Il Ciocco is situated 500m above sea-level, in the north of Tuscany at 40km from Lucca, 60km from Pisa and 110km from Florence, not far from the village of Castelvecchio Pascoli in a private thousand-acre estate overlooking the Serchio Valley and the Apuane mountains.

It is expected that attendees will arrive/check-in on Sunday between 4:00 pm & 6:00 pm. If you wish to stay on the Saturday night before the meeting or the Friday night after the meeting you must contact the hotel directly for a reservation - please email: commerciale@ciocco.it or sales@ciocco.it.

Science sessions are held in Salone Pascoli.

Poster sessions and socials are held in Salone Pascoli.

Il Ciocco's guest rooms include private bathrooms, telephones (external line), TV's, refrigerator-bars and air-conditioning. The hotel has an ATM and also offers a laundry service. Please inquire at the hotel reception for more information.

The site is isolated and sits on a hill approximately 2km from a main road. There are a couple of hiking trails that lead from the hotel. The grounds of the hotel are vast and can be explored, although some of tracks are on concrete paths. There is an open air swimming pool, which opens when the weather is warm enough (usually the first or second week in May) and it is free for hotel guests. Swimming caps can be purchased at the pool and MUST be worn (this is the law in Italy). Towels are provided. The hotel has a weight room, a solarium and a sauna. The hotel also has a number of tennis courts and a limited number of rackets and tennis balls to loan out. The tennis courts are located further uphill from the hotel (approximately 15-20 minutes walking). Mountain bikes can be hired and horse riding is also available.

Meals are served in "La Veranda" restaurant which is located on the ground floor of the hotel. Vegetarian selections are provided at all meals. Kosher or Halal meals are not available at Il Ciocco.

Il Ciocco provides computer facilities for GRC attendees (located in room "Guli" upstairs from the auditorium). There are two PCs connected to the Internet and two printers. There are also 12 Ethernet ports available for attendees who bring laptops.

There is wireless available in the hotel lobby auditorium and “Guli” computer room. You have to pay the hotel directly for this service. The cost is € 3.00 for half an hour, € 5.00 for one hour and € 12.00 for 24 hours.

Each room has a TV through which you can: access the Internet (with or without a PC); watch movies; and listen to the pre programmed music. Charges for one day of movies, video & Internet package = € 17.00. One day Internet only = € 8.00.

You can make phone calls from your room using a calling card (please note: calling cards are not available to buy at the hotel). If you are not using a calling card, hotel call charges can differ dramatically. A good suggestion is to make a short call and check the cost afterwards with the hotel reception. There are also cash phones at the hotel.

The site is fully handicapped accessible.

The hotel does not have any shopping facilities for toiletries, notepads, etc. There are a few small shops at the hotel, including a local produce shop and a jewelry shop. The opening hours of the shops vary. Outside of the hotel, the nearest place to shop is Barga or Gallicano, which are only accessible by car or taxi.

Electrical Adaptors: You should bring your own electrical adaptors with you. There is nowhere to buy adaptors at the site (the nearest place is Barga or Gallicano - and you will need a car to get to either one). Italy uses a Type C (CEE 7/16) two-pronged adaptor where the pins are 4mm in diameter. This adaptor is also called a "Europlug".

Animals are not allowed at the site.