The conference will take place at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, located in the scenic Connecticut River Valley. Amherst is served by major airlines through Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut (about 1 hour by car) and Logan Airport in Boston (about 2 1/2 hours by car). Rental car and bus services are available from both airports. The Valley Transporter provides a shuttle service to and from both airports. RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED for the Valley Transporter, (413) 253-1350 for details.

For directions to all the locations on campus including Hotel UMass visit http://www.umass.edu/visitorsctr/directions
For directions to the Courtyard® by Marriott® 423 Russell St Hadley, Massachusetts 01035 USA please visit the website https://www.marriott.com/hotels/maps/travel/bdlhd-courtyard-hadley-amherst/

If you are planning to drive to campus please park in the campus center parking garage.

Registrants are responsible for making their own hotel arrangements.  We recommend you make reservations early, as it is a busy time of year in the area. Rooms have been set aside for Chef Culinary Conference attendees at The UMass Hotel and Courtyard by Marriott Hadley.

Hotel UMass at the Campus Center – This hotel is conveniently located in the heart of the UMass Amherst campus.  The rate is $199/night for single and double rooms Sunday through Thursday nights and $219/night for single and double rooms Saturday and Friday nights.  The cutoff date for this special rate is May 9, 2025.  To make reservations, you may book online. Directions to Hotel UMass can be found at https://hotelumass.com

 The Courtyard by Marriott Hadley – This property is a three-minute drive from the UMass campus.  The room rate is $199/night for single and double rooms.  The cutoff date for this special rate is May 9, 2025.  To make reservations you may book online Book your group rate for UMass Chefs Conference  or you may telephone the hotel directly at (413) 256-5454.  You must identify yourself as being affiliated with the UMass Chef Conference 2025 in order to receive the discounted rate.

Homewood Suites by Hilton– This property is a five-minute drive from the UMass campus. The room rate is $179/night for single and double rooms. Saturday night is $279/night. The cutoff date for this special rate is May 9, 2025. To make reservations you may book online Homewood Suites, Hadley, MA – UMass Culinary Conference, June 7 – 13, 2025, Direct Reservation Booking Link or you may telephone the hotel directly at (413)387-0583. You must use the code 90E to receive the discounted rate. If you need a hotel room on Friday night you will need to contact the hotel directly at (413)387-0583 to make those reservations.

The North Residence Halls, located in the North Residential Area of the UMass Amherst campus, are four air-conditioned buildings providing convenient accommodations within a 10 – 15 minute walk of conference activities. The apartment-style suites each consist of four single-occupancy bedrooms, two full bathrooms, a common area, and a kitchen, with complimentary wireless access and parking included. Each lockable bedroom is furnished with a twin bed, desk, chair, and dresser. One linen pack with two flat sheets, a pillow with case, two towels, and a thin blanket will be provided per bedroom. The kitchen has a full-sized refrigerator, microwave, and stove-top oven available for guest use, however, silverware, cookware, and plates are not provided. Toiletries are also not included so guests should bring their own shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and hand soap. No televisions are available in the suite or bedrooms but may be located in a nearby lounge area shared with other guests in the building. We recommend packing a sweatshirt or extra blanket as the AC can be cold, a laptop or tablet with some streaming services, cards, board games, or other entertainment options for use during any down time, and any other comforts of home. During registration you can reserve lodging in North, including entering in any special suitemate requests and/or housing/accommodation related needs. Guests who select to stay in North will be housed with other conference attendees based on any provided suitemate requests and then by gender. Specific building assignments and detailed arrival instructions will be sent to all registered guests in the weeks leading up to the conference.  The rate is $80/night and booked on the conference registration page if you are interested in this option.

Free parking will be available in the Campus Center Garage which is connected to the Campus Center. If you plan to drive to the UMass campus each day, please park in the Campus Center parking garage. Please note that parking in restricted lots will result in unwanted ticketing and/or towing. For a map of campus please visit https://www.umass.edu/admissions/undergraduate-admissions/visit/visitor-info

Chefs are encouraged to bring their own tools and knives for the cooking workshops. Please check with your airline for knife transportation. Chefs are also encouraged to bring their cameras.