How to you get the hotel to Pick you up at the Train Station

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steamtrain6868

Train Attendant
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Mar 22, 2011
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I travel to places that have airport shuttle service....sometime the train station is either near the airport or right along the way...yet they wont pick me up...what hotel chains in what citys are good for taking people to and from that train station? In Buffalo and other citys that have Amtrak Crew Changes The hotel van that picks up the crews will take you to that hotel...so where are the major amtrak crew changes? and what hotels do they use?
 
steamtrain6868 said:
I travel to places that have airport shuttle service....sometime the train station is either near the airport or right along the way...yet they wont pick me up...what hotel chains in what citys are good for taking people to and from that train station? In Buffalo and other citys that have Amtrak Crew Changes The hotel van that picks up the crews will take you to that hotel...so where are the major amtrak crew changes? and what hotels do they use?
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Residence Inn by Marriot at River Place - PDX.
 
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While it doesn't cover every city, especially smaller ones, a great resource is Kevin Korell's Rails to Rooms. Kevin lists many hotels that are either within walking distance of the Amtrak station or other rail options (commuter, subway, L, light rail) or that provide a shuttle from either the Amtrak station or other rail station.
 
Last October, I took the Adirondack (with the Great Dome) to PLB to overnight and return the next day. I chose the Best Western specifically because they advertised train station pickup! (I also called the hotel directly to verify this.) Another AUer was also doing the same turn, but he stayed at the Holiday Inn. (He had to take a cab to the hotel.)

The strange thing is that the Best Western and Holiday Inn are on opposite sides of I-87 - and many miles from the station. Even more strange is that the Best Western is even further!
rolleyes.gif
 
This came up a couple of years ago and I put it in my word processing program. I meant to keep it up, but didn't. Maybe somebody here would like to update it from this thread:

I would imagine that the Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, VA, as well as the hotel on the EB in Essex MT (name eludes my sinusitis ridden brain right now) would.

There are a couple of other Amtrak focused lodgings I seem to recall as well - more later.

The Days Inn near the MSP station will send a van.

The Marriott Courtyard in Portland, just east of downtown has shuttle service to/from the Portland Amtrak station. Give them a call and they were there in 10 minutes to pick you up!

And let's not forget the Doubletree in Portland, MAINE (not Oregon), which is technically across a parking lot from the Amtrak station (although there's a fence erected now that makes the walk quite circuitous). The hotel provides the shuttle no questions asked, and in speaking with the driver, he said half to over half of his riders were from Amtrak or Greyhound (which share the station).

The only problem is that that Doubletree is no longer a Doubletree, they downgraded and switched parent companies a few months back.

In Birmingham, AL I have been known to stay at the Wynfrey Hotel at Galleria Mall. I have ridden in their shuttle to the airport, they go to the airport first (which is further away) and then swing by the train station on their way back and let me off. They have also been known to pick me up at the train station upon arrival. I do this by callling them on the spot---they will usually do that, but will not make a formal--previously arranged-- scheduled stop at the train station.

Izaak Walton Inn is the hotel in Essex, MT. Actually, it just about IS Essex, MT. They do provide a ride to and from the Empire Builder's flag stop location just down the road from the hotel.

Travelodge Gateway, Blanenburg RD. Washington D C . Not the best. Not the worst. However they will pick you up at Union Station. They also will drop you in the morning at WUS. Makes it great for taking a

The Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel & Conference Center has a shuttle van to the POU station; for Amtrak and Metro North.

The Grand Canyon Railway Hotel in Williams, AZ and The Lodge at Whitefish Lake in, um, Whitefish, MT both have shuttles.

The Hot Springs Pool and Lodge in Glenwood Springs CO has a courtesy van and has someone standing outside with the sign in their hands that says, "Hot Springs Pool and Lodge". Also the Glenwood Springs Motor Lodge sent the owner over in his pickup truck and picked up luggage and my girlfriend and her two daughters

There are two hotels in the Choice chain at Baltimore - that I know of - which offer shuttle service. They're side-by-side, but offer different shuttle services to BWI the train station and BWI the airport.

As to the topic at hand, the Quality Inn at Kingman, AZ offers shuttle back and forth to the waiting room near the station. Amtrak crews also stay there and so you may wait until they have been delivered, but any ride at 3am is a great deal. Just a short walk across the street to the SWC.

I have not done this recently , but in years past I have used the Mallory Hotel in Portland---a wonderful , older hotel.

A free shuttle CAB service was available through RADIO CAB. If I recall, even the tip was included

Also, be sure and ask the hours and days the shuttle runs. The reason I picked a Hampton Inn in Atlanta was because they offer a free shuttle to the Peachtree Amtrak station. After a $10 cab ride I was shown a sign, at the hotel, that said, "Shuttle runs Monday through Friday only." Of course, we were there on Saturday and Sunday, so there went a $20 bill for not ponying up and asking the right questions.
 
steamtrain6868 said:
I travel to places that have airport shuttle service....sometime the train station is either near the airport or right along the way...yet they wont pick me up
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Call the hotel during the day and ask to speak with the General Manager. Ask them why they won't do it and tell them, you will no longer stay there. Then give them a bad review in Tripadvisor (or similar site) with an explanation as to their attitude.
 
Ask or find out if they go to nearby airports. Then, decide how to use your bargaining chips for ammunition.

If the train station is the same or closer distance, word your request like this: 'How often does your shuttle service run to the Amtrak station?' If they say 'we don't', your next chess move will be something like: 'Really? It's much closer to your hotel than the airport, and there's always a crowd boarding or getting off. Going there will make money for you in one way or another, and it benefits me because I'm an avid rail traveler who comes here at least twice a year, and know others who do the same'.

Now, what moronic person would deny or threaten alienation to such business?

If you are still challenged, you may have to stand by what you believe, and state that you are going to take your lodging business elsewhere; give them a final warning, then do it.

Note that in order for this stratagem to work, avoid wording your question: 'Do you offer shuttle service to the train station?', because we know already that the answer they want to give is 'No'; we already know the hotel culture is biased towards air and limos, and against rail. To use your powers of effective advocacy, half the battle is asking the question in a way that limits their choices between 'No because we are idiots', and 'Yes' or at least: 'Ok, we can do that'. Enough people do this and we might improve things a bit!!
 
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Cleveland's Light Rail "The Rapid" has a special stop at the Amtrak Station to take you to the Terminal Tower were the Ritz Carlton was.... But service on the waterfront line was cut to weekend and game day service only. The Amtrak Station in Cleveland has always been a bone of contention since the Amtrak Stopped serving the Terminal Tower 38 years ago.
 
steamtrain6868 said:
Cleveland's Light Rail "The Rapid" has a special stop at the Amtrak Station to take you to the Terminal Tower were the Ritz Carlton was.... But service on the waterfront line was cut to weekend and game day service only. The Amtrak Station in Cleveland has always been a bone of contention since the Amtrak Stopped serving the Terminal Tower 38 years ago.
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Even when the RTA was running daily service on the Waterfront line, it was pretty much useless for passengers since it stopped running for the evening long before the first Amtrak train showed up. And service didn't resume until a few hours after the last Amtrak train had already left Cleveland.

The only exception to the above, was back when the Pennsylvanian was run to Chicago for a few years. That was the only Amtrak train that passengers could transfer to/from light rail. I did that one weekend, arriving and departing via the Pennsy & light rail.
 
Everydaymatters said:
As to the topic at hand, the Quality Inn at Kingman, AZ offers shuttle back and forth to the waiting room near the station. Amtrak crews also stay there and so you may wait until they have been delivered, but any ride at 3am is a great deal. Just a short walk across the street to the SWC.
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If you're going to Kingman, stay at La Posada -- whose patio is the platform. Can't get any more convenient than that!

Edit: OOPS, La Posada's not at Kingman, it's at Williams! :wacko: Still, it's the best station-hotel connection on Amtrak. Can't get better location or hospitality than at a Harvey House still run as if it were the 1930s.
 
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DoubleTree Irvine, CA picked me up, and dropped off in the AM to Amtrak, didn't ask twice.

Hampton Inn at Burbank Airport (Bob Hope) made me walk to airport, (X the street) for pickup, but in the AM dropped me off trackside.

Holiday Inn in St. Louis (The Gathering last year) took Chris and I, no questions asked, directly to the Amtrak Station.

And here's the best one of all. We took Amtrak to Richmond about a month ago for a wine tasting event in Richmond, VA. It was at the convention center, which is directly X the street from the Marriott. Upon arrival at Richmond Main Street Station, we called the Marriott for the shuttle. They came. Although we weren't staying at the hotel, we did eat breakfast there (which they comped btw, cause service was spotty). Check our stuff with Marriott's concierge service, and walked X the street to the convention center.

At the end of the day, we called the Marriott's shuttle service, and they picked us, (and two cases of wine) up at the door of the convention center, swung by the hotel and got our bags, and then took us to a restaurant one block from the Richmond Main Street Station.

Now the "X Factor" in all of this, is a generous tip, and an attitude of "assuming" that the service you asked for, will be rendered. Trust me, the shuttle driver WANTED to take us to dinner later in the day, and the doorman/concierge WELCOMED us with open arms, and carried our bags to the van......... Amazing what a tip and a smile will do,.............

As other posters have said, "call first", to check, then you can plan your strategy.
 
Everydaymatters said:
This came up a couple of years ago and I put it in my word processing program. I meant to keep it up, but didn't. Maybe somebody here would like to update it from this thread:

I would imagine that the Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, VA, as well as the hotel on the EB in Essex MT (name eludes my sinusitis ridden brain right now) would.

There are a couple of other Amtrak focused lodgings I seem to recall as well - more later.

The Days Inn near the MSP station will send a van.

The Marriott Courtyard in Portland, just east of downtown has shuttle service to/from the Portland Amtrak station. Give them a call and they were there in 10 minutes to pick you up!

And let's not forget the Doubletree in Portland, MAINE (not Oregon), which is technically across a parking lot from the Amtrak station (although there's a fence erected now that makes the walk quite circuitous). The hotel provides the shuttle no questions asked, and in speaking with the driver, he said half to over half of his riders were from Amtrak or Greyhound (which share the station).

The only problem is that that Doubletree is no longer a Doubletree, they downgraded and switched parent companies a few months back.

In Birmingham, AL I have been known to stay at the Wynfrey Hotel at Galleria Mall. I have ridden in their shuttle to the airport, they go to the airport first (which is further away) and then swing by the train station on their way back and let me off. They have also been known to pick me up at the train station upon arrival. I do this by callling them on the spot---they will usually do that, but will not make a formal--previously arranged-- scheduled stop at the train station.

Izaak Walton Inn is the hotel in Essex, MT. Actually, it just about IS Essex, MT. They do provide a ride to and from the Empire Builder's flag stop location just down the road from the hotel.

Travelodge Gateway, Blanenburg RD. Washington D C . Not the best. Not the worst. However they will pick you up at Union Station. They also will drop you in the morning at WUS. Makes it great for taking a

The Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel & Conference Center has a shuttle van to the POU station; for Amtrak and Metro North.

The Grand Canyon Railway Hotel in Williams, AZ and The Lodge at Whitefish Lake in, um, Whitefish, MT both have shuttles.

The Hot Springs Pool and Lodge in Glenwood Springs CO has a courtesy van and has someone standing outside with the sign in their hands that says, "Hot Springs Pool and Lodge". Also the Glenwood Springs Motor Lodge sent the owner over in his pickup truck and picked up luggage and my girlfriend and her two daughters

There are two hotels in the Choice chain at Baltimore - that I know of - which offer shuttle service. They're side-by-side, but offer different shuttle services to BWI the train station and BWI the airport.

As to the topic at hand, the Quality Inn at Kingman, AZ offers shuttle back and forth to the waiting room near the station. Amtrak crews also stay there and so you may wait until they have been delivered, but any ride at 3am is a great deal. Just a short walk across the street to the SWC.

I have not done this recently , but in years past I have used the Mallory Hotel in Portland---a wonderful , older hotel.

A free shuttle CAB service was available through RADIO CAB. If I recall, even the tip was included

Also, be sure and ask the hours and days the shuttle runs. The reason I picked a Hampton Inn in Atlanta was because they offer a free shuttle to the Peachtree Amtrak station. After a $10 cab ride I was shown a sign, at the hotel, that said, "Shuttle runs Monday through Friday only." Of course, we were there on Saturday and Sunday, so there went a $20 bill for not ponying up and asking the right questions.
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Betty it was interesting to see your note on Birmingham. I have done exactly the same thing several times.
 
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