AstrosFreak

I just realized that Reliant Stadium will be hosting the 2011 NCAA Men's Final Four. Imagine how beneficial an on-site hotel would be!

Even if you're right and we should upgrade the convention space already available in the Relient complex, it wouldn't come at zero cost. The upgrade would be pretty expensive to bring the AstroArena\Hall\Dome to the level of a modern convention or multi-use center. And who would pay for this transition? Definitely not the rodeo. It would be more tax dollars from the county. Now that would be fiscally irresponsible. Also, the Astros were the largest tenant of the Relient complex since 1965. Don't think that the whole facility was built for the rodeo - it wasn't - or that the rodeo was the biggest user or supporter of the facilities.

Has anyone mentioned the other economic benefits to the city of Houston, such as job creation? Charity is nice and all, but shouldn't the county be looking to increase the job market, especially in a time of impending recession? A hotel that provides enough jobs to serve 3000 people a day, 365 days a year should help a few employees better than the Rodeo. HLSR is all voluneeters, right? Plus, all of the hotel taxes, as mentioned before, would help pay for the rodeo's own facilities (Relient Stadium).

Why would hotel guests not spend any money on concessions or shopping? I don't understand why people would behave differently if they're staying in a hotel. Personally, I feel that if you go to the rodeo, you're going to eat at the rodeo

That's like saying that an investor would not build a starbucks across the street from another starbucks, but that happens all the time. If you can make a profit you go for it. This isn't some small city; Houston has the population and the economy to make something like this work. Also, one of Houston's biggest problems is its lack of conventions, and a large, new convention hotel could bring back a spark to the "convention-scene." Organizers are looking for large convention hotels to keep all of their people in one nearby location and before the Hilton, Houston couldn't provide that service. This could be the push that the city needs - not just for important conventions - to land large scale events, such as the Super Bowl or the Olympics. I don't see how a hotel like this could cause any harm to the city. Also, the HLSR can pretty much go to hell. Considering the HLSR was created as a charity event, I'm really sick of seeing it act like the money-grubbing corporation it has become.