Hotel room reservations will be made for you after you register for the AFR SOTA. The cut-off date to guarantee your hotel room reservation is March 7, 2008.
Visa Information
Visa requirements change often and vary among nationals of different countries. As of this date, State Department guidance indicates that your passport must:
- Be valid for 30 days beyond planned stay in South Africa and
- Must contain at least two unstamped pages, not including the final amendment page.
U.S. citizens staying in South Africa for fewer than 90 days do not require a visa for entry into the country. Non-US citizens, please visit the following link to verify visa requirements
http://www.southafrica-newyork.net/homeaffairs/visaexempt.htm.
All travelers must have a current passport and may be asked to show their return airline tickets. For more information on travel to South Africa, please visit http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1008.html.
Cancellation/Changes
Beginning March 21, 2008, any cancellation or changes to your room reservation MUST be done by contacting the hotel directly. Cancellations and/or changes made after March 21, 2008, may result in a cost to you, and you are responsible for those penalties.
Room Rates and Included Services
The rate for a single room (one person) is approximately US$107.35 based on current exchange rates, including taxes. This amount is within the U.S. per diem. The rate for a double room (two people) per night is approximately US$ 129.99, including taxes, and is also within the U.S. per diem. Please note any special needs when making reservations. The room rates include daily breakfast and access to the hotel swimming pools, sauna, tennis court, gym, and shuttle service to the nearby shopping mall.
Each meeting participant is responsible for his or her own hotel charges, including the guest room cost, telephone and fax charges, room service, mini-bar expenses, Internet fees, and any other business center charges.
Check-in/Check-out
Check-in time at the hotel is 2:00 p.m. (1400hrs) and check-out time is 10:00 a.m. (1000hrs). The hotel accepts major credit cards, cash, and travelers checks. Hotel guests without a major credit card may be asked to leave a deposit for incidental fees that will be refunded at check-out if unused.
Amenities
The hotel is a full-service property with a restaurant, swimming pools, sauna, tennis court, gym, and shuttle service to the nearby shopping mall.
Guest Rooms
All guest rooms are nonsmoking and are spacious and clean with plenty of drawer space for clothes. Irons and ironing boards may be requested through housekeeping. In addition, each guest room has a safe. All guest rooms are air conditioned and have windows that open and lock. Guest rooms do not have clocks, but there is a wake-up call service. Each guest room has an empty mini-refrigerator that may be stocked upon request, but there is no microwave oven.
Meals
The SOTA meeting program includes lunch (Monday through Friday), an opening reception with light fare, and a group dinner. You are responsible for appropriate deductions when submitting your travel voucher.
The current USG rate for meals and incidental expenses is US$92/day. As Monday through Friday will include lunch at the meeting, participants should claim dinner and incidentals only at a maximum of US$55 on those days.
You may also refer to the State Department Web site for updates http://aoprals.state.gov/.
Electronics/AC Adaptor Use
The hotel has standard South African power outlets with a voltage of 220. Connectors are available at the reception desk, but the supply is limited, so guests are advised to bring their own. Guests should make sure their electronic devices have the necessary transformers/adapters to accommodate the 220 voltage. Most, if not all laptops purchased in the United States have AC adapters, but the hotel staff note that cell phones were reported to be the most frequently damaged electronic devices.
Internet Access
There is Internet access in the business center and secretariat. There is no Internet access in the rooms. WI-FI is available in some areas of the hotel, and an access card may be purchased through the hotel. There is an Internet café available at the nearby mall and free shuttle service to the nearby shopping mall from the hotel.
Currency Exchange
In order to get the best exchange rates, the hotel suggests that guests pay in Rand or by credit card as much as possible. The hotel reception desk can provide currency exchange services. However, better exchange rates are available at the airport, and guests are advised to exchange currency at the airport to the extent it is practical. Exchange service is also available at the nearby shopping mall.
Notice of Probable Power Outages
The South African government will begin rationing power on March 1, 2008, and a system of rotating power outages will be in place at the time of the SOTA meeting. In addition to the rationing, South Africa frequently experiences power outages. Outages vary in length, and since the rationing system is new, it is uncertain how long the average outage will last. The hotel has and continues to take steps to minimize the inconvenience to its guests. The hotel has generators that automatically back up the power in some areas.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the conference can continue without disruption. Generators will provide power to the equipment needed for presentations. When the power fails, the laptops and projectors used in the conference areas will continue to be operational. During a power outage, there will be no electricity in the rooms or air conditioning, lights, or hot water throughout the facility. The generators are designed to restore phone service in about ten minutes.
Normally, guest rooms should not experience a hot water outage, but it is possible depending on the location of the room. In most cases, water will re-heat within 90 minutes of power restoration.
The hotel will provide tea candles and matches in each guest room. If a guest room does not have these supplies, they may be requested by dialing the reception desk. Guests are advised to bring flashlights and batteries for all electrical devices in order to be better prepared to accommodate the outages. The hotel has emergency lights around the property that will illuminate during a nighttime power outage.
In the event of a power outage, all wireless connections will go down. Therefore, presentations using wireless Internet connections will be interrupted.
If wireless minutes are purchased, and there is a power outage, the hotel will not be able to track the remaining minutes but will reimburse the entire amount of the card.
Please visit the GH Intranet for more information.
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