ABA Announces Lower Hotel ABA Room Rate

The American Booksellers Association today announced a new, lower room rate for all ABA members reserving accommodations at this year's Hotel ABA -- the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge in Brooklyn. The Hotel ABA room rate has been cut from $183 to $159, a savings of $24 per night.

ABA has worked with BookExpo America (BEA) and the New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge to support the new rate to make the cost of accommodations at Hotel ABA as affordable as possible. (Booksellers who have already booked their accommodations at the Hotel ABA do not have to take any further action to receive the new, lower rate.)

"Recognizing that independent booksellers continue to face enormous challenges in the current economic climate, our goal in cutting the Hotel ABA room rate is to help make sure that ABA member booksellers can attend -- and make the most of -- BookExpo America by staying in a world-class hotel and sharing the show experience with hundreds of their bookseller colleagues," said Oren Teicher, ABA COO. "We are committed to helping make the show as affordable as possible because we believe that it offers booksellers an unparalleled combination of education, networking, and peer interaction combined with all the other business benefits of an innovative, multifaceted trade show -- benefits that are even more important to booksellers in tough times."

Teicher added, "In 2007, indie booksellers attending BEA experienced the hospitality and unique character of Brooklyn -- and the comfort, friendly staff, and many amenities of the Hotel ABA. Now, at a very competitive price and with an expanded range of benefits, there's even more reason to share this year's BEA with some of the most interesting folks you'll meet at the show, hundreds of other indie booksellers!"

Here's a look at some of the other great benefits available to Hotel ABA guests and simple instructions on how to claim them:

• Extra Free BEA Badge: In addition to the free badge offer available to ABA member stores, each ABA-member bookseller registered as a guest at Hotel ABA is entitled to one extra complimentary badge for admission to BEA (from Thursday, May 28 - Sunday, May 31, at the Javits Convention Center). Yes, that's per bookstore employee, not per bookstore. To claim a free Hotel ABA guest badge, send an e-mail request to ABA's Kristen Gilligan.

• Complimentary MetroCard: Complimentary New York City MetroCards, sponsored by John Wiley & Sons, will be available to ABA-member booksellers staying at Hotel ABA. Each card covers four rides to help Hotel ABA guests avoid New York City rush-hour traffic on Thursday and Friday during BEA. MetroCards will be available for pick-up at the Hotel ABA Welcome Desk in the Marriott Lobby. (One MetroCard per bookseller while supplies last.)
  
  And to help make sure that your subway trip from the hotel to the Convention Center goes without a hitch, ABA has reprised "Brooklyn's Hotel ABA to Manhattan's Javits Convention Center: A Photo Journey," which proved so useful to Hotel ABA guests during the 2007 trade show. (BEA is providing shuttle buses between the hotel and the convention center, but they're prone to delays during NYC rush hour on Thursday and Friday.)

• Limited Free Theatre-Seating at BEA Author Breakfasts & Lunch: Enjoy the authors, not the food. Complimentary theatre-seating tickets at BEA's meal functions are available upon request on a first-come, first-served basis. One free ticket per ABA-member bookseller staying at Hotel ABA, while supplies last. To request a ticket, e-mail ABA's Sarah Rettger.

• Morning Coffee: Grab a cuppa joe to go or sit, chat, and plan your day... Located just beyond ABA's Welcome Desk and next to the hotel's bar on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday mornings from 6:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
  
  There will also be a special Saturday morning "Tea-and-Crumpets Breakfast" sponsored by Little, Brown and Company Books for Young Readers in celebration of the publication of The Julie Andrews Collection.

• Evening Parties: Just show up on Wednesday and Thursday nights from 9:00 p.m. to midnight! Wednesday night's party in the Marriott's Grand Ballroom is brought to you by BEA and Random House. Thursday's An Evening in Honor of Avin Mark Domnitz (in the Legends Ballroom) is brought to you by ABA, BEA, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, Harry N. Abrams, Hyperion, Ingram Book Company, Macmillan, Penguin Group USA, Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Workman. Supporting sponsors are Grove/Atlantic and Scholastic.

• In-Hotel BEA Badge Pick-Up: Convenient, quick, and located right at ABA's Welcome Desk in the hotel lobby.

• Author-Guided Walking Tour of the Brooklyn Bridge: Author and New York City expert Kevin Baker (Striver's Row) will walk with a limited number of ABA-member booksellers across the legendary and iconic Brooklyn Bridge -- just like the elephants did all those years ago. (Go on the tour and find out what that means.) The tour is scheduled for Wednesday, May 27, at 4:00 p.m. To sign-up for the tour, send an e-mail request for ABA's Sarah Rettger.

• Chance to Win a Full Scholarship to the 2010 ABA Winter Institute in San Jose, California: It just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it? All ABA member booksellers staying at Hotel ABA will automatically be entered into the scholarship drawing, which will take place after BEA when ABA receives the final rooming list from the Brooklyn Marriott.

Brooklyn also features an electic mix of eateries of all sorts -- restaurants, coffee shops, and (of course) dessert options -- many within walking distance of the Hotel ABA. And there are plenty of local indie bookstores to visit during your stay.

Now's also a perfect time to reserve a flight, as most fares are at their lowest point in years. A quick check of just one airline (Jet Blue) finds one-way fares to New York's JFK International Airport at $109 from Oakland, $159 from San Francisco, $79 from Raleigh-Durham, and $109 from Chicago.

Hotel ABA's special rate of $159 per night is available until Monday, May 4, or until the group block is sold out, whichever comes first. Booksellers must make their reservations via the Marriott's dedicated reservation webpage for ABA members. (Note: the dedicated reservation page may not immediately reflect the new, low price, but all reservations will be for the $159 room rate. And booksellers who have already booked their accommodations at the Hotel ABA do not have to take any further action to receive the new, lower rate.)

Booksellers who are not currently ABA bookstore or provisional members can join the association to take advantage of this special Hotel ABA package, as well as many other benefits.

All ABA members must register for the trade show via the BEA website.