2014 Carlisle Hotel Experience

[1978 NYB]

As Gary mentioned in another thread...now is the time to make a hotel reservation for the 2015 Carlisle show. When you can make a reservation make sure it's the type that you can cancel 48 hours before the show. You never know when an emergency will pop up unexpectedly.

Well, I was busy with work this year and put off making a reservation until late spring and ended up staying at the Hilton in Harrisburg which is a little more than 30 minutes east of Carlisle. The hotel was very, very nice and in the middle of Harrisburg with a lot of restaurants and night spots close by. Very clean and comfortable. It was nice to get the NY'er out in the clean air on I-81 and get away from the Carlisle traffic for the evening. It was $199 a night and included parking and a great breakfast in the hotel dining room. Chef on station to cook omelets to order. The hotel has 13 floors with spectacular views of the downtown area and the Susquehanna River.

I would recommend staying at this hotel if you want to treat your woman to a special hotel experience and it's not too much more $$$ than you're going to spend on a room anyways. I would give this hotel a 5 star rating.

 

[Big_John]

I stayed at the Hampton Inn in Mechanicsburg this year. $132 (with taxes $144) for a nice room with a king bed, refrigerator and microwave. Usual Hampton Inn breakfast that's better than most free hotel breakfast.

Typical Hampton Inn experience with a clean room and friendly staff. I'd stay there again.

Last year, I stayed at the Hampton Inn in Harrisburg. The room was good, but I had some issues with the front desk staff. Rude, bad keys, no access to my room on the second night and a screwed up bill. All these issues revolved around the same two people and it irritated me enough to complain and I was refunded one night. It was most likely a fluke and the only time I ever experienced that at a Hampton Inn, but the Mechanicsburg hotel stay went flawlessly, so I'll avoid the Harrisburg location.

BTW, I stay almost exclusively at the Hampton Inns when I travel for business and I have been doing that when I travel for vacation too. There's hardly ever a problem and the rooms are always nice. I belong to their Hilton Honors program and the points add up for free stays and makes booking a room a little easier.

 

[1978 NYB]

I have stayed at Hampton Inn's in my travels and always had great experiences.

Mechanicsburg is about 30 minutes west of Carlisle?

 

[detmatt]

We stayed up in Camp Hill which is not quite as far as Harrissburg, at the Radisson, about a 25 minute ride. The room is very nice, sleep number bed was a bonus, I've been wanting to try one although I just bought us a new mattress a couple of weeks ago. Outdoor swimming pool which we wanted to use but didn't. Quite a few Mopars in the lot with the subsequent hang out at night but perhaps the best of all was the hose left out and on 24 hours a day so you could wash your car! $117 per night was the rate

 

[70bigblockdodge]

My red roof inn in a bag (tent) might not be open next year I think I'm just getting too old. I'll be watching this thread to set up next years plan.

 

[70NPORT]

We stayed at the Hampton Inn at Mechanicsburg year before last also. Very nice place to stay and reasonably close to Carlisle. That was the year of the huge thunder/rain storm. Everyone got stuck inside the hotel for a few hours riding out the storm.

 

[69CoronetRT]

I got lucky and stayed in a B&B right on Harrisburg Pike at Post Road. Beautiful and restful with a pool, trout stream and spacious grounds. Highly recommended for couples.

 

[Jim 68cuda]

$199.00 a night for a hotel 30 minutes away? I feel a lot better about the $155.00 a night that I spent for a room at Sleep Inn at Carlisle. My friends and I like the Sleep Inn because its on RT 34 (just off I-81) and coming up RT 15 from the DC/ northern Virginia area and then taking 94/34 west to Carlisle, its the first thing you see when you arrive in Carlisle (besides the Home Depot). Its got a Chili's and a Cracker Barrel next door, and it has a parking area for trailers. Free breakfast includes choice of waffles, sausage, eggs, sausage gravy on biscuits, and more. Pool is indoors. Also from that end of town, its real convenient to stock up on drinks, snacks and ice, at Wal-Mart each morning and then take back streets around all the traffic directly to Gate #3. Next year the rate will be $159.00 but one of the reasons we always stayed there is because they always allow us to make our reservations for the following year's show when we check out. The rooms are comfortable and were remodeled since we were there last year.
At this point we know many of the others who regularly stay at the Sleep Inn each year, so switching to another hotel would be like moving to a new neighborhood and leaving old friends and neighbors behind. Always enjoy pulling the chairs out of the trunk and hanging out with other Mopar owners in the parking lot till late at night.

 

[1978 NYB]

I got lucky and stayed in a B&B right on Harrisburg Pike at Post Road. Beautiful and restful with a pool, trout stream and spacious grounds. Highly recommended for couples.

What was the name of the B&B?

 

[mdh157]

Mechanicsburg is about 30 minutes west of Carlisle?

Abt 20 minutes east of Carlisle to the main drag between RT 581 and RT 114. Plenty of nice places to eat on the Carlisle Pike (RT 11) and a Wegmans with plenty of beer choices if you like to pick a few up to take back to the hotel.

My personal favorite is Carrabba's but we've got plenty of stuff for any food you are in the mood for.

Doug, that stream is Letort Spring Run, we have been looking or a property that borders it, love the way it just meanders through the area like that.

If anyone needs anything as far as locations/travel times/amenities/restaurants, for any reason when coming this way, let me know.

My buddy and I wanted to go for a spin yesterday, went up there to Chick Fil-A as he was dying for that.

 

[tallhair]

This is a great idea for a thread Bob. I may just fly in next year and stay at the hotel with the most FCBO members / someone who'll give me a ride

 

[1978 NYB]

This is a great idea for a thread Bob. I may just fly in next year and stay at the hotel with the most FCBO members / someone who'll give me a ride View attachment 34567

MDH157 (Mark) literally lives in Carlisle. He could be your tour guide, ride and valet. LOL!

 

[70bigblockdodge]

This is a great idea for a thread Bob. I may just fly in next year and stay at the hotel with the most FCBO members / someone who'll give me a ride View attachment 34567

I give you a ride if its cheaper to fly into Pittsburgh, always good to keep a mod in your pocket!

 

[bluefury361]

My red roof inn in a bag (tent) might not be open next year I think I'm just getting too old. I'll be watching this thread to set up next years plan.

Yeah ...... tent camping on the field is a rough way to go. Out tent didn't make the trip home last year.
This year we stayed at the "popup" Inn at row N84....... Aside from the generator across the way running.... and the "Loud drunks" on the other side laughing and yelling well into the night, it was great.
The morning drive time was in stead "sleep in" time, and it's hard to beat bacon, eges & toast hot off the grille in the morning.

 

[1978 NYB]

Yeah ...... tent camping on the field is a rough way to go. Out tent didn't make the trip home last year.
This year we stayed at the "popup" Inn at row N84....... Aside from the generator across the way running.... and the "Loud drunks" on the other side laughing and yelling well into the night, it was great.
The morning drive time was in stead "sleep in" time, and it's hard to beat bacon, eges & toast hot off the grille in the morning.

Very nice Will!

I haven't slept outdoors since the day I retired from the Army. LOL!

Too bad the drunks kept you and Ellie up late in to the night.

 

[tallhair]

I give you a ride if its cheaper to fly into Pittsburgh, always good to keep a mod in your pocket!

I appreciate it Dave. I'll check out prices next year and see. I think I'll probably get a rental car so I'm not a burden though

But riding into the show each day with someone with a car entered would be cool

 

[1978 NYB]

I appreciate it Dave. I'll check out prices next year and see. I think I'll probably get a rental car so I'm not a burden though

But riding into the show each day with someone with a car entered would be cool

Don't you still have a Mopar?

 

[tallhair]

Don't you still have a Mopar?

Well I hope to have the RT on the road by then but it won't be a Car show worthy car. I'm just mechanically rebuilding it as a driver. If by chance it's actually up to the drive I may just drive it there but my progress has been incredibly slow

My other Mopars are a 99 Durango, 96 Dodge Ram PU, and a 70 RR (also needs work).

 

[1978 NYB]

Well I hope to have the RT on the road by then but it won't be a Car show worthy car. I'm just mechanically rebuilding it as a driver. If by chance it's actually up to the drive I may just drive it there but my progress has been incredibly slow

My other Mopars are a 99 Durango, 96 Dodge Ram PU, and a 70 RR (also needs work).

Roger that.......all my cars are drivers too. Just bring what ever one is running best next year. I'm slow as hell working on my cars too. No garage at my house and I have to use the Auto craft shop at APG.

Just a word of advice....make a reservation before the end of this year if you want a decent room close to Carlisle. I waited (procrastinated) and ended up staying 30 minutes away.

 

[tallhair]

I'll do that Bob. I may try to come up with a list of where everyone stayed/will likely stay next year. I think I'll put up a new Map thing like the C body owners Map but specifically for the hotels for the show.

And everyone could put a pin in the Map where they stayed and list the hotel name and some stars or description of the pros / cons