• Hotel Accommodations 
• Travel Information 
• Attractions 

Hotel Accommodations

Hotel rooms have been reserved throughout the city of San Diego for meeting attendees. View a map of the San Diego area with the hotel locations marked, as well as a list of participating hotels and their room rates. ASH will provide complimentary shuttle service between the majority of hotels and the San Diego Convention Center.

Headquarters/Members-Only Hotels

The San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina and the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego are the official co-headquarters hotels for the 2011 ASH Annual Meeting and are designated for ASH members only. In addition, the Hilton Gaslamp Quarter and Hilton San Diego Bayfront are available exclusively to Society members, approved specific individuals, and small groups. Non-members, international tour groups, and exhibitors will not be able to reserve rooms in these hotels.

Hotel Reservations

You must register for the meeting before you make your hotel reservation. Hotel reservations must be made directly with the ASH Housing Center no later than Wednesday, November 9, using any of the methods listed below. Online reservation is strongly encouraged, though hotel reservation forms can also be requested by contacting meetings@hematology.org or calling 202-776-0544.

For additional information regarding hotel reservations, please contact the ASH Housing Center at the phone numbers listed above. Agents are available to answer questions from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time), Monday through Friday. Please note that the ASH Housing Center is closed on weekends and holidays. Questions may also be emailed to the ASH Housing Center at ashhousing@jspargo.com.

Hotel Confirmations/Deposits

All hotel reservations must be guaranteed by a major credit card or by check made payable to the hotel. A deposit amount of two nights’ room rate (plus tax) will be charged to credit cards of attendees who do not cancel at least five days prior to their scheduled arrival date. 

If you plan to guarantee your hotel reservation by check, please be sure to indicate this on your Hotel Reservation Form. The check must be made payable to the hotel and received by the ASH Housing Center by November 9. If the ASH Housing Center does not receive the check by November 9, your hotel reservation will be cancelled.

The ASH Housing Center will mail, fax, or email a confirmation in response to every reservation requested. If you make a hotel reservation online, you will receive a confirmation instantly, and if you make a hotel reservation by fax or mail, a written confirmation will be sent to you by mail, fax, or email within five business days of receipt. If you do not receive your confirmation, please call the ASH Housing Center to verify that your request has been received.

ASH Cancellation/Change Policy

You may cancel or make changes to your hotel reservation either in writing or online until 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time) Wednesday, November 16, 2011. Written requests should be sent to the ASH Housing Center and will be acknowledged with a confirmation within five business days. After this date, all changes to accommodations must be made directly through your hotel.

Between November 16 and November 21, housing records will be transferred from the ASH Housing Center to the individual hotels; therefore, attendees are strongly encouraged to wait until after Monday, November 21 to contact their hotels to make changes or cancellations. 

To cancel or change a hotel reservation online, you will need your confirmation number and the email address you used to make your reservation. Online requests are acknowledged with an immediate email confirmation.

A cancellation must be made at least five days prior to your scheduled arrival date or you will be assessed a cancellation fee equivalent to two nights’ room rate (plus tax). The hotel will not hold your room if you do not arrive on the first night of your reservation and you will lose your deposit.

This hotel cancellation policy will be strictly enforced. Please retain the cancellation confirmation from the ASH Housing Center or the cancellation number provided to you by the hotel, as this proof of cancellation will be required to resolve any credit card disputes.

Group Room Reservations

A group room reservation is defined as 12 rooms or more. All requests for group room blocks must be received at the ASH Housing Center by October 5.

The ASH Housing Center will provide a website for all groups to manage their own room blocks and rooming lists online. A Group Booking Agreement, which includes a password, will be sent to each group contact after the group room reservations are approved by ASH.

After October 5, the ASH Housing Center will cancel any group room reservations for which it has not received a rooming list and full payment. Any rooms not accounted for on the rooming list will automatically be released.

Cancellations must also be made by October 5. Any cancellations after October 5 will result in forfeiture of the entire payment. The rules and regulations governing group room reservations are explicitly detailed on the Group Room Reservation Form. Please contact the ASH Housing Center at 888-273-5704 (U.S. and Canada toll-free) or 703-449-6418 (international) for additional instructions on how to obtain a group room block.

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Travel Information

Meeting Location

The San Diego Convention Center is located at 111 W. Harbor Drive along the San Diego Bay. The locations of key meeting areas are listed below:

• Registration - Sails Pavilion
• General Session room - Halls A-B
• Exhibit Hall - Halls C-F
• Poster Hall - Halls G-H
• Other session rooms - Upper Level of the San Diego Convention Center, the San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina, and the Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego

Weather

San Diego has mild winters. Temperatures in December typically range from 49° - 66° F (9° - 19° C), so attendees should bring a light jacket.

Air Travel

EWA Travel, Inc., has been selected as the official travel agency for the 2011 ASH Annual Meeting in San Diego. To make your travel arrangements, please contact:

EWA Travel, Inc.
Phone:    800-705-8580 - U.S. and Canada (toll free) 
              520-797-0291 - International
E-Mail:   marika@ewatravel.com 

Agents are available for reservations from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (Eastern Time), Monday through Friday.

Visa Application Process for International Travelers

If you would like to request an invitation letter from the American Society of Hematology for your visa application, you must first register for the meeting. Please allow five to seven business days for processing. This meeting is intended for hematologists and other physicians, allied health professionals, and scientists with an interest in hematologic research. Early-bird registration opens for ASH members on July 19, and advance registration for non-members opens August 10. Once you register, you will receive a registration confirmation number. Please e-mail this registration number, your full name, institution/company name, and mailing address to meetings@hematology.org to request your invitation letter.

ASH encourages you to start your visa application process as soon as possible. Because of U.S. State Department regulations, U.S. embassies and consulates may require a face-to-face interview for most non-immigrant visa applications. You should apply for your visa at least three to four months before the annual meeting. To schedule an interview for the visa application process, please contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. For more information, please visit http://travel.state.gov/travel. 

Airport Transportation

Taxis 

Taxis are available at designated areas of the airport; follow the signs leading to the transporation plazas and a transportation coordinator will assist you. Taxis fares from the airport to the convention center range from $15 to $25

Shuttles 

Shuttle transportation from San Diego Airport to local hotels
Super Shuttle will provide ground transportation from the San Diego Airport to local hotels. To make an advance reservation, contact Super Shuttle.

Website: https://www.supershuttle.com/default.aspx?GC=DY57P
Phone: 1-800-258-3826 - U.S. (toll free)
ASH discount code: DY57P

One-way discounted fare to downtown hotels is $7. For other areas, the discount is $1 for one-way; $2 for round trip.

Shuttle transportation from San Diego Convention Center to San Diego Airport
Kushner & Associates will provide ground transportation from the San Diego Convention Center to the San Diego Airport for the following dates and hours:

The cost will be $8 per person (cash only). Reservations can be made with the shuttle supervisor located outside Hall A at the San Diego Convention Center.

For more information about public transportation in San Diego, including a complete listing of shuttle services, visit www.sandiego.org  and click on the "Getting Around" tab.

Car Rental

This year, Hertz is offering ASH meeting attendees special rental car rates, which include unlimited mileage. Reservations can be made from all Southern California Hertz locations, online at www.hertz.com, or by calling 800-654-2240 (in the U.S.) or 405-749-4434 (international and Canda). Be sure to mention CV# 04QL0001 when booking your rental.

Hertz 

CV number: 04QL0001
Website: www.hertz.com  
Phone: 800-654-2240 (United States toll-free)
            405-749-4434 (International and Canada)

Parking

Parking is available at the San Diego Convention Center’s underground garage. The entrance of the parking garage is located on Harbor Drive between First Avenue and Fifth Avenue. The daily rate is $10; however, parking rates may range from $10 to $20 on days when there is a special event activity scheduled at PETCO Park or other downtown venues. Payment is due upon entry and there are no in-and-out privileges. No overnight or recreational (RV) parking is permitted.

Shuttle Bus Service

UPDATE: Shuttle Service will be provided from 6:00 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.* for the following walk hotels on Monday, December 12 due to predicted inclement weather. Frequency of service will be approximately every 15-25 minutes.

ROUTE 14 - One-way travel time is approximately 15-18 minutes 

 ROUTE 15 - One-way travel time is approximately 15 minutes 

Peak: 6:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon
Off-Peak: 12:00 noon - 4:00 p.m.
Peak 4:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. 

This last shuttle departs the San Diego Convention Center returning to hotels at this time. Last shuttle departs hotels approximately 60 minutes prior to this time. The San Diego Convention Center is the transfer point for all routes.
 

ASH will provide complimentary shuttle service between the majority of hotels in ASH’s housing block and the San Diego Convention Center. Look for detailed shuttle bus schedules in the San Diego Convention Center and your hotel lobby.

Shuttles to and from ASH hotels and the San Diego Convention Center will run during the periods listed below:

Service will not be provided for the following hotels, which are within walking distance of the San Diego Convention Center: Hard Rock Hotel, Hilton San Diego Bayfront, Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter, Horton Grand Hotel, Hotel Indigo, Hotel Solamar, Omni San Diego, Residence Inn Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego Marriott Gaslamp Quarter, and the San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina.

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Attractions

San Diego offers many attractions for tourists visiting the area, such as:

• PETCO Park 
• Gaslamp Quarter 
• Seaport Village 
• USS Midway Museum 
• San Diego Zoo 

For more information about San Diego’s theme parks and popular attractions, visit www.sandiego.org/nav/Visitors.

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