2015 Oshkosh Hotel prices...WTF!?!

Silvaire said:
Nope, Airventure 2011
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I take your word for it... I landed about 10 minutes before the storm hit and just got the plane tied down tightly as the winds picked up.. I never got over to that area I guess, all I remember seeing was a bi plane flipped by the experimental HQ / sign in shed....
 
I stayed at the Retlaw hotel (3 stars) in Fon du Lac this year. I paid $280/night
but you can book for next year at $117/night. It's about 20 mins from Oshkosh.
I left Fon du Lac at 7:30 am each morning and traffic was a breeze. I was able
to park fairly close to the main gate each day. The room includes a buffet breakfast
and they have a gym.

The town of Fon du Lac is like a ghost town though. Not many restaurants to choose
from. The hotel was ok but not great. Still had old tube-style TVs :) Service
was ok though and it was fairly clean. It's not a bad deal though at $117 if you just
need a place to stay.

Victor
 
I stayed at the Retlaw hotel (3 stars) in Fon du Lac this year. I paid $280/night but you can book for next year at $117/night. It's about 20 mins from Oshkosh.
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WTF? Why is the same hotel price less than HALF what it was last year? What happened?

The room includes a buffet breakfast and they have a gym.
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If you need (or are capable of) using a gym after a day at Oshkosh, you're doing something wrong. :lol:
 
FloridaPilot said:
I have never paid that much for a two star hotel, in my opinion the value isn't there. If they sell out, then more power to them but it wouldn't be me. a super 8 hotel for 800+ for the weekend? You gotta be kidding.
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Try visiting Fargo some time. $500+/night in a Hampton's Inn any night of any week, pretty much.
 
onwards said:
Try visiting Fargo some time. $500+/night in a Hampton's Inn any night of any week, pretty much.
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As in Fargo, ND ?

You may be thinking of Williston.
 
Mike I said:
Rent a house nearby and split with friends. I did this in 2012 and 2014, and spent under $125/night for my room, and I was a 5-7 minute walk from Basler at the NE corner of the field, where a free shuttle took me to the gate. No worries about traffic, no need for a rental car or parking.
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But unless you time it right, these may also have to be reserved 2-3 years in advance. I looked at a house during OSH this year, but waited to reserve it until the expo was over. House was gone --- again one of those 5 minute walk away deals -- $75/nite
 
Years in advance isn't required. Contact the convention bureau (visitoshkosh.com) early on in the year and you can see what's available. I've had several friends who didn't plan "years in advance" and got houses.

There's other interesting places to stay. The YMCA rented out their indoor soccer field (you pitched your tent on the astroturf). You had the benefit of hot showers and flush toilets unlike the "real" camping. I once got an offer of a room in the Convent of the Sacred Heart.
 
FloridaPilot said:
I don't have a plane yet but I would LOVE do that!!
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You don't need a plane to camp on the grounds at OSH - If you have a plane, you camp in the North 40 (GAC), Homebuilt Camping, or Vintage Camping. If you don't have a plane, you camp in Camp Scholler. I've done each several times. It really is the only way to do Oshkosh right - 24/7 aviation! :)

KSMooniac said:
There is no better way to experience OSH than to camp on the field. I even convinced my dad to camp with me in 2010 and he loved it. He is a dad that NEVER took us hiking, camping, etc. and I didn't think he had ever been in a tent. I was mostly right...last time prior to the show was Vietnam. Save that hotel money for buying goodies at the show.
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This!

Silvaire said:
Tent camping under the wing at Oshkosh can be fun some days and on other days, well...
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I don't think that's Oshkosh.

Silvaire said:
Nope, Airventure 2011
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Still not buying it. Sloshkosh was 2010 and there weren't that many planes on the field. I've never seen that much water on the field, period, other than Sloshkosh. Finally, you can easily see a VOR in the picture, but there are no buildings. The geometry is all wrong for it to be OSH.

Your point, however, is true - Camping on a cold rainy night may not be fun. Personally, if I don't have a high wing to throw a tarp over, I use an extra canopy to help keep the tent dry.
 
You guys are right, I got it off a webpage titled "Oshkosh 2011" - should have paid closer attention. :redface:
 
The nice thing that happened in this years trip is I made some great friends that I brought the dog to so now I have a permanent invite to stay with them whenever in OSH. :D
 
BillTIZ said:
I am a very noisy sleeper. I can clear at least 2 cord of wood a night with a hand saw. I would not have very pleasant neighbors in the morning. I might find my plane and tent banished to the far woods.

Yes, bears do sleep in the woods. :wink2:
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Besides.. the FAA would be waiting beside your tent in the morning to confiscate your medical. Noisy sleeper = sleep apnea = dangerous pilot = no flying for you! :nono:
 
With my wife's back problems camping is out. We stay in West Bend, Country Inn & Suites for $100 and change and drive up.
 
EppyGA said:
With my wife's back problems camping is out. We stay in West Bend, Country Inn & Suites for $100 and change and drive up.
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West Bend is where I was born. That is a long drive, just to avoid camping.

BTW: the new inflatable air beds have changed OSH camping 100%. They are more comfortable than 90% of the motel beds I've slept on.
 
Jay Honeck said:
West Bend is where I was born. That is a long drive, just to avoid camping.

BTW: the new inflatable air beds have changed OSH camping 100%. They are more comfortable than 90% of the motel beds I've slept on.
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Yep, I love the battery powered one I have, when I wake up and it's low from cooling off, I just roll off the side, hit the switch and it's full again in a few moments.
 
Henning said:
Yep, I love the battery powered one I have, when I wake up and it's low from cooling off, I just roll off the side, hit the switch and it's full again in a few moments.
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This is interesting...I never knew such things existed! SHMBO is coming to OSH 2015 and isnt overly enthusiastic about camping...need to look into this:yes:
 
I think dad and I are going to drive up in his RV this year and camp. I want to fly in but there is no way both of us and any camping gear can make that trek in a Grumman AA1.
 
We actually switched from the inflatable air bed to the Cabellas folding camp cots with the extra thick self inflating pads. Not only does it get you off the ground and you don't have to worry about the thing springing a leak, it's a bit more comfortable on my back and you can store stuff underneath them (and in my wife's case, she can extend the head end legs a little longer and get the incline she needs for her acid reflux).

We don't lug the camping gear back and forth anymore, we leave it in Oshkosh. Oddly, the plane is still full of stuff when we go up.
 
I stayed in the dorms the last two years and it was great. The bus is easy to use and cheap. Not only are hotels expensive, the rental cars from all of the airports in the area were outrageous this year as well.

Carl
 
+1 for Camp Scholler.

I met such a good group when I camped there last year I stayed in Scholler again even though I flew in this summer. Aviation conversations around camp fires every night and when caught on the other end of the field during a rain storm, of course one of the other campers buttoned up my tent.

I took only 12 lbs of camping gear in my LSA. Tent, sleeping bag, air mattress, what else do you need?
 
FloridaPilot said:
It's just amazing to me that I can go to the same hotel right now for 80 bucks a night...:nonod:
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Why is it amazing? Go look at what it costs for a night at the Flamingo in Vegas next Tuesday vs New Years Eve. Supply and demand my friend.
 
kenjr said:
Why is it amazing? Go look at what it costs for a night at the Flamingo in Vegas next Tuesday vs New Years Eve. Supply and demand my friend.
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The manager at one of the chain hotels in OSH told me that in addition to supply and demand he manipulates the price by blocking out rooms well in advance which causes the companies algorithm to raise the price on the remaining rooms. When releases the blocks piecemeal prior to the event, they now ring up at the higher price ;) .
 
Amusingly at Sun n Fun the cancelled rooms go up at a discount. We stayed there for a week for a comparitively small number of Hilton points (less than two nights at the farther out Hampton would have cost me).
 
flyingron said:
Amusingly at Sun n Fun the cancelled rooms go up at a discount. We stayed there for a week for a comparitively small number of Hilton points (less than two nights at the farther out Hampton would have cost me).
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That is what happens if the manager gets too greedy and waits too long to release the blocks or releases too many at a time which allows a points freeloader like you to snag them up ;) .
 
I just bid to have the week of Oshkosh off, and have a 182RG all lined up with a buddy to get there. We want to camp it.

Neither of us have been, and we're getting excited. Based of what I've read here, the North 40 is where the party is. Is there any other place we should consider, or just set our focus on there? It'll be the two of us, the camping gear, and the leftover payload will be for the booze. :)
 
kayoh190 said:
I just bid to have the week of Oshkosh off, and have a 182RG all lined up with a buddy to get there. We want to camp it.

Neither of us have been, and we're getting excited. Based of what I've read here, the North 40 is where the party is. Is there any other place we should consider, or just set our focus on there? It'll be the two of us, the camping gear, and the leftover payload will be for the booze. :)
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GAC (GA Camping) = North 40. It's where you're going to be anyway if you are camping with the plane. And yes, it's where you want to be.

I think there's actually more "party" down in Scholler, but that's because the ground pounders have more useful load to bring in "stuff" to party with. But you'll love the North 40 as well. I've done both and it really doesn't matter to me which I do, as long as I'm on the field 24/7 the whole week! :)
 
Grum.Man said:
I think dad and I are going to drive up in his RV this year and camp. I want to fly in but there is no way both of us and any camping gear can make that trek in a Grumman AA1.
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You could do what some do - Drive the RV up a week in advance, park it, fly commercial home, and then fly the plane in for the show and stay in the RV. Reverse the process on the way home.

Others will leave a bunch of gear in storage somewhere near OSH so they don't have to fly it in.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
But you'll love the North 40 as well. I've done both and it really doesn't matter to me which I do, as long as I'm on the field 24/7 the whole week! :)
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Appreciate the info! We're both really excited to go. The plan is to be there for at least four days - it's a 1500nm trip, so there's a good amount of travel time needed on both ends.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
You could do what some do - Drive the RV up a week in advance, park it, fly commercial home, and then fly the plane in for the show and stay in the RV. Reverse the process on the way home.
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Lol, that or an adult kid you can coerce into driving it up for you.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
You could do what some do - Drive the RV up a week in advance, park it, fly commercial home, and then fly the plane in for the show and stay in the RV. Reverse the process on the way home.

Others will leave a bunch of gear in storage somewhere near OSH so they don't have to fly it in.
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One year my wife and stepson flew the Navion up and set up camp and I flew in commercial into ATW. Another year I had to be back at work so I flew up with her in the Navion, returned home commercial and then flew back to fly the plane back.

We split a storage locker with ten other couples off the south end of the field. Whoever gets there first borrows a truck from one of the locals and retrieves all the stuff.
 
flyingron said:
We split a storage locker with ten other couples off the south end of the field. Whoever gets there first borrows a truck from one of the locals and retrieves all the stuff.
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I met a canadian guy who bought a cheap house in Oshkosh during the real estate crisis with the single purpose of having a place to stay for airventure. His place is walking distance from the Hilton. I dont think he even rents it out for the rest of the year.
 
I've got a friend who has a similar place in Lakeland, though such "vacation" spots are certainly much more common in Florida than Wisconsin.
 
kayoh190 said:
Appreciate the info! We're both really excited to go. The plan is to be there for at least four days - it's a 1500nm trip, so there's a good amount of travel time needed on both ends.
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The R182 is a great bird for that kind of trip, though... If you can take the full week for vacation and be ready to go early, you should be able to make it close on the first day and stay somewhere in southern WI overnight. Then you'll have a short leg the next morning and be fresh for the arrival.

If you can, take the Monday after Airventure off work too - Then you can stay for the Saturday night airshow, which is not to be missed, and get home with plenty of time to unpack and sleep off the effects of the show.
 
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