Atlanta Miscellany for the STC Technical Summit

Whew! The STC Technical Summit in Atlanta is less than 2 weeks away!

To help you with your planning, we have some more information about

• Getting to Atlanta
• Getting Around Atlanta
• Shopping
• Traveling with your Service Animal
• Tipping
• Pharmacies and Emergency Care

Getting to Atlanta

Visit the Accessibility pages of the conference site to find information about traveling to Atlanta by plane, train, or bus.

Information includes the cheapest way to get from the airport to the conference hotel – MARTA, the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) public transit system in Atlanta. MARTA takes you straight to the hotel. From the airport, take the northbound train to the Peachtree Center Station stop, which is one stop north of the Five Points transfer station. Exit the train and take the escalator up towards Peachtree Center Mall. Once inside the mall, follow the signs to the covered walkway into the hotel. There is also an elevator. You can visit the Peachtree Center Station virtually from the MARTA site.

The Amtrak station in Atlanta is not connected to directly to MARTA. You can either walk to the nearest MARTA station, or take a cab or bus from Amtrak to the hotel. The site for the Amtrak station in Atlanta has a map and phone number to call for more information.

The site for the Atlanta Checker Cab to help you plan your budget for the trip.

Getting Around Atlanta

The STC host chapter in Atlanta has a site dedicated to your conference needs. Visit http://www.stcatlanta.org/atlanta/atlanta-local.html for an interactive map of downtown essentials and favorites, as well as their advice on where to go and what to do while you are in Atlanta.

Wikitravel has a page dedicated to traveling to Atlanta and visiting Atlanta, all collected in one spot. You find climate information, city history, and additional details about getting to Atlanta by train, plane, and automobile.

Shopping

This is about basic shopping – toothpaste, tissues, bottled water, and so on. Right across the street from the Hyatt Regency conference hotel is the Peachtree Center Mall. There is a convenience store just inside the Mall from the Peachtree Center Avenue side. For more information, visit the Mall site, which includes a directory of the shops and maps of the center. (Convenience stores isn’t all that’s in the mall!)

For your business needs, there is a business center in the conference hotel, in the Mall, and at 100 Peachtree St NW (FedEx Kinkos).

Traveling with your Service Animal

The conference hotel accepts service animals for those guests who need them. Contact them directly for more information.
Bringing a service animal is not a problem, but do call ahead several days in advance so they can let housekeeping know. It is also helpful if the service animal looks like a service animal, for example, wearing a jacket to indicate that this is a working animal. We have more tips about traveling with service animals here on the blog.

Tipping

Tipping is always tricky, especially for people not used to travel or visitors from outside the country. Everyone has an opinion, and the opinions don’t always match. We are providing some information about tipping, but you can also ask for more information in virtual or real-life fora.

From another conference planning site, we found these useful comments:

Tipping is generally not included in service charges in the United States unless there is a large party. The general rule is to tip 15% to 20% of the entire bill for most service staff. Porters and doormen should get about $1 to $2 a bag and maids should receive about $2 per person per day ($3 in luxury hotels). Tip the valet-parking attendant $1 every time you get your car.

From another site with tipping information, we found many general tipping tips:

• Hotel Chambermaid – $5 minimum a night (consider $7 to $9 a night)
• Room Service Waiter – 15% of bill
• Bellhop – $1.50 – $2.00 per bag
• Restaurant Waiter or Waitress – 15% of bill, 20% If it is a 4 star+ restaurant or for large parties
• Bartender – 10-15% of bar bill
• Servers at counter – 15% of bill
• Taxi Driver – 15% of fare, no less than $.25

Pharmacies and Emergency Care

Two of the nearest pharmacies are:

Caremark
55 Park Pl NE
Atlanta, GA 30303
(404) 522-6330‎

Walgreens
595 Piedmont Ave., Suite. 100
Atlanta, GA 30308
(404) 685-9665

You are always welcome to contact the hotel concierge with minor questions, and they will be happy to help you as best they can. Visitors to the US should note that the telephone number for emergencies is 911, but remember to also contact the hotel staff if the emergency is on the hotel property.