Hotel & Area
HOTEL INFORMATION
Attendees are encouraged to stay at the Howard Johnson Hotel in South Portland, Maine where they can receive discounted rates of $55/night if reserved before February 26th. The hotel is located at 675 Main Street, South Portland, ME 04106. Amenities include an indoor heated pool, a fitness center, high-speed Internet access in all rooms, two complimentary Internet workstations in the lobby, and 24-hour complimentary shuttle service to the airport, Amtrak, and bus stations.
To receive this discount, reservations must be made by phone by calling (207) 775-5343 and mentioning the group Phi Theta Kappa.
Directions
Portland is located approximately 100 miles northeast of Boston, Massachusetts and is easily accessible from both I-95 and I-295. The Howard Johnson Hotel is located at the intersection of I-95, Exit 45, and Route 1 (Main Street) in South Portland, less than 5 miles from the SMCC campus. Parking at the hotel is free for guests and visitors.
For guests flying to the convention, the Portland International Jetport is conveniently located in Portland, only minutes from the convention hotel and the host site of Southern Maine Community College.
Please note that all events will be held at Southern Maine Community College, not the Howard Johnson.
Substance Policy
In keeping with the Phi Theta Kappa Constitution, alcohol and unlawful controlled substances are never permitted at any Phi Theta Kappa events. Convention participants using alcohol or controlled substances, including at the hotel, will be asked to leave the convention immediately.
Finding Roommates
If you are interested in saving funds by rooming with a member or adviser from another chapter but need assistance locating someone, please contact Regional Coordinator Faye Christian at faye.christian@ptk.org or post at this thread at our Regional Forum. All efforts will be made to help pair you with someone else for the convention.
ABOUT PORTLAND
Portland is a classic New England seacoast town, filled with galleries, one-of-a-kind shops, and incredible seafood restaurants. It is also the largest city in Maine, with a population of 64,000 and a metro area population of 230,000, making this area home to one quarter of Maine’s entire population. Portland is the banking capital of northern New England and is one of the few working waterfronts left in the United States. It serves as New England’s largest tonnage seaport and second-largest fishing port, and one of the largest foreign inbound ports in the entire United States!
Portland has been ranked as Bon Appétit magazine’s America’s Foodiest Small Town (2009), America’s Most Livable City (Forbes, 2009), the world’s 12th top travel destination (Frommer’s, 2007), and the 7th-best “Art Town” in America (The Countryman Press, 2005). Popular sites for tourists include the Portland Museum of Art, the Portland Stage Company, the Maine Historical Society & Museum, the Maine College of Art, the Children’s Museum of Maine, the SPACE Gallery, and many smaller art galleries and studios, all located in the Downtown Arts District.
Maine’s beautiful natural landscape is on display in Portland as well, including at popular sites like Deering Oaks Park, the Eastern Promenade, Lincoln Park, Riverton Park, and the Western Promenade are all historical parks within the city. The non-profit organization Portland Trails also maintains an expansive network of walking and hiking trails throughout the city and neighboring communities. The city is also home to many important historical sites, including the Wadsworth-Longfellow House, the childhood home of famous American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
Request Information
For detailed tourism information, including brochure requests, feel free to browse the Everything Maine tourism website.