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Hotel and Travel
Hotel and Reservations
The Conference will be held in San Diego, California, one of the most popular destination cities in the United States. San Diego is easily accessible by air and major interstate highways. The hotel room block and all sessions of the Conference are at the Town and Country Resort. This facility is conveniently located near the San Diego Airport and is adjacent to the San Diego Trolley System’s Fashion Valley Transit station. The trolley system is clean, safe and economical, and is only two stops from historic Old Town San Diego. Old Town San Diego is particularly noted for a wide variety of American and ethnic restaurants. For Trolley information (fares, maps, etc.) go to http://www.sdmts.com/Trolley/Trolley.asp.
Hotel and Reservations
Town & Country Resort & Conference Center
500 Hotel Circle North
San Diego, CA 92108
619/291-7131
Reservations: 800-772-8527
The Town & Country Resort is comprised of several buildings situated among acres of lush gardens and palm trees, creating a campus feel. For leisure time there are swimming pools, eateries and fitness equipment as well as a full service, first class spa. The hotel is also adjacent to Fashion Valley Mall which has a variety of eateries and retail outlets.
To reserve a hotel room, you may either make your reservations online directly at the Town and Country Group reservation site or by calling the hotel directly at the numbers above. Note that reservations will be accepted only when accompanied by a credit card guarantee or a deposit of the first night’s room and tax.
Deadline for receipt of reservations:
February 28, 2014. When contacting the hotel by telephone, identify yourself as an attendee of the 55th Annual Drosophila Research Conference.
Individuals looking for roommates may check the online bulletin board at the Drosophila Conference Web site, which opens on or around November 15, 2013.
The Town & Country Resort & Convention Center will process reservation requests on a first-come, first-served basis. To make reservations by telephone, call (800) 772-8527 (reservations only), California residents call (619) 291-7131. For general information about the hotel go to the Town & Country Web site.
Room descriptions and pictures are available here
Garden Rooms: |
| Single |
1 person, 1 double bed |
$162 |
| Double |
2 persons, 2 double beds |
$162 |
| *Triple |
3 persons, 2 double beds |
$172 |
| *Quad |
4 persons, 2 double beds |
$182 |
Regency Tower and Courtyard Rooms: |
| Single |
1 person, 1 double bed |
$172 |
| Double |
2 persons, 2 double beds |
$172 |
| *Triple |
3 persons, 2 double beds |
$182 |
| *Quad |
4 persons, 2 double beds |
$192 |
Royal Palm Tower Rooms: |
| Single |
1 person, 1 double bed |
$182 |
| Double |
2 persons, 2 double beds |
$182 |
| *Triple |
3 persons, 2 double beds |
$192 |
| *Quad |
4 persons, 2 double beds |
$202 |
All rates are per room, per night and do not include local room tax of 10.5%. Maximum occupancy per room is four people.
**Single person rollaway beds may be requested for triple and quad rooms, but availability is limited and an additional charge will apply.
Room Reservation Guarantee and Cancellation
to receive a credit or refund of the required first night’s room and tax deposit, cancellation must be made at least 48 HOURS PRIOR TO the scheduled arrival date and time to obtain a refund of the advance deposit.
Though the Town and Country Resort & Convention Center is handicapped accessible, it is the guest’s responsibility to advise the hotel of special needs as far in advance as possible. Every effort will be made to accommodate special needs.
Bulletin Board for Room Sharing
Post your request for a roommate on the electronic Bulletin Board for Room Sharing. GSA has provided this service to
facilitate finding a roommate. Registrants can post messages
regarding what type of roommate they are looking for i.e male or
female, smoker or non-smoker and the participants will respond
directly to the registrant. Please note that potential
roommates communicate directly with each other. GSA is
only providing access to this program as a service and is not
involved in the matching of roommates.
Ground Transportation
Shuttle van service and taxis are available at the airport. Shuttle service is currently $11.00 each way through Super Shuttle; taxi service is approximately $25 each way. You can also use public transportation. The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System is an inexpensive alternative to a taxi cab. To plan your trip from the airport to the hotel (500 Hotel Circle North), click here. Be sure to check at the airport for current bus schedules and information. Public transportation will drop you off at the back of the hotel (the Fashion Valley mall stop).
The hotel offers detailed driving directions if attendees would like to drive to the meeting.
Parking
Self parking is available at the Town and Country Resort & Convention Center for guests staying in the hotel at $10 per day (with in and out privileges), and for those not staying at the Town and Country, $2.00 per hour up to a daily maximum of $16.
Requests for Letters of Invitation
For security purposes, letters of invitation can only be sent to individuals that have registered for the meeting. After you have registered, you will be given a link to generate your letter of invitation. If you have questions, please contact Suzy Brown (sbrown@genetics-gsa.org).
VISA & Passports
As part of security procedures, applications for visas are sent to the U.S. State Department for a security review. For further information, visit the State Department Web site at http://travel.state.gov/visa. You can also visit the "International Visitors Office" Web site at http://www.nationalacademies.org/visas.
NEW for International Visitors
Visitors traveling to the United States from all countries (including the visa waiver countries) are required to register personal details online at least three (3) 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 enroute 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 begin travel plans. Click here for further details.
VISAS LINKS
Meeting attendees are advised to apply for a visa as early as possible (at least three months before visa is needed). Registration refunds will not be issued for denied visas. As part of security procedures, applications for visas are sent to the U.S. State Department for a security review. For further information, visit the
State Department Web site. 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). Please check with your local U.S. consulate or embassy to find out the earliest that you may apply for a visa. For further information and a list of your local US embassy (or consulate), please click
here.
To assist you with the Visa application process:
- Apply for visa at least six (6) 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. If your abstract followed the rules and guidelines, it will be programmed.
- Provide meeting Web site (http://www.drosophila-conf.org/2014) and 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).
NOTE: Some consulates may have backlogs in scheduling visa interviews so applicants should first contact the consulate to determine what wait times for interviews are. Click
here for visa wait times.
VISA Problems
For applications that have not been approved 30 days after the interview you should complete an
online questionnaire. You will be asked to name the meeting (54th Annual Drosophila Research Conference) and explain the purpose of your visit. Click
herefor visa wait times.
Visa Waiver Program (VWP): The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) 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. To learn more about the VISA Waiver Program,
click here
USA Visa Policy Resources – click here.
PASSPORT INFORMATION
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