Marriot Marquis vs Hilton Bayfront

[stl_ben]

I tried them once, the group I was with was all about it.  We rode from the MGH to the bayfront.  My group turned and said I need $20 from everyone.  Now I don't know if they were overpaying but $80 to get from the MGH to the Bayfront.  I have never again done one of those.

We had almost the exact same experience.  Thought the short ride was $20, I was $20 for each of us.....and not done again.

[RustyPonds]

Stayed at the MMM for the first time in 2019 and loved it.

While Hard Rock is still my favorite hotel, MMM was great when it came to Hall H lines (due to how far down the moved the start of that line in 2019), the awesome pool, and just feeling immersed in the Con.

[tsnyder]

We had almost the exact same experience.  Thought the short ride was $20, I was $20 for each of us.....and not done again.

I will have to keep that in mind

[Transmute Jun]

Stayed at the MMM for the first time in 2019 and loved it.

While Hard Rock is still my favorite hotel, MMM was great when it came to Hall H lines (due to how far down the moved the start of that line in 2019), the awesome pool, and just feeling immersed in the Con.

Plus not having to cross the street into the Gaslamp when a mass of humanity is trying to get out of the convention center at the end of the day. It once took me 30 minutes just to cross the street!

[tsnyder]

Plus not having to cross the street into the Gaslamp when a mass of humanity is trying to get out of the convention center at the end of the day. It once took me 30 minutes just to cross the street!

We got stuck one time coming from Hard Rock by what felt like the LONGEST train in the existence of mankind. 

[Transmute Jun]

We got stuck one time coming from Hard Rock by what felt like the LONGEST train in the existence of mankind.

Very true. I had that issue at CCSE as well, and that con was definitely NOT crowded!

[Imogen16]

Never stayed at MMM but loved the Hilton Bayfront. It's my second favourite hotel after the Hard Rock. Great location and good for celebrity sightings.

[smiley424]

We had almost the exact same experience.  Thought the short ride was $20, I was $20 for each of us.....and not done again.

That's wild.  My first SDCC, I took a pedicab from the train tracks back to the Sofia Hotel by myself and I think it cost about that much.  He earned his money on that one, it's all uphill too.

[NCDS]

Plus not having to cross the street into the Gaslamp when a mass of humanity is trying to get out of the convention center at the end of the day. It once took me 30 minutes just to cross the street!

Shutting down that street fixed that, I hope they still do that this con.  It was a game changer.

[accelerate]

There was still the issue of the trains. It always seems like a huge 50+ train likes to cross around 7pm for God knows what reason. Also around 10-11pm or so when the last of whatever night events have concluded, and you want nothing more than to go to your hotel room and lie down, and the train wants to go extra slow to spite you.

[stl_ben]

On the tangent topic, one off site had free pedicabs to and from it for Alita.  That was nice!  But also I would love for the free transportation of the past like the Mr Robot ubers and such.

[hipchick]

I've stayed at both and I would say it really depends on how hardcore you are for things like Hall H and celebrity spotting. If that's going to be your main agenda, then definitely go for Hilton Bayfront. MMM is great as it's adjacent and it's a pretty big hotel. I've stayed at MMM around 4-5 times and I learned that if you go down to the bottom floor where the pool is and you exit at the harbor, you can walk along that path all the way to Hall H lines and it isn't as bad as it is trying to do it on the main street where everyone else is. Regarding celeb spotting I've had an equal amount I would say at both hotels - the one year I stayed at HB, I had run-ins with Luke Perry and John Barrowman in the span of an hour (plus lots of other TV celebs throughout the week). However, MMM is the hotel where I saw Stan Lee twice (once in the lobby, and once at the bar) and rode the elevator with (and made friends with) the guy who voices Mario. Manchester Grand Hyatt I would say is a decent alternative to MMM because it's still walkable even though it's around 5 min longer and the rooms are really nice.

[sylent_asassin]

Stayed at both hotels and loved them. As stated above and in spades, preference depends on what you're into. When we stayed at the HB, there were celebs congregating all over the place, which was kind of cool. I even met some Black Lightning cast members and got a pic in the elevator with one. We figured that this would be a one-time deal, so we paid for the upgraded room on the top floor with the conference rooms and the views were absolutely sensational! Using my GoPro, I took video of the sunset, which was breathtaking! 

The MMM was amazing in its own right because of the short trek to the convention center, but be warned: if you stay in an oceanside room, it gets kind of damp and humid and if you stay in a cityside room, the crossing gates are blaring all day and night long.

As much as we liked both hotels, my wife and I preferred the Omni over both. Everything was top notch from the service to the rooms, the walk wasn't far and it was near many of the local eateries.

[lliving]

The Marquis is technically closer to the Convention Center, but to me, I think it's easier to get inside the convention center from Bayfront.  I always felt like I was wading through a larger group of people entering from the Marquis.  Also, Bayfront is closer to the Hall H entrance and line. A little more convenient if you need run back to your room if you forgot something. FX offsite is usually right iin front of Bayfront as well.

[The Mighty Jerd]

Hilton Bayfront is my favorite place to stay. The view is beautiful and it is super convenient.

MMM, although I have never stayed there, just strikes me as a little inconvenient by comparison when it comes to layout and accessing the convention center. That said it is third on my list this year behind Hilton Bayfront and the Omni.

I stayed at the Hard Rock in 2019 and while it was a nice hotel it was not my favorite just due to the amount of times they would block things off for celebrities. Sometimes you just want to get to your room and not wait 15 minutes while the elevators are locked down.