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+--- Forum: Suburbs (https://www.waterlooregionconnected.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=7)
+--- Thread: General Suburban Updates and Rumours (/showthread.php?tid=4)
RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - KevinL - 01-24-2016
Similarly, my brother's family stays at the Hampton Inn by Sportsworld when they visit.
RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - plam - 01-25-2016
(01-24-2016, 09:47 AM)Canard Wrote:(11-03-2015, 03:37 PM)BuildingScout Wrote: Wow, but it doesn't surprise me at all. I predicted this when the Delta opened. Why would I recommend to any of my guests a hotel isolated by the highway, when there is the Waterloo Hotel, the Delta, and the Crowne-Plaza in Kitchener?
It's rather the opposite - it's not isolated by the highway - that's its merit (and about the only one!). Because it's easy access from the highway, so for visitors driving into town, it's much more desirable to simply pop off at an exit and drive 500 m than it is to navigate a confusing downtown that is unfamiliar to them. (Most people aren't coming into Waterloo Region by foot or on bicycle, you have to remember.)
At least, that's how it is for us whenever we travel - we generally aim for hotels off large highways for ease of access - especially since we're usually arriving after dark, as I suspect most visitors who are coming here do as well.
I'm fine with going into a city using my GPS if I have to drive to a city, which I'd rather avoid (and I can avoid that with most of the cities I go to). But ok, so you are at the hotel. Then what do you do the next morning? Now you're isolated near the highway.
Yes, it was terrible to find a hotel in the city before GPS.
RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - tomh009 - 01-25-2016
(01-25-2016, 09:31 AM)plam Wrote: I'm fine with going into a city using my GPS if I have to drive to a city, which I'd rather avoid (and I can avoid that with most of the cities I go to). But ok, so you are at the hotel. Then what do you do the next morning? Now you're isolated near the highway.
For me, usually I go to a meeting the next morning.
So our visitors typically stay at the Crown Plaza, from where they can walk to our office. If there are no hotels within walking distance, then it doesn't matter so much anyway.In the old days, 10+ years ago, when I worked in Waterloo, most of our visitors stayed at Waterloo Inn. It was reasonably convenient, and there were few alternatives unless you were to stay way down in Kitchener. The situation has totally changed now, though.
RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - plam - 01-25-2016
(01-25-2016, 10:19 AM)tomh009 Wrote:(01-25-2016, 09:31 AM)plam Wrote: I'm fine with going into a city using my GPS if I have to drive to a city, which I'd rather avoid (and I can avoid that with most of the cities I go to). But ok, so you are at the hotel. Then what do you do the next morning? Now you're isolated near the highway.
For me, usually I go to a meeting the next morning.
In the old days, 10+ years ago, when I worked in Waterloo, most of our visitors stayed at Waterloo Inn. It was reasonably convenient, and there were few alternatives unless you were to stay way down in Kitchener. The situation has totally changed now, though.
Yes, conferences are also a thing where it's good to be able to walk from the hotel to the conference and also around the city. Waterloo doesn't have so many good conference facilities though.
I did confuse the Waterloo Inn with the Waterloo Hotel once and stayed at the Waterloo Inn (oops). Yes, as we've been discussing, with a car you can get from the Waterloo Inn to elsewhere, but otherwise it's not so good.
To visit an office in uptown or downtown it does seem to me like the central options are best.
RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - panamaniac - 01-25-2016
It makes one glad to know that the renovated Walper will soon (?) be back as an option.
RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - Canard - 01-25-2016
(01-25-2016, 09:31 AM)plam Wrote: Now you're isolated near the highway.
"isolated near the highway" is such an oxymoron to me.
RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - plam - 01-25-2016
(01-25-2016, 01:16 PM)Canard Wrote:(01-25-2016, 09:31 AM)plam Wrote: Now you're isolated near the highway.
"isolated near the highway" is such an oxymoron to me.
Sure, you're isolated in your car from all of human society. If you have a car. If not, well, sucks to be you.
RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - zanate - 01-25-2016
(01-25-2016, 01:16 PM)Canard Wrote:(01-25-2016, 09:31 AM)plam Wrote: Now you're isolated near the highway.
"isolated near the highway" is such an oxymoron to me.
Maybe you're not geographically isolated, but the social isolation is real. Business trips I've done, the highwayside hotel is, while convenient, a terribly lonely place. If I want to get together with anyone for drinks after work, it's always with this spectre of having to drive afterwards, which really deadens things.
Kinda miss out on actually seeing anything that's even remotely different than the typical highway exit generica too.
Still, traveler's choice. Convenience or content? Obviously hotels in these locations have a thriving business model.
RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - Viewfromthe42 - 01-26-2016
Is it really a thriving business model (e.g. The former, not current, Waterloo Inn)? Or a vestige of decades ago, when you might have driven along highway 7, and decided that it was just too dark/tired/rainy to go on, and the "winning" motel was whichever one you stumbled, pre-GPS, upon first? Nowadays, there's no excuse for being unable to find the Delta in Waterloo (take Bridgeport exit, turn right on Erb, arrive).
RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - plam - 01-26-2016
(01-26-2016, 07:48 AM)Viewfromthe42 Wrote: Is it really a thriving business model (e.g. The former, not current, Waterloo Inn)? Or a vestige of decades ago, when you might have driven along highway 7, and decided that it was just too dark/tired/rainy to go on, and the "winning" motel was whichever one you stumbled, pre-GPS, upon first? Nowadays, there's no excuse for being unable to find the Delta in Waterloo (take Bridgeport exit, turn right on Erb, arrive).
Pre-GPS and pre-smartphone. I'll usually use an app to reserve a room before I get to a hotel. I can't remember the last time I asked about rack rates at a hotel. It seems like it would be more than 10 years ago. And that's in non-G20 countries too.
Plus, it's not like the 85 is on the way to a lot of places. This business model would have worked better on Route 66 for instance.
RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - zanate - 01-26-2016
(01-26-2016, 08:03 AM)plam Wrote:(01-26-2016, 07:48 AM)Viewfromthe42 Wrote: Is it really a thriving business model (e.g. The former, not current, Waterloo Inn)? Or a vestige of decades ago, when you might have driven along highway 7, and decided that it was just too dark/tired/rainy to go on, and the "winning" motel was whichever one you stumbled, pre-GPS, upon first? Nowadays, there's no excuse for being unable to find the Delta in Waterloo (take Bridgeport exit, turn right on Erb, arrive).
Pre-GPS and pre-smartphone. I'll usually use an app to reserve a room before I get to a hotel. I can't remember the last time I asked about rack rates at a hotel. It seems like it would be more than 10 years ago. And that's in non-G20 countries too.
Plus, it's not like the 85 is on the way to a lot of places. This business model would have worked better on Route 66 for instance.
Having recently guided visiting coworkers to the selection of local hotels, they unanimously preferred hotels out by St Jacobs instead of in the city (i.e. the Delta Waterloo or whatever the Four Seasons is now) due to ease of driving to them and to the office (on the North side of Waterloo), and also because of a $15-20/night price difference.
RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - Viewfromthe42 - 01-26-2016
And so, so long as Waterloo makes it hard to have a business in UpTown (thinking about density limits right in the core, dislike for gambling that a business would be as attractive built out by Ezra or John than built right by the square, etc), Delta could feel that same challenge. As is, you might have some folks (after construction) who would walk or transit up to UW or R&T park (though visitors have much more 'office' to lug around with them), and much smaller numbers visiting Perimeter or CIGI for whom the walk wouldn't be as much of a concern, but still likely that a car would be seen as a necessity for in-city use, and thus picking Delta vs. St. Jacobs becomes less compelling?
RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - rangersfan - 01-26-2016
Development guidelines are now in place for one of the last large undeveloped parcels in Waterloo. The most exciting part to me is the thought of having a mixed use trail down Beaver Creek Rd.
http://m.therecord.com/news-story/6249810-development-guidelines-set-for-major-west-waterloo-suburb
RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - KevinL - 01-26-2016
Green Acre Trailer Park (and Erbsville Kartway, if it remains) will now have a more upscale surroundings!
RE: General Suburban Updates and Rumours - TMKM94 - 01-27-2016
IMO I hope this subdivision doesn't happen it's worse enough that Vista hills was allowed. They should build this development in the St.Jacobs/Elmira or Heidelberg area instead. Will there be any conservation left on Conservation Dr.? Hasn't enough environmentally sensitive land been destroyed? Also Erbsville kartway is the last go kart track in the region/area.