Housing A diverse range of housing options are available for conference attendees. Dormitory housing registration closes July 22 at 5:00 pm CDT.

Housing Comparison Chart

Name Cost Type Location Walking Distance Parking Free Hot Breakfast Free Wifi Conference Rate
GSP Dormitory* $40-60 Singles and shared doubles, shared bathrooms with private showers Hilltop <5 min Free Yes Yes Yes, closes July 22
The Oread $125-209 Standard Hilltop <5 min $12/daily No Yes Yes^, expired July 15
Holiday Inn $79 Standard double double or single king rooms, up to 4 persons NW of campus 45 min Free Yes Yes Yes, expired July 8
Spring Hill Suites $104 Suites with double queens Downtown 30 min Free Yes Yes Yes, expired June 30
The Eldridge Inquire Suites Downtown 25 min Valet service No Yes No
Halcyon House $69-139 Bed and Breakfast Hilltop <10 min Street Yes Yes No

*Reserve dormitory lodging during meeting registration or call registration professionals available at (785) 864-5823 or toll free (877) 404-5823 to add a dorm room to your reservation. Dorm reservations must be made prior to July 22 at 5:00 p.m. CST; ^ It is best to call the Oread during normal business hours to obtain a reservation with the conference rate (785-843-1200). Although the window of guaranteed availability at conference rates has now passed, some hotels will continue to offer the meeting rate if they have availability; please inquire at the time of registration by referencing SSAR 2015.

The GSP Dormitory. Image from KU Student Housing.

Dorm Rooms

Lounge area in the GSP dormitory. Image from KU Student Housing.

Update: For more images of the dormitories please check out our blog.
A large number of single and double occupancy rooms are available in the recently renovated Gertrude Sellards Pearson (GSP) dormitory. Along with The Oread Hotel, the GSP Dormitory is just a few minutes' walk from the main meeting venue. The dormitory is also only a short walk from downtown Lawrence (although the walk will involve a steep hill). The dormitory offers singles ($60 for one person) or shared doubles ($40/person) with extra long beds, shared bathrooms with private showers, ample common space, and free parking in designated areas. Rooms for women and men will generally be divided by dormitory wings or floors, but co-ed rooms and areas in the dormitory will also be available. The price of dormitory rooms includes linens and a full service breakfast (omeletes, cereal, etc.) in the dormitory's main dining hall. Alcohol is strictly forbidden in the dormitories. Dormitory rooms can be reserved during registration. We will offer a room-mate matching service after the registration process is complete and will do whatever we can to pair mutual preferences regardless of gender.

Dining hall in the GSP Dormitory. Full service breakfast included in cost of room for all dorm residents. Image from KU Student Housing.

Hotel Rooms

A terraced room at the Oread Hotel. Image from the Oread Hotel.

Several area hotels are offering discounted rates to conference participants. See hotel comparison chart above for a summary of costs, convenience and amenities. To obtain conference rate, simply tell the reservations desk that you are a participant in SSAR 2015. The Oread is the most expensive of the hotel options, but is also the only hotel that is within easy walking distance of the meeting venue. Several conference attendees have reported that the best way to ensure the conference rate is to call The Oread at 785-843-1200 during normal business hours and referencing the SSAR conference. Spring Hill Suites by Marriott is located at the far end of downtown Lawrence along the Kansas River and is a about a half hour walk downhill from the meeting venue. This would be a long morning walk up a steep hill on a hot mid-Summer day. The Holiday Inn is even further from the meeting venue, but offers discounted rates for rooms with occupancy up to four persons. See our Travel and Transportation page for details about parking options near the meeting venue if you will have a car and are considering making a daily commute from a hotel to the meeting venue. Other hotel options to consider are The Eldridge Hotel (downtown), Halcyon House (B&B next to campus), as well as others available through searches on room finding applications such as hotels.com. Airbnb availability in Lawrence is limited, but there are often several options in close proximity to the meeting venue (which is adjacent to The Natural History Museum label on the maps in Airbnb).

View from the Oread hotel looking back toward the museum, union and parking garage.

General Information

Ample housing options provide for a range of budgets and amenities. However, only two options are available for most attendees who would like to walk from their rooms to the meeting venue.

The Gertrude Sellards Pearson (GSP) Dormitory and the Oread Hotel are about a five minute walk from the conference venue. The GSP dormitory offers budget housing in recently renovated singles or shared doubles (see dormitory section to the left for more details). The second nearby option is the The Oread Hotel, which offers luxury accommodation in standard double occupancy rooms and suites. The Oread rooms are top notch private rooms with cable television and all the other expected amenities. Several other area hotels are further from the meeting venue (>30 minute walk uphill) and would likely necessitate driving, carpooling, or use of public transportation. The Spring Hill Suites by Marriott are located along the Kansas River at the far end of downtown Lawrence. The Holiday Inn is still further from the venue but offers discount rates for rooms with up to four occupants.