Conference Venue
The IEEE/ACM IWQoS 2018 conference will take place at the Banff Centre in Banff, Alberta, Canada. Note that Banff is located in the Canadian Rocky Mountains (the Rockies), which is about 75 minutes driving time west of Calgary, and about 90 minutes from Calgary International Airport (YYC). Please be aware of this when making your travel plans (i.e., flight arrival and departure times) for the conference!
The Banff Centre has a spectacular location halfway up Tunnel Mountain, with gorgeous views down over the Town of Banff, as well as the Bow River, Bow Falls, and the Banff Springs Hotel. IEEE has negotiated the hotel contract for IWQoS 2018, and obtained some special rates for the conference, so we strongly encourage you to stay there. All conference activities will take place at the Banff Centre, including technical sessions, meals, and the two social events (reception and dinner).
Accommodation
Accommodation bookings can be made via this online reservation link, or by calling 1-800-884-7574.
The deadline for making your hotel reservation is May 1, 2018. When making a reservation, please identify yourself as an “IEEE IWQoS 2018” attendee so that you get assigned to the conference room block. Most of our rooms are in the newly-renovated Lloyd Hall (one bed; single or double occupancy), but we do have a few in the older Professional Development Centre (PDC) as well (these rooms have two beds; please contact the General Chair if you need one of these rooms).
The guest room rate is $195 CAN (single or double occupancy) per night plus taxes (2% TIF, 4% ATL, 5% GST). These conference rates are valid for a few days before and after the conference if you wish to spend some extra time in Banff. All guest rooms are subject to a facility fee of $15 (plus GST) per person per day, which covers parking, use of the fitness/recreation facilities, library priviliges, WiFi, and telephone calls within North America. WiFi will be available in the meeting rooms for the conference as well.
Check-in time is 4:00pm, and check-out time is 11:00am. All room bookings require either a deposit or a credit card to guarantee the reservation. Cancellation of a reservation must be done at least 72 hours in advance of arrival in order to avoid any charges. Early departures prior to your confirmed check-out date are subject to a penalty of $75 CAN.
Here are maps and directions for getting to The Banff Centre. The Banff Airporter offers shuttle service to/from Calgary International Airport several times per day, for about $70 CAN per person each way. For further information, please visit the Banff Airporter Web site. If you are driving a vehicle to Banff, a national park pass is required. These can be obtained in person at the entrance gates to Banff National Park on the Trans-Canada Highway, or in advance via Banff-LakeLouise Tourism. For further information, please contact Parks Canada at +1 (403) 762-1550, or visit the Parks Canada Web site. We look forward to seeing you in Banff!
Other Hotels
If you are unable to stay at the official conference venue, then there are lots of other options for you in downtown Banff. In general, you can expect guest room rates of $180-$320 CAN per night plus taxes for most Banff hotels at this (peak) time of year. Banff is extremely walkable. You can expect a walking time of 15-30 minutes, depending on the location of your hotel along Banff Avenue, but please note that your morning walk to the Banff Centre will be uphill!
About Banff
The city: Banff is a resort town in the province of Alberta, located within Banff National Park. The peaks of Mt. Rundle and Mt. Cascade, part of the Rocky Mountains, dominate its skyline. On Banff Avenue, the main thoroughfare, boutiques and restaurants mix with chateau-style hotels and souvenir shops. The surrounding 6,500 square kilometres of parkland are home to wildlife including elk and grizzly bears.
Leisure: Banff is one of Canada’s most popular tourist destinations. Known for its mountainous surroundings and hot springs, it is a destination for outdoor sports and features extensive hiking, biking, scrambling and skiing destinations within the area. More information can be found here.