Accommodation Update – Some questions you might want answered.

Oh no, a split site con, this is going to be a pain isn’t it?
Not if we can help it and we’re working on that. We would love to have one large hotel where we could all stay but unfortunately they are thin on the ground when you’re also trying to find somewhere which is not too expensive.

We’ve already made some arrangements which should make this situation a little easier:

• A free and regular bus service running from early until well into the night
• Taxi sharing boards if you want to travel outside the bus times/routes
• Cloakrooms to leave your jackets and bags

And we also hope to provide:
• Secure storage for dealers and those who wish to bring costumes
• Changing Rooms
• Locker Rooms
• A ‘quiet room’ where peace and quiet can be found.

I’ve got a medical problem and think I should be in the Cedar Court – what do I do?
Please write to us at accommodation@eightsquaredcon.org and we’ll take this into account when allocating you a room. Any medical information you provide us with is not shared outside those in the committee who specifically need to know. Since July 2012 the Cedar Court has been effectively full except for a few rooms we are holding for those with very strong mobility / medical grounds.

Which hotels have rooms left?
The Midland is also available but only for double or twin rooms, it has about 25 rooms remaining but unfortunately no single rooms remain. It is the most beautiful of the hotels. It’s an old Victorian station hotel, which is absolutely charming. It does have a few steps up or down to some rooms but you can request a room with no steps.

The newly built Jury’s Inn is available. It is completely flat inside. It currently has plenty of availability and offers secure on-line booking. Jury’s is a hotel with plenty of rooms and beds; 112 of their rooms have a double and single bed, 6 rooms have two double beds in and the remaining 70 are double rooms. The room windows are triple glazed and hotel were keen to say that they have had no complaints about noise since they did this. Feel free to request a room on the ‘quiet side’ if you are a very light sleeper.

The Campanile is almost full with only a few rooms left, which by the time you read this, may well be gone. We’ve been impressed by the helpfulness of the hotels and the keenness of the staff through out contact with them and our visits.

So why should I stay in Bradford City Centre?
Because there’s plenty to do! Just across the road from Jury’s Inn is City Park and Centenary Square which has plenty of restaurants and coffee bars. There is also the Impressions Gallery and the National Media Museum, just across the road. There’s the historic Salt’s Mill if you want to stray a little further.

And of course there is curry. The Karachi (Neal Street) was made semi-famous by fish chef Rick Stein. The Kashmir (Morley Street) is also worth a visit. These, along with many others such as Omar Khan’s, are situated around what is known locally as the West End, a student place that also has many bars. The area along Leeds Road has some more restaurant-style venues.

Sian Martin
Hotel Liaison