As much as i wanted to vote for the cheaper rate, actually having time to reserve a room (and know full well that friends will be sharing the bill) is a big plus for me. by the time we got home (we live in Houston) and online again, most of the hotels were already booked. in an effort to get at least SOMETHING reserved, a friend of mine and I went on separate hunts for rooms. i managed to grab a two-bedroom suite for the weekend, but he only managed to get one room for Friday (and Friday only) at our preferred hotel.
le sigh, le sigh.