I gotta find a place to crash during Philly’s All Star Game week without going bankrupt. Here’s how I hunted down cheap stays step by step.
Starting Point: Philly Chaos
First thing I did was pull up the event location map. Saw the stadium area gets nuts during games – traffic jams, Uber surcharge horror stories. Made mental note: walking distance beats saving $20 if I’m hauling gear.
Cheap Hotels Deep Dive
Checked three budget spots that popped up repeatedly:
- Motel 6 near University City: $89/night but sketchy reviews about bed bugs. People said “bring your own sheets” and “heard police sirens all night.” Hard pass.
- Red Roof Inn by airport: $103/night with shuttle service. Dug into shuttle details – runs only every 90 minutes! That’s a no when games run late.
- Independent hostel near Rittenhouse: $55 bunk bed special. Shared bathrooms + rowdy backpacker crowd? Might work for singles but traveling with my buddy who snores like a chainsaw.
Secret Tip Unlocked
Scrolled local Philly forums til 2am. Found gold: hotels don’t list “All Star Game packages” as deals! Called Comfort Inn downtown directly, asked about non-refundable midweek rates. Boom! Got $117/night with free cancellation window by booking Tuesday-Thursday. Website showed $189 for same dates.
Final Verdict
Comfort Inn won because:
- 15 minute walk to stadium saves transport $
- Breakfast included (hello, free coffee)
- Actual doors that lock (unlike hostel)
Moral of the story? Always call hotels during big events. Their online rates are highway robbery compared to phone deals. Packing earplugs for my snoring roommate now.
