Hotel Information
Reservations: If you made a hotel reservation through PLEN, you will be staying at the Kimpton Carlyle Dupont Circle Hotel. You do not need to contact the hotel, as PLEN has already made a reservation for you.
Fees: Once available, the hotel prices for a triple and double room will be available on Eventbrite and the seminar page. You are responsible for any additional charges made to your room, including valet parking fees, restaurant charges, outgoing phone calls, and damages.
Room Setup: Each room has two queen beds, a closet, and one full bath. Triple rooms also have a rollout bed.
Location: The Kimpton Carlyle is located at 1731 New Hampshire Ave NW. The closest metro station is Dupont Circle (on the Red line.) On the first morning of the seminar, PLEN Staff will meet students in the lobby of the hotel and they will go to the first session as a group.
Checking in: The hotel rooms will be available at 3 pm the evening before the seminar begins. If you arrive in D.C. before your room is ready, you may be able to store your luggage at the hotel and walk around the area until your room is ready. Upon check in, the front desk may ask for your credit card as a security deposit to cover any incidental charges to your room during your stay.
Checking out: On the last day of the seminar, you must checkout of the hotel before you go to the first session. You may bring your luggage to the session with you or store it at the hotel until you leave D.C.
Seminar Schedule
Before the start of your seminar, you will receive and email from PLEN Staff with your seminar schedule. You can also find past seminar schedules on each seminar page.
Transportation in D.C.
WMATA
All of seminar sessions and many other sights of interest in D.C. are accessible by the city's Metro system. We strongly encourage you to purchase a SmarTrip metro card with approximately $15 for three-day seminars and $35 for five-day seminars. You can determine exactly how much you'll need online or on the charts on the farecard machines; one-way trips cost at least $1.75.
**Please refer to the WMATA rider guide and be familiar with the rules and etiquette before arriving in D.C.
Directions
PLEN staff will provide students with directions between session locations for each seminar. Some of the offices and buildings that we visit have alternate entrances and security stations that will not show up on standard direction applications, so it's very important that students refer to the directions and additional information provided by PLEN staff. You may familiarize yourself with the layout of Washington, D.C. by referring to the WMATA map and the free CityMapper app.
What to Bring (and what not to bring)
Security is very strict for many buildings in D.C. It's very important that you always carry a government-issued ID with you for security purposes. Additionally, you should never have weapons of any kind (pocketknives, pepper spray, guns, etc) with you, and these items may be confiscated by any building security. Familiarize yourself with the commonly prohibited items and rules for federal buildings.
Please note that security rules will differ depending on location. PLEN staff will inform and remind you of additional security rules and prohibited items, and you are responsible for familiarizing yourself with security rules and prohibited items.
What to Wear
During every session of the seminar, students are expected to dress in business professional attire. You can find more information about business professional dress expectations by reading the professional dress tips brief. Please also note that while we will be taking the metro for the majority of the seminar, we will also be walking, so you will find that comfortable shoes are very helpful to have. It is acceptable to commute in comfortable shoes and change into more professional shoes when you reach your destination.
Stay Connected on Social Media
Follow PLEN on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to engage on social media. While all of the discussions during the seminar are off the record, we do encourage students to share their experiences and what they're learning. If you're posting about the seminar, be sure to tag @ PLENNetwork and use the applicable seminar hashtag: #PLENLaw, #PLENWCNL, #PLENSTEM, #PLENWPP, #PLENCongress, #PLENGlobal.
Connect with Each Other
PLEN staff has created a Facebook event and group for every seminar. You will also receive contact information from your peers on the first day of the seminar. Students in the past have connected via Facebook, or made GroupMe or WhatsApp groups to plan additional events during the seminar. While PLEN staff doesn't attend events outside of the official seminar sessions, we do strongly encourage students to get to know each other and explore D.C. together.