Are there any other hotels near the convention?

Agreed.

I, too, like to moderate expenses as much as possible, and there is always a tiny part of me that seizes when i look at the hotel costs. In general, however, my experience with hotels is that a hotel whose standard rate is close to (but not under) $50 a night often has tiles missing from the bathroom, and one that's below that may be renting rooms by the hour. By contrast, the hotels we use right now are clean, safe, well appointed, and staffed with polite, friendly ppl who take good care of us. There are probably hotels of the cheaper variety farther out, but the gas costs and the hassle of commuting more than make up for any price difference in my mind.

The deal we get on our rooms is great, considering what we could be paying, and i'd rather we keep paying what we pay right now if it means knowing that we're in accommodations where parents can feel comfortable sending their kids.