Lodging

A variety of options are available to suit various tastes and budgets. For those who would like the comfort of a hotel, the University Park Hotel located near MIT has offered the convention a highly discounted rate. For those who would like to save money, air-conditioned student dorm rooms are available on campus for half the price of the hotel.

Both locations are a few blocks from the MIT buildings where the convention will occur. The hotel is off-campus, closer to the subway and the shops and restaurants of Cambridge. The walk from the hotel is along a well-lit busy street. The walk from the MIT dorm is entirely on-campus, along a row of dorms and athletic fields. During the summer, there will be students and kids in summer camps housed in the dorms.

About the University Park Hotel

The University Park Hotel, known also as Hotel@MIT, is located a few blocks from the convention location (Stratton Student Center), closer to public transportation and the restaurants and shops in Central Square. The hotel is brand new, with award-winning architecture and a modern décor that playfully integrates aspects of technology and MIT. Robots from the MIT AI Lab are on display in the lobby and items from the MIT Museum decorate the guest rooms. Guests can enjoy the hotel's 8000 sq.ft. roof garden, elegant reading rooms, exercise facility, and free Internet access. For more information about the hotel, call 617-577-0200, or visit the hotel's website http://www.hotelatmit.com.

Convention participants can reserve double-occupancy rooms for $109 a night, triple-occupancy rooms for $129, and quadruple-occupancy for $149. This rate applies from 4 days prior to the convention to 3 days after the convention. All reservations must be made by June 3, 2003. To reserve a room, contact the hotel directly at (617) 577-0200 or by email to reservations@hotelatmit.edu. You must mention the "51st Annual Congress of ELNA" to get the group rate. This rate is not available through the hotel's toll-free number or the Internet.

About MIT Housing

Single and double-occupancy rooms are availble on MIT's campus a short walk from the Stratton Center. The rooms are air-conditioned and the building has a front desk which is open late into the night. Doubles are $65 per night for the room ($32.50 per person) and singles are $50 per night. Some triples may become available, but room details will not be secured until mid March. Reservations are made through the convention organizers (elna_congress_2003_questions@yahoogroups.com) and payment made to ELNA. There is space on the registration form to make your reservations. Reservations must be made at least three weeks before the convention. We anticipate that most participants will stay Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights (July 3-5). If you would like to reserve a space in the dorms for other nights, please contact us to make special arrangements.

All rooms will be in the dorm known as New House. Click here for a map of MIT's campus highlighting in red the locations of the convention location (Stratton Student Center) and New House.

Other Housing Options

There are two other hotels which may be of interest to people looking to save money, particularly groups of three or more. They are slightly cheaper ($85 - $95 depending on the night, even for groups of three or four) and offer free parking. On the down side, the hotels are farther away from MIT and the convention.

The Cambridge Gateway Inn costs $85 per night for two adults, $90 for three, and $95 for four. The hotel is located a short walk from the subway and only a few subway stops from MIT. A shuttle bus from the hotel to the subway station runs until late afternoon. Reservations can be made online.

The Holiday Inn Express in Cambridge costs $85 on Friday or Saturday and $95 on Thursday. The hotel is a short walk from the Green Line of the subway, which is convenient for reaching Boston but not MIT. However, a shuttle bus from the mall near the subway runs regularly to MIT.

The Amory Guest House is conveniently located in Cambridge. Temporary housing can be had at a daily rate for a minimum of 4 days, or by a weekly rate if you would like to extend your stay and do some sight-seeing.

A couple hostel options are available. The Hostelling International hostel in Boston's Back Bay charges around $30 per night. Hostelling International also has a hostel in Fenway on the campus of Boston University that is only open during the summer. A slightly cheaper alternative is the Irish Embassy Tourist Hostel in Boston, which at one time cost $15-$20 per night. The Farington Inn is an upscale hotel alternative costing $22 - $40 per person, depending on the size of the room and whether it has a private bathroom or even a kitchen.

If you would like to visit for as much as a week, you can stay in a furnish apartment at a weekly rate. The Amory Guest House, mentioned above, is one option. As is Copley House, Commonwealth Court, and Beacon Street Guest House, all conveniently located a walk or bus ride from MIT. Other locations can be found in this listing of short-term housing options.

Finally, there are a couple Pasporta Servo hosts near Boston. None live in Boston or Cambridge, however they can be reached by commuter trains. Their spaces are certain to fill up quickly, so contact them early! Consult the Pasporta Servo for more information.