Hilton HHonors - Doubletree Hotel Pittsburgh City Center

Good to have another Hilton property in downtown Pittsburgh.

Doubletree name to return at Ramada site

By Ron DaParma
TRIBUNE-REVIEW REAL ESTATE WRITER
Thursday, October 21, 2004

The Doubletree hotel brand is returning to Pittsburgh, this time as part of a $12 million renovation planned at the 316-room Ramada Plaza Suites and Conference Center, Downtown.
The upscale brand was last associated with the hotel now known as the Westin Convention Center Hotel, adjacent to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, in 2001.

It will make its return in June, when the planned upgrade is completed at the 20-floor Ramada, located at One Bigelow Square, near the Mellon Client Services Center.

The change is the latest in a Pittsburgh hotel market that has seen a uptick in new construction and facilities upgrades in recent years.

"It's a perfect match with the Doubletree and the Pittsburgh hotel marketplace," said William E. Hunt, president of the Elmhurst Group, a Pittsburgh-based real estate company that has owned the 52-year-old facility since 1979.

Hunt said the privately funded renovation will increase the complement of first-class hotel rooms Downtown.

The Greater Pittsburgh Convention & Visitors Bureau welcomed the change.

"This comes at a time very important to us and our new convention center, with the number of major things that will be going on over the next couple of years," said Robert Imperata, the bureau's executive vice president.

Among other events, Pittsburgh is scheduled to play host to the 2005 CITGO Bassmaster Classic fishing tournament in July, and the Major League Baseball All Star Game in 2006.

Imperata cited other improvements in the local hotel market that include the addition of the new Courtyard by Marriott hotel on Penn Avenue earlier this year, and new Spring Hills Suites hotel that is under construction near PNC Park.

Also, long-stalled plans are finally moving forward to build a 500-room addition to the 616-room Westin to create one major convention center hotel with more than 1,000 rooms.

"Bringing the Doubletree back into the Pittsburgh marketplace will be very helpful to us," Imperata said. He said the name, one of the brands of the Hilton Hotel chain, "has a good reputation with both seasoned travelers and convention planners."

Renovations, scheduled to begin this month, will include reconfiguration of the lobby and main entrance, and an upgrade of the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems. The project will include renovation of all 316 rooms, with plans to add new furnishings, televisions, desks with ergonomic chairs, and upgraded technology, such as wireless Internet access.

The property opened in 1952 as the Century Apartments, but for many years thereafter was known as the Bigelow Apartments and Hotel. It has been a Ramada hotel since 1988.

Elmhurst also said yesterday that Prospera Hospitality, a recently formed company based in Green Tree, will manage the hotel.

Elmhurst has an ownership interest in Prospera, which is headed by Kevin Kilkeary, a former president of Interstate Hotels Corp., a hotel management company that left Pittsburgh in 2002 after a merger with Washington, D.C.-based MeriStar Hotels & Resorts Inc.

Food and Beverage Solutions, a wholly owned subsidiary of Prospera Hospitality, will team with Duncan & Miller Design, a Dallas, Texas-based design firm, to develop a new look for the facility's restaurant, including the addition of an outdoor cafe, officials said.


http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/business/s_264147.html

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04295/399184.stm

This is great news. From everything I hear the Ramada needs a renovation and having another solid option in Pittsburgh can only help them attract more convention business. I met someone from the CVB last year who was lamenting over the lack of hotel rooms to draw major conventions, and I had the opportunity to visit most of the hotels within the city limits last year as I was getting married.

Thanks for the update!

Agree, much needed to get another Hilton property in downtown. Been to downtown one time. How far to the stadiums will this property be?





Good to have another Hilton property in downtown Pittsburgh.

Doubletree name to return at Ramada site

By Ron DaParma
TRIBUNE-REVIEW REAL ESTATE WRITER
Thursday, October 21, 2004

The Doubletree hotel brand is returning to Pittsburgh, this time as part of a $12 million renovation planned at the 316-room Ramada Plaza Suites and Conference Center, Downtown.
The upscale brand was last associated with the hotel now known as the Westin Convention Center Hotel, adjacent to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, in 2001.

It will make its return in June, when the planned upgrade is completed at the 20-floor Ramada, located at One Bigelow Square, near the Mellon Client Services Center.

The change is the latest in a Pittsburgh hotel market that has seen a uptick in new construction and facilities upgrades in recent years.

"It's a perfect match with the Doubletree and the Pittsburgh hotel marketplace," said William E. Hunt, president of the Elmhurst Group, a Pittsburgh-based real estate company that has owned the 52-year-old facility since 1979.

Hunt said the privately funded renovation will increase the complement of first-class hotel rooms Downtown.

The Greater Pittsburgh Convention & Visitors Bureau welcomed the change.

"This comes at a time very important to us and our new convention center, with the number of major things that will be going on over the next couple of years," said Robert Imperata, the bureau's executive vice president.

Among other events, Pittsburgh is scheduled to play host to the 2005 CITGO Bassmaster Classic fishing tournament in July, and the Major League Baseball All Star Game in 2006.

Imperata cited other improvements in the local hotel market that include the addition of the new Courtyard by Marriott hotel on Penn Avenue earlier this year, and new Spring Hills Suites hotel that is under construction near PNC Park.

Also, long-stalled plans are finally moving forward to build a 500-room addition to the 616-room Westin to create one major convention center hotel with more than 1,000 rooms.

"Bringing the Doubletree back into the Pittsburgh marketplace will be very helpful to us," Imperata said. He said the name, one of the brands of the Hilton Hotel chain, "has a good reputation with both seasoned travelers and convention planners."

Renovations, scheduled to begin this month, will include reconfiguration of the lobby and main entrance, and an upgrade of the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems. The project will include renovation of all 316 rooms, with plans to add new furnishings, televisions, desks with ergonomic chairs, and upgraded technology, such as wireless Internet access.

The property opened in 1952 as the Century Apartments, but for many years thereafter was known as the Bigelow Apartments and Hotel. It has been a Ramada hotel since 1988.

Elmhurst also said yesterday that Prospera Hospitality, a recently formed company based in Green Tree, will manage the hotel.

Elmhurst has an ownership interest in Prospera, which is headed by Kevin Kilkeary, a former president of Interstate Hotels Corp., a hotel management company that left Pittsburgh in 2002 after a merger with Washington, D.C.-based MeriStar Hotels & Resorts Inc.

Food and Beverage Solutions, a wholly owned subsidiary of Prospera Hospitality, will team with Duncan & Miller Design, a Dallas, Texas-based design firm, to develop a new look for the facility's restaurant, including the addition of an outdoor cafe, officials said.


http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/business/s_264147.html

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04295/399184.stm

I can see the property becoming a pretty good doubletree after renovations...

its not very close to the stadiums but still walkable.

W/o a search (this is getting ridiculous now) I can't see if this has already been posted, but in this article about the NHL it notes that the Ramada in downtown Pittsburgh will become a Doubletree after a renovation...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05047/458146.stm

Hotel is open as of last week... anyone stayed yet?
http://doubletree.hilton.com/en/dt/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=PITDTDT

Headed there next weekend, never stayed there before and the website isn't all that helpful.
Any recent stays there? Going in on Saturday and the Steelers game Sunday, can't wait!

Thanks

I haven't been there, sorry! However, it's a bit over a mile to the stadium, but I'd recommend walking it if at all possible. It had been a Ramada, but was renovated (they spent $12 mil or some such),

Here are a few links from the local paper about the hotel:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05321/607471.stm (primarily a dining review)

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05271/578811.stm

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05230/555737.stm

Interested in your experience at the Doubletree. Trying to decide whether we are staying at the Doubletree or the Westin for Christmas.

On TripAdvisor, there are three reviews since the renovation was completed and all three are glowing, 5 bubble reviews.

TripAdvisor is at http://www.tripadvisor.com/ ... if you're not using them you really should be.

I walk by this hotel on the way to Mellon Arena. It is a long walk to the stadium, but there are buses that run to Steelers game from downtown less than a quarter mile away. I haven't seen the inside, so I don't know about the renovations. Looked pretty bad back in Ramada days, but who has ever seen a nice Ramada?

the Westin on the other hand is new and I've heard good things about it from a few colleagues of mine who commute to Pittsburgh. Just some feedback.

the Westin on the other hand is new and I've heard good things about it from a few colleagues of mine who commute to Pittsburgh. Just some feedback.

The Westin is great, I stayed there this past weekend for the Steelers game, but it's booked for this coming weekend.
I'll report on the Doubletree when I get back.
Thanks for the info on the buses, I was afraid it would be a bit of hike to the stadium.

Now due to a last-minute change (leaving Sunday night instead of Monday moning and a room miraculously appeared) I was able to get a 1-night room at the Hilton Pittsburgh. So I guess the DT experience willl be put off for another trip.

I couldn't resist commenting since I am at the Pittsburgh Doubletree City Center right now. It is a very nice hotel. I am very happy with my stay. It looks like it was totally renovated and still has that newness smell. Everything in the room is new. It has a TV with a flat screen (but it's not one of those wall mounted flat screen TV's), the beds are very confortable, and the room itself is pretty large. There are plenty of electrical outlets and the desk work area is very functional.

The staff have been great. Very friendly, and knowledgable about Pittsburgh and the local area. The man who checked me in two days ago greeted me by name when I walked past the desk the next day. This impressed me to no end.

The hotel has a shuttle and will run you to nearby places.

The restaurant is excellent. Truly great food.

There are a few bugs to be worked out.... the water pressure is not very good (I am on the 8th floor) and the water never gets hot enough for me (I like a hot shower), the wireless internet drops in and out, a couple of outlets don't work, and they have this odd feature where you have to put your key in a slot in the wall to activate the heating system and some of the lights (so I keep walking out of the room without the key). But I believe these things will be fixed over time.

That last paragraph sounds worse than it is. I really do like this hotel and the staff here.

Does anyone have a parking suggestion for the Doubletree Pittsburgh? I read that valet charge is $23 and am seeking an alternative, but I am completely unfamiliar with the area.

I've stayed there several times the past few months. Everything is pretty nice, only problem is the noise - walls seem to be thin - and the water pressure at times. Otherwise, no problems.

Does anyone have a parking suggestion for the Doubletree Pittsburgh? I read that valet charge is $23 and am seeking an alternative, but I am completely unfamiliar with the area.

You can park at one of the garages downtown and walk, if you don't mind a decent walk. Here's (http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/pghparkingauthority/html/pittsburgh_parking_authority.html) a link to Pittsburgh parking garages and their prices. It would be a walk, but it is an option. You can also park in the Mellon Arena (http://www.mellonarena.com/event/evt_parking.asp) lots.

You can park at one of the garages downtown and walk, if you don't mind a decent walk. Here's (http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/pghparkingauthority/html/pittsburgh_parking_authority.html) a link to Pittsburgh parking garages and their prices. It would be a walk, but it is an option. You can also park in the Mellon Arena (http://www.mellonarena.com/event/evt_parking.asp) lots.

Thank you! $5 for weekend parking sounds a lot better than the hotel rate.

Thank you! $5 for weekend parking sounds a lot better than the hotel rate.

Mapquest says it's 1/4 mile to the Smithfield Liberty Garage, so it's not too far.

I booked a memorial weekend family stay at this property about 6 weeks ago. I was very pleased with a AAA rate under $90/night. At the last minute, we decided to arrive a day earlier, however the rate was not available on the internet -- lowest rate was about $114/nt. A quick call to the hotel arranged for our existing rate to be extended by a day.

We arrived Friday evening to find out that we had been upgraded to a queen suite. I asked if a king was available and was quickly changed to room 1322. The clerk asked how many were in my party and gave us 3 days worth of breakfast coupons for four.

Upon arrival in our room, there were three things that stood out.

- First, the suite was very large. The living area included a pull out queen sofa bed and two chairs, a work desk with a chair on each side and a corner closet. The bedroom had plenty of room to move about and had a descent size closet.

- Second, the bathroom was very, very small. Seems odd that a suite so large would have a bathroom so small. It appears that the toilet had to be specially configured (or may have been the smallest commercially availalbe) so that the door would close. There is plenty of room outside of the bathroom to make it a larger space. Seemed very odd to be so small.

- Third, they have this funky energy system I haven't seen anywhere else. When you get in your room, you need to put your key (or any other card) into the switch next to the door. This allows the tv's and climate control systems to work. Pull out the card and everything shuts off until the next time you enter and put the card or key back in. (More on this later.)

After we arrived, we went down to the restaurant -- Bigelow Grill. All in all, it was a really good meal for a hotel restaurant. It's obvious that they are trying to attact a non-hotel clientele by the menu, which is a bit on the eclectic side. Not your normal burgers, sandwiches and pasta selections. (With that said, some of those "staples" would be appreciated for less adventurous or if you don't want to spend $20 on a meal.) The restaurant was mostly empty and had a large staff just milling around. Our service was very good and the waiter was very knowledgeable about the menu and the area. This was a pleasant surprise after our 5 hour drive.

Our preference would have been to go for a swim after dinner, but the pool was closed. The hotel apparently contracts with the Downtown Athletic Club for their pool and exercise services. The pool hours are shorter than at most properties with this ammenity. It closes at 8:45 pm (6:30 pm on Sunday). This was disappointing as I would've expected to be able to swim until at least 10 pm. On the weekends, the pool does not open until 8, which is a bit late with early riser kids. Other than the hours, the pool and facilites were very nice. Much to my surprise, the pool is even guarded during certain hours, though I can't tell which hours they are.

The buffet breakfast in the restaurant was good. Though we had coupons, the price ($10 or $11 for adults) is reasonable for the product. The buffet included eggs, bacon, sausage, grits, pancakes, and french toast. The eggs were generally well done (over done, actually), but the restaurant was able to make us eggs to orders. In addition, the fruit was perfectly ripe and the bread selections included bagels (these looked and tasted fresh and local) and nova lox, and lots of pastries.

On Saturday evening, my wife had a bad meal at a local restaurant and ordered up a vegetable wrap from room service. The price was reasonable ($12 with $2 service charge, tax and 18% gratuity added), the wrap was tasty and came with a complementary bottle of water. The 20 minute delivery time was more like 10 -- always a bonus.

The hitches in our otherwise great weekend stay came on Sunday.

- When we arrived back to the room, the key that we had left in the electrical system and been removed and apparently taken away. The room was stuffy as the temp outside was around 90 degrees. (We had done the same thing the day before, but the key was left in place.) We replaced the key and reset the temperature.

- Next was the surprise early closing of the pool. We were not notified when we arrived at 5:45 of the early closing. The clerk came through at about 6:10 to let us know we had 20 minutes.

- We then again went to the hotel restaurant. For the duration of our meal, we were the only diners in the restaurant. The meal was fine, however I was shocked when I got the bill that my wife's NY strip was $35. The menu say "market price", but I didn't expect Morton's pricing. The server did not quote us a price when we ordered, or my wife would have ordered something else.

- On my way back to the room, I stopped by to pick up some "Signature" Chocolate Chip Cookies. The desk clerk told me that they were waiting on a batch from the restaurant. An hour later I called down and they were still waiting. I'm not sure what the problem was. The restaurant certainly wasn't cooking any other food. When you have a signature item, you really outta have it ALL THE TIME. So we saved some calories.

- At about 3 am, I woke up in a sweat. The room was definitely warmer. Air was blowing, but it was not a/c, only the fan was running. My wife and one son had already woken and were trying to get back to sleep. I called down to the front desk and was told that the a/c was turned off due to a problem in the restaurant and that someone would be in at 7 am to fix it. I asked why someone wasn't called at that time, and the clerk told me that this was only the second complaint and it would have to wait until 7 am. When we went down for breakfast, I stopped by the front desk. The manager on duty explained that the night crew was new and they should have called someone in the middle of the night. There was in fact a problem with the a/c that had nothing to do with the restaurant. My room was promptly comped.

All in all, I was pleased with the property. The people were very friendly. The rooms were nice. The restaurant was good. They made good on their problem. I'd go back and recommend the property.

I was at DT Pittsburgh the same weekend as MarshB (wish I knew another FlyerTalker was in the house!). Here's my trip report.

I am just an Hhonors blue member, but was treated nice enough. Got a letter from manager at checkin welcoming me on my first visit to DT Pittsburgh as an Hhonors member. Letter had coupon for free breakfast (just one coupon, a little annoying as we were a party of two). Also got a follow-up call about 30 minutes after checking in asking if we were satisfied with the room. Posters in the hotel tout this DT as being in the top 10 in the DT family for customer satisfaction. Seemed plausible based on my experience.

Some notes:

-Property switched over from Ramada about 8 months ago. Furnishings in rooms and public areas are new and in very good shape.

-Walls are paper thin. Our first night we awoke when the bachelorette party next door got home from the bars. Our room was an adjoining setup with a connecting door, so maybe that exacerbated the noise problem others have noted. No problems the second night, when the adjacent room was vacant.

-Nonsmoking rooms and smoking rooms on same floor. No problems in my room. Hall was OK first night, but by end of the weekend the hallway smelled like cigarette smoke. That explains the industrial-strength air freshener smell I noticed when we first checked in.

-Bigelow Grill was pretty good for a hotel restaurant, especially price-wise. As other poster noted, hot breakfast buffet $11.95 and cold $8.95, plus a la carte items. Service was mediocre, but I wasn't complaining for the price. Ended up eating here on a Sunday night as well, when it seemed everything within an easy walk of the hotel was closed. As other poster said, "eclectic" is the operative word for the menu, with entrees $15-$25. You won't see burgers on the menu, though I wonder if you could get one as I checked later and burgers are on the room service menu.

-15-minute walk to PNC Park, Warhol Museum, Cultural District. Seemed safe enough, though it gets very quiet downtown on weekends. Hotel's free shuttle van works pretty well.

-I also found the bathroom small. Odd that there was a sort of dressing room just outside the bathroom, with a mirror but no sink.

-Suffered the same a/c problem. Thought it was just my room. Oops!

-Slot for room key to activate lights was no problem. I guess I'm used to it as most of my hotel stays are in Asia and Europe (non-Hilton), where this feature is common.

-7-Eleven next door, can be accessed directly through hotel lobby. For breakfast, there is a Bruegger's bagel shop about a block away (did not appear open on the weekend, like many shops downtown).

I stayed at this location this past Saturday, and my experience was wonderful! I was upgraded to a queen suite, and had a room similar to MarshB's. We had a late dinner in the restaurant, and while their menu is odd, it features Western PA foods, with a slight twist, typically. It was very good, and the service was outstanding! We had no problems with the air conditioning, and didn't notice any water pressure problems or internet problems. The staff was incredibly friendly, and welcoming. I'd definitely stay there again, and will, even though I live outside of Pittsburgh!

Funny, I also stayed at this hotel over the weekend of July 8-9. ;)

Check-in was fine. Cookie was great. ^ Staff was very helpful.

+Room was clean. Had a queen room.
+Shower pressure was great. ^
+Even though the room had the keycard-activated electricity theme, it was no problem for me --- they gave me 2 keycards, so I stuck one in the slot and used the other one for entry. ;)
+Business center was perfect. Free printing and internet access at the 2 terminals.
+Health club weight machine area looked nice and modern. Didn't use it though.
+Was given free breakfast voucher for the Bigelow Grille (hotel resto). Buffet was adequate, though small.. and the service was a little too enthusiastic (they cleared away my setting when I went back for seconds!). Coffee was excellent, however. ^
+Location is great, right across from the T station (Steel Plaza). Got on the 28X transit bus to/from the airport and it stops a few blocks from the hotel.
+TV had HBO. :)

-Bathroom was a little odd. The sink area was separate from the toilet/shower area. There was almost no countertop space by the sink to put my toiletry bag. The toilet kinda seemed like it never fully flushed. Maybe this is the environmentally friendly version.
-Health club pool was in dire need of cleaning. Ick.

Would definitely stay there again.

Funny, I also stayed at this hotel over the weekend of July 8-9. ;)

In town for the All Star game? We didn't venture to the pool, but with the number of people in the area, it wouldn't surprise me that it was dirty. :)

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In town for the All Star game? We didn't venture to the pool, but with the number of people in the area, it wouldn't surprise me that it was dirty. :)
no, had no interest in them thar all-stars.. :p

Stayed for 4 nights. Service exceptional and food was really good. Room was clean and confortable. Had water, electricity, the whole bit. Will go back.

no, had no interest in them thar all-stars.. :p

LOL, had I known you were going to be there, I'd have suggested drinks in the hotel bar, especially since we were there for dinner anyway. :D

Stayed at this DT last night and came away favorably impressed, even if $179seems a little steep for Pittsburgh, though the $199 for the Hilton was even worse.
Still, the DT has a lot going for it, including an attached 7-11, where I graciously made a Powerball donation; the Bigelow Grille, a high-quality restaurant that just happens to be in a hotel and not a high-quality hotel restaurant (don't miss the pierogies); and access to the Downtown Athletic Club, a full-fledged gym instead of a lame exercise room. Nice to have all that without having to go outside.
My room wasn't huge but more than adequate. Experienced nothing in the way of noise problems. New TV, lots of modish lamps. Thought it was too dark, until I realized they all had three-way bulbs. Duh.
Staff was very upbeat, courteous and helpful, though the guy who checked me in acted like he was doing me a favor by giving me a breakfast coupon ("Since this is your first time here, breakfast is on us"). I'm a Diamond, so I wasn't ponying up anyway, though I did opt out of the Continental breakfast and ordered a tasty egg-white frittata.
All told, one of the more pleasant Hilton experience I've had in a while.