APWU JUNE 2020 CHICAGO ILLINOIS MESSAGE FROM HOST LOCAL PRESIDENT

Updated On: Apr 16, 2020

Update from Host Local President, Keith Richardson NGuest Reservations: Your guests can now call 1-855-268-0372 referencing Group Block Code: GWPÂ or using this link to bookÂ https://rebrand.ly/American-Postal-Worker Additional nights are based on hotel availability and best available rate. The link prepopulates to the peak night date of the room block contract.Â The contracted group rate is available for the following datesÂ - June 19 - 23, 2020, please contact me directly if an attendee is inquiring for additional nights. Â Guarantee Policy All reservations must be guaranteed with a valid major credit card.Â Guests must be 21 years and older.Â We do not charge your credit card at the time you make your reservations.Â Your credit card guarantees your reservations. Please make sure to receive a reservation confirmation number when you make a reservation. Reservations must be cancelled Twenty-Four (24 hours), hotel time, prior to your arrival date, in order to avoid a one (1) room night, plus tax cancellation fee.Â Reservations will be held until 11:59 p.m. on your scheduled arrival date.Â If you have not checked in by that time, a NO-SHOW charge of one room night, plus tax will be charged to your credit card and the balance of your reservations will be cancelled.Â Holiday inn Chicago Mart Plaza is not responsible for weather conditions, personal emergencies, or schedule changes. Upon check-in, hotel will require full payment for the amount of the room/tax and hotel incidentals per night. After you check-out and the hotel confirms final bill, the balance of the incidental deposit will be refunded and your credit card will be charged for the hotel stay. Â CHECK-IN REQUIREMENTS: Guests must be at least 21 years of age to check in at Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza.Â In the interests of security and to prevent fraud, guests are required to confirm their identity by providing their valid government issued photo identificationÂ (State driverâs license, State ID, passport, etc.)Â at check-in.Â A valid signed credit card in the name of the guest registration is also required.Â Â One Room Per Name List on Rooming List Individuals cannot book multiple rooms under the same name. Multiple rooms can be booked under the same credit card but under a different name. We will not be able to hold TBD reservations.Â At check-in, the guest willÂ need toÂ present a valid ID that matches the confirmed registered name to the reservation at time of check in. Â Paying for Reservation on Behalf of Someone Else If you are making a payment for a hotel reservation on behalf of someone else and will not be staying at the hotel, a Credit Card Authorization form must be filled out and provided to the hotel 5 business days prior to arrival. To request the Credit Card Authorization form, please reach out to Samantha Fernandes atÂ sfernandes@martplaza.com Â Room reservation cancellation policy is 24 hours prior to reservation arrival date to avoid a 1 night room and tax penalty. Failing to call to cancel or no show the first night of a reservation will result in cancellation of the remainder of the reservation. You may request an early check-in during the booking process, or a late checkout upon arrival at the hotel. We do our best to honor such requests, but special accommodations depend on availability and are not guaranteed. Please be sure to verify and confirm your requests with one of our associates at the hotel, upon check-in. Arriving late? Not to worry. Late check-in is guaranteed when reserving your room with a credit card. Please let us know if you are arriving after midnight though, so we can have your room ready. If you wish to guarantee early check-in or late check-out, you would need to reserve the night prior for early check-in or night of departure for late check-out. A room key will be only issued to each registered guest on the reservation If you use a debit/credit card to check in, a hold may be placed on your card account for the full anticipated amount to be owed to the hotel, including estimated incidentals, through your date of check-out and such hold may not be released for 72 hours from the date of check-out or longer at the discretion of your card issuer. Â EARLY DEPARTURE: Guests who check out of the hotel prior to their scheduled departure date are subject to an early departure fee of one night, plus tax.Â Guests can change their check out date at time of check in without incurring the early departure fee. Â ADA/HANDICAPPED ROOMS ADA compliant guest rooms are available and should be reserved in advanced; please contact the hotel directly (312) 836-5000.Â Â SPECIAL REQUESTS: We will make every effort to honor special requests such as a specific floor or room number, adjoining rooms, roll-away beds, etc. upon your arrival. All special requests are noted on reservations and we will do our best to accommodate.Â Â However, the availability of these items cannot be guaranteed in advance.Â Â If presenting a Debit Card upon check in There is aÂ $50 PER NIGHT authorization placed on your card at check-in to account for any incidental charges you may incur including, but not limited to parking and food & beverage charges.Â Funds will be held as a âpending chargeâ and will be unavailable to you.Â Any unused authorization is refunded within 7-10 business days after check out, depending on your banking institution. Â Debit Card Users Please be advised when using a debit card your account will be debited for the entire length of your stay, plus $50.00 per night for any possible incidentals you may incur as a âtransaction holdâ. At checkout, your debit card will be billed based on the actual charges incurred. However, the amount of the âtransaction holdâ may take up to 7 (seven) days before the funds are credited back to your account by your bank. Please note that international credit/debit cards may require a longer period of time to release authorizations. In order to avoid the possibility of over-drawing your account, we encourage you to use a standard credit card or approved personal check at check-in. Credit Card Users Please be advised that your account will be debited for the entire length of your stay, plus $50.00 per night for any possible incidentals you may incur. At checkout, your credit card will be billed based on the actual charges incurred. Cash Users Cash payment will be accepted for room and tax charges. *** The hotel will not accept cash for incidentals nor security deposit. All guests must present a major credit card or debit card at the time of check in. Â IHG Business Rewards Program Also you are eligible to receive meeting IHG Reward Points for your group booking. Please do send your IHG Reward Number, and I will submit to IHG Rewards for your points to be awarded after the groupâs departure. If you do not have an IHG Reward number and would like to join please sign up at http://www.ihg.com/hotels/us/en/businessrewards/home Â Also, please take a look at the following links to learn more about our property. www.martplaza.comÂ Â Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza hotel lobby level is on the 15th floor. 350 West Mart Center Drive, Chicago, IL 60654 (Hotel Lobby: Floor 15 - Guest Rooms: Floors 16-23) The Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza Hotel is located 3 miles from Chicago's McCormick Convention Center and 1 mile from Navy Pier. It is also within walking distance to the Merchandise Mart via the covered Skybridge as well as Magnificent Mile shopping and great restaurants. Â Hotel Check In Time â 3pm Hotel Check Out Time â 12pm Â We are happy to store your luggage either on arrival in the morning if there are no rooms available to check into, or upon departure. A guest service manager at the reception desk can do this for you. Â Free Wi-Fi Indoor Pool (Located on the 16th Floor) - (Hours 5am-11pm) Business Center Fitness Center (24 Hours) (Located on the 16th Floor) All guestrooms are equipped with an in-room refrigerator.Â Rollaway beds can only be accommodated in King guestrooms.Â Rollaway beds are available upon request and available for $20 per night. In-room safes (Fits up to 15â laptops) 100% Smoke free hotel Guest must be 21 years of age in order to check into the hotel Luggage storage available at Bellmen Desk located on the 15th floor lobby level Concierge: Our knowledgeable Concierges are happy to handle nearly any request. Early Departure Fee of up to one nightâs room and tax may be applied if you check out before your scheduled departure date. Â Gift Bag Delivery Also just a reminder if you are planning to have gift bags prepared for our bellmen to deliver.Â Our front desk does not hand out gift bags, this is a delivery service handled by our bellmen.Â Welcome letters are allowed to be distributed at the front desk however gift bags or similar item must be directed thought the bell desk for delivery. The gift bag delivery times to guests rooms are after guests check in between 4-7pm.Â If you have an agenda that will be in gift bags, I can share with the front desk to reference also. The charge is $3.00 per room; A Credit Card Authorization form must be filled out and provided to the hotel 5 business days prior to arrival. To request the Credit Card Authorization form, please reach out to Samantha Fernandes atÂ sfernandes@martplaza.comÂ Please return to my attention. If you are planning on gift bag delivery, please do let me know the day and estimated time you will be dropping off gift bags so I can coordinate with the front desk. Our hotel bellmen will be delivering the gift bags to your guestsâ rooms after they check in. If all the gift bags are the same no need to place names on the gift bags. **Please note the room numbers listed on the pickup report are subject to change** Â Concierge The Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza Concierge Desk is located in the Main Lobby. They are happy to help with dinner reservations and recommendations, city tours, theatre and special events, directions, and anything to do with planning your stay in Chicago!Â Please contact our dedicated concierge team at 312-836-5000 or via email atÂ concierge@martplaza.com Â Merchants CafÃ© â Hotel Restaurant (located on the 15th floor lobby level) Â·Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Breakfast Hours: 6:30am - 11:00am (12:00 pm on Saturday & Sunday) Â·Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Buffet breakfast vouchers issued is not valid for room service, only dine in restaurant. Â Merchants Market â (located on the 15th floor lobby level) Â·Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Hours: 6:30am â 10:00pm Enjoy a Lavazza coffee drink made to order and satisfy your hunger with delectable pastries and yogurt parfaits at Merchants Market. Merchants Market specializes in grab-and-go breakfast items and tasty snacks. Conveniently located in our lobby, swing by the Market for fruit, chips, ice cream, beer, and wine before your morning meeting or after a late night out. Our colorful candy carousel filled with bulk candies, nuts, and granola is hard to miss as you enter the Market, and even more difficult for your sweet tooth to resist. Â Cityscape Bar â Hotel Restaurant (located on the 15th floor lobby level) Â·Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Monday-Thursday:11am-12am Â·Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Friday-Saturday:11am-1am Â·Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Sunday:11am-12am Dinner Hours: 5:00pm - 11:00pmCityscapeÂ Bar https://www.opentable.com/r/cityscape-bar-holiday-inn-chicago-mart-plaza-chicagoÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Driving directions or CTA train directions from either airport.Â Located on our hotel website under the tab labeled Location http://www.martplaza.com Â Airport Express is a suggested transportation from both airports Midway and OâHare round-trip shuttle service â Book through the link and save 10% http://airportexpress.hudsonltd.net/res?USERIDENTRY=HOLIDAYMAR&LOGON=GO Chicago Midway International Airport - 11.3 miles Chicago O'Hare International Airport - 17.3 miles from downtown Chicago and boasts four terminals â three domestic (Terminals 1, 2 and 3) and one international (Terminal 5). Access parking, flight status, amenities, and terminal maps for both OâHare and Midway airports atÂ http://flychicago.comÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Suggested Coach Bus Parking at McCormick Place https://www.truticket.com/bus_eventparking_1.aspxÂ Â Â Â When a coach bus/shuttle is dropping off a group or picking up a group at the hotel, please do let the bus driver know not to turn into the hotel front drive but pull forward on Orleans Street to load and unload passengers.Â Busses can stand on Orleans Street.Â If you have any scheduled pickup or drop offs for your group, please do send me a copy of the groups agenda so we can assist attendees during their stay. When a driver parks a bus at McCormick Place we suggest the drivers to use Uber or Lyft to have a ride ready for them to return to the hotel. PRE-PAY FOR MOTORCOACH PARKING AT MCCORMICK PLACE MARSHALLING YARDÂ Want to pre-pay and reserve a space for your motorcoach? For the McCormick Place Marshalling Yard located at 31st and Lake Shore Drive or the 18th Street Lot at 18th Street and Lake Shore Drive, simply visitÂ truticket.com/busparkingÂ for the online pre-pay option. Other motorcoach parking options include Lincoln Park Zoo, Soldier Field/Museum Campus and Museum of Science and Industry. VisitÂ chicagoparkdistrictparking.com/bus-parkingÂ to learn more and reserve spaces. Â Uber makes thisÂ very easyÂ by allowing you to schedule a pick-up up to 30 days prior to the ride. See https://www.uber.com/info/scheduled-rides/Â Â Â Â LYFT makes thisÂ very easyÂ by allowing you to schedule a pick-up up https://www.lyft.com/rider/cities/chicago-ilÂ Â Â Â Â Â How to schedule a ride for a later time Set your destinationTap 'Schedule' on the ride mode selection screenChoose a date and time and tap 'Set pick up time'Confirm your pickup and drop-off location, and then tap 'Schedule.' Â The Chicago Transit Authority serves both airports for easy and economical travel between downtown and Chicago neighborhoods using the âLâ train.Â The 24-hour CTA Blue Line connects directly to OâHare and the CTA Orange Line connects directly to Midway.Â Visit http://transitchicago.com/airports for full fare information and maps. Â Hotel Guest Parking Wolf Point Plaza Parking Garage - 325 W Wolf Point Plaza, Chicago, IL 60654 https://www.generalparking.com/wolf-point-plaza/Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Overnight Self-Parking is $56.00 per night with in-and-out privileges (All Parking Fees are subject to change without notice)Â (VALIDATION REQUIRED AT TIME OF CHECK IN) Please present your parking voucher to the Hotel's front desk on the 15th floor for validation. Wolf Point Parking is located off the hotel front drive entrance. Garage clearance is 6.8ft. Please do note that the parking garage servicing the hotel cannot accommodate buses, motor coaches, or passenger vans. Overnight parking can be paid for at the hotel's front desk and is validated until 3:00 pm the following day. Any vehicles parked past 3:00 pm will be charged the hourly rate posted in the Wolf Point Parking garage and payable upon exiting the garage. The hotel does not offer valet parking. Parking is provided on a space available basis. Â We have a pay on foot machine in our hotel lobby for any attendees that are not staying overnight.Â The prices are hourly for day parking. Scan ticketâs barcode Pay with credit card (no cash) Ticket will not have In & Out privilege.Â Once they drive out, the ticket no longer works. If anyone pays at the pay on foot station, they have 15 minutes to exit the garage.Â So, it is important to use this station when they are ready to leave. Â Oversized Vehicle Parking Suggestion This site lists all suggested parking garages in downtown Chicago.Â If you click on the garage it will list the details for height restrictions also. You can also pre book your parking garage spot.Â These garages do not allow in/out privileges. https://spothero.com/chicago/downtown-parking https://www.bestparking.com/Â https://www.chicagoparkingmap.com/ https://www.iparkit.com/chicago Â https://spothero.com https://spothero.com/get-spothero-app/ Save $7 on your first parking spot through SpotHero App SpotHero makes it easy to find and book parking everywhere. Use my link to get your $7 off code for your first.Â The code is redeemable only in the app so be sure to download the free SpotHero app! https://refer.spothero.com/s/sfernandesÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Divvy Bike Share Divvy bikes are located on the Orleans side of the building.Â For more info on the Divvy bike share program. https://www.divvybikes.com/ Â Receipt request after reservation stay: To assist in processing your request, please contact accounting@martplaza.com and provide the following information: name, stay date(s), confirmation number. Please allow up to 5 - 7 business days to process your request. Â Closest Pharmacy and Grocery Store: CVS Pharmacy â 344 W Hubbard St, Chicago, IL 60654 https://www.cvs.com/store-locator/cvs-pharmacy-address/344+West+Hubbard+Street+Corner+Of+Orleans-Chicago-IL-60654/storeid=788?WT.mc_id=LS_GOOGLE_FS_788 Â Jewel OSCO â370 N Desplaines St Chicago,Â ILÂ 60661 https://local.jewelosco.com/il/chicago/370-n-desplaines-st.html Â Our Hotel location is adjacent to the Merchandise Mart that also has a small food court and a Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, Protein Bar, Au Bon Pain, Halsted Street Deli, Pret A Manger, McDonalds, Potbelly, Hi-Vibe Organic Superfood Juicery, The Lifeway Kefir Shop, Amazon Go, Fed Ex Office, Marshallâs Landing, Verizon Wireless, Passion Nail Spa, Thomas West Salon Â Art on theMART The program will loop for two hours a night, five days a week (Wednesday â Sunday), beginning approximately 15 minutes after sunset. Best viewed on The Chicago Riverwalk between Wells and Lake St.Â https://www.artonthemart.com/Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â If you are looking for things to do while you are in Chicago, plan your trip using http://www.choosechicago.com/ http://www.choosechicago.com/articles/view/get-official-guides/160/?fmid=451 Â If you are looking for dining vessels on Lake Michigan that cruise year-round at Navy Pier Please do contact Sharon Beyer, let Sharon know Samantha at Holiday Inn Mart Plaza referenced. Sharon Beyer â Hornblower Cruises and Events - Chicago syoung@entertainmentcruises.comÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Cruise Comparisonâs http://www.odysseycruises.com/website/documents/chicago/chicago_comparison.pdf MYSTIC BLUE Virtual Tour - http://www.mysticbluecruises.com/chicago/about/experience/tour SPIRIT OF CHICAGO Virtual Tour - http://www.spiritcruises.com/chicago/about/experience/tour ODYSSEY Virtual Tour â http://www.odysseycruises.com/chicago/about/experience/tour CHICAGO ELITE Virtual Tour - http://www.eliteprivateyachts.com/chicago/about/experience/tour Â Once again, I look forward to the opportunity to be of service to you and if I can provide you with any additional information at any time, please do not hesitate to call me directly at 312-529-1119 or email me at sfernandes@martplaza.com I hope my expertise in the hospitality industry and customer service will help us achieve a partnership for many successful meetings. Â We look forward to working with you on a successful program at the Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza. Thank you,