We can talk about details later, but for the Auburn game, unless you're staying with friends, you need to book your room now, and I'm not kidding.
Here's an excerpt from a gameday travel guide I've cobbled together.
Tuscaloosa
Keep in mind, there are 7 game weekends a year, and the hotel operators look to these to make their other 45 weeks a year profitable.
• Many hotels require reservations for all seven weekends, at a two- or three-night minimum for each.
• If you can find a room, you will pay full rack rate. There will be no bargains.
• If you are coming in for one game only, and have to be near campus, start calling in the spring and go for a cancellation.
• All rooms will be expensive. The main tradeoff is availability vs. distance from campus.
• I cannot emphasize enough: Make your reservations well ahead of time – like April / May time frame. For big games (think LSU and Auburn), even that might be late.
Specific options:
• Hotel Capstone – Literally right on campus, between Coleman Coliseum and Bryant-Denny Stadium. Has one of the full-season arrangements I mentioned above. There is a 100% chance it will be 100% packed on game weekends.
Best bet if you don’t already have a reservation is to get a cancellation. Still, it’s worth a long shot try for the incredible convenience of the location.
• Embassy Suites – Downtown Tuscaloosa, in the middle of a lot of downtown restaurants and bars. Excellent in-house restaurant called Side By Side. Owned by chef Chris Hastings. If you don’t know Hastings, Google him. He’s the real deal. About 12-14 block relatively flat walk to the stadium, or there are shuttles a few blocks away at the Downtown Parking Deck (see parking topic below).
• Hotel Indigo – On the edge of downtown, easy walking distance to the Amphitheater, but about a two-block uphill walk to the downtown nightlife. Could walk to the stadium if you don’t have mobility issues, but it will be a longer, somewhat hillier walk.
• Holiday Inn Express – Not walking distance, but is across a busy street from University Mall, where there is a gameday shuttle. I think the shuttle is $10, but you’d need to check.
• Other Hotels – There are dozens of other hotels that are not within walking distance to the campus, and don’t provide a shuttle. Chances of getting a room will be better. Just understand that (1) you’ll have to find gameday parking on your own, and (2) there are no bargains on hotel rooms on game weekends.
• Air BnB and VRBO – There are options for Tuscaloosa on both sites. Just be real clear on where you’ll be.
Birmingham
All things considered, this is a good option for a one-off game weekend. There are several hotels at or near the I-459 / US 280 interchange. Easy hop onto I-459, then to I-59/20 to Tuscaloosa.
