Housing and Travel

University of California, Los Angeles Campus Housing

Deadline for receipt of reservations is May 21, 2015.

The housing site is now open.

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is pleased to provide C.elegans participants with comfortable housing accommodations. The UCLA campus is located between the hills of Bel Air and the popular community of Westwood Village. UCLA’s conference facilities are self-contained, with meeting, dining and residential facilities conveniently located together. Recreational facilities are just a short walk away. The housing rates include 3 meals a day in the UCLA cafeterias. Participants have the following choice of accommodations:

*For those of you with a roommate, your roommate must also register for housing.  When registering please select (1) for number of guests. Please list your roommate’s full name in the  Special Request section of your reservation.

If your roommate has registered already, and that housing choice is NO longer available in the housing site, please choose whichever housing type is available (Rieber Terrace/Vista - Shared Bath) and list your roommate's name in the Special Request Section. Once your reservation is received you will be matched up with your roommate's housing choice. Please use the rates listed above as reference for your housing rate (and not your confirmation email/reservation).

After a successful housing reservation you will receive an automatic e-mail with a confirmation number that your reservation has been made. Please keep this email in case you need to change your reservation. The credit card used to make the reservation will be authorized upon check-in for the correct amount and the credit card will be billed at the end of your stay.

To make a reservation paying by check; please print and complete the form and mail to:

UCLA Conference Housing

C. elegans Meeting

330 DeNeve Drive

Suite L-16

Los Angeles, CA 90024

To pay by UC Recharge please print and complete the form and email to twilliams@ha.ucla.edu. Contact Tanya Williams (twilliams@ha.ucla.edu) regarding any housing questions.

Check-in begins at 4:00 pm on Wednesday, June 24; checkout time is 11:00 am on Sunday, June 28. Early check-in on Tuesday, June 23 is available.

You must make a housing reservation separately from the meeting registration.

NOTE: Guests of meeting registrants do not need to register for the meeting but they do need to fill out a housing reservation form to stay in on-campus housing. The housing fee includes 3 meals a day in the UCLA cafeterias.

Payment

A major credit card is needed to make and guarantee your online reservation. Full payment will be billed to the credit card used upon your check-out. Guests paying by check or University of California Recharge must fill out the appropriate housing form and mail in their forms and payment prior to May 21, 2015.

Cancellations/Changes

For changes to existing reservations and/or cancellations email Tanya Williams.

Your reservation must be cancelled no later than 3:00pm on the day prior to your arrival to avoid a (1) night penalty charge. If your reservation was made online, please cancel your reservation online.

Notifying UCLA to cancel your housing does not cancel your meeting registration. Separate notice must be given to GSA. If your reservation was made by check or UC recharge, you may cancel your reservation by sending an email to Tanya Williams at twilliams@ha.ucla.edu.

Roommate Bulletin Board

An electronic bulletin board is available to facilitate finding a roommate. Registrants can post messages regarding what type of roommate they are looking for (male or female) and the participants will respond directly to the registrant.

Housing Check-in Desk

UCLA Conference Services will have a check-in desk open on Wednesday, June 24 in Sunset Village Plaza from 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Participants checking in after 8:00 pm on Wednesday may go directly to the building where they are being housed. Each building has a 24 hour front desk that can assist with your check in and any needs during the conference.

Recreational Facilities

Campus recreation facilities are available for residential conference attendees. The room key, provided at check-in, allows admission on an individual basis into all recreation facilities. The John Wooden Center and Sunset Canyon Recreation Center include swimming pools, weight rooms, tennis courts, racquetball courts and handball courts.

Local Hotels

For those who prefer to arrange their own housing, the following is a list of hotels close to the meeting site. A small block of rooms are available at the Hotel Angeleno.

Hotel Angeleno
170 N. Church Lane
Los Angeles, CA  90035
(310) 476-6411

Single: $179.00

Double: $179.00

Rates are per room, per night and do not include local city tax currently 15.65%.

Reservation Deadline: May 26, 2015

 Reservations can be made online or by calling the hotel (310) 476-6411. When making a reservation by phone state that you are with the 20th International C. elegans Conference.

Cancellations must be made through the reservations department and submitted in writing 72 hours prior to arrival.

Additional Local Hotels

Travel

The Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is the closest airport to UCLA. You may also fly into Ontario International Airport or Burbank Airport. Taxis and shuttles meet all arriving flights and cost approximately $50.  The Los Angeles International Airport is about 40 minutes from UCLA. Whether taking a taxi or shuttle, it would be wise to bring the driving directions below for the driver, to facilitate finding the housing check-in area.

Directions to UCLA Campus Housing

From the 405 Freeway, exit on Sunset Blvd. and go east on Sunset until you reach Bellagio. Make a RIGHT on Bellagio and enter the UCLA campus. Bellagio will end at DeNeve Drive. Turn left at DeNeve and proceed on DeNeve down the hill to the Sunset Village (SV) parking garage (you will pass one stop sign just prior to reaching the parking garage). Enter the SV parking garage and proceed to the 30 minute loading zone area on level 1. Shuttles/Taxis should drop you off in the 30-minute loading zone area.  You may also park temporarily in this area while you unload your belongings and check-in.

Take the elevator in the southwest corner of the parking garage to the Lobby (L) level. Once on the “L” level, the Covel Commons building will be directly in front of you. Turn right and walk along the outside of the building. Turn left at the corner of the building and registration will be outside in the plaza area.

For a map of the UCLA campus please click here http://www.ucla.edu/map/. Registration is in Covel Commons (building 91 in section A of the map).

A UCLA parking permit is required to park a vehicle on campus. A parking permit can be purchased from the self-service parking kiosk near the elevator or the front desk of the housing residential facility where you will be staying. Vehicles without parking permits, after the 30 minute unloading time, will be subject to fines.

Shuttle Service

Two shared ride van companies, Prime Time Shuttle and SuperShuttle, operate out of the Los Angeles Airport. Passengers are encouraged to contact the companies for details about cost and times of shuttles. The vans pick up passengers on the Lower/Arrivals Level in front of each terminal. Please look for signs that read “Shared Ride Vans” at terminal curbside near the exits from baggage claims areas.

Taxis

Taxis are located on the curbside of the lower level of each terminal under a yellow sign, passengers are given a ticket with fares to the well-known destinations. The following are authorized cab companies:

• Authorized Taxicab Supervision (323) 776-5324
• Beverly Hills Cab Company (310) 273-6611
• Independent Taxi (323) 666-0040
• Yellow Cab (310) 851-5022
• Checker Cab (213) 482-3456
• Bell Cab Company (310) 219-3100
• City Cab (818) 780-1000

Campus Map

The University of California, Los Angeles campus map details the buildings where the meeting will be held.

Parking Permits

Parking permits can be purchased from the Covel and De Neve Building front desks.  Single meal tickets are not available.

Internet Access

Guests who bring their own computer/laptop can access the Internet directly via the Ethernet port in their sleeping rooms. In order to access the Internet, guests must have the Ethernet card on their computer software. If guests do not have their own Ethernet card, they can purchase one through the Covel Business Center located directly across from Sunset Village.

Weather

Typically, the climate in Southern California during the summer months is mild to warm.

City Information

For information on what to do while you’re in Los Angeles please visit the LA Visitors Bureau.

Visa Information

Applications for visas are sent to the U.S. State Department for a security review.  You can also visit the International Visitors Office website. We advise scientists traveling to the United States to apply for a visa as early as possible; at least six months before the visa is needed.

Visitors traveling to the United States from all countries (including visa waiver countries) are required to register personal details online at least three days in advance of travel. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) is a free, automated system used to determine the eligibility of visitors to travel to the United States. It collects the same information as the paper I-94W form you usually complete when traveling to the United States. ESTA applications may be submitted at any time prior to travel. An ESTA authorization generally will be valid for up to two years. DHS recommends that travelers submit an ESTA application as soon as they being travel plans.

To assist you with the Visa application process (not required for countries included in the Visa Waiver Program):

• Apply for visa at least five (5) months in advance. For countries that are on the State Sponsors of Terrorism List, the State Department suggests applying for a visa six (6) to eight (8) months in advance.

• Provide your entire trip itinerary, including travel to any countries other than the United States, at the time of visa application.

• If completion of travel plans is contingent upon early approval of the visa application, specify this at the time of the application.

• Provide proof of scientific status. For example, proof that you submitted an abstract for the meeting. Do not wait until you receive notification that your abstract has been accepted before applying for a visa. It is very rare that an abstract is denied.

• Provide meeting website and a copy of your letter of invitation.

• Provide evidence that you are intending to return to your country of residence. This includes such things as:

  • family ties in current country of residence

  • property ownership

  • bank account

  • an employment contract or statement from employer showing that position will continue after the dates of the meeting

• Requirements vary by passport-issuing country and citizenship (not merely residency).

   

Visa Waiver Program

The Visa Waiver Program enables nationals of 36 participating countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business (visitor (B) visa purposes only) for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa.