POZ Community Forums
Off Topic Forums => Forums Gatherings => Topic started by: allanq on February 06, 2007, 01:23:16 pm
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I think people will be pleased with the Powell Hotel. I visited the hotel and saw one of the rooms. The hotel is old, but it's had a recent update and refurbishing. The room I saw was clean, comfortable, and nicely furnished. The hotel is larger than it appears from the street, since it extends through the entire block from Powell Street to Cyril Magnin Street. This means that most of the rooms are "inside" rooms; that is, they don't face the street and have no views at all. The upside of this is that they should be quiet. If you do choose a room facing the street, be prepared for a good deal of street noise, especially on the Powell Street side. The hotel has six floors. When you make a reservation, it would be a good idea to say that you prefer an upper floor, since these rooms would get more light. (I'm not sure hotels can always honor this type of request, but it can't hurt to make it.)
The hotel is in the heart of the bustling Union Square area. TRANSPORTATION COULD NOT BE BETTER! The Powell Street station for BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) and Muni (Municipal Transport) is just steps away. Many bus lines stop at Powell and Market. Also stopping at Powell and Market are the colorful vintage F-Line trolleys that can take you to Castro Street or the waterfront. The cable car runs right outside the front door.
The official address of the hotel is 28 Cyril Magnin Street, but the hotel is actually on Powell Street at Market. I think the reason for the Cyril Magnin address is that Powell Street outside the hotel is closed to traffic. Cars and taxis would have to use the Cyril Magnin Street entrance.
There are many restaurants in all price ranges near the hotel, ranging from inexpensive diners to high-end, world-class (i.e., expensive) restaurants. Chinatown is an easy (level) walk from the hotel.
In the weeks and months ahead, I'll be writing up information that I hope will help AMGers enjoy their time together in the city. Some topics planned:
Getting from the SFO and OAK airports to the hotel
Transportation within San Francisco
Short and easy walks that start right at the hotel
Places to eat
I hope attendees will be able to extend their visits before or after the official dates of the gathering. There's simply too much to see and do in a three or four-day visit.
Allan
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;D
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Rab,
I booked my partner and I today at the Powell. Glenn (reservations) from the Powell was very helpful and we plan to arrive from Atlanta on the 13th and depart on the 17th. Looking forward to meeting my faceless friends and taking advantage of the great city of San Fran! This will be a great gathering.
Roger
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Is the receptionist at the Powell hotel aware of the AMG '07 gathering...Did those who made reservations mention it for a cheaper group rate? Are the dates etched in stone as of today?
Jody
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The contract is finalized and dates/rates are set in stone. I spoke to Glen and the sales manager yesterday so everyting is all set. The room block is for September 12th - 19th. However, there is availability on both ends to either arrive earlier or stay longer if desired. Please let me know if you have any problems.
Thanks!
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2 rooms booked
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Rab..you are my knight in shining armour..always ready to ciome to my resue and save me from from messing things up..there are times when I just hate being blond... ;)
Nico...I'm so glad you and your partner will be joining us this year..i look forward to meeting you.
Allan..as always I'm lost for words...thank you so much for evrything you have done for us..can't wait to say thank you in person.
Hugs to you all
Jan :-*
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Jan/Allan,
I surprised my partner about the trip. He flipped out (in a good way). This will be a good adventure for the both of us. Can't wait to meet y'all.
Roger
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Dennis:
I may not have seen it in the intro thread, but is there a deadline for booking rooms to avail of the discounted block? What do you need to tell them to let them know it is for AMG? I am asking this in behalf of the Grants Committee. Thanks.
Gerry
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Hi Gerry,
We have the rooms blocked at the group rate until August 12th. Just ask for the AMG group.
Dennis
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Dennis,
Thanks! When I booked, Glen knew the group even though I failed to bring it to his attention.
Great job and thanks!
Roger
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I'm booked for the 13th and am departing Monday morning (17th). Traveling solo as my partner stays home to care for the "critters." This AMG in SF is lagniappe, so can only do the long weekend stay. My major vacation time happens in June this year--a week in Yellowstone with my niece & nephew.
What a unique idea. Gathering with a bunch of folks and not having to worry about disclosure issues. Nice!
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Well, mj, you got me with "lagniappe". I'm sure I'm not the only one so for those of you who are like me, here is what it means:
Chiefly Southern Louisiana & Mississippi 1. A small gift presented by a storeowner to a customer with the customer's purchase. 2. An extra or unexpected gift or benefit.
ETYMOLOGY: Louisiana French, from American Spanish la ñapa, the gift : la, the (from Latin illa, feminine of ille, that, the; see al-1 in Appendix I) + ñapa (variant of yapa, gift, from Quechua, from yapay, to give more).
REGIONAL NOTE: Lagniappe derives from New World Spanish la ñapa, “the gift,” and ultimately from Quechua yapay, “to give more.” The word came into the rich Creole dialect mixture of New Orleans and there acquired a French spelling. It is still used in the Gulf states, especially southern Louisiana, to denote a little bonus that a friendly shopkeeper might add to a purchase. By extension, it may mean “an extra or unexpected gift or benefit.”
Keeping that in mind, this "Western" edition of AMG is sort of like our own version of a Rendezvous.
A rendezvous was the name used for the annual meeting of mountain men and fur buyers during the Western fur trade era, where trappers would exchange beaver skins for supplies and goods they wanted. These events occurred between the early 1820s and the 1840s, coming to an end when the price of beaver skins fell due to changes in fashion.
I'm glad your joining us. You'll have a great time.
robert
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Thank you for the welcoming words, Robert.
I was born and raised in southern Louisiana.
See you at the rendezvous.
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Have a wonderful time in CA.
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I've read through a few threads but don't see the price for the hotel. What's the rate? Thanks.
David
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Single/Double $115 per night plus 14% room tax.
http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=8657.0 (http://forums.poz.com/index.php?topic=8657.0)
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I've got a question.
Who decides who will be your roomate? Do you work it out privately with an online buddy? If you were to book a double room, but going single, and donate the extra bed, does the grant committee act as roomatefinder and try to find the most compatible matches ( not sexual, just personalities?lol)
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Yes.
You can choose to have the room by yourself or if there is someone here you want to share with you can 'pm' each other and make the arrangements. For the 1st 2 gatherings I had roommates assigned to me. The first year I confirmed a room for myself and had planned to keep it a single as I really didn't know anyone. At the last minute, another member (Marcus) decided to come along but the hotel was sold out. Marcus started a thread, looking for a roommate and I raised my hand. It worked out really well.
Last year, I also had reserved my own room but this time I let the committee know I was willing to share. They found a roommate for me and again it worked out very well.
Both roommates were just that. Entirely non-sexual.
So, again, the answer is yes.
robert
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I've kinda lost track of where we're posting about hotel reservations. Hope this is the right one.
Jen will be coming from Australia and I reserved her room a couple of days ago.
RAB