SND STL hotel map and registration desk details

Here’s a quick guide to the hotel and registration desk for the SND conference and pre-conference workshops. It’s important to note that there are two buildings to the Renaissance Grand, connected by an underground walkway (don’t worry we’ll have dozens of signs directing you):

• The main hotel building (with all the guest rooms)
• The “Concourse” building (with all the convention meeting rooms)

It’s a little confusing initially, but basically, you sleep in one building and go to the convention in the other. Once you get into the Concourse building, the SND STL convention and all the workshops take place in there, and basically everything except for the committee meetings and speaker green room is all on the second floor.

Graphic by Tom Borgman / St. Louis Post-Dispatch

SND STL Hotel Room Sharing Bulletin Board

St. Louis Renaissance Grand Hotel, home of SND STL (Photo by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

While we have some amazing hotel rates for SND STL (almost half of what some other journalism conference hotels are charging this year), we realize times are tough and want to help give everyone the opportunity to attend SND St. Louis and have plenty of money left over for festivities and the SND Foundation Silent Auction, so we’re setting up this hotel room sharing bulletin board.

Please note, SND and SND STL take no responsibility for any room sharing arrangement you enter into, so please be careful and ‘buyer beware.’ If you room with someone and they don’t pay their share or turn out to snore, be an ax murderer or Comic Sans fanatic, we can’t legally or logistically take responsibility for this. Hopefully this spreadsheet can help you connect for a mutually beneficial and enjoyable experience.

Also, don’t forget, the official conference hotel is The Renaissance Grand Hotel, we’re well over half old out for each day, so move quickly to get these special rates ASAP from the Renaissance St. Louis Grand Hotel website:

• For professionals – $159 a night, use the code “sndsnda”
• For students – $132 a night, use the code “dnsdnsa” Please note: This offer is limited to the first 20 students who book rooms, first come, first served. Once the block of 20 sells out, the rate will be $159 a night.

Below is the bulletin board list of people looking for roommates:
(If you’ve set up your hotel or would like to be removed from this list, please email will [at] journerdism.com):

Check out more valuable information about SND STL and St. Louis:

• More info about the Rennaissance Grand hotel
• Get the details about plane, train, bus and car transportation to, in and around St. Louis
• Learn more about the SND STL opening reception at The City Museum
• Find out about some more local St. Louis attractions

SND STL hotel rooms available now — special student rate too!

UPDATE 9/1/11: Word on the street is the hotel block has sold out, but there’s still plenty of options, including $127 a night (we were just quoted this, rates are likely to go up as the date gets closer and the hotels fill) at the Mayfair Hotel next door to the Renaissance Grand.

The Renaissance Grand Hotel is now officially accepting reservations for SND STL rooms! Get these special rates ASAP from the Renaissance St. Louis Grand Hotel website before they sell out:

• For professionals – $159 a night, use the code “sndsnda” under “Group code” before Sept. 8
• For students – $132 a night, use the code “dnsdnsa” under “Group code” Please note: This offer is limited to the first 20 students who book rooms, first come, first served. Once the block of 20 sells out, the rate will be $159 a night.

While you have your credit card out, you should register for the SND STL conference, check out options for traveling to and around St. Louis or learn more about the hotel and it’s features or St. Louis’ many attractions.

About the Renaissance Grand Hotel

The Renaissance Grand Hotel is framed in the windows of America's Center, which is across the street. Post-Dispatch archives

Renaissance St. Louis Grand Hotel //  800 Washington Ave., St. Louis  //  314.621.9600 or 800.397.1282

SND/NPPA 2011 will be hosted at the Renaissance Grand Hotel, located in the Washington Avenue Loft District of downtown St. Louis. Built in 1917 as part of the Statler chain of hotels, it was the first air-conditioned hotel in the United States. The hotel closed in 1966, and was renovated and reopened in 2002.

Rooms will be $169 $159 per night for professional journalists (use the code “sndsnda” on the Renaissance website); $132 per night for students (Students, use the code “ndsndsa” to get this rate. Note: this offer is limited to the first 20 rooms booked, first come, first served). The Renaissance is a smoke-free hotel.

Hotel features

• Indoor pool
• Whirlpool
• Fitness center
• Free wi-fi in public areas and meeting rooms
• Three restaurants, a lobby bar and a Starbucks
• Room service from 6 a.m. to midnight

Getting there

The Renaissance does not offer an airport shuttle. It takes about 30 minutes to get from Lambert-St. Louis International Airport to the hotel. 
• MetroLink: $3.75 one-way
• Go Best Express: $21 one-way; available upon request. Call 877.785.4682.
• Taxi: About $40 one-way
• Drive: From the airport, take Interstate 70 East approximately 15 miles to downtown St. Louis and exit at Broadway. Continue on Broadway to Washington Avenue and turn right. The hotel is two blocks up (west) on the left (south) side of the street at Eighth Street and Washington Avenue, across from the America’s Center Complex. On-site parking is $14 per day.