FAQ

• How many rooms does the Guest House have?

  The ORNL Guest House has three floors with a total of 47 guest rooms; 71 bed facility (23 rooms with king beds and 24 rooms with 2 ex-long double beds).

• Who can stay in the Guest House?

  The ORNL Guest House is established for the sole purpose of providing lodging for ORNL User Facility clients, visiting researchers, and other UT-Battelle/ORNL visitors. The Guest House is not established to serve families (spouses and children). Only service animals will be allowed; no pets. The ORNL Guest House is not open to the public; however, groups visiting/touring ORNL will be allowed to stay at the Guest House with approved visitor badges.

  If you are planning a visit to ORNL and would like to stay at the ORNL Guest House, your host will arrange for you to gain entrance onto the Laboratory campus. All visitors to the Laboratory must be approved in the Personnel Access System (PAS). You will be required to show a form of identification that is compliant with the REAL ID Act. Go here to see required ID.

   

• What should I know about badging and access at ORNL?

  IMPORTANT NOTICE OF CHANGE:  Beginning April 1, 2023, all delivery drivers (taxi, Uber, Lyft, DoorDash etc.) must be US citizens or non-US citizens with a valid ORNL badge to enter the campus. Those not meeting this criterion will not be allowed through the security checkpoint. When calling for a taxi (at the airport or the Laboratory), other driver delivery service, or ordering a food delivery, please verify that the driver will be a U.S. citizen or has a valid ORNL badge to prevent delays or entry failures.

  Visitors arriving a day early or after business hours, with an approved PAS request and an ORNL Guest House reservation, will be directed to the ORNL Guest House. They should report to the Visitor Center on the next business day for badging and building access. Until badged, visitor cannot go to other campus locations. Arrivals two or more days ahead of the PAS request date MUST be approved by the Visitor Center prior to arrival. NOTE:  Guests who arrive earlier than 2:00 pm may be told they are not on the Guest House list. Ask the guard to call the Visitor Center to ask for list updates.

  Visitors arriving after business hours with an approved PAS and ORNL Guest House reservations who will be working after business hours will be provided a placard with directions to the Laboratory Shift Superintendent (LSS) for badging and verification of the completion of Site Access Training (SAT) before proceeding to the Guest House or work site. Note: Taxis transporting visitors to ORNL will be permitted to travel to the LSS, if necessary. The Visitor Center and the Foreign National Office (FNO) must be notified if after hours badging is required to perform work.

  Guest House reservations must be booked in the guest’s legal name. At the security entrance portal, the visitor must provide a photo ID that matches their name on the PAS request as well as the name on the Guest House reservation.

  For all guests, the host/host division should ensure that 24/7 access to Building 8640 has been added to the PAS request for the appropriate dates of the stay.

• What’s in a name?

  To access the ORNL Guest House, you must have an approved Personnel Access System (PAS) request. Your name, as it appears in PAS and on your Entry Pass must match your valid ID and the name on your ORNL Guest House reservation. Do not use a nick name or a version of your name to make a reservation at the ORNL Guest House. If your reservation name does not match your PAS/Entry Pass name, you might not be allowed to enter the ORNL campus.

• Are there changes at the ORNL Guest House due to the COVID-19 pandemic?

  The additional requirements to enter the Laboratory campus and the ORNL Guest House have been lifted as of May 1, 2022.

  Nonemployees including UT-Battelle users, students, joint faculty, and visitors do NOT need to complete a Vaccination Information Form before coming on site.

  Should the COVID-19 Community Level return to Medium or High, the requirement for a Vaccination Information Form could be reinstated and/or other measures could be required.

   

• What should I know when reserving a room for more than one guest?

  When making a reservation you SHOULD report the total number of guests, including name(s) and address(s) of additional guests staying in the room. Failure to do so, could result in the unavailability of a room with the appropriate number of beds. Enter this information in the Special Requirements field on the reservations page. Please Note: Maximum occupancy for rooms with two double beds is two people; rooms with a king bed, two people.

• What are the room rates for the Guest House?

  The Guest House is operated in a manner commensurate with the services and amenities found in local hotels that offer rooms at General Services Administration (GSA) per diem rates. The Guest House Operator will charge the current GSA rate (includes appropriate taxes) unless otherwise directed by the Company.

• Does the Guest House have an exercise facility?

  Yes. The Fitness Center is located on the Second Floor. It is available 24 hours/day.

• Does the Guest House have a meeting facility?

  Yes. A small conference room is available for use by Guest House occupants. It comfortably seats 6 at the conference table. Additional chairs are against the walls.

• To whom are complaints about the service or the facilities to be made?

  If an issue needs to be addressed immediately, report your concern to the Guest House operating staff. An online survey is available on the Guest House website. We appreciate you letting us know what we’re doing right, the name of staff who go above and beyond, and how we can improve our services. The link is near the top right on the Guest House main page or you can click this link. QR codes to access the survey are located on the front desk counter, lobby end table and on the table beside the ice/water dispenser on the first floor. Paper surveys are no longer available.

  You may also send an email to both Deborah McCleary (ORNL Guest House Manager) and Stacey Smith (Paragon Hotel Services Operations Manager for the Guest House). Click here.

• How do I connect to the wireless network?

  See the instructions online or use the QR code on the guest room desks to connect to the document about the Guest House and it’s amenities. If you have problems during business hours, you may contact the Computer Helpline, 865-241-6765.

• What are the food options for Guest House guests?

  The Guest House provides a free hot breakfast, 7 am – 10 am. The Guest House Pantry contains a number of items (soups/prepackaged foods and snacks, frozen meals,  sodas/water, etc.,) which may be purchased 24 hours a day. There are two cafeterias on campus. Click here to learn more.

  Additionally, coffee is available in the Lobby from 7 am- 3 pm; hot water (for tea and hot chocolate) is available 24 hours a day. Each guest room is equipped with a coffee maker for guests who want coffee outside of the Lobby availability hours.

• What is the reservation cancellation policy for the Guest House?

  Guests must cancel by 3 pm, hotel local time, at least 24 hours prior to reservation arrival date to avoid a penalty charge of one (1) night plus tax.