• Housing bureaus can help you secure accommodations at discounted rates.san francisco by day image by Matt Rees from Fotolia.com
  
  Planners of conventions, trade and consumer shows, and other large, centralized events often offer a "housing bureau" as part of their services to attendees. These housing bureaus identify hotels, motels and other guest accommodations in proximity to the event venue and typically negotiate discounted and group rates. If you attend an event in San Francisco, check with event information for housing bureau services; allowing bureau staff to locate and book your accommodation will save you time and money.
  
  

Civic Auditorium Area

• As far back as 1966, housing bureaus were helping attendees of the American Public Health Association's fall conference secure lodging. Held at the Civic Auditorium on Grove and Market streets, the auditorium only had one hotel close by--the Del Webb Townhouse--but listed an additional 29 hotels and eight motels, most within 11 blocks of the venue. At that time, rates varied from $9 for a single to $40 for a two-room suite. Two hotels had extravagantly priced suites of $72 and $80--the Jack Tar and Sir Francis Drake, respectively--and room tax was 3 percent. Now called the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, this event venue is on the National Register of Historic Buildings and features primarily concerts and theater events. Convention facility management can still assist event planners and attendees with housing bureau services.
  
  Bill Graham Civic Center and Auditorium
  
  99 Grove St.
  
  San Francisco, CA 94102
  
  415-974-4000
  
  billgrahamcivic.com
  
  

Moscone Convention Center Area

• Only about seven oversized city blocks northeast of the Civic Center is the Moscone Convention Center on 4th and Howard. In 1994, for example, the center hosted the American Association for Cancer Research's 85th Annual Meeting. The event's housing bureau chose to use 21 hotels and motels no more than six blocks from the venue, including but not limited to the San Francisco Hilton and Marriott, King George Hotel, Four Seasons Clift and the Best Western Americania and Carriage Inn motels. At the time, rates varied from $54 to $180 a night, the bureau required a $125 deposit for booking and room taxes were 12 percent. The Moscone Convention Center now utilizes the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau housing service for event attendee reservations.
  
  The Moscone Center
  
  747 Howard Street, 5th Floor
  
  San Francisco, CA 94103
  
  415-974-4000
  
  moscone.com
  
  

The Rest of the City

• The San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau offers a two-fold housing bureau service for event planners: one provides room blocking and discounted rate reservations, and the other finds discounted and group rate hotels and motels after the original reservation deadline has passed. Their system is web-based, available 24 hours a day and delivers extras like full-color area maps showing the venue and nearby accommodations. The service is free. The site includes a hotel and venue search function which shows fine hotels and discounted properties. These include 500-plus room accommodations like the Hyatt Regency San Francisco, Palace Hotel, The Fairmont and Hotel Nikko, as well as intimate boutique-style inns with less than 20 rooms like Half Moon Bay Inn, East Brother Light Station, Monte Cristo Inn and the Inn 1890. As of 2009, room tax was 14 percent and rooms were available from the hundreds of dollars to the thousands.
  
  San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau
  
  201 3rd Street
  
  San Francisco, CA 94103
  
  415-974-6900
  
  onlyinsanfrancisco.com