Gee, we could have quite a few folks in Omaha this year!
Being that my husband and I had no clue, by the time we got to making reservations in Omaha after the super regionals, THERE WAS NO ROOM AT THE INN.

This is how it works. You have no clue where the team is staying. The hotels don't even know until the kids do after teh last game. They get an envelope with all teh info from the NCAA rep. All hotels are downttown as to where they stay, 200-250-300 per night. You can call and beg for a better rate, if they have room. At the Hilton Garden Inn where our team stayed they had no rooms available. We stayed in a suite just the two of us at Embassy Suites but was the only place we could find until we found a less expensive place. We stayed at the same hotel as UM folks for 2 days and just so happened we knew some UM folks, so that was ok. Each downtown hotel has a theme, whatever team is staying there is the theme for the week. It was neat.

Now this is what I learned. Rice and LSU fans book a year in advance, if they are attending, no cancellations. They have been known to have every fan in the country attend, they travel well. Depending upon who is playing, it might be VERY hard to find a room at first. Book a few rooms in case other parents want to stay, make sure you can cancel.

Not going to tell our tale, but we set out for Omaha (we drove as we had no clue when will return) with no place to stay. One night in one place, another downtown (300 dollars a night). If that fits your budget that's fine but for a week didn't fit ours. you don't need to spend much time at the hotel, we preferred it to CSW "stuff" and food and drink. So we did find a nice clean out of the way place in Bellvue about 10-15 minutes up from Rosenblatt. Called the Best Western White House (found by another Clemson parent). It was perfect, quiet, a little breakfast served, no pool but who needed one or cared and family owned and reasonable. There is also a Hampton Inn across the street but it was new and not opened at the time. I am superstitious, but make reservations now because you WANT to be in Omaha on the first day (opening ceremonies). This was the best, watching practice (ours got rained out), autograph sessions and Olympic type ceremonies with the best fireworks display ever. People come from all around just for the ceremonies because it is FREE! And it is HOT. REAL Hot.
The week goes like this, you may find a place, have to stay there and then as teams leave you move around, but I didn't like that. You can also cross the river to the casino hotels if you want, but I found them to be booked and expensive.

Parking, the folks clear their yards and for $10 you can park all day, we lucked out many times and found parking on the street for free. If you stay downtown you can get the bus to the stadium, but you have to walk to catch it up the HILL, bring your walking shoes.

Don't miss the zoo, funnel cakes or Omaha Steak sandwiches, the brewery, Dave's famous BBQ and stop into a neighbors beer garden. Wait to buy, shop around, great bargains if your team loses.

Tell your sons you want to go, make it happen!

Best of luck!

TPM,

Wow. Thanks so much for posting this.

I starting make that started checking rates and availability about two weeks ago (well before regionals anyway) and was told by the places I looked into that there is a cancellation policy in effect EVERYwhere in Omaha during the CWS. And that was that if you book it you pay for it, no cancellations allowed.

We thought - yikes, no way we are going to book a room for 10 days and then find we are cancelling if all doesn't go well.

So, you're saying, book something, anything now, like for the first two nights, and then play it by ear and be prepared to move around as the week goes by?

Great tips. I think I'll make a reservation for maybe just the first two nights, yes?

I also love your thinking - book it as though you KNOW it's going to happen.

I can't see that policy, hotels know that people book in advance and drop out if the team doesn't show up. In fact, when you leave the hotel they ask you to sign up for the following year.

Maybe they mean if you book and arrive they require you to quarantee a certain number of nights. When we finally settled in we booked through the end of tourney, but cut it short with no penalty.

Figuring what seed your sons team falls into for a win, you can compare it with that seedings schedule.
We were there a full week arriving on wed and leaving the following wednesday. It's all VERY crazy, expecially for those of us so far away. I only give teh advice given to us by the coaching stff, get there for opening ceremonies and go hiom eif you need to. You can watch a championship on TV but not the opening day of activities, it was THE best. How much fun wasit standing in line to get son's autograph with hundreds of others. How much fun was it to watch them march out as a team. Mini Olympics.
By a week into the series there are plenty of rooms, the first week is tough. JMO.

TPM,

I see your point so went back to reread what I was told by one of the places I checked with, who told me this:

"During the College World Series, we have a slightly different cancellation policy, in keeping with what is standard in Omaha during these two weeks. We have a "no cancellation" policy, meaning that if you book the rooms, you are responsible for the rate. If you change your plans, we try our best to rebook the room and don't charge you if we are able to do so. But if the room cannot be rebooked, then you would have to pay for it. Again, this is the standard practice at all Omaha hotels during the CWS."

I took your advice and spent some time earlier today checking around and went ahead and booked in a place 15 or 20 min. away from Omaha, and they didn't seem all feverish over the CWS, so were willing to work with us.

I decided to book just first three nights there and plan to move around a little bit if necessary.

Thanks again for the encouragement to JUST DO IT!

I understand the policy, but no way does any place have empties first 5 -7 days. I think that they want you to not book more rooms than you have to, room hogging in other words.
I would imagine that some people who did that, booked a room at one place in case they couldn't get into where they wanted.