ISA Annual Convention 2008 Blog

Overflow Hotel: Hotel 480

We have added the Hotel 480 to our list of convention accommodations. Located on the historic Powell Street Cable Car line, this 30-story hotel offers guestrooms with bay windows, beds with pillowtop mattresses, and TVs with premium cable channels. Union Square is a block from this downtown San Francisco hotel, which is within a mile of Moscone Center and Fisherman's Wharf. Hotel 480 Union Square guests can dine at the bistro, relax in the lobby lounge, or enjoy Mediterranean specialties at Girasole. For reservations, please call the hotel and ask for the International Studies Association group block.

Hotel 480
480 Sutter Street
San Francisco, CA 94108

Reservations:
U.S. Phone: 1-866-912-0972 or 1-866-912-0973
International Phone: 1-415-398-8900
Group Code: Ask for the International Studies Association group block.
Rates: $169 S/D

New Travel Documents Required

Starting tomorrow (31 Jan. 2008), Canadians and Americans traveling between the U.S. and Canada will have to present more documentation to cross the border by land or sea (such travel by air required a passport or other specific documents since Jan. 23, 2007). Travelers will have to show a passport or government-issued photo I.D. such as a driver's license plus proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is at work developing alternative procedures for U.S. and Canadian children.

As part of the "Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative," or WHITI, virtually all Americans traveling between the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean have faced tighter and tighter rules. Air travel was covered first and at some point, DHS says, virtually all U.S. citizens will have to show a passport, a trusted traveler card such as NEXUS, FAST or SENTRI, or the new passport card (see below).

Should you get carded? Starting Friday, U.S. citizens may begin applying for the new passport card. This wallet-sized card, which is intended to be cheaper and easier to carry than a passport, will allow easier passage by land or sea between the WHITI countries. However, it won't cover travel by air. For more on the U.S. passport card, click here.

Grand Hyatt is Full

Our overflow hotel, the Grand Hyatt, is now full. Space remains at the five Personality Hotels at the posted room rates.

Convention Hotels

We do not have access to information about who has and who has not made reservations at the hotels available for the annual ISA conference in San Francisco. However, if you are one of those who has not yet made reservations, please note that the convention hotel and three of our overflows are all sold out. There is one more quality overflow remaining at the convention rate (The Grand Hyatt San Francisco), but it will sell out quickly as well, and the convention rate expires as our room block is sold. Therefore we urge you to book your reservation immediately, if you have not yet done so. To place your reservation at the Grand Hyatt San Francisco, please call 800-233-1234 or use the Hyatt website. Our group/corporate code is G-CISA.