Travel and Hotel Details

The 2006 National Conference on Dialogue & Deliberation will take place in downtown San Francisco this August 4-6. We will hold 5 high-quality pre-conference trainings on Thursday, August 3rd as well. You should plan to arrive on August 2nd if you are attending a pre-conference training, otherwise we recommend that you arrive on the evening of the 3rd. The conference officially begins at 10 a.m. on Friday morning (although you should register closer to 9:00), and we will close at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.

The conference will be held at the Renaissance Parc 55 Hotel in downtown San Francisco. The hotel is about a block away from the renowned Union Square shopping area and theater district, within walking distance of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Yerba Buena Gardens, and just a few blocks from both the Moscone Convention Center and the financial district.

Here is the address of the hotel:

Renaissance Parc 55
55 Cyril Magnin Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
(For locals and cabbies, this is right at 5th and Market.)

For reservations, call 800-595-0507. The hotel is no longer giving out discounts to NCDD registrants, so you will be charged the hotel's full rate.

Hotel Amenities:

• A "reader board" that displays meeting schedule info on TV monitors in the hotel lobby and in every sleeping room.
• Three restaurants: the Veranda (buffet breakfast and dinner), Barley and Hope (smoke-free sports bar), and our favorite, the Siam Thai Restaurant.
• Car rental service in the lobby and a travel agency in the building.
• An ATM machine, gift shop, and business center.
• Safes available at front desk if needed.
• A large second floor lounge with a cash bar and piano player after 5pm.

The Hotel's Environmental Policy

The Renaissance Parc 55 Hotel participates actively in several programs dedicated to conserve environmental resources. In both 2004 and 2005 their building was recognized as an Energy Star by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Their engineering department monitors the evolving EPA standards to assure our continued compliance.

• Waste materials such as used lubricants and cooking oils are routinely disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner.
• We recycle bottles, cans, paper (including waste office materials, cardboard, and newspapers), and compostable food waste.
• We offer a ?“Green?” alternative to hotel guests, giving them the option to decline daily replacement of their bed and bath linen thereby reducing laundry volume and conserving water, electricity and cleaning chemicals.
• Retired linen is donated to charities and non-profits in our community and several hundred pounds were recently contributed to the Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts.
• For several years, our registration process has been ?“paperless?” both for the convenience it affords arriving guests and the significant reduction that results in paper consumption and in records storage.
• We earnestly welcome suggestions from our guests, our staff and our purveyors that may lead to further efforts to help conserve our limited resources.

Transportation Options

The hotel is only a half block away from the famous San Francisco cable car system, and there is a BART station (Bay Area Rapid Transit) right across from the hotel. Parking at the hotel is $38 per day and subject to 14% tax, so locals may want to take the BART.

You can also board BART at either the San Francisco or Oakland international airports. A BART ride from either airport to the hotel is only about $5.50. Take any train heading toward Downtown San Francisco/Powell Street, including all of the following lines: Pittsburgh Bay Point, Richmond, Pleasanton, Dublin and Freemont. Depart the train at the Powell Street stop. The hotel is located just steps from the station.

You can arrive at either the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) or the Oakland International Airport (OAK) since they are both about the same distance from the hotel.

Click on map to visit Google Maps for more local information, directions and printable maps.

Travel Details from the San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

For more information: www.flysfo.com or call (650) 821-8211

The Renaissance Parc 55 is located 14 miles north of the San Francisco International Airport, or approximately 20 to 30 minutes by car.

The Super Shuttle van service is available for $15.00 one way (taxis are significantly more expensive). You can call 1-800-258-3826 to make reservations, or you can just find Super Shuttle at the airport. The shuttle to/from SFO drops off and picks up in front of the hotel every 15 minutes from 5:00 A.M. until 4:00 P.M. Reservations from the hotel to the airports are required after 4:00 p.m. and can be made with the bell captain or doorman.

If you are traveling by car, here are some basic directions: Follow 101 North and merge onto Interstate 80. Take the Seventh Street exit. Merge right onto Bryant Street. Turn left on Fifth Street. Cross Market Street. Fifth Street becomes Cyril Magnin. The parking entrance to the Renaissance Parc 55 Hotel is on the left side of Cyril Magnin.

Travel Details from the Oakland International Airport (OAK)

For more information: www.oaklandairport.com or call (510) 563-3300

The Renaissance Parc 55 is located 15 miles northwest of the Oakland International Airport.

The Super Shuttle van service is available for $25.00 one way (taxis are significantly more expensive) to and from the Oakland airport. You?’ll need to call 1-800-258-3826 to make reservations. For your return trip to the airport, you can arrange for pick-up with the bell captain or doorman at the hotel.

If you are traveling by car, here are some basic directions: Cross the Bay Bridge. Take the Fifth Street exit, and turn right on Fifth Street. Cross Market Street. Fifth Street becomes Cyril Magnin. The Parc 55?’s parking entrance is on the left side of Cyril Magnin.

Shuttles, Taxis, Limos and More Public Transportation Options

To/From San Francisco International Airport: Taxi drivers are required by SFO airport regulation to accept fares to all Bay Area destinations. Average cab fare to/from downtown SF is $37-$44. A $2.00 exit surcharge is included in all San Francisco taxicab meter fares for rides originating from San Francisco International Airport. For airporters, door-to-door vans, limos and charter operators, including service descriptions, schedules, sample fares and contacts, plus on-site car rentals, see SFO's Ground Transportation Guide.

To/From Oakland International Airport: Average cab fare from downtown San Francisco is $51. For other ground transportation options, such as shuttles, limos and car rentals on site, and for getting to Oakland Airport from other locations on Amtrak or the Alameda/Oakland Ferry, see Oakland's Ground Transportation Guide.

• Luxor Cab - (415) 282-4141
• Yellow Cab - (415) 626-2345
• DeSoto Cab - (415) 970-1300
• Veteran's Taxicab - (415) 552-1300

Parking Options Near the Renaissance Parc 55 Hotel:

The hotel is only a half block away from the famous San Francisco cable car system, and there is a BART station (Powell Street stop) right across from the hotel. Parking at the hotel is $38 per day and subject to 14% tax, so locals may want to take the BART or consider one of the following parking options.

There are a number of parking lots within a few blocks of the Parc 55 Hotel and plenty of other options through out the city. You can find more information at www.sfgov.org or www.sfgate.com/traveler. All garages are open 7 days/week until 1am. The maximum rate ?– over 8 hours is $23. Five to six hours is about $14.50.

Ellis O?’Farrell Garage
123 O'Farrell Street
415.986.4800
Centrally located in the heart of San Francisco?’s Union Square District, the Ellis-O?’Farrell Garage is a ten story, city-owned public parking garage committed to the community and providing the lowest rates for visitors to the area.

Fifth & Mission Garage
The Fifth & Mission Parking Garage / Yerba Buena Parking Garage encompasses roughly one full East-West block and is bordered by Minna, Mission, 4th and 5th Streets

Union Square Garage
333 Post Street
415-397-0631

Click on map to visit Google Maps for more local information, directions and printable maps.

Visitor's Information

You can get tourism information from the San Francisco Visitor Information Center at Market and Powell streets, right across the street from the hotel, on the lower level of Hallidie Plaza, near the Powell Street BART station. Call 415-391-2000 for information or 415-391-2001 for recorded events information.