Welcome to the Hotel California

There has been much debate about which of many hotels in Southern California was the original "Hotel California" from the Eagles song. The Langham Huntington Hotel, the conference hotel for APGA 2008, is one that is oft thrown out as a contender.

None of that really matters though, because if you haven't booked a hotel room for the conference, it seems that your choices are quickly running out. The Langham had filled up some time ago, and according to this recent dispatch from APGA HQ:

Please be aware that the cut off date for the Westin Hotel, Pasadena is on May 23rd, this means that after midnight on May 22nd, you will no longer be able to receive the APGA group rate, you may reserve rooms if available at the standard rate.

I'm not sure what the standard rate at the Westin is, but it could be one of those "if you have to ask..." situations.

However, there is hope. It seems that Sharon Malgire and Madeline Quigley have been working overtime just trying to secure hotel rooms for all of us in Pasadena. From the same dispatch:

Additional lodging may be found at The Arroyo Vista Inn in South Pasadena, CA. It is an historical Craftsman building with 10 rooms, all of which have private bathrooms. They will honor the conference rate of $175 per night.

In looking at their website, this might be the "greenest" option for those staying in Southern California. But, unlike staying at the Westin where there will be shuttle service, the fact that there will be no shuttle service from this B & B to the conference hotel more than 2 miles away would seem to be a tick mark in the "con" category.

That said, regardless of where you're staying, unless it's The Langham, you'll need to keep transportation to the conference hotel in mind, because of it's location.