Hotel Facilities Services Sample Proposal

Hosting the NAMAA Writers Conference

We'd like to extend our invitation to have your next NAMAA Writers Conference at our facility in New Orleans, Louisiana. As you know, New Orleans is rich in history and culture, and has always been home to many famous writers. We believe that your members will find our hotel and our city the perfect place to gather for inspiration and collaboration.

I've enclosed general information about our hotel and conference facilities and offerings. Let's speak soon about plans to host your next great NAMAA Writers Conference here at the Southern Gardens Hotel & Conference Center in New Orleans. Southern Gardens would like to extend our invitation to have your next NAMAA Writers Conference at our facility in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Let's speak soon about plans to host your next great conference here at our fabulous venue. Enclosed is a brief outline of what we can provide to make your conference a success. The Southern Gardens Hotel & Conference Center is the perfect place for your next writers conference.

General Description

We are ideally located on three private fenced acres at 1200 Gardenia Boulevard in New Orleans' famous Garden District. Our hotel has 164 rooms. If every room were filled to capacity, we could host more than 500 guests.

In a typical season, we average 318 guests per night. Our conference center consists of a suite of conference rooms that can be configured into seven small rooms, two very large ones, or any combination in between. The conference center also has four restrooms dedicated for its guests.

The hotel has guest rooms on all three floors, with the first floor reserved for wheelchair accessible rooms, as well as our lobby, coffee shop, and fitness center. It's a short stroll from the front desk to the gardens, swimming pool, and separate conference center building. Our hotel includes twenty wheelchair accessible rooms of varying sizes.

Elevators and ramps make it possible for all guests to avoid steps if desired. A lift device is available to assist guests into and out of the swimming pool and hot tub. Assisted hearing devices are available on request from the front desk. All signs, including room numbers, have Braille translations beneath the standard letters or numbers.

The hotel offers complimentary shuttle service to and from the airport. Taxis are easily available for transportation within the city. City buses stop only a short block from our site.

And if you're looking for a romantic tour, horse drawn carriage rides are also available. Whatever the weather is outside, you'll find it's the perfect temperature inside your room at Southern Gardens. Our state of the art climate control keeps guests comfortable and dry in our facility. The Southern Gardens Hotel & Conference Center offers the following services to our guests.

In house ATM and Check Cashing. You always have instant access to cash. Need to cash a traveler's check or cashier's check. We can handle that at the front desk.

In room Safe. You can feel secure leaving your valuables in your room locked in a secured safe. Beauty Shop. For your hair cutting and styling needs, Belle's Beauty Boutique is available on the first floor, Monday through Saturday, 9 am to 6 pm.

Child Care Services. Need a babysitter. We'll provide one for you. Housekeeping.

Unless you hang a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door, your room will be inspected and tidied twice a day turn down service in the evening. Laundry, Ironing, or Clothing Repair. Our housekeeping staff will help you keep your clothes looking their best.

Hi Speed Internet Wireless Connection. The internet is always available for your use anywhere on the hotel property. Concierge Service.

Need to rent a car, find a tuxedo, buy theatre tickets. Stop at our concierge desk in the front lobby and we'll assist you to fulfill any desire. 24 Hour Room Service. Got an urge for a milkshake at three a.m.

Just call the front desk and order any item from the Room Service menu conveniently located in your room. New Orleans is, as everyone knows, a world renowned tourist destination. We're proud to offer your members the following tours designed to appeal especially to writers.

Tourist Destinations

No visit to New Orleans would be complete without a tour of the French Quarter and the Garden District, both made famous in hundreds of books over the last two centuries. Other sites of particular interest to many writers are our notable cemeteries, which, due the high water table of the area, are populated with beautiful above ground mausoleums, memorial statues, and crypts of all kinds. The Mississippi River also lures many visitors to its history laden waters. Historical New Orleans.

New Orleans shows both Spanish and French influences and has been home to many famous people. On foot, we stroll through the ornate historic buildings of the French Quarter, marveling at the ornate ironwork, colorful stucco, and elaborate balconies. Then, traveling by romantic horse drawn carriage, we survey the elegant Garden District neighborhood, constructed in the antebellum style popular in the 1800s. Departures daily at 1pm from the hotel, 2.5 hours duration, $55 per person.

Voodoo & Vampires Tour. Spells, hexes, and haunts abound in New Orleans. Exploring carefully. After dark, we visit a voodoo altar, a voodoo shop, a cemetery, and haunted bar.

Bring your garlic wreaths and silver crosses; you never know who might show up. Departures nightly at 9pm from the hotel, 1.5 hours duration, $45 per person. Riverboat Cruise. All aboard our steam driven paddlewheeler for an evening full of history and the energizing melodies of southern jazz.

You'll learn all about the famous pirates, gamblers, and musicians who plied the Mississippi river and called New Orleans home. Departures nightly at 7.30 pm from the hotel, 1.5 hours duration, $40 per person.

Reservations

All tours can be reserved at the front desk of the hotel. First come, first serve. Space is limited.

Southern Gardens Hotel & Conference Center, located in the beautiful Garden District of New Orleans, offers guests true southern hospitality. While staying with us, you'll enjoy the following amenities. Lush private gardens.

The South is famous for its gardens, and our hotel is definitely on the luxury garden list. Enjoy the scent of gardenias and roses in season, and stroll the groomed paths, soothed by our tasteful lighting for your pleasure and safety in the evenings. Tropical pool and hot tub.

In the northwest corner of our gardens you'll find a naturally landscaped swimming pool and hot tub. A small waterfall adds to the enchantment. State of the art fitness center. You'll have no excuse to slack off your exercise regime when you stay with us.

Our spacious fitness center is furnished with the most requested modern equipment. Le Café d'Hotel. Our in house coffee shop offers a range of delicious items. Some of the most popular are beignets, coffee with chicory, pralines, and po' boy sandwiches.

Airport shuttle. Our complimentary 12 passenger shuttle travels to and from the airport every hour from 6 am to 9 pm. Satellite, flat screen televisions.

You can enjoy 114 channels of television and movies in all our rooms. No perfume policy. Southern Gardens is one of the few hotels that strive never to use any type of scented chemical in laundry or cleaning services, and you'll find that none of our staff wear perfume or aftershave lotion while on duty. Your guest room is as allergy free as we can make it.

We strive to make your writers conference as successful and professional as possible. To make this happen, we need to receive your reservations and deposit approximately nine months before the first day of your conference. We will provide catering services, conference room setup services, airport shuttle service, and other specialized services. See the list below for an idea of the information needed as well as the deadlines.

Logistics Services

Conference Room Reservations and Configurations. Our conference rooms can be configured to accommodate different sizes of groups. We can add or move partition walls as needed to create as many as seven small conference rooms, or as few as two large ones.

Rooms may be furnished with rows of folding chairs, long conference tables, dining tables, movable stages and lecterns, or any combination of these. We need your conference room reservations nine months before your start date, and a specific schedule of room setups two months before your start date. Each change to a conference room configuration takes approximately one hour.

Hotel Room Reservations

We will reserve a block of 100 hotel rooms for the use of your attendees. If these have not been reserved by your attendees sixty days in advance of the conference, we will release these rooms to other parties on request. Special accommodations such as wheelchair accessible rooms or assisted hearing or visual devices must be requested at least sixty days in advance.

Airport Shuttle Service

Our shuttle bus, which can accommodate 12 passengers, routinely leaves our hotel fifteen minutes before the hour, arrives at the airport on the hour, and returns to the hotel approximately fifteen minutes after the hour. This service is complimentary between the hours of 6 am and 9 pm. With advance notification of thirty days, we can arrange for shuttle service before or after those times, or schedule additional shuttle vehicles to accommodate more passengers.

Audio Visual Services

Our subcontractors will provide audio visual setups and assistance during the conference. They require a schedule of services and a list of equipment needed sixty days before the event begins.

Catering Services

Our catering partners can provide any food service you require, from elegant formal dinners to coffee and muffins or buffet snacks for a cocktail party. At the time of your conference reservation, they will contact you about your food and beverage needs.

Other Services

We can provide other services as needed, from friendly greeters at the door to help with copying and assembling conference documents or distributing gift baskets. The Southern Gardens Hotel has 164 guest rooms. We offer your conference guests a special reduced rate of 10% off the standard room rates shown below. Deluxe Rooms Overlooking Gardenia Boulevard.

Two Queen beds, in room coffeemaker, safe, flat screen television, shower, hair dryer. 50 rooms in this category. One King bed, in room coffeemaker, safe, flat screen television, Jacuzzi tub and shower, hair dryer. 28 rooms in this category.

Deluxe Room Overlooking Gardens and Pool. Two Queen beds, in room coffeemaker, safe, flat screen television, shower, hair dryer. 36 rooms in this category.

One King bed, in room coffeemaker, safe, flat screen television, Jacuzzi tub and shower, hair dryer. 18 rooms in this category. Luxury Suite Overlooking Gardens and Pool.

Two Queen beds in bedroom, separate lounge with couch, table, and flat screen television, Jacuzzi tub and shower. Coffeemaker, safe, hair dryer, and mini bar. 20 rooms in this category.

One King bed in bedroom, separate lounge with couch, table, and flat screen television, Jacuzzi tub and shower. Coffeemaker, safe, hair dryer, and mini bar. 12 rooms in this category.

Please contact our management to reserve a block of hotel rooms in advance.

CONFERENCE CENTER RATES

Entire Conference Center Facility $450 per two hour block, or $1500 per day. This includes initial room setup, and daily opening and cleaning costs, including restocking restroom supplies. All other facility services are separate.

See Logistics page. Individual Conference Rooms – Sizes and prices of conference rooms are variable. Contact our management for quotes on individual conference rooms.