I don't think we have done much prior public discussion of the specific hotels we have stayed in on previous Fests. It is information that I later collect and send to participants only via e-mail closer to the Fest time. However, here are a few things to know regarding this upcoming Fest.
In New Orleans, we have the best, most diverse, and easiest accessed selection of hotels. There are 5 streetcar lines, including the one along Loyola that now serves the Amtrak station at New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal (NOUPT). So you should be able to get to within a few blocks of any hotel listed on my site by either taking this line or by transferring to other lines at Canal Street. Some are within walking distance of NOUPT.
Houston is a different story. The Amtrak station is not immediately near any of the light rail lines. It's out of the way on the northwestern part of the downtown area, but the hotels are not an easy walk. More than likely you will want to use a taxi, car service, or else Houston MTA runs an 85 bus route that passes within a block of the Amtrak station. The 85 bus does interface with all three of the light rail lines. The hotels listed should all meet the criteria of being within 5 blocks of a rail station by being near one or more of the light rail lines.
For San Antonio, my list by practice only includes those hotels within 5 or 6 blocks of that city's Amtrak station, given that there is no other rail transportation. This list is NOT representative of all hotels within the downtown San Antonio area, but you will need to travel by taxi or car service to get to most of them. Most hotels say they are on the Riverwalk or near the Alamo, but they may not directly be at those locations. They are clustered within a few blocks walk of those attractions. Keep in mind our midnight arrival and very early morning departure if you were thinking of walking -- and please allow enough time in advance of the 7 AM Texas Eagle departure to get to the station. There may be some that I am unaware of that might have their own shuttles -- but it would be prudent to check with the individual property to find out for sure. If that is the case I can add it to my list.
The hotels in Austin seem to be the most expensive of the four cities, and again they will require a ride from and to the Amtrak station, unless you wish to walk a rather long distance with luggage. All are within a few blocks of the downtown MetroRail station (the Hilton is right AT the station), which for us is a starting point, not a destination. MetroRail runs basically during commuter hours only, and on Saturdays; it is not a frequent rapid transit line and with the exception of one hotel (Habitat Suites) on my list near an intermediate station, it cannot be depended on for transit to or from your hotel. Like San Antonio, I do not know if any downtown hotels have shuttle vans that can connect us with Amtrak. Capital Metro runs a 4 bus route which comes within a block of Amtrak and should pass relatively close to most downtown hotels.
Obviously the cost of various app based ride services or taxis should be considered when planning your expenses for this trip.
