Interesting comments all around. Thx so much I appreciate it !!

The famIly/kids/sports team thing is a common experience at HIX as well. It's only really gotten out of hand three times in my experience of some 6-700 nights though. A polite, but tersely worded email to the hotel GM, owner, and corporate, always results in a dramatic turn of events in our favor the very next morning.

And no, I'll do a half dozen or so stays before I go all in.