Hilton HHonors - Massive New HGI coming to Emeryville, CA (SF Bay Bridge)

Today, when merging from 580 to 80, I saw a temporary Holiday Inn sign covering a new sign on the side of the Holiday Inn - Emeryville. Methought "This must be changing hands". I saw a crane on the other side of the building and although driving fast on the freeway, saw the letters "Gar" from part of a sign being hoisted up. Mefurtherthought what hotel has "Gar" in it? I just checked the Hilton Website which confirmed this 12+ story building is becoming a Hilton Garden Inn.

Proof I wasn't hallucinating (http://hiltongardeninn.hilton.com/en/gi/hotels/maps_directions.jhtml?ctyhocn=SFOBBGI)

I'm sure HGI has made the owners live up to the HGI standards at this previously-marginal property. The area could sorely use decent rooms. Although "who knows" what will actually be, I'd expect the restaurant to have better hours/more selection than the typical HGI fare.

Why is it that Bay Area folks are always so quick to suspect they're hallucinating? ;)

Anyway, I'm psyched that the inner East Bay will have an alternative to the dubious DT Berkeley Marina.

Just drove by this afternoon, the whole red Hilton Garden Inn is up. I just don't see this property as a HGI, Doubletree fits it better.

I think that DT is definitely a better fit--it's a great location though; I stay in that area quite a lot.

I think that DT is definitely a better fit--it's a great location though; I stay in that area quite a lot.

They probably want to compete with the more extended-stay places in the area for businesspeople. I think HGI provides a lot more value for the buck than DT. Besides, there's the DT in Berkeley.

Sorry this isn't a new hotel, but a recycled old tired hotel. Until I hear that they have done a major upgrade and some direct trip reports confirm that I will stay away.

Of course the DT in Berkley is also a hole.

Sorry this isn't a new hotel, but a recycled old tired hotel. Until I hear that they have done a major upgrade and some direct trip reports confirm that I will stay away.

Of course the DT in Berkley is also a hole.

Well, I doubt that the hotel would be getting the HGI moniker absent meeting the brand's standards. HGI has been the most consistently-consistent chain I've ever been in, even the PHL one - which wasn't standard HGI fare as far as the structure, met the brand standards. I'll keep my fingers crossed, as I need a good nearby place for "overflow" guests when my few extra beds are filled.

They probably want to compete with the more extended-stay places in the area for businesspeople. I think HGI provides a lot more value for the buck than DT. Besides, there's the DT in Berkeley.

Good point; I forgot about the other hotels in the area. I guess Homewood Suites would be perfect, but the building doesn't have the proper layout. I guess an HGI is best.

Thats a pretty lonely area if you ask me. You'll need a car. The Four Points and Extended stay have the best locations near that Ikea-Mall area.

Thats a pretty lonely area if you ask me. You'll need a car. The Four Points and Extended stay have the best locations near that Ikea-Mall area.

Well, you have to walk under the freeway to get to the shopping, but really, you need a car in Emeryville no matter why you are there.

Now, from the website (as opposed to the previous vague "August"):

This hotel will be joining the Hilton Family soon and is presently accepting reservations for arrival October 15, 2006 and beyond.

The Holiday Inn shmata was just removed and the Hilton Garden Inn sign is up, and the property is bookable as an HGI.

I wonder what kind of rates they've got. Of course, when staying there one will have to deal with traffic at the maze...

I'm reviving this thread to see if anyone has stayed at the new HGI Emeryville yet. I am booked here in February and wondered what to expect. The website indicates that renovation is ongoing on the "fitness center, whirlpool, Pavilion Pantry, and laundry facilities."

That place has been a Holiday Inn forever. My last stay was in 1976 with my high school debate team and it was a tired building then.

Yes, I stayed at the hotel when it was still Holiday Inn in 2003, and I concur about it being tired. I have business in Emeryville a couple of times a year and generally prefer the newer Courtyard or Woodfin Suites nearby. But for this trip, I was able to get a much better rate at the HGI so I decided to risk it.

First stay here.
Rooms have been substantially upgraded and now are "standard HGI fare" which is good - at least my room was, also with a flat-panel TV. The jacuzzi is under repair/replacement, but the health club had a respectable spread of machines for this type of hotel.

Wake up call - maybe they called you, but they didn't call the room.

Noise - from the 12th Floor, the noise was horrible. This is freeway and road noise.

"Area Attractions" - from the in-room binder - I do not know what the person was on who prepared this, or maybe it was outsourced to another continent - but here goes:

Miscode Center 10 MI (Presumably Moscone Center)
UC Berkeley 7 MI (more like 4, max)
Napa and Sonoma Valley 25 MI (Off by a longshot - you'd think you'd be in Sonoma in a half hour instead of an hour to hour and a half)
Six Flags Marine World 26 MI (Closer than Napa, and MUCH closer than Sonoma).
SBC Park 6MI - Sharks would eat you in the bay

Alsta Bates Medical Center - 2340 Sahby Avenue. You'd die before you got there if you tried to drive. It is "Alta Bates" on Ashby Ave. But I suppose you'd be in an ambulance if you needed the hospital from the hotel.

Overall, not a bad place, but they seriously need some window replacement/insulation.

I didn't know what to expect, given the fact that it had been a Holiday Inn since, well, forever.

Here are my thoughts on this property. I'm here for business, so with that in mind, here goes.

The rooms are very nice. I just love having a microwave/refrigerator, so that is nice. Nice flat screen tv...and free internet, nice bonus. Free breakfast, which I was able to just give the lady a couple dollars and get a to-go container and get some fresh fruit and yogurt (I almost always do this if I am able). I'm on the 8th floor, and I'm on the side where there is basically NO noise, but I have heard from other guests that the other side is quite noisy. I can't hear a soul above or below me and there are 14 floors.

Here is the bad part. Someone else mentioned the gym. However, I have never yet been to a Hilton property with 14 floors that had TWO pieces of cardio equipment! Seriously. There must have been 5 or 6 folks that came into the gym this a.m. to use cardio and turned around and left. There is an eliptical and a treadmill! They have some nice machines (no free weights), but two cardio for this size of a hotel? Come on....that is ridiculous. And the sad part is that there is PLENTY of room for more equipment!!!

The other thing that is not so good--the air conditioning, or lack there of. I don't know if it is unusually hot or just a very weak a/c unit. When I got into my room at around 3:30 p.m., it was 80 degrees. Okay, I understand that concept...why turn it on when no one is there. So, I turn it down and basically, it took 6 hours to get down to 73. When you get out of the elevators, it is really stuffy but you don't think your room will be like that--but it is. I hate to leave my a/c on when I'm out in the field, but I have to if I want to be able to breath when I get back. It has been on 65 degrees all day long (window coverings pulled tight)...and that means it is 72 when I get in, which is very comfortable. But I have to keep it on 65 all day in order to have it at 72 when I get back and I really don't like doing that....they definitely have some "weather" issues here.

Parking is fine, business center was great for a few last print jobs that I needed to do and I really like the shower. Great remodel job!

I hate the fact that there are two pieces of cardio....one of the reasons I choose a particular Hilton and one of my top priorities is the gym. Big thumbs down on this one....I hope they get more equipment. Again, 14 floors and one treadmill and one eliptical. Argh.

Easy access to the freeway and Trader Joe's.

Dawn

The other thing that is not so good--the air conditioning, or lack there of. I don't know if it is unusually hot or just a very weak a/c unit.

Dawn

Well, it has been **really** unusually hot here for the last couple of days. It is normally only in the 70s, and often foggy besides. So, the equipment is probably just not up to the task of dealing with this strange hot weather.

We also stayed on the bay side of this property when it was a Holiday Inn, and it is quiet. So, it is definitely worth one's while to ask for this side, as opposed to the freeway side. As a bonus, there can be great views of the Bay Bridge and the SF skyline from the bay side).

I've not been inside since it has changed to a HGI, but for what it's worth, they spent a LONG time rehabbing it (I used to drive past it daily), so I would hope that it has been substantially fixed up (yes, it was old and tired as a Holiday Inn).

Well, the AC worked well in my room, which is a good thing because I need HH stays and my house, just a few miles away, was so stifling the night before and up through midday yesterday, that the stay was an expensive mattress run to cool off and chip one away on my fast track to Diamond promo. As far as the cardio equipment goes, I'm usually the one who whines when there is little to no weight equipment and only cardio machines. Accordingly, I didn't notice how few there were.

Well, it has been **really** unusually hot here for the last couple of days. It is normally only in the 70s, and often foggy besides. So, the equipment is probably just not up to the task of dealing with this strange hot weather.

We also stayed on the bay side of this property when it was a Holiday Inn, and it is quiet. So, it is definitely worth one's while to ask for this side, as opposed to the freeway side. As a bonus, there can be great views of the Bay Bridge and the SF skyline from the bay side).

I've not been inside since it has changed to a HGI, but for what it's worth, they spent a LONG time rehabbing it (I used to drive past it daily), so I would hope that it has been substantially fixed up (yes, it was old and tired as a Holiday Inn).


Yes, I did take that into consideration...I realize it has been hotter than normal here. However, the fact that it took six hours to come down 7 degrees means "something isn't working right somewhere." Do you know how inefficient that is when you are talking about a room that is probably 250 square feet? Ouch. I really hate having it run 24/7, but it order to keep it near the low 70's, I need to even when I'm out and about all day.

I'm glad to hear that it may just be my room and not the entire building. Although I must say, the maintenance man said he was on his 20th a/c call when he came to look at my unit on Monday!

Oh well. And I got up at 5:00 a.m. so I could get one of the two cardio equipment. Bummer....others already had the same idea. Still no go. Just not enough for this many rooms. And I would like to see some free weights with a bench.

:)

I'm headed there in a few days myself - but what I'd like to suggest is that you write the hotel (cc: to Diamond?) to let them know how significant a lack this is for you. Did you get the name of the GM from the in-room or welcome letter?

<snip>

Oh well. And I got up at 5:00 a.m. so I could get one of the two cardio equipment. Bummer....others already had the same idea. Still no go. Just not enough for this many rooms. And I would like to see some free weights with a bench.

:)