FAQ for Attendees Regarding Hotel Venue Change

FAQ UPDATE 7/17/2023 12:47PM Pacific Time

Thank you all for your patience, understanding, and words of encouragement as we move hotel and event venues. The most recent updates are below.

What is the status of the hotel reservations transferring from the DoubleTree to the Westin (for those in the JACL room block/link/code)? The Westin is manually processing the transfer. The DoubleTree has not yet sent the cancellation confirmation. Thank you for your patience as we are awaiting these changes. 

Where is the National Board Meeting and other Wednesday meetings? The Westin Bonaventure. For a list of confirmed venues, please scroll to the bottom of the FAQ. 

When will Whova and the website update the times, venues, and location changes? We are working on a document with updated venues and rooms and will inform you when it's complete. General venue changes are listed at the bottom of the FAQ from July 1.

How do I cancel my automatically transferred booking at the Westin? Please call the Westin. You will have to book your non-Westin lodging on your own. Please understand that if too many people cancel their reservation at the Westin, JACL could still be required to pay for your room to meet our guaranteed minimum for our contract.

Will there be Wifi access at National Council (Aratani Theater) and at JANM? Yes.

Will there be power cords to charge my device at at National Council? National Council is at an auditorium-style venue. There will be some charging stations such as at the side of the walls and in the lobby. We will have power strips available. We recommend charging your device fully beforehand.

Where will breakfast be? On Thursday at the Aratani Theater (venue for National Council). On Friday and Saturday it will be at the Westin. 

Is there an update on Shuttle buses? We are still confirming shuttle buses, are planning to have them rotate between the Westin and Little Tokyo venues, and will update with routes and times when we know.

How does the free DASH shuttle work? The A Dash bus between Downtown and Little Tokyo runs every 7 minutes on M-F (6am-9pm), 10 min on Sat (9am-6pm), and 15 min on Sun (9am-6pm). Timetable is below and live map is here. The buses are clean and comfortable.

For general questions please post to the “Ask Organizers Anything” section of the Whova App’s community tab. For more specific/individual situation questions, please email convention@jacl.org.

FAQ FROM 7/14/2023 7:52PM Pacific Time

The most recent update is above.

After much deliberation and consideration, due to the uncertainty associated with the lack of a labor contract for the DoubleTree we will be withdrawing from holding our convention based there. As you will see, we have and are working quickly to identify alternative lodging and facilities. We remain committed to producing a convention that is Rooted in Community, in full service to the Little Tokyo neighborhood, and to doing our best to update you as we confirm changes.

General Questions

• What is the best way to get updates?  Please check this page, the Whova App, and your email. We request to refrain from asking staff about individual situations until we have confirmed the hotel and logistics. We expect to have all reservation information updated by Monday at latest. Please contact convention@jacl.org especially for urgent matters. 

• Why did we decide to leave the Double Tree? Workers with the UNITE HERE Local 11 hotel workers union have been working without a contract since July 1. The union has been conducting strikes across the Los Angeles area over the past two weeks. Concerned with the uncertainty of whether a labor action might take place during our convention, we made the decision to eliminate this uncertainty and move our hotel. See our statement here.

• Why can we go to the Westin Bonaventure and not the Double Tree? The Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites has a current contract with their workers, the DoubleTree by Hilton Los Angeles does not. 

• Is the Convention still happening? Yes, please continue to attend as previously planned. We plan on keeping the same schedule while moving lodging and event venues, many which we have already confirmed. The good news is that many events were already outside of the DoubleTree and will continue as planned, Rooted in Community.

• Will some events be canceled or changed? We are trying our hardest to provide the same full experience originally planned, but due to some constraints, events may be canceled or reduced in attendance.

Hotel

We have confirmed the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites which is a 6 minute drive from the DoubleTree. Staff, Board, and select speakers/guest who will be moved to the Miyako Hotel. We are still confirming details but generally we can share that: 

DoubleTree by Hilton Los Angeles 

• What do I do with my Double Tree reservation? It depends on the way you made the reservation and your preferences. See below. 

• Booked with the JACL room block link or code (most attendees):  We will automatically change your room to the Westin Bonaventure. 

• Booked independently: Those who booked outside the block such as on Expedia, Kayak, etc will need to cancel your own and rebook at the Westin Bonaventure. 

• The JACL-covered Room Block: Those who are covered by the The JACL block such as staff, National Board, and a few performers/speakers will be automatically moved to the Miyako Hotel.

• Should I cancel my reservation at the DoubleTree? Will it be refunded? If you were in the JACL block link or code, you will automatically be transferred to the Westin. If you booked independently through a third party such as Expedia, Kayak, etc, you will need to cancel, rebook, through your online travel agent or decide to stay at the DoubleTree. Not all reservations are refundable and you will have to check your specific terms especially if you booked on Expedia, Kayak, etc.

• Can I keep my DoubleTree reservation? If you booked through the JACL link or were reserved in our block, you will be automatically transferred to the Westin. If you booked independently, you may choose to stay at the DoubleTree if you prefer.

• How can I confirm the status my hotel and status? Please wait until we have more info before contacting us. The DoubleTree will notify you of the cancellation by email. We will update you when you can contact the Westin Bonaventure to confirm your reservation has been entered. This may take some more time as each reservation must be entered manually. We have already transferred reservation information for arrivals this weekend. If this is urgent, please email convention@jacl.org. 

The Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites 

• Where is the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites? 404 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90071. It is a 6 minute drive from the DoubleTree and the Little Tokyo neighborhood. Please see the transportation section below for more information on how to get to and from the hotel from Little Tokyo.

• Are we confirmed at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites? We have a new contract with the Westin. 

• How do I book at the Westin Bonaventure? Those in the JACL block will be automatically transferred. If you booked independently from the JACL room block, please email convention@jacl.org AND bwatson@jacl.org to be booked at the Westin Bonaventure.

• How do I know that I have a reservation at the Westin Bonaventure? Unfortunately, because the rooming sheet provided to the Westin does not have your contact information from the DoubleTree due to privacy concerns, you will not receive a confirmation of your reservation. You can contact the hotel Monday afternoon to confirm your reservation.

• What is the rate? We have negotiated the nightly rate to be the same as it was at the DoubleTree. Parking is $35/night at the Westin Bonaventure.

Transportation

How far is the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites from Little Tokyo? It is a 6 minute drive or 20 minutes by transit. We do not recommend walking (up to 30 minutes). 

• Will there be a Shuttle Bus? We are working on the arrangements and will confirm when we have them.

• What are the transit options? We will add details soon but general: 

• Uber, Lyft, or driving

• Public Transit

• There is a free “Dash” bus (Map PDF) which is nearly a direct trip from the hotel to Little Tokyo. This is the recommended means of traveling between Little Tokyo and the Hotel between 6am and 9pm on weekdays and 9am to 6pm on weekends.

• We are working on a Convention shuttle

• Where can I park? Please see under Transportation or in the Logistics tab in Whova. 

Venues

• Following is a summary of where events will be transferred for which we have confirmation:

• Wednesday: National Board Meeting, committee meetings and orientations  - Westin Bonaventure

• Thursday: National Council -  Aratani Theater at the JACCC

• Thursday: Question 27, Question 28 - Aratani Theater at the JACCC

• Friday and Saturday: Plenaries and Workshops - JANM

• Friday: National Youth Student Council Awards Luncheon - Kaikan at the Los Angeles Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple

• We are still confirming some other events and will update soon.

• So, will some events remain unchanged? Yes!  Since Rooted in Community features Little Tokyo venues, we are still on for:

• Film Festival: At JANM

• Wed: Welcome Reception at the Budokan 

• Sat: Sayonara Banquet at the JACCC Courtyard

• Sun: All of Sunday remains the same! 

Registration

• Will we be offering refunds? Yes, if you would like a refund please email convention@jacl.org by July 18 but we hope you join us!