NVIDIA GTC: Hotels & Where to Stay
14 Mar – 18 Mar 2027 San Jose McEnery Convention Center 25,000 in-person attendees
- Lock today's hotel rate
- Pay over up to 16 weeks
- Business invoices
- Free cancellation rooms
NVIDIA GTC 2026 takes over the San Jose McEnery Convention Center from 16 to 19 March, with Jensen Huang's opening keynote staged at the SAP Center and tens of thousands of AI developers, researchers, data-centre architects and enterprise executives descending on downtown San Jose. GTC has become the AI industry's flagship gathering, with hundreds of technical sessions, hands-on workshops and an exhibit floor where every major cloud, chip and robotics player shows up. San Jose's downtown hotel stock is modest for an event of this scale, so the properties within walking distance of the convention centre sell out almost immediately after dates are announced, pushing late bookers out towards the airport corridor and Santa Clara. This page lists live, bookable rates ordered by real distance to the McEnery Center, letting you weigh a walk-to-keynote downtown room against better value along the VTA light rail line while both still exist.
Popular areas for attendees: Downtown San Jose · SoFA District · North San Jose.
- Hotels ranked by walking distance to the San Jose McEnery Convention Center, where proximity matters more than anywhere in Silicon Valley
- Live 4 and 5 star rates across Downtown San Jose, SoFA and the airport corridor compared side by side
- Free-cancellation options surfaced first, valuable for an event where passes and team plans firm up late
- Instant tax invoice for hassle-free reimbursement
Event at a glance
- Dates
- 14 Mar – 18 Mar 2027
- Venue
- San Jose McEnery Convention Center
- City
- San Jose, USA
- Airport
- SJC
- Attendance
- 25,000 in-person
Recommended Hotels for Business Travellers
Lock today's hotel rate
Reserve early and spread payments over up to 16 weeks.
Business invoices
Add company details during checkout.
Stay close to the venue
Hotels ranked by walking distance.
Flexible bookings
Pay Weekly available on free cancellation rooms.
Rates shown for the event window, Sat, Mar 13 → Fri, Mar 19 (arrive the day before, leave the day after) — or choose your own dates above.
Hotel rates near major event venues rise as the dates approach and the closest hotels sell out first. Booking a free-cancellation rate early locks the price with no downside.
On the map
The venue, your hotel options and where to eat — all in one view. Tap the map to explore it full screen.
Free NVIDIA GTC Insider Guide
Do NVIDIA GTC the easy way. Get our curated guide — plus first access to near-venue rooms before they sell out.
- The best hotels within walking distance of the venue
- Where to host clients for dinner near the halls
- How to beat the sold-out fair-week rooms
We'll email your guide and occasional NVIDIA GTC hotel deals. Unsubscribe anytime.
Need to expense this trip? Business invoices available at checkout.
Where to eat during NVIDIA GTC
The blocks around the San Jose McEnery Convention Center and San Pedro Square hold most of downtown's best eating, and Little Portugal's standout dining room is a 10-minute drive east. Nearly everything below is walkable from convention-district hotels.
Adega
Portuguese
Little Portugal, ~10 min drive from McEnery Convention Center
San Jose's most celebrated restaurant - a refined, multi-course take on Portuguese cuisine with a deep Portuguese wine cellar. It was the city's first Michelin-starred restaurant and remains its top special-occasion table.
Tip: Prix fixe only; book well ahead during major conventions.
Open in Google Maps
The Grill on the Alley
Steakhouse
Next to McEnery Convention Center (Signia by Hilton)
Classic white-tablecloth steakhouse literally steps from the convention center - the default client-dinner and expense-account spot during big conferences.
Tip: Reserve early during major tech conferences; the bar takes walk-ins.
Open in Google Maps
Original Joe's
Italian-American
Downtown, 5 min walk from the convention center
A San Jose institution since 1956 - tuxedoed waiters, huge portions of Italian-American classics and counter seats overlooking the open kitchen.
Tip: Counter seating is first-come and the most fun way to do it solo.
Open in Google Maps
Petiscos
Portuguese small plates
Little Italy / San Pedro Square area
The casual sibling of Adega brings Portuguese petiscos, seafood and pastéis de nata to downtown - great for a lighter shared dinner.
Tip: Order the prego steak sandwich and a glass of vinho verde.
Open in Google Maps
La Victoria Taqueria
Mexican
Downtown, near San Jose State
Beloved hole-in-the-wall taqueria famous for its addictive 'orange sauce' - the fast, cheap burrito stop downtown.
Tip: Buy a bottle of the orange sauce to take home; everyone does.
Open in Google Maps
Academic Coffee
Specialty coffee
SoFA district, 5 min walk from the convention center
Downtown San Jose's standout specialty coffee bar - precise espresso and pour-overs in a minimalist space that works for a quick one-on-one.
Tip: The vanilla sea-salt latte is the signature.
Open in Google MapsAfter the halls close: San Jose
Client dinner, team night out or a free day after NVIDIA GTC — bookable experiences in San Jose, same account, same checkout.
While you're in San Jose
Downtown San Jose has its own NHL team a few blocks from the convention center, MLS soccer nearby, and Levi's Stadium's NFL and stadium-show calendar 15 minutes up the road.
San Jose Sharks (SAP Center)
NHL hockey at the 'Shark Tank', a 15-minute walk from the McEnery Convention Center - the easiest big-league night out during a conference.
Find ticketsSan Jose Earthquakes (PayPal Park)
MLS soccer at purpose-built PayPal Park near the airport, with a famously large outdoor bar along the field.
Find ticketsSAP Center concerts
Major touring artists routinely play SAP Center downtown - check the calendar for your dates.
Find tickets49ers & stadium shows (Levi's Stadium)
Levi's Stadium in neighboring Santa Clara hosts the NFL's 49ers plus summer stadium tours - about 15 minutes from downtown San Jose.
Find ticketsFixtures recur each season; exact dates for your fair week are confirmed at ticket search.
Getting there
From San Jose Mineta International (SJC)
- SJC sits barely four miles from downtown; a taxi or ride-hail to convention-district hotels takes 10 to 15 minutes and usually runs about USD 15 to 30
- VTA's Airport Flyer bus (Route 60) links the terminals to both Milpitas BART and the Metro/Airport light rail station for onward trips downtown
- Ride-hail pick-ups are from marked islands outside the terminals and are rarely surge-priced at this short distance outside keynote days
- Landing at SJC the afternoon before your first session is the single easiest logistics decision at GTC
From San Francisco (SFO) and via Caltrain
- SFO offers far more international routes; the drive to San Jose is 45 to 75 minutes depending on US-101 traffic, with ride-hail fares commonly USD 80 to 120
- Caltrain runs from Millbrae (BART connection from SFO) down the Peninsula to San Jose Diridon station, taking roughly an hour on limited-stop services
- From Diridon it is a 15 to 20 minute walk or a short light rail hop to the convention centre and most downtown hotels
- Oakland (OAK) is a workable third option with BART-to-Milpitas connections, though total journey time is similar to SFO
Getting around during NVIDIA GTC
Getting to the McEnery Convention Center daily
- VTA light rail's Convention Center station is directly outside the venue, with the Blue and Green lines threading through downtown and up to North San Jose
- Most downtown hotels are within a 5 to 15 minute walk of the halls, which is precisely why they sell out first
- Keynote day moves the crowd to the SAP Center near Diridon; it is about a 20 to 25 minute walk from the convention centre, and light rail gets packed, so leave early
- Ride-hail around the venue at session changeovers is slow to arrive; walking two blocks off the core usually beats waiting
Around San Jose
- VTA fares are paid with a Clipper card or the Transit app, and the downtown light rail spine covers most GTC-relevant destinations
- Downtown San Jose is compact and flat, and March evenings are cool but walkable between venues, restaurants and hotels
- Traffic on US-101 and I-880 in and out of San Jose peaks sharply on weekday mornings, which matters if you booked out by the airport or in Santa Clara
- Evening receptions spread across downtown venues, San Pedro Square and hotel bars, nearly all within walking range of the convention core
Visa & entry
Visa-free / visa on arrival
- Citizens of roughly 40 Visa Waiver Program countries, including the UK, most of the EU, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, can attend with an approved ESTA instead of a visa for stays up to 90 days
- ESTA now costs USD 40 and should be applied for at least 72 hours before departure, though most approvals arrive quickly
- Canadian citizens do not need a visa or ESTA for business visits of this kind
eVisa / visa required
- Nationals of India, China, Brazil, and most of Africa, the Middle East and Latin America need a B-1/B-2 visitor visa, and interview wait times at some consulates stretch to many months
- A new visa integrity fee of USD 250 on top of existing application fees is being introduced for most nonimmigrant visa categories, raising total costs for visa-required attendees
- Start the visa process as soon as you know you are attending; GTC-timed appointments in high-demand countries cannot be arranged at short notice
Documents to carry
- Carry your GTC registration confirmation and, if relevant, a letter from your employer describing the purpose of the trip
- Border officers may ask for evidence of your return ticket and accommodation, so keep both accessible
- Ensure your passport is valid for your entire stay, and ideally six months beyond it
US entry fees and processing rules are changing during 2026, so verify current requirements with the US embassy or the official State Department site before booking.
First time at NVIDIA GTC?
- Book your hotel the moment you commit to attending; downtown San Jose has fewer rooms than the crowd GTC draws, and walkable stock disappears fastest of any conference on this platform
- Pick up your badge the Sunday or early Monday before the keynote; queues on keynote morning are severe
- Reserve seats for hands-on workshops and popular technical sessions in the scheduler as soon as it opens, because the best ones fill within days
- The keynote is at the SAP Center, not the convention centre, so plan that morning's route and arrive very early or watch from an overflow viewing area
- March in San Jose can be sunny or rainy; bring a light layer, and comfortable shoes for long convention-floor days
Insider tips from repeat attendees
- Thursday is the quiet day, ideal for unhurried exhibit-floor conversations and repeat visits to demos that were mobbed on Tuesday
- The most useful networking happens in the sponsored evening events and around the poster and Inception startup areas, not in the keynote crowd
- Convention-centre food lines spike at 12:30; SoFA district and San Pedro Square Market are a ten-minute walk and dramatically better
- If you are staying along the light rail line in North San Jose, ride in before 8:00 to beat both traffic and the badge-scan crush
NVIDIA GTC travel FAQs
Where should I stay for NVIDIA GTC?
Downtown San Jose within walking distance of the McEnery Convention Center is the clear first choice, with the SoFA district a close second. Once those sell out, hotels along the VTA light rail line towards North San Jose or near the airport keep the commute manageable.
How much do hotels cost during NVIDIA GTC?
GTC compresses one of tech's biggest crowds into a small downtown, and walkable hotels commonly double or more against normal March rates, with minimum-stay conditions appearing too. Value improves quickly along the light rail corridor and in Santa Clara.
How early should I book hotels for NVIDIA GTC?
As soon as dates are confirmed, ideally four to six months out; downtown properties are effectively gone well before the session catalogue is even published. Free-cancellation rates let you secure a room before your pass or budget is finalised.
Which airport do I fly into for NVIDIA GTC?
San Jose Mineta (SJC) is by far the most convenient, ten to fifteen minutes from the convention district. SFO offers many more international routes but leaves you a 45 to 75 minute transfer, with Caltrain to Diridon a solid car-free alternative.
Is the GTC keynote at the convention centre?
No; the opening keynote is held at the SAP Center arena near Diridon station, about a twenty-minute walk from the McEnery Convention Center, where the rest of the conference takes place. Factor that into your first-morning plans and arrive early, as tens of thousands of attendees move across town at once.
EventEscapes is an independent travel platform and is not affiliated with NVIDIA GTC or its organizers. Dates and venues can change — verify with the official event site before booking travel.