Don,
For what it's worth I just checked into the surrounding area and found that there are several hotels within walking distance. All are pricey. There is a Courtyard and a Westin adjacent to the center. A Renaissance and a Hampton about 3 blocks away (from opposite sides), and further out (about 5 blocks it looks like) are an Omni, Wyndham and Fairmont.
I checked on Yelp and Hotels.com for reviews and they're all the usual mix of gripes and raves, but they all seem to be fine with no real surprises. I went ahead and booked the Courtyard on Hotels.com because I don't plan on driving around town. The rate was steep but still better than the listed daily rate. And at least it has free wifi. I hate when pricey hotels nickel and dime you to death for "extras" when you can stay at a mid-price hotel and get free breakfast, wifi and on and on.
Anyway, I like being by the venue and dont' really care which is the host hotel.
Hope this helps,
Mark