ORLANDO (BP) – While there’s still a little more than a month to go before room nights for the 2026 SBC Annual Meeting in Orlando go online for booking, attendees can begin viewing their options and making plans now. The list provided at sbcannualmeeting.net/hotels offers something for just about every itinerary and budget.
“We have a lot of hotel choices and inventory for Southern Baptists who are planning to come to Orlando,” said SBC Convention Manager Lynn Richmond. “There’s something for everyone in the room block this year – whether you are looking for something close to the convention center, a downtown experience or a little Disney magic in your trip, there are plenty of options available.”
Jonathan Howe, SBC Executive Committee vice president for convention administration, said the variety should allow for greater participation in the annual meeting.
“The number one deterrent for annual meeting attendance is cost of lodging,” Howe said. “Thankfully, Orlando’s hotel inventory allows us to offer the best nightly hotel rates in recent memory to attendees. There is truly something for attendees in every price range, and the credit goes to Lynn for negotiating these rates in order to benefit Southern Baptists the most we can.”
There are a few advantages to booking through SBC channels rather than directly with a hotel or on third-party sites, Richmond said. Cost is chief among them.
“As an attendee, booking through the housing bureau allows you to have first access to the hotels we have personally vetted and where we have leveraged the buying power of the SBC and Maritz Global Events, our housing partner, to ensure that you are getting the best rates and concessions available at each hotel during the annual meeting,” she said. “The rates we negotiate for Southern Baptists are typically 10-15 percent below rack rates.”
Howe added that booking through the housing bureau can provide cost savings in future years too.
“From a convention organizer standpoint, booking through the SBC housing bureau allows us to track how many people the annual meeting brings to a city and the economic impact of hosting the meeting in a city,” he said. “This provides us negotiating leverage with cities looking to host us in the future and allows us to get the best possible hotel rates for attendees.
“Everything we are working toward is for the benefit of Southern Baptists who give of their time and resources every year to join us at the SBC Annual Meeting and Pastors’ Conference.”
The list of available hotels can be viewed here. Shuttles will be available to and from many of them, Howe said. Hotel booking opens Oct. 6 at noon Eastern.