This two game, two night trip is going to be awesome. I would certainly recommend going on this trip if you have never been to Toronto before. It is pretty much the hockey capital of the world and there are plenty of cool things to check out.

I believe we will be staying at the Holiday Inn on King Street. Having stayed at this hotel before, I must say that this is a fantastic location, as it is within easy walking distance of most downtown Toronto attractions, including...

The Second City comedy club, Wayne Gretzky's restaurant, the Hard Rock Cafe, the CN Tower, Skydome (unfortunately no baseball in winter), the Hockey Hall of Fame and BCE Place shopping centre, and many other shopping centres.

I believe the plan is to go to the game in Mississauga on Friday night (February 6), check out the attractions in downtown Toronto on Feb. 7, and then go to the game Sunday afternoon (Feb. 8) at St. Michael's college, then head home.

I am trying to get people interested in this trip because apparently we need to be signed up pretty soon. The hotel we are going to be staying at is a fairly busy place and a pretty popular destination for tourists so we need to reserve it far in advance.

This trip will definitely include a visit to the Hockey Hall of Fame, that along with the two games makes the price worth it right there. I have been to the Hall of Fame before and it is just terrific. I would also recommend dinner at Wayne Gretzky's restaurant which is pretty much Hockey Hall of Fame West. There is enough Gretzky memorabilia, sticks, pee wee equipment, and game worn jerseys that it is practically an extra wing of the Hall of Fame where you can eat burgers and fries.

For those who are trying to visit all 20 OHL arenas, this is a perfect opportunity to knock two off your list.

Toronto is a great city to visit but the cost of this bus trip is a little pricey. I called to get details and $139 per night (U.S.) for a hotel room isn't a very good deal. This is on top of the $95 dollars or so for the bus ride and tickets per person. You can make the trip on your own for a lot less and not be tied to a Chartered bus. However, there is something to be said about treking across southern Ontario on a bus full of die hard Spirit fans. Either way, this should be a pretty nice road trip for people to consider. You can always check out "Mama Mia" playing in Toronto as well (I'm always willing to blend a little culture with hockey).

Not sure how often you visit Toronto, but this trip isn't pricey at all. The $139 hotel is for both nights making it $69.50 per night. The Holiday in on King street is a first class hotel right in the heart of downtown Toronto. This also means you are not tied to the tour bus. As Disco said, there are many attractions within walking distance of this hotel and you should have no problem filling your Saturday with memorable experiences. Also, remember the $139.00 rate is not per person. It is for both nights for two people. So the math works out to $34.75 per person per night. I just checked the Holiday Inn site and the cheapest room quoted works out to $106.00 per night US. So as you can see, $139.00 for two nights is a very good deal.

The rate is $139 for 2 nights for 2 people.

That amounts to $34.75 per night per person.

I can't think of a better rate for a hotel within walking distance of downtown in a major city.

I really should read your whole post before I go ahead and say the same thing.

$139.00 for both nights isn't bad. I don't know why she told me each night when I called the Spirit offices. A group of us guys from Saginaw are making arrangements to play a friendly international game of hockey with some guys in the Toronto area that same weekend. Hopefully things fall into place.

Now you have me wondering. I didn't know they told you that. The flyer says the following:

Saginaw Spirit Toronto Bus Trip
February 6-8, 2004
$95.00 For Fan Club - $105.00 Non-Fan Club

Price includes bus ride and tickets for 2 games.
Hotel rooms will be $139.00 for 2 people and an additional $15.00 per extra person.

I have been on all of the previous bus trips and they have always quoted trip totals. That's what I was basing my post on. I double checked the Spirit web site and the article does say $139.00 per night. That would be way out of line. I will check at the game tonight just to make sure. The hockey game gig sounds fun. If the fan bus is a go, and you guys play on Saturday, maybe we could bring some fans. We could chant "USA, USA, USA," that would be kind of cool.

IB40 you were right! They are charging $139.00 per night. I told them they were crazy. You can get a room on your own at the same hotel for $105.00 per night. Some group rate they have worked out. I know they boosted the price for the bus to cover the extra day and to take into account the minimum of 32 fans on the bus. On shorter trips they set the minimum at 40 and that brings the price of the bus down on a per fan basis. I asked them how they could justify charging so much and they didn't have much of an answer. Right now I am working up the real prices. If they fall short of the 32 they need, maybe they will be willing to look at my plan "B".

I have a question about this trip...I had signed up and was called to say the whole amount of the trip had to be paid up by 12/15. I talked to another person who signed up and they said they never received a call from the Spirit office stating they had to pay in full. They were told if they had the money 5 days before the trip, that was fine.

I am curious as to what other people have been told.