First time doing Augusta 70.3 and looking at the lodging options it seems to be pretty slim pickings. I like to stay within walking distance of the race site for big races but the only 2 legit options downtown (Marriott and Holiday Inn Express) are sold out. There are a few other crappy hotels downtown that my wife would never let us stay in. It looks like there a cluster of decent hotels about 7.5 miles from race site out by Augusta National off I-20 and another cluster of hotels West about 10 miles from race site. Anybody got any input? Seems like these are the 2 main options. Thanks!
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Re: Augusta 70.3 lodging advice? [triguy86]
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triguy86 wrote:
First time doing Augusta 70.3 and looking at the lodging options it seems to be pretty slim pickings. I like to stay within walking distance of the race site for big races but the only 2 legit options downtown (Marriott and Holiday Inn Express) are sold out. There are a few other crappy hotels downtown that my wife would never let us stay in. It looks like there a cluster of decent hotels about 7.5 miles from race site out by Augusta National off I-20 and another cluster of hotels West about 10 miles from race site. Anybody got any input? Seems like these are the 2 main options. Thanks!There is a Ramada downtown that I stayed at. It was old and rundown but it was at least walkable to the host hotel and you could bike to transition. pretty much everything downtown is old and rundown. You probably are better off and one of the other decent hotels. The race itself was enjoyable. Your family will get to see you a bunch on the run downtown. But honestly, that downtown sucks. It has so much potential because it's walkable and next to the river.
Re: Augusta 70.3 lodging advice? [triguy86]
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I have not had to use the hotels for the race but did recently move from Augusta. In terms of walking distance hotels, the Marriott is really your only option. The Holiday Inn Express is brand new but in an area I would not want to stay or walk from unless hookers and drugs are your thing. You may be able to find something on airbnb but condo type homes are very limited in that area. I know it does not meet your walking criteria but hotels out by Augusta National or out near the Target on Walton Way are going to be your best bets. There are plenty of food options at either of those locations.
Join the Augusta 70.3 facebook group, then look on the group page under "files". There's a guide to area hotels, as well as a bunch of other stuff that you might find useful. Course GPS files, for example.
The Holiday Inn Express is pretty popular with repeat racers and directly on the run course. The Marriott is the host hotel, connected to the convention center where you check in, and the closest hotel to the finish. Neither hotel is near transition, though. There's nothing near transition. The Ramada gets pretty low marks from people on the FB group. It's old and dirty. I'd avoid. Ironically, the Ramada used to be a Marriott, and the Marriott used to be a Ramada. Go figure. Must be a franchise thing.
All the other hotels require a drive, but Augusta is not that big. I stayed out by the mall two years in a row (the Home2Suites), and it was fine. Check out the Partridge Inn also, which is a historic hotel in the residential area just past the medical center.
Some people stay across the river in Aiken, SC, but I don't know much about that area.
The Holiday Inn Express is pretty popular with repeat racers and directly on the run course. The Marriott is the host hotel, connected to the convention center where you check in, and the closest hotel to the finish. Neither hotel is near transition, though. There's nothing near transition. The Ramada gets pretty low marks from people on the FB group. It's old and dirty. I'd avoid. Ironically, the Ramada used to be a Marriott, and the Marriott used to be a Ramada. Go figure. Must be a franchise thing.
All the other hotels require a drive, but Augusta is not that big. I stayed out by the mall two years in a row (the Home2Suites), and it was fine. Check out the Partridge Inn also, which is a historic hotel in the residential area just past the medical center.
Some people stay across the river in Aiken, SC, but I don't know much about that area.