[Nfbmo] Roaming around the Ren Cen.

[Fred]

Found this, it was in the May Monitor but thought it might be helpful.

Fred Olver  goodfolks at charter.net

Going Round in Circles at the Detroit Marriott



by Doug Boone



The RiverWalk on the south side of the Marriott



>From the Editor: If you attended the 1994 convention, which was held at the 
Renaissance Hotel in Detroit, then under other management, you may find, 
like

me, that your only enduring memory is of walking around in circles, hoping 
to find the room for which you were searching. This experience was shared by

blind and sighted conventioneers alike. The facility has undergone 
substantial renovation since that last convention, so much has changed. One 
thing, however,

that has not changed is that the facility is still circular, so figuring out 
where you are in relation to where you want to be will undoubtedly save you

steps and minutes of exercise at this summer's convention. Even if articles 
like this one send you to the aspirin bottle, I urge you to read on. 
Absorbing

even part of this information will hold you in good stead when you arrive at 
the Detroit Marriott in July.



Imagine that the Renaissance Center is the number five on a die. The dot in 
the center of the five is our convention hotel, the Detroit Marriott and the

four dots at the corners are the four General Motors office towers. The 100 
Tower is at the northwest corner of the complex, the 200 Tower is at the 
northeast

corner, the 300 Tower is at the southeast, and the 400 Tower is at the 
southwest. The Detroit River flows along the south side with the RiverWalk 
following

its north bank between it and the hotel. Our Motor City March will take 
place in this general area, and we will exit and reenter the hotel on this 
south

side of the facility. The main entrance of the Renaissance Center is on the 
north side, and the main entrance of our hotel is on the west side. The 
first-floor

area of the complex, called the Motor Lobby, has high security. These guards 
have been trained to be helpful and give directions. If they are not already

very busy, they may be a little more enthusiastic in offering help than you 
would prefer, but they do know their way around and can help you get where

you wish to go.



The hotel lobby is actually on the third floor. Our meeting rooms are mostly 
on the fourth and fifth floors. All elevators in the central area will 
travel

to these floors and to the fortieth floor, which is the crossover level. 
This is important to know if you find that you have stepped onto the wrong 
set

of elevators. You will also find escalators near the elevator lobby, which 
is at the very center of the hotel. These escalators connect the third, 
fourth,

and fifth floors.



When you want to go to Level A to find the food court, you will need to walk 
around the circle on the third floor (lobby level) to the south side, where

you will find an escalator that will take you down in three stages to the 
food court on Level A. You will enter the food court at the Coney Island hot

dog stand. If you prefer using an elevator to get to the food court, take 
the main elevators to the first floor and go to the 100 Tower, where you 
will

find a single elevator that goes to Level A. You will enter the food court 
just to the right of the popcorn shop. This means that, when you wish to 
return

to the hotel, you should find the popcorn shop, and the hallway leading to 
the elevator will be just to your left as you face the shop.



Here are a couple of facts that may help as you are mastering this hotel. 
The Ontario Exhibit Hall, where the Independence Market and exhibits will be 
located;

the Renaissance Ballroom, where the board meeting and convention sessions 
will take place; and the Mackinac Ballroom are stacked one atop the other on

the third, fourth, and fifth floors. Taxis, limos, and private cars pull up 
to the Motor Lobby on the west side of the hotel, off River Road. Parking 
for

the hotel is across River Road in what Michiganders call a parking ramp. The 
main entrance of the complex, and the one you are most likely to use when

coming and going from the hotel, is the GM Lobby on the north side of the 
Renaissance Center, with Jefferson, a very busy street, running east and 
west

just to the north.



Now that you have this overview of the Renaissance Center and the Marriott's 
place in it, you should be ready to read Doug Boone's description of the 
hotel.

Doug is an expert in orientation and mobility. Here is the information he 
has gathered for us:



We begin our tour in the hotel lobby, which is on the third floor at the 
west end of the hotel. Leaving the lobby, traveling east over the bridge, 
you will

find an up escalator on the right and an escalator coming down from the 
fourth floor on the left. An identical set of escalators is located just 
past the

two banks of elevators on the east end of this hallway.



Continuing east past the first escalators, the area opens up. Here you have 
several options. Option 1: Continue walking straight ahead (east). As the 
hall

closes in again, you are entering the elevator area. The first six elevators 
(three on each side) will take you to floors one, three, four, and five and

the sleeping rooms on floors forty to seventy. There is only one call button 
for these elevators; it is located between the first and second elevators

on the left (north) side. Continuing east, past the first six elevators, you 
may hear an echo in the center of the elevator area. You will then find six

more elevators, which give access to floors one, three, four, and five and 
the sleeping rooms on floors nine through forty. The only call button for 
these

elevators is on the south side, between the last and next-to-last elevators 
on the right side. Please note that the fortieth floor is a crossover floor,

which allows access to the other set of elevators. Option 2: Continuing 
straight past the elevators and the east escalators will take you to the 
Ambassador

Ballroom at the far east end of the hotel. Option 3: Immediately after 
passing the west escalators, when you reach the area that opens up, turn to 
the

right and begin a counterclockwise route. It is possible to follow this 
hallway in a complete circle, bringing you back to this point. If you 
progress

only a quarter of the way around the circle counterclockwise, you will find 
on your right (south), a glass door or opening. At this point you have two

more options. A. This is the entrance to the Coach Insignia reception desk 
and elevator to the premier restaurant, located on the seventy-second floor.

B. Walk past the desk for the restaurant (stay to the right) to the back of 
the area, and you will find the first of three escalators needed to reach 
the

food court (Level A). Finding the food court will be addressed later. Option 
4: Turn left (clockwise) at the west end of the elevator area and go a 
quarter

of the way around and then turn left (north) to find the walkway to the 
Ontario Exhibit Hall. It is also possible to reach this point once you have 
progressed

three quarters of the way around the counterclockwise circle discussed in 
option 3 above. From that direction the walkway to the Ontario Exhibit Hall 
will

be on your right (still north). Note: All of these choices give you access 
to destinations on the outer circle. It is also possible to walk in a 
smaller,

concentric circle around the elevators.



Accessing the fourth floor by escalator: The fourth floor is composed of an 
inner circle, which wraps around the bank of elevators and connects to 
meeting

rooms by bridges leading to the north, east, and west only. Once you across 
the bridges, there is an outer circle that allows you to get to all of the

meeting rooms on this floor.



In the hotel lobby begin walking east across the bridge. Locate the up 
escalator on the right. The next floor will be the fourth. Turn left at the 
top and

make a u-turn to the west and walk until you contact a convex wall in front 
of you. You can find the restrooms by moving forward and to your left. As 
you

enter the restroom alcove, you will be heading south. Back at the curved 
wall, you now have options:



1. If you turn right while facing the convex wall, you will move clockwise 
around the circle. The meeting rooms will be on your left. Heading this way 
around

the north side of the circle, you will find the Renaissance Ballroom 
consisting of the Cabot, Cartier, and Columbus rooms (named for explorers). 
The Renaissance

Ballroom can be accessed more directly by turning left (north) at the top of 
the escalator and walking clockwise around the inner circle until you can

turn left or north. On this bridge you will intersect the outer circle 
described above. Continue straight across an open carpeted area into the 
ballroom.





2. Back at the rounded wall, if you turn to your left, you will be making 
the counterclockwise revolution around the southern half of the circle. All 
of

the meeting rooms will be to your right. These rooms are named for painters: 
DaVinci, Greco, Michelangelo, Monet, Renoir, and Raphael.



Accessing the fifth floor by escalator: The fifth floor has only an inner 
circle, though it is larger than the inner circle on the fourth floor. When 
moving

clockwise, you will find the rooms in A-B order on the east half of the 
circle, and on the west half they are in B-A order.



>From either the hotel lobby or fourth floor, take the escalator to the fifth 
floor. At the top of the escalator you are facing east. If you turn left to

locate rooms, you will be looking for small bridges on your left. The rooms 
are in the following clockwise order, beginning at the west end of the 
elevator

hall: Duluth B & A, Mackinac Ballroom, Joliet A & B, Marquette A & B, (east 
end of elevator hall) LaSalle A & B, Cadillac A & B, Banquet Services, 
Richard

B & A, and Brule B & A. Braille and print markers are located at the 
intersections of the circular hall and the bridges, about four feet from the 
floor.

All rooms have these markers except the Mackinac Ballroom, which has a 
bridge about twice as wide as the other bridges on this floor. Restrooms on 
the

fifth floor are located at the north end of the bridge, just before entering 
the Mackinac Ballroom.



Locating the food court, Level A: In the hotel lobby go east over the 
bridge, and, when it widens, turn right, circle around (counterclockwise 
along the

right side of the circle) to glass doors. This is the entrance to the Coach 
Insignia Restaurant. Turn right and then bear right (you are circling around

to the back of this small area). Stay to the right and locate the down 
escalator. At the bottom you will be on the second floor. Go right about 
forty feet

and find another down escalator. At the bottom you will be on the first 
floor. The next escalator will take you down to Level A, where the food 
court is

located. These escalators are close together. Head toward the center of the 
building, and you will enter a circle, which, when followed either clockwise

or counterclockwise, will take you to the food court. As of March, these 
were the purveyors located in the food court: Arby's, Burger King, Coney 
Town,

Fish City, Gyroland, HotPOP!, McDonald's, Salsarita's, Fresh Cantina, 
Subway, That Sandwich Place, Venice Italian Market, and Zoup!



Elevator access to the food court, Level A: Go to the hotel lobby, take the 
elevator down to the Motor Lobby level. Upon exiting the elevator, turn 
right

and continue until you locate wood-clad glass doors. Go through the doors 
and up a carpeted ramp until it levels off, then turn left. Continue 
clockwise

around this circular area, about 150 feet, until you hear escalators on the 
left. Continue past the escalators. Stay left until you can turn left and go

down a ramp. Continue staying left (about thirty feet) and locate a glass 
wall. Keep the glass wall on your left, and it will circle counter clockwise

to an opening. The elevator is located in this area, which is about fifteen 
feet in diameter. It will open very near the McDonald's in the food court.





Access to the People Mover: Greektown is ten to fifteen minutes away; the 
train runs clockwise to this destination. Go to the hotel lobby. Take the 
elevator

down to the Motor Lobby level. Upon exiting the elevator, turn right and 
continue walking until you locate the wood-clad glass doors. Go through the 
doors

and up a carpeted ramp until it levels, then turn left. Continue clockwise 
around this circular area, about 150 feet, until you hear escalators on the

left. Find and go down the short flight of steps to the left. You will pass 
the escalators you heard before starting down the stairs (these go down to

the lower level). At the bottom of the steps, continue forward until you 
hear escalators, which will take you up to the next level. You will be near 
the

CVS drugstore. Find CVS and make sure it is on your right. Stay to the right 
and go down the hallway, a bit more than fifty feet. Go through the glass

doors. Tokens can be purchased at a machine about ten feet inside the 
entrance to the area (slightly to the right). One dollar will get you two 
tokens,

good for your outbound and return trips. I was told you can also use exact 
change or pay with a dollar on the train and get a token for the return, but

this has not been confirmed.



There you are. By July 9 you will have it down cold. But if you read this 
article over several times between now and the convention, you will be 
surprised

how much it will help you to grasp the floor plans of the various levels. 
Good luck; see you in orbit.