The aftermath of April 5th’s Comic-Con ‘Hotelpocalypse’ has left many badge holders homeless, desperate and scrambling. If you are a veteran of the show, the reality that a very inconvenient commute is starting to set in- which is tough fate to accept. While getting a Comic-Con downtown hotel has been a roller coaster ride for years now, I do know there are more solutions out there than you think. Here are a few factors to consider.

1. OnPeak wait list and deadlines

If you have been placed on the OnPeak hotel wait list, you are now eagerly awaiting good news to arrive in your inbox. The deadline for cancellation (without penalty) is not till April 30. This means it still might be a couple of weeks till anything is sent out from OnPeak. From my research, no one has been contacted from the wait list yet which leads me to believe OnPeak might be waiting to have a full inventory before sending e-mails out. There is still hope.

2. Twitter

Seriously, our fandom on Twitter is amazing. Even in the midst of a lot of panic, fellow attendees rallied together and helped each other get rooms for the past couple of weeks. If you scour the hashtag #SDCC & #Hotel, you might come across someone willing to give up an extra reservation. Then you have to contact each other through e-mail to pass the reservation (along with some hoop jumping since the deposits has already been made). It is also helpful to send out distress flairs letting Twitter know you are in need of a hotel. Opportunities are out there, albeit a little hard to find.

3. Friends of CC Forum

The title of this forum says it all. For years now the Friends Forum has been coordinating the tribe and helping them resolve any number of issues related to Comic-Con. This thread has rooms up for grabs and here are those seeking roommates. It will take time to search for the right situation for you but it will be worth it. While FoCC is a helpful community make sure to use common sense and safety when room sharing or engaging in financial transactions. If something sounds to good to be true is usually is so just be careful of any weird offers. Reddit also has some hotel threads going here and here.

4. Another sale?

Each year differs when it comes to secondary sales for Comic-Con badges or hotels. In the past couple of years, we have seen the elimination of the extra badge sales and it’s possible we won’t have another hotel sale. Hopefully, once the hotel wait list folks have been contacted, there will be another hotel sale but for now, all we can do is pray.



5. Search

With some patience and Google, you can still find rooms on your own. Whether it’s an AirBnB or a random Motel 6, if you are willing to go farther out, you can find some options (and desperate). Now that people have gotten their hotel of choice, many are now canceling their ‘back up’ hotel in other locations. Just make sure to find one near the tram or SDMTS route and you’ll be ok. Be open minded about renting a docked boat, a hostel, camper, etc.

6. Camp

Desperate times lead to desperate measures. If you don’t have a room, you might as well have a good seat in Hall H by camping out over night under the tents and borrowing friend’s hotel showers. Or you will have to sleep in your car as long as you have an overnight parking spot. You will end your week pretty frazzled but hey, you’re making memories. So if you’re young at heart and have a healthy back, you might want to consider this option. With the right gear and the right group of friends, this can be the best thing you’ve ever done!

I know this was a stressful experience for some of you but it will be worth it in the end. CCI and OnPeak have done their best to handle the situation and I’m sure it will be better for next year. Rarely has the exact same problem repeat itself- but we sure find ways to create new ones! Also, hit me up on Twitter and I’ll help the best I can. Happy hotel hunting and let me know if you have any questions and please leave a comment with your hotel solution.