Facilities

Blocking * Marriott Copley Place * Sheraton Boston Hotel * New Room Blocks * Suites * Package Handling

Noreascon Four's facilities are in the heart of Boston's Back Bay neighborhood, at the Hynes Convention Center, the Sheraton Boston Hotel, and the Marriott Hotel Copley Place. Galleries, restaurants, public transportation, and shopping are only steps away—if you can tear yourself away from what we hope will be the best Worldcon yet.

Hotel Updates

As of April 6, Noreascon 4's room block at the Sheraton Boston is essentially full. Some rooms will become available as people cancel reservations, but getting one of those rooms will depend on luck and your willingness to keep trying!

As of the middle of July, the Marriott Copley Place also has a very limited number of rooms available in our block. Again, we expect that additional rooms will become available as people's plans change and they cancel their reservations.

Keep checking with both hotels to see what's available!

New Hotel Blocks

We've added a block of rooms in the Colonnade Hotel, which is right across the street from the Marriott. In many ways, it's probably the nicest of our hotels—the Colonade supplies a rubber duckie to keep you company in your bath! They're matching the Marriott rates —$144 flat (single/double/triple/quad).

Make your reservation by calling the hotel directly at 617-424-7000, and ask for the World Science Fiction Convention block. Or call their toll-free (in US) number, 800-962-3030.

Parking at the Colonnade is $32 per night.

We've also added a block of rooms in the Radisson Hotel Boston to the Noreascon 4 sleeping room possibilities. The Boston Radisson is at 200 Stuart Street, and its rates are

• $109 (single or double occupancy)
• $129 (triple)
• $149 (quad)

You can call the hotel directly at 617-482-1800 and ask for the World Science Fiction/Noreascon block. It might also work at the Radisson 800-333-3333 number.

Parking at the Radisson is $26.00 per night, self-park, and $28.00 per night, valet parking.

The rates quoted for rooms in both these hotels do not include taxes or service fees.

Additional Hotel Possibilities

We don't currently have rooms blocked in any other Boston facility. However, Boston has lots of hotels, many of which are short subway rides from the Hynes (such as the Shawmut Inn, listed below) or within walking distance of the Hynes.

Other Possibilities

If you'd prefer not to book a room at the Radisson or to keep trying for a room in the Marriott or the Sheraton, you might want to see if any of these hotels have rooms available:

• The Chandler Inn, at 26 Chandler St., on the edge of Back Bay at $126 per night;
• The Best Western Roundhouse Suites, at 891 Massachusetts Ave., at $139 per night;
• The Shawmut Inn, at 280 Friend St., at $129 per night.

Additional possibilities may be available through your favorite travel website.

Reservation Info

We are NOT using a Housing Bureau.

Make regular room reservations directly with the hotels; make suite reservations through the convention. As of July 20, there are no suites available in the Sheraton; there may be a limited number of suites available at the Marriott.

Noreascon 4 blocked 900 rooms (including suites) in each of our hotels — 1800 rooms exceeds the total number of hotel rooms used at all but one Worldcon in history.

There are other hotels close to the Sheraton and the Marriott, and we'll let you know what additional hotel options are available for Noreascon 4 members relatively soon.

Blocking

If you wish to have more than one room blocked together, the convention will be able to assist you. First, make the reservations, using the procedures above. Then email the convention at blocking@noreascon.org, tell us which hotel the reservations are in and list the reservations you want blocked. For each reservation, please list the name(s) of the occupant(s), the confirmation number, and the check in/out dates.

Suites

Suites are available only through the convention; do not try to book them through the hotel. Suite prices start at $231 in the Sheraton and $337 in the Marriott (per night, before taxes, parking, or other fees).

We have tables showing the types of suites in the Sheraton and the Marriott. The tables include links to diagrams of each suite type. As of July 20, there are no suites available in the Sheraton; there may be a limited number of suites available at the Marriott.

For further information, send e-mail to suites@noreascon.org.

Noreascon has allocated the Sheraton suites to satisfy as many requests as feasible, but since we received more requests than we had suites available, some people may not not have received their first choice of suite, or may not have gotten a suite for all of the nights that they requested.

Package Handling

Like more and more hotels, the Sheraton Boston charges guests a fee for each package they receive through the hotel (this includes things like Federal Express envelopes). We've made its February 2004 list of package types and charges available, and will be checking with them before August to see if any of those charges have changed.

The Marriott Copley Place does not (as of April 2004) charge guests when they receive a package.

Room Rates

The convention rates will be:

• Sheraton Boston: $139 single/double, $149 triple, $159 quad
• Boston Marriott Copley Place: $144 single/double/triple/quad

We don't have convention rates for special sections, such as the Towers in the Sheraton; we believe that the hotels will be placing their non-convention guests there.

Room Block Dates

The room block rates are applicable to all of the regular rooms in both hotels and are good from Sunday, August 29 through Wednesday, September 8 (checkout Thursday Sept. 9).

If you want to book a hotel room outside the above dates, we may be able to help, but we are not holding any rooms outside the block. Make your reservation for the dates that are covered in the room block, and then send details of your requirements to housing-problems@noreascon.org

Questions?

If you want to be able to book a room outside of the room block dates, make your reservation for the dates that are covered in the room block, and then send details of your requirements to housing-problems@noreascon.org.

If you have changes to or questions about existing reservations, please direct them to the hotel reservations numbers, not to Noreascon.

If you have problems booking your room, please let us know about them at housing-problems@noreascon.org.