My wife and I are planning to visit Pittsburgh the weekend of September 6th thru the 9th. I am planning to go to a Pirates baseball game and also visit the Hard Rock Cafe. Does anyone have any advice on hotels that are near both and inexpensive? Also, any advice on what else to do while in the area?

Get a good map and be prepared to get lost! I've driven to a good friend's house there at least 5 times, and I've always gotten lost. That's not surprising if it's just me, but my directionally inclined friends have gotten just as lost.

Church Brewery's supposed to be fun- it's a church that's been turned into a brewery. Website is www.churchbrew.com. We haven't made it there yet, we tend to start drinking and have to order in...

I can recommend a reasonably-priced, very nice hotel in Downtown, convenient to both: The Renaissance. Gorgeous place.

However, the Hard Rock isn't worth the time. It's as lame as every other Hard Rock Café in the world. Hit the Church Brewery, indulge in a pub crawl on the South Side (it's not spectacular, but it can be fun), find your way to Shadyside and stroll....

The Sheraton at Station Square is right next to the Hard Rock, and you can take a boat to the game.

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sherat...propertyID=693

I appreciate the recommendations for the Renaissance & the Sheraton Station Square Hotel. Does anyone have any other recommendations for hotels in Pittsburgh?

The Renaissance is a very nice hotel. I had a room facing the ball field; I could watch the game!! It was kind of cool because we had the game on tv at the same time; you would hear the crowd cheer and then after a delay, you heard it on tv. We also saw a spectacular fireworks display from the ball field in our room.

I also recommend the Renaissance--be sure to ask for a room facing the ballpark. Room service is VERY slow there, though and most restaurants are closed on the weekends.

If you like Beer and Burgers, I highly recommend Fat Heads ..they have ~ 30 beers on draft and about 15 different burger offerings. You would have to drive from the ball park area though.

The Priory Hotel!!!! A great alternative to the big box!

The Westin is quite nice

Hi:

For the Pirate game and the Hard Rock the Sharaton Station Square is good. You can take a boat over to the Pirate game and have Starbucks, several restaurants and multiple bars to choose from in the same shopping area. You can also take the Incline up to Mt. Washington's scenic overlook and restaurants from there. This is where I would stay if I was from out of town. You will likely need a car in Pittsburgh. There is no good public transportation to the Strip District, the shopping in Shadyside and Carson Street on the Southside- places you will likely want to visit. There is a Holiday Inn Express on the South Side (I think it is 10th Stree) that is inexpensive, and in a neat neighborhood. Our friends have stayed there repeatedly since her brother lives on the South Side. The Westin, Renissance and Omni William Penn are all downtown. The cultural district is where the downtown restaurants and clubs and bars are located- the Renissance has a good location for these. The Priory is a good suggestion, more an Inn than a big hoel. If you like B&Bs try the Morning Glory Inn on the southside. Enjoy your trip!
Kristen

FYI - I got the Renaissance via Priceline for first week of July. Got it for $60/night (2 rooms, 3 nights). My total was about 30% of what Renaissance's website offered.