The 2025 Fall North American Bridge Championship housing bureau, ConferenceDirect, will charge a $150 cancellation fee for cancellations made on or after September 22, 2025 Should you cancel, this charge will appear on your credit card statement as “CONFDIRECT*ACBLFall”.

All reservations require a valid credit card to hold a reservation. A deposit of one night room and tax will be charge by the hotel on or after November 7, 2024. Cancellations must be made at least (3) days or (72) hours prior to your arrival date to avoid a hotel cancellation fee of one night’s room and tax.

Please note the hotel will charge an early departure fee should the guest depart earlier than the confirmed reservation dates. The guest will be charged for any nights remaining on the reservation as an early departure fee. Guests wishing to avoid this fee must advise the hotel at check-in of any change in the scheduled length of stay.

The hotel requires a pre-authorization of $75.00 to cover incidentals. This pre-authorization will occur upon check-in and can be made with cash, debit, or credit card.

• If using a debit card, the pre-authorization will act as a direct withdrawal from your bank account.
• If using cash, the pre-authorization amount is $100.00 per night.

Questions should be directed in writing to the ACBL Meeting Services Manager at nabc@acbl.org.

How do I book a hotel for the NABC?
Visit the “Hotel and Transportation” section at the top of the NABC page on ACBL’s website. This section will have the link for booking via ConferenceDirect (our housing partner).

Are there special hotel rates for NABC participants?
Yes. When you make your hotel reservation through ConferenceDirect, you will receive a discounted rate if you have booked by the published cut-off date. The discounted rate will not be available for reservations made after the published cut-off date. Reservations must be made through ConferenceDirect.

How do I contact ConferenceDirect if I want to book over the phone or have other questions?
You can reach ConferenceDirect by phone at 855-956-0776 or email at acbl@conferencedirect.com.

What information is needed for making a hotel reservation?
You will need to provide your name, credit card, arrival/departure dates and any room preferences.

How can I request special accommodations?
If you have special needs, please signal them when booking the room online. (There is a box for special requests when booking online.) You can also contact the hotel directly two weeks prior to your arrival date.

Can I extend my stay at the NABC rate?
Dates requested outside of the listed NABC dates are subject to availability at the hotel and can be requested through the waitlist option. They are not guaranteed.

How do I change or cancel my booking?
Use the ConferenceDirect link or phone number provided in your confirmation. Changes must be requested via ConferenceDirect before the listed cut-off date. After that date, you need to contact the hotel directly.

Who to contact for booking issues?
Reach out to ConferenceDirect customer service by phone at 855-956-0776 or email at acbl@conferencedirect.com with issues booking through ConferenceDirect. If you made your reservation directly with the hotel or another service, please contact the hotel.

Is transportation to the NABC venue included?
Depending on the hotel’s availability, there may be a shuttle service. Check the NABC page of ACBL’s website or the hotel website for availability.

Are roommate matching services offered?
No, participants must arrange their own roommates.

Can I earn hotel loyalty points with my booking?
Yes, if you provide your loyalty number during check-in at the hotel.

What if the official NABC host hotels are full?
Reservations at the host hotel are not guaranteed. If the room block is full, ConferenceDirect or the ACBL may suggest alternative accommodations or provide a link to make reservations at additional locations.

Are group bookings available for bridge clubs?
Yes, you will need to contact the Meeting Services Department at ACBL 662-662-3173 or nabc@acbl.org.

How soon should I book my hotel for the NABC?
Reservations open nine months in advance of the NABC for ACBL Patron members and six months in advance for all other ACBL members. Note that rooms in the official block tend to fill quickly.

Will I pay the full price upfront for my hotel?
No. While credit card information is taken upon reservation, you will be charged at check-out (unless hotel policy states otherwise).

Is there a deadline for the discounted NABC hotel rates?
Yes, check the NABC page of ACBL‘s website for the booking cut-off date.

Can I book hotels for the NABC outside ConferenceDirect?
You are not required to book through ConferenceDirect, but doing so is the only way to access the specially negotiated rate for members. Neither ConferenceDirect nor the ACBL can help with reservations, waitlists or special requests if booked otherwise.

What does it mean to be waitlisted?
Being waitlisted doesn’t necessarily mean that there are no available rooms. It indicates that the requested accommodation is not immediately confirmed due to various reasons.

• Examples of waitlisted scenarios:
• • Insufficient contracted rooms for that night.
• • Requested night falls outside our contracted dates.
• • Limited inventory available for the requested night.
• • Specific room type not available.

How are waitlisted reservations managed?
To address a waitlisted situation, ConferenceDirect takes the following steps:

• • Contacts the hotel to check for availability at our contracted rate; if unavailable, explores options at the rack rate.
• • Adjusts the room block by reallocating rooms from other blocks (e.g., patron, staff, board, etc.).
• • May adjust from another block or negotiate with the hotel for additional room availability.

In some cases, there might not be an immediate fix available. In such instances, we determine the best alternative among our other contracted hotels. If you encounter this scenario, please direct inquiries to nabc@acbl.org.

Airports

There are three major airports in the Bay Area:

-The closes to the SF Marriott Marquis is San Francisco International (SFO) located south of the of the city about 14 miles from the hotel.

-Other options are the Oakland Airport (OAK), 17 miles from the hotel, and the San Jose Airport (SJC) 56 miles away.

Getting to the San Francisco Marriott Marquis from SFO

To get to the hotel from SFO, you can take a taxicab (approximately $60), use Uber, Lyft, or take a shuttle. BART (about $11) is also a very good option. There are signs in the airport directing you to BART or other transportation pickup locations.

Cabs and Lyft/Uber take about 30 minutes depending on traffic. BART runs every 15 minutes and takes 30 minutes.  A shared shuttle bus may take longer depending on who they drop off first and where.

BART

BART is located in the SFO International Terminal.  Look for the signs. Buy your ticket there and hang onto it; you will need the ticket to exit when you arrive.

Get off at the Powell St. station.  Walk toward the front of the platform and up the escalator.  Then bear to your right and up again.  Once you reach the street level, turn around and you will be at 4^th St.  Go to your left one block and the Marriott Marquis is right there.  If you cannot negotiate the Powell St. escalator, there are elevators that go up to the street. If you are not sure where the hotel is when you are on the street, look up!  The Marriott looks like a giant juke box!

If you opt to fly into Oakland, there is a BART shuttle train that goes from the airport to the BART Coliseum station.  From there you can take a BART train to San Francisco and exit at the Powell Station.

Proceed toward the rear of the platform, then up an escalator.  Bear right and up one more level to the street.  Turn around, walk a few steps to 4^th St. and go left one block to the Marriott.

Bay Area Commuters

If you are commuting from the East Bay area, you can take BART to Powell St. station.  Head toward the rear of the platform, up and bear right until you reach street level.  Turn around and go left on 4^th St. one block. You will be at the Marriott Marquis. Fares will vary depending on where you boarded the train, and whether you have a Senior Clipper Card. Those in south San Francisco can also take BART.

If you are commuting from the peninsula, as far south as Gilroy, you can take Caltrain.  Keep in mind the time the last train leaves if you are staying in the city for activities., Caltrain takes about an hour and a half from San Jose. The Caltrain terminal is at King and 4^th St.  It is ¾ mile to the Marriott on 4^th St.  You can walk to 3^rd St and take a bus to 3^rd and Mission St., then walk to 4^th St. and the Marriott.  Or you can go to the take Caltrain to the Millbrae station and switch to BART there.

Automobiles:

Downtown San Francisco is not an easy city to negotiate by car with many one -way streets in the downtown area.  If you are driving to the host hotel, there are a number of parking options.

-Hotel Parking

The San Francisco Marriott Marquis has valet parking only, for a fee of $20 per hour pr $91.50 for the day (call for current rates). The hotel does have electric charging station at no additional charge over the valet rates.  The garage clearance is 6 feet.

-Public Parking Garages & Lots near the Marriott

• Several public parking garages are located very close to the hotel, The closest garages are the 5th and Mission Parking Garage (833 Mission St.; https://www.sfmta.com/garages-lots/fifth-mission-yerba-buena-garage) and the Ellis – O'Farrell Parking Garage (123 O'Farrell St.; https://www.sfmta.com/garages-lots/ellis-ofarrell-garage).
• You can also find parking at other nearby garages and lots like the Pickwick Hotel Garage (890 Mission St.), Parc 55 Hotel parking (55 Cyril Magnin St.), and Hilton SF Union Square Garage (222 Ellis St.).

• Many of these options allow for advance booking and reservations through platforms likeSpotHero, ParkWhiz, and com, which can help ensure you have a space and potentially secure better rates.
• com (https://www.parkme.com/san-francisco-parking) is interactive map where you can put in the time you plan to arrive ad leave and available locations and prices.
• Consider using parking apps to compare prices and find the most convenient and affordable option for your needs.

Getting around SF

SF offers transportation options that use the Clipper Card  (clippercard.com).  You can use it on BART, Muni, and the cable cars.  When you buy a card, you can add funds as needed.

SF has a bus system, called Muni with frequent buses that go to various locations around the city: https://www.sfmta.com/muni-transit. The system uses the same Clipper Card you purchased if you use BART to come to the city. The link above provides information on using the system and fares.

Many of you are familiar with using Lyft and Uber.  But SF has another option – Waymo, the “driverless” card.  You download the App, as you did for Lyft/Uber, and use the same way to book your ride.

https://waymo.com/waymo-one-san-francisco/

Tourism

San Francisco is one of the great tourist cities in the world.  Not to be missed are the Golden Gate bridge, Fisherman’s Wharf, the cable cars, and Alcatraz Island.  The Golden Gate bridge is about 6 miles from the Marriott.  You should take a taxi, Uber, or Lyft to get there.

The cable cars are considerably easier to reach.  Walk up 4^th St. one block then cross Market St.   Go left and walk one block to the Powell St cable car turn-around.  If you ride the Powell-Hyde St. line it will take you to Ghirardelli Square.  It is a few blocks walk from there to Fisherman’s Wharf.  Keep in mind that cables cars can have a long line of people waiting to ride them; allow plenty of time for your trip.

Cable cars cost $8 per one-way trip, with no transfers. With a senior rate of $4 between 9 pm and 7 am.

You can purchase a visitor’s unlimited pass for all of San Francisco Muni system (including cable cars) for 1, 3 or 7 days for $23, $34, or $45. https://www.sfmta.com/fares/3-day-visitor-passport. If this link does not open, google SFTMA visitor passport

For a tour of Alcatraz  you might need reservations well in advance, though at less popular times tickets are available at the pier without reservations.  Adults are about 44 and seniors about $39. Boats to Alcatraz leave from Pier 33, which is about 2 miles from the Marriott.  You can use taxi, Uber, Lyft, Waymo or you can walk to Market St, go down 1 level to the Muni trolley and take the F train toward Fisherman’s Wharf.  Allow 3 hours for the boat trip and tour, plus about 20 minutes each way for transportation.

Shopping:

If you want to examine the major department stores in the area, many of them can be found in and around Union Square, where Macy’s Nieman-Marcus, and Louis Vuitton are located.  Walk north on 4^th St one block, cross Market St., then proceed up Stockton St. two blocks.

Museums

SF has a number of museums, including the Museum of Modern Art (a short walk from the Marriott), the DeYoung, Palace of the Legion of Honor, and the Asian Art Museum. Check their website for current exhibitions.

Music and Theatre

The San Francisco Symphony offers concerts through the year. (sfsymphony.org). There are also numerous theatres, such as the Curran, Golden Gate, and Orpheum that are nearby.  SF has a lot of entertainment to choose from!

Printable Guide

Scooter Rentals

If you’ll be in San Francisco, you may find it convenient to rent a scooter to get around the city and or playing area. Below are a few scooter rental companies you can consider utilizing.

A-Z royal medical supply - website: Rentals | A to Z Royal Medical Supply, phone number: 415-8312330

A-Z royal medical supply has a delivery and pick-up fee starting as low as $20.00. Company requires a valid drivers license or I.D at the time of order.

Cloud of goods - website: Rent mobility scooters, wheelchairs, strollers, and car seats in USA - Cloud of Goods, phone number 407-545-3101

Cloud of goods has one-day rentals are $55.00, weekly rentals  $150.00, must book scooters in advance!