Host Hotels for 2009

Atlanta Hilton	Our host hotels for 2009 will again include the familiar surroundings of the Hyatt Regency Atlanta along with the legendary Atlanta Marriott Marquis and the Atlanta Hilton. The Hilton is across the street from the Marriott which is connected by a climate-controlled tube-way to the Hyatt. The Marriott is easily the most architecturally unique hotel in the city, if not the entire Southeast. We are pleased to announce the addition of the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel to the list of fabulous hotels hosting Dragon*Con 2009! Dragon*ConTV will be available in all four host hotels. NOTE: The Sheraton has recently announced that it will be 100% smoke free. You can read more about it on their website at: Sheraton Atlanta Hotel Goes Smoke Free.
Atlanta Hilton: 255 Courtland Street, NE Atlanta, GA 30303 Hyatt Regency Atlanta: 265 Peachtree Street NE Atlanta, GA 30303 Marriott Marquis Atlanta: 265 Peachtree Center Ave Atlanta, GA 30303 Sheraton Atlanta Hotel: 165 Courtland Street Atlanta, GA 30303	Hyatt Regency Atlanta
Below are our discounted rates per night for the Hyatt, Marriott, Hilton and Sheraton, as well as the codes, where applicable, to use if you are using online booking through the Hyatt, Marriott, Hilton, or Sheraton websites. Be sure to mention you are with Dragon*Con when you call any of our hotels. If you don't, you may be quoted a higher rate, or be told the hotel is sold out. Rates apply to 3 and 4 night blocks, and shorter stays may be quoted a higher rate.

*NOTE: The Sheraton does not currently have room codes. You must however, mention you are with Dragon*Con in order to receive these rates.
**NOTE: The Hilton has a corporate policy to charge a one night stay in advance. The money will be refunded if you cancel 48 prior to your reservation date.

To book rooms via phone:

• Atlanta Hilton 404-659-2000
• Hyatt Regency Atlanta: 404-577-1234
• Marriott Marquis Atlanta: 404-521-0000 (7:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.)
• Sheraton Atlanta Hotel: 404-659-6500

Parking:

• Atlanta Hilton $24/day valet parking.
• Hyatt Regency Atlanta: $24/day valet parking (Parking garage height is 6 feet.)
• Marriott Marquis Atlanta: $24/day valet parking ($26/day for oversize vehicles.)
• Sheraton Atlanta Hotel: $24/day valet parking.
• The parking decks around main hotels: $5 – $10 per day (cheaper on weekends if you can find a good rate), but generally don't allow in-and-out privileges.

All of our convention hotels are convenient to MARTA's Peachtree Center station. The Hyatt and Marriott can both be reached from the station via indoor walkways. MARTA has direct train service from Hartsfield Airport's terminals with no transfers, with an approximate travel-time of 30 minutes from the airport to Peachtree Center and our hotels. Fare is $1.75 for a trip. There's a 50 cent surcharge to purchase a Breeze ticket, which can be loaded with more than one trip. For details check out www.itsmarta.com.

Dragon*Con provides schedule van service between all main convention hotels and the over flow hotels during most hours of the day and night.

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About Atlanta

Welcome to the City of Atlanta, home of Dragon*Con! Getting around the city, even for locals, can be a confusing task. To help out all of our visitors, we have included a Travel & Transportation Guide which includes directions on how to get to the convention by plane, train, automobile and bus.

And since many people combine Dragon*Con with vacation time both before and after the convention, we've assembled a small collection of links about the city and some of its points of interest.

• The Atlanta Convention and Visitors' Bureau

• Georgia Aquarium

• The World of Coca-Cola

• Underground Atlanta

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Travel & Transportation Guide

One of the first hurdles of attending any convention is simply getting there! Luckily for travelers, Atlanta is one of the most accessible cities in the world by plane, train, automobile, and bus.

For those of you planning on spending some time in Atlanta sight-seeing, we strongly encourage you to get a map of the city prior to arriving. Atlanta is well-known for its confusing layout, and its fondness for naming streets either "Peachtree" or "Piedmont." :)

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Air Travel

Hartsfield International Airport, just fifteen minutes south of downtown Atlanta and the convention district, is a two-hour flight (or less) from 80% of the population of the United States and is the international hub for Delta Airlines.

Airport sites:

• Hartsfield International Airport Official Site

• FAA's official Hartsfield site (includes major flight delays)

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Automotive Travel

For those planning to drive, Atlanta is accessible by three major interstate highways: I-75, I-85, and I-20. Tip: in Georgia, it is legal to turn left on red onto a one-way road from a one-way road if the road is clear and there are no signs present decreeing otherwise. You don't get to do this often, but you'll have ample chances downtown so enjoy it!

Traffic note: Downtown traffic is most dense during the weekdays of the con, especially during rush hour, but eases up on Saturday and Sunday and the Monday holiday.

• Arriving from the North
  You'll come in on either I-75, from the northwest, or I-85, from the northeast. The two highways combine just north of downtown; follow signs for Downtown (basically this means go straight). While traveling southbound on 75/85, take the exit for Williams Street. If you're driving in for the day and not staying at one of our hotels, you can park at any of the parking lots on Williams St. Any of these parking lots are within a few blocks of the convention site. To get to the Hyatt and the Marriott, turn left, east, on Harris St. go a couple of blocks while getting to the extreme left. For the Hyatt Regency, turn left onto Peachtree Street and get all the way into the rightmost lane. The Hyatt will be immediately on your right. For the Marriott Marquis, continue on Harris one block and turn left on Peachtree Center Avenue. The Marriott will be immediately on your right (the Hyatt will be on your left).

• Arriving from the South
  When traveling northbound on 75/85, take the right-hand exit for International Boulevard. Turn left onto International Boulevard at second light and cross the freeway. If you're staying at the Baymont Suites or Wyndham, keep left; your hotels are on the left. Otherwise, you'll arrive at an intersection with Piedmont Rd. Continue across Piedmont through the next light at Courtland St. For the Marriott Marquis, turn right onto Peachtree Center Avenue. The Marriott will be in the next block on the right (Hyatt is to your left). For the Hyatt, continue one more block on International Boulevard and turn right onto Peachtree St. The Hyatt will be a block and a half down on your right.

• From the East or West
  While traveling in on I-20 East or West, exit downtown onto I-75/85 North ("Greenville/Chattanooga"). Stay to the right but be mindful of unwanted exit-only lanes. After going no more than a mile, exit on International Boulevard and follow directions as From the South, above.

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Bus Transport

Greyhound runs bus routes all throughout the United States to Atlanta. The "temporary" station is adjacent to MARTA's Garnett station; take any northbound MARTA train two stops to Peachtree Center (N1). Peachtree Center Station is within a block of our primary hotels. You can also take a cab from the bus station to the hotels; the distance is less than two miles.

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MARTA

Atlanta boasts the second-highest rated public transportation system in North America - The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, MARTA - with rapid rail service directly from Hartsfield International Airport to the Peachtree Center Rail Station. This station, "carved from the very living rock" ninety feet below Peachtree Street in downtown, is directly connected to the Hyatt Regency and the Marriott through the Peachtree Center Mall and Food Court. The entire walk is covered and almost entirely climate-controlled. The one-way MARTA fare anywhere on the system is still $1.75. The MARTA rail system shuts down from c. 1:00 a.m. - 5:00 a.m. for track inspection and maintenance, so plan to take alternate transportation to downtown (hotel shuttle, cab, rental car) if you're arriving or departing in the wee hours of the morning.

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Passenger Train Service:

Amtrak's Crescent runs daily from New York to Atlanta, and daily between Atlanta and New Orleans. It stops at Brookwood Station between the Buckhead shopping district and Midtown Atlanta. This is four miles north of the downtown convention district. The Crescent offers full dining-car service as well as a lounge car (with a smoking section), sleeping-car accommodations as well as comfortable, spacious (especially compared to airline seats) coach service.

To get to the convention after arriving at Brookwood Station, take the #23 MARTA Bus from Brookwood Station to the Arts Center MARTA Station (free transfer), and then take a Southbound MARTA train to the Peachtree Center Rail Station. That would cost $1.75. You can also take a cab from the Amtrak station to the Arts Center station, or all the way to the convention. The total distance is not more than two miles.

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