jaunt.ca/?w=5112&locale=en&utm_source=bm23&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Holiday+Inn+Buffalo+Amherst+%2C+Amherst%2C+NY&utm_content=Toronto+Getaway%2C+Collingwood+Resort%2C+Buffalo+Shopping+or+Pre-Flight+Stay+and+More&utm_campaign=WJ+ON+2+-+Local+-+Toronto+Don+Valley+%2F+Cranberry+%2F+Holiday+Inn+Buffalo+%2F+Hotel+St.+Paul+%2F+Oakes+Hotel+%2F+Hillview+%2F+Lord+Nelson+%2F+LC%3A+Inn+at+the+Falls+%2F+Lundy%27s+%2F+VAC%3A+Bahia+%2F+Luxury+Bahia+-+Nov+6+2012

 

[erynsmom]

I just booked the Days Inn today. We got a room and 7 days parking for $119 + tax and I have to add $8 for an extra day of parking. I also booked a room for the night we fly back and got it for $99 + tax. We haven't stayed at a Days Inn before but there were quite a few good reviews so I went for it.
Last time we stayed in Buffalo we stayed at the Holiday Inn and then parked at the airport and payed more than the Days Inn.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

I just booked the Days Inn today. We got a room and 7 days parking for $119 + tax and I have to add $8 for an extra day of parking. I also booked a room for the night we fly back and got it for $99 + tax. We haven't stayed at a Days Inn before but there were quite a few good reviews so I went for it.
Last time we stayed in Buffalo we stayed at the Holiday Inn and then parked at the airport and payed more than the Days Inn.

That's where we are staying on our Christmas trip. We thought the rate was pretty decent......and there is a Tim Hortons right on the property (in the building next door), so we can grab one final "good" cup of coffee before our early morning flight. A week is a long time to be without our beloved Timmies so this was the deciding factor!

 

[erynsmom]

Thank goodness for the Timmies! My MIL will love that!

 

[Disneylover99]

I just booked the Days Inn today. We got a room and 7 days parking for $119 + tax and I have to add $8 for an extra day of parking. I also booked a room for the night we fly back and got it for $99 + tax. We haven't stayed at a Days Inn before but there were quite a few good reviews so I went for it.
Last time we stayed in Buffalo we stayed at the Holiday Inn and then parked at the airport and payed more than the Days Inn.

We stayed there in August. We will definitely stay there again.
the shuttle buses to and from the airport were so quick and efficient.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

We stayed there in August. We will definitely stay there again.
the shuttle buses to and from the airport were so quick and efficient.

Awesome to hear!!!

Did you have breakfast at the hotel when you stayed there, and if so, what did you think of it?

 

[darwinsrule]

Awesome to hear!!!

Did you have breakfast at the hotel when you stayed there, and if so, what did you think of it?

We were also there in Aug. In the past we have used the Thrifty lot in behind when we drove done day of flight. Day's was nice, nothing fancy but it works and the shuttle is great (same shuttle Thrifty uses). Bfast is the usual stuff. Cereal, muffins, coffee, juices. Worked well for the kids. I grabbed stuff at the airport.

 

[Disneylover99]

Awesome to hear!!!

Did you have breakfast at the hotel when you stayed there, and if so, what did you think of it?

Breakfast was great! We went down for breakfast at 5:30 am. There was cereal, muffins, pastries, bagels, hard boiled eggs, juice, coffee, tea...

As soon as we finished, we let the front desk know that we were ready for the shuttle and at that point there were a few other families ready to take the shuttle to the airport. All of a sudden there was a line, but instantly a few other shuttle buses arrived, and nobody had to wait.

I guess even if you had to wait, the wait would be so minimal since the airport is right across the street.

It's funny... We booked the hotel because it's right beside the Tim's but we never even ended up getting a coffee from there.