Monday, April 16, 2012

Balloon Fiesta 2009- Where to stay?

I recall hearing that the Ramada Limited and the Holiday Inn on Alameda are the closest to the Balloon Fiesta. We are planning on staying 3 nights in Albuquerque before heading to Santa Fe for a week.





Would you recommend staying at the Ramada Ltd? The reviews on Trip Adviser are terrible but the reviews on Hotels.com look good. Anyone have experience at the Ramada Ltd on Alameda? I booked the Ramada but I am having concerns about the reviews. It is priced right for my budget and the Holiday Inn is more expensive. I need to make a final decision asap.





How long of a walk is it from these hotels? Would you recommend driving or will we be stuck in traffic for a long time? Thank you.



Balloon Fiesta 2009- Where to stay?


Can%26#39;t help on either of those, hopefully a local will visit. There are many other nicer budget hotels a bit further way, some near the Park N Rides to the Fiesta. Check on www.itsatrip.org and www.balloonfiesta.com There is a Howard Johnsons, La Quinta and a few others. It is about 3/4 to 1 mile walk from Ramada Ltd to Balloon Fiesta Park.





Also you can stay many places in Abq near downtown or airport and take the Railrunner Train.





Enjoy your planning and your trip.



Balloon Fiesta 2009- Where to stay?


The major problem in booking that close to the park is that the traffic in the mornings is atrocious. You need to understand that over 200,000 people visit Balloon Fiesta every year, (probably more. I would suggest closer to the uptown area, Menaul %26amp; I-40 or Old Town. Just remember that rooms are getting more and more hard to find. So, if you are already booked, you might want to keep your reservation. Of the two properties, I would recommend the Holiday Inn.





That said, any of the other suggested locations are close to where the shuttle busses leave for the park. You pay one price which gets you round trip to and from the park plus your entrance fee. It%26#39;s the only way to go!!!




I%26#39;ve not stayed in either but the locations are within walking distance to the park. Traffic is congested but manageable....nothing like trying to drive in Boston on Patriot%26#39;s Day, for example.



Last year, several posters stayed in Bernalillo and took the Railrunner or drove and many stayed near ABQ Uptown and took the shuttle from Coronado Mall.




I would definitely walk instead of drive, if you choose a hotel close to the park. The bad traffic only lasts until 7:30 or 8. After that it%26#39;s congested, but not bad. Remember, everyone shows up at the same time, but leaves gradually over the next few hours.





If you do drive to the Fiesta, just leave a bit earlier than recommended, and you can drive right in and avoid the traffic. It%26#39;s an early day anyway, so what%26#39;s an extra half hour or 45 minutes? Plus, it gives you more time to sample breakfast burritos and hot chocolate. And cinnamon rolls. And funnel cakes. (How did I make this about food???)





Sorry I don%26#39;t have much info on the hotels. I%26#39;d probably go with the Holiday Inn if it were me.




I believe it was probably me who mentioned those were the two closest hotels to the balloon park. Both are on the west side of I-25. There are two more, now on the east side, on Alameda Blvd. Unfortunately, I can only find one, the Comfort Inn %26amp; Suites, at 5994 Alameda NE, in the Yellow Pages, and can%26#39;t off hand remember the name of the other,which is the newest of the four. I%26#39;ll try to check this weekend, when in the area. The Comfort Inn%26#39;s phone number is (505) 822-1090, but you can probably find an 800 number by going to Google.





While both are the closest, it is also true that they are in the midst of the traffic on balloon fiesta mornings, so you might want to find another hotel, close, but not that close. Oh by the way, I would not encourage a walk to the balloon park from there anyway, as it would be a good 3 to 4 miles ';round-trip.'; I think I previously mentioned those two as being the closest, because some questioner was just passing through Albuquerque, and wanted to know where he could stay, and get a glimpse of the fiesta, without actually going to the field.





Staying in Bernalillo would make for a pretty easy access to the balloon park, but it is also quite a ways (15-20 miles) from tourism sites back in Albuquerque. Since the majority of events are early morning, or late evening/night...you have about seven hours each day to take in things like Old Town and it%26#39;s neighboring museums, the Sandia Tramway, Casinos, the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, etc.





The only two I%26#39;d recommend in the historic Old Town area, would be the Best Western Rio Grande, and Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town. They always fill up early.





The ABQ-Uptown area has lots of new shops and restaurants, and the Albuquerque Marriott, and the Sheraton Uptown Albuquerque, are very close by each. (Menaul Blvd. / Louisiana area).





Another hotel, that seems to have had good reviews recently is the Nativo Lodge, 6000 Pan American Frwy NE. (505) 798-4300. It is near San Mateo / I-25, and only about three miles from where you leave I-25 to enter the Balloon Park (Tramway Blvd. Exit@ I-25). The Sandia Casino %26amp; Resort is a mile east of this intersection FYI.





Yet another option, might be staying in Rio Rancho, NM, on our West Mesa. The western end of Alameda Blvd. would let you drive directly east across the Rio Grande on Alameda, and turn into the balloon park from east-bound Alameda...this is the ';southern'; entrance, for vehicles coming from the west on Alameda. (The Balloon Fiesta offices/store, and the Balloon Museum are also found here.) If you come early (that is the key...come as early as you possibly can, especially for mass ascensions!)the traffic will be less ';horrible.'; :-) Try to arrive weekends by 5:30am.



Check out Rio Rancho, NM hotels here on T/A%26#39;s hotel reviews.





You have done well getting your reservations in early. At least you now ';have something,'; while you peruse other options. Good luck, and thank you for choosing to visit us! If Mother Nature will cooperate, I guarantee you a ';once in a lifetime'; experience! Unless you come back a second time, which you will want to I%26#39;m sure.




Thank you for all your ideas and suggestions. I cannot wait to get to New Mexico. I am sure once I see NM I will want to come back! I just made my plane reservations and finalized my plans.




I agree whole-heartedly with NM Journalist. If you try walking, remember it is very dark, and a lot of traffic. I still lean toward staying further away, and using the shuttle busses from Coronado. If you stay in Rio Rancho, there are usually a couple of parking locations to catch the shuttles: Intel plant and a church further down Coors Blvd. Also, I recommend checking TripAdvisor about Hotel ratings here in Albuquerque. You might be suprised at the locations of the best. Just remember, that booking now somewhere else, the prices are going to be higher.



Also, remember that you don%26#39;t need a passport!! Really, there are folks that still think we are part of Mexico. Welcome, and have a GREAT time




It sounds like you are on top of things ';ladytopaz!'; I wish I could plan (and execute) that far ahead. LOL!





You probably don%26#39;t need it, but I learned the name of the other new hotel next to the Comfort Inn %26amp; Suites on the east side of I-25, at Alameda. It is the Sturbridge Suites, 5817 Signal Ave. NE, (505) 266-7829. Being the newest in the Alameda / I-25 area (and closest to Balloon Park), it joins the Holiday Inn Express, Ramada Inn, and Comfort Inn, in proximity. It looks very nice for those who area also considering the Balloon Fiesta. The previously mentioned Sandia Casino and Resort is also within a mile to the northern entrance off I-25/Tramway Blvd.





Since I was driving down into the Rio Grande Valley anyway this Sunday morning, I also checked the odometer from the Holiday Inn Express (the closest of the four), and from there to the gate at the end of Balloon Museum Drive (the south entrance into the park off Alameda), it was 1.4 miles, or a 2.8 mile walk to and fro. Then we have the balloon field once you reach it, and that is equal to 50 American football fields in size! One can easily walk another mile or two ';on site,'; seeing the balloons, and visiting the many shops, and food booths.





I also wanted to mention the beautiful, new Hyatt Place Albuquerque Uptown, to add to the Sheraton, and Marriott in the Menaul/Louisiana ';ABQUptown'; area.





If there is anything more we can do to make your trip a memorable one...just ask.




Part of Mexico? oh goodness! They need a geography and American history class. But it doesnt surprise me.



Thanks for all the info.




To NM Photojournalist -





The balloon fest has been on my ';places to go'; list for awhile now. I think this year will be a reality. So I%26#39;ld like to start planning and accommodations would be the first on my list. We plan to take the shuttle or railrunner to the park and found these park %26amp; ride locations on the website.





We%26#39;re looking for economy/budget hotels but clean. Any recommendations based on a 10 mi radius from these park %26amp; ride areas? Appreciate your valuable input. Thank you





West Side



Intel (southern parking lot) located on Highway 528/Rio Rancho Blvd. Enter the Park %26amp; Ride lot at either Westside Blvd. or 21st street and follow the signs.



Sagebrush Community Church located at 6440 Coors Boulevard NW, Follow the signs on into one of several lots.



Sandia Area Federal Credit Union located at 6410 Coors Blvd. NW, just west of Sagebrush Community Church.



North East





Hoffmantown Church located at 8888 Harper Drive NE, Park in the northeast lot only.



Park at Cliff鈥檚 Amusement Park located 4800 Osuna Road NE near San Mateo and I-25.



Coronado Mall located at 6600 Menaul Boulevard NE, park in the southwest parking lot at San Pedro and Uptown Blvd.





Rail Runner Stations



Sandoval County / US 550 located US 550 between Camino del Pueblo and I-25 (400 Station Street in Bernalillo).



Downtown Bernalillo located Camino del Pueblo, East Calle Don Francisco and Calle Duranes at Railroad Track Road (820 Rail Road Track Road in Bernalillo).



Los Ranchos / Journal Center located El Pueblo Road (just south of Paseo del Norte) between 2nd Street and Edith Boulevard (101 El Pueblo NE in Albuquerque).



Downtown Albuquerque located 1st Street and Central Avenue (East of and behind 100 First Street SW in Albuquerque).



Bernalillo County / International Sunport located Rio Bravo Boulevard and 2nd Street (113 Rio Bravo, SE in Albuquerque).



Los Lunas located NM Highway 314 and Courthouse Road (101 Court House Road in Los Lunas).



Belen located Reinken Avenue and Wisconsin Street (100 Rail Runner Dr. in Belen).

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