Apr 16, 2019, 5:50 pm
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Spa Napa Valley - American Canyon {US-CA}
Apr 14, 2011, 3:38 pm
#1
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Matre-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,946
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel & Spa Napa Valley - American Canyon {US-CA}
This renovated property joined the Hilton Worldwide Portfolio of Brands May 5, 2011 and beyond.
I was able to get a "VIP" room in May for $95.25 (with an ignored Nor1 upsell for "only" $69!) or "Lagoon-View" for $111 plus ~12% taxes, and stayed May 3 on my way home. This could be THE place near Napa (11 miles south of Napa on American Canyon Rd., south of Napa Junction and Napa County Airport (not near Napa town) with some fine-tuning. OK, I thought this might be a new place, but it is a slightly sheep-dipped Gaia Napa Valley Hotel and Spa - American Canyon, CA (which still even has a web page here). Here's my report:
Service animals, no pets, and it appears this is an entirely non-smoking property (determined by looking at ALL room availability, not because they advertise on their website.)
The hotel is actually on California State Route (Highway) 29, AKA Napa - Vallejo Road or Broadway St., just past Donaldson Way - 11 miles south of downtown Napa, CA; 4.5 miles south of Napa County Airport; 5.5 miles north of Vallejo, CA and 4.8 miles from Six Flags Discovery Kingdom amusement park in Vallejo. Not very close to anything in Napa, really. The claim to fame is apparently this property is Green, and has LEED certification to prove it and three energy-consumption related panels over the desk (but not too many true indications of green-ness other than what today would pass as some light greenwash - no self-shutting lights in the bathroom, etc. etc. (Maybe it was truly "Green" a decade or two ago, but today's technology and advances have left this place a bit behind.)
The hotel is a slightly strange design, as in the photo. Parking is self-parking, plentiful and free; some spaces close to access doors (all key-card operated) are reserved for energy-efficient vehicles, and there is plentiful disabled parking. Accessibility seems good. photo above, and the actual hotel part is in an "L" shape around a man-made lagoon and the medium kidney-shaped swimming pool with Whirlpool, with the Gaia Spa and Gaia Restaurant and function rooms and separate lobby within the arms of the "L", forming a square-enclosed green / lagoon / pool area. There seem to be two floors of 67 rooms each floor, and we know this place is Green because the rooms are all named after creatures - there is even a "Baboon" room, if you choose.
The floor boards are creaky - I would avoid the first floor at all costs. Highway 29 is relatively noisy with commercial traffic, and you can hear some mild traffic noise in most rooms, though double-paned windows do help minimize it (at least in our mid-positioned room facing the man-made lagoon). The worst are likely to be x63 - x67, which front on Hwy. 29, and possibly x07, x08 - x24 even only, as well as x26 - x31, which all face the infrequently used railroad tracks.
Rooms x32 and x33 - x61 all face north, over the parking; x01 - x06 face south over the rear parking, and x09 - x25 odd plus x34 - x60 even face the man-made lagoon and are upsold as "Lagoon-View" rooms; downstairs versions of the lagoon-facing rooms have small patios and are sold at value added prices. (The "Lagoon-View with Patio" are the most expensive other than suites, and IMO are not worth the extra swag because they are below rooms with noisy floorboards.)
The lobby is large and looks starkly spare on entry, and part of the external wall is actually corrugated iron with rust as a finish. We were greeted and extended an early checkin (given the paucity of guests, not a huge accommodation,) and given no Diamond recognition at all (keys, cookies, a simulated "wooden nickel" good for one drink in the restaurant / lounge, and when we inquired we were told wireless Internet is free - there are two Doubletree networks with differing speeds and two Gaia networks; use the Doubletree 17 or 19 connection, no password or room number required). I imagined a welcome note, breakfast chits and bottles of water would be in the room as they are in many, but alas, not. We returned later and the clerk insisted we "did not book with an included breakfast package" but I told him as HHonors Diamonds we are entitled to some form of breakfast - he checked a bundle of papers and I felt he somewhat disdainfully handed us two locally prepared chits for Continental breakfasts, which according to the in-room menu booklet is $10 and consists of "fresh baked breakfast bread, local organic yogurt, fruit or house made granola, juice and coffee or tea". Glad that was incorrect...
However, when we actually went to breakfast in the Gaia restaurant, the chit was good for the newly instituted $13.00 buffet - wow! Fresh juices, fresh, mature fruit pieces (strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, pineapple,) yoghurts, cereals including granola, breads and pastries, scrambled eggs (the usual), potatoes with onions and Bell peppers, two kinds of sausages, coffees and teas, and the widest selection of additions to have an omelet made I have ever seen (outside of the Singapore Conrad, anyway,) or eggs made practically any way you wish, all included. The service staff was attentive without being intrusive, and I have to say this is certainly the best breakfast I have had in any DoubleTree. ^
The second floor room we have (Lorikeet, not Baboon or Orangutan,) faces south and the man-made lagoon, with two swans in it and some plantings. It is large, very spare (think Scandic with dark walnut colored woods and a rather creamy an disconcerting yellow that looks slapped on and has some scuffs, with a green patterned carpet (see? it IS green!) that has obviously seen better days - ours has some truly huge spots that have been desultorily cleaned and some burn and stain marks. The actual housekeeping is decent, but the carpet looks like a poorly cleaned crime scene.
Furnishings include a King bed on a platform with a headboard, desk, large chest with four drawers and built-in fridge with an LG flat screen and coffee system on it. The bed is flanked by night tables, and an arm chair and matching Ottoman in brown and orange complete the picture. A two-line phone (still branded "Gaia Napa Valley") is on the desk, there are three desk lamps (two flanking the bed) of which one has a burned out CFL bulb.
The list of amenities on the Gaia site (and edited for actual conditions) is:
NO safe, soaps etc. other than dispensed liquids and creams, no clock radio, no pen and pad. No slippers or bathrobes for Hilton elites, though I never miss those. (It may be that they will add the clocks etc. as this property transitions into a DoubleTree.)
The bathroom is tiny, if bright and attractive, with a tile backsplash at the shower-tub enclosure, with a curved (and dinged) shower rod and curtain, wall-mounted dispenser for shampoo, body wash and conditioner, a sink in manmade dark stone with another dispenser for lotion and body wash and plenty of lighting, as well as a hairdryer and nice thick new Hilton towels - which feel slightly waxy, as they are all new Hilton towels (washing dispenses with that waxy, less absorptive feel). The door misses the toilet by a bare centimeter when you open it, so this gives you the idea this bath is a bit cramped - for one, fairly impossible for two at once.
The closet offers an extra blanket, luggage jack, ironing set and nine hangers. Air conditioning is effective and Mitsubishi, wall-mounted and operated by a wall-mounted digital controller (Fahrenheit only).
The Gaia Spa seems to offer a huge variety of programs; as we will not use the spa on our brief stay here, I can not comment on their offerings and expertise. There are a Precor fitness center and business center.
The Gaia restaurant and bar is very laid back, with a bright modern look and it has what seems like a decent menu stressing organic goods - no way to ascertain the veracity of that, of course - and a fairly lengthy wine list and selection of good beers on draught. We had a light supper, and it was fairly decent - splitting a hamburger (claimed to be grass-fed Niman ranch, but probably overcooked because grass-fed beef has less fat than corn-fed, served with blue cheese, very light and tasty onion straws and good frites / French fries we left half of behind,) and Cesar salads doesn't give you insight into how good the cooking can be.
I do wish they felt more Hilton-respectful and HHonors elite-welcoming in this property and had done some further cleaning (or installed new carpets or at least deep-cleaned them) prior to opening as a Doubletree, but they don't seemingly recognize HHonors status much, and they didn't go for much more than a surface face lift to open as a DoubleTree. A few of the staff seem to feel superior and that this is recently recycled property something special - I disagree, but... I booked another hotel for the stay I had originally booked here for mid-May, as I had no need to actually be in the specific area. I would recommend the ES or HGI in Napa over this property for many reasons, though currently one can save $$ or points staying here and it is close to Six Flags, or - see below - visiting clients.
I'll add that this may be a dynamic situation - perhaps this property will provide employees some additional training, Hilton clock-radios with aux input, etc. will arrive soon and they will, especially, set aside some rooms for deep carpet cleaning prior to the summer rush. We can hope...
Why stay? At this point, you can stay for under a Benjamin ($100 for our non-US friends) or a mere 12,500 points a night, and the property is within decent driving distance of Napa and Sonoma County wineries and sights. The enticing and substantial breakfast is a bonus, particularly for a day's exploration leading to a nice dinner in the area. Location, while not central to Napa wine country, is not too far for a nice drive to either Napa or Sonoma wine country. (Ironically, my maternal grandfather and great-grandparents lived two miles away from this very spot!)
How could they become greener? Automatic motion sensor lights in bath, perhaps a card-operated master switch in the room, some more shading of summer sun-exposed windows, water-saving shower with temperature control and on-off function to hold water temperature; a nice sheet and spread combo instead of a duvet requiring cranking air con down to 65 F / 18 C to sleep comfortably - in my home we have summer inside temps 76 - 78 F and use a sheet and top sheet / light spread with an efficient ceiling fan, saving significant energy and a bundle electricity payments - for some ideas.
I was able to get a "VIP" room in May for $95.25 (with an ignored Nor1 upsell for "only" $69!) or "Lagoon-View" for $111 plus ~12% taxes, and stayed May 3 on my way home. This could be THE place near Napa (11 miles south of Napa on American Canyon Rd., south of Napa Junction and Napa County Airport (not near Napa town) with some fine-tuning. OK, I thought this might be a new place, but it is a slightly sheep-dipped Gaia Napa Valley Hotel and Spa - American Canyon, CA (which still even has a web page here). Here's my report:
Service animals, no pets, and it appears this is an entirely non-smoking property (determined by looking at ALL room availability, not because they advertise on their website.)
The hotel is actually on California State Route (Highway) 29, AKA Napa - Vallejo Road or Broadway St., just past Donaldson Way - 11 miles south of downtown Napa, CA; 4.5 miles south of Napa County Airport; 5.5 miles north of Vallejo, CA and 4.8 miles from Six Flags Discovery Kingdom amusement park in Vallejo. Not very close to anything in Napa, really. The claim to fame is apparently this property is Green, and has LEED certification to prove it and three energy-consumption related panels over the desk (but not too many true indications of green-ness other than what today would pass as some light greenwash - no self-shutting lights in the bathroom, etc. etc. (Maybe it was truly "Green" a decade or two ago, but today's technology and advances have left this place a bit behind.)
The hotel is a slightly strange design, as in the photo. Parking is self-parking, plentiful and free; some spaces close to access doors (all key-card operated) are reserved for energy-efficient vehicles, and there is plentiful disabled parking. Accessibility seems good. photo above, and the actual hotel part is in an "L" shape around a man-made lagoon and the medium kidney-shaped swimming pool with Whirlpool, with the Gaia Spa and Gaia Restaurant and function rooms and separate lobby within the arms of the "L", forming a square-enclosed green / lagoon / pool area. There seem to be two floors of 67 rooms each floor, and we know this place is Green because the rooms are all named after creatures - there is even a "Baboon" room, if you choose.
The floor boards are creaky - I would avoid the first floor at all costs. Highway 29 is relatively noisy with commercial traffic, and you can hear some mild traffic noise in most rooms, though double-paned windows do help minimize it (at least in our mid-positioned room facing the man-made lagoon). The worst are likely to be x63 - x67, which front on Hwy. 29, and possibly x07, x08 - x24 even only, as well as x26 - x31, which all face the infrequently used railroad tracks.
Rooms x32 and x33 - x61 all face north, over the parking; x01 - x06 face south over the rear parking, and x09 - x25 odd plus x34 - x60 even face the man-made lagoon and are upsold as "Lagoon-View" rooms; downstairs versions of the lagoon-facing rooms have small patios and are sold at value added prices. (The "Lagoon-View with Patio" are the most expensive other than suites, and IMO are not worth the extra swag because they are below rooms with noisy floorboards.)
The lobby is large and looks starkly spare on entry, and part of the external wall is actually corrugated iron with rust as a finish. We were greeted and extended an early checkin (given the paucity of guests, not a huge accommodation,) and given no Diamond recognition at all (keys, cookies, a simulated "wooden nickel" good for one drink in the restaurant / lounge, and when we inquired we were told wireless Internet is free - there are two Doubletree networks with differing speeds and two Gaia networks; use the Doubletree 17 or 19 connection, no password or room number required). I imagined a welcome note, breakfast chits and bottles of water would be in the room as they are in many, but alas, not. We returned later and the clerk insisted we "did not book with an included breakfast package" but I told him as HHonors Diamonds we are entitled to some form of breakfast - he checked a bundle of papers and I felt he somewhat disdainfully handed us two locally prepared chits for Continental breakfasts, which according to the in-room menu booklet is $10 and consists of "fresh baked breakfast bread, local organic yogurt, fruit or house made granola, juice and coffee or tea". Glad that was incorrect...
However, when we actually went to breakfast in the Gaia restaurant, the chit was good for the newly instituted $13.00 buffet - wow! Fresh juices, fresh, mature fruit pieces (strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, pineapple,) yoghurts, cereals including granola, breads and pastries, scrambled eggs (the usual), potatoes with onions and Bell peppers, two kinds of sausages, coffees and teas, and the widest selection of additions to have an omelet made I have ever seen (outside of the Singapore Conrad, anyway,) or eggs made practically any way you wish, all included. The service staff was attentive without being intrusive, and I have to say this is certainly the best breakfast I have had in any DoubleTree. ^
The second floor room we have (Lorikeet, not Baboon or Orangutan,) faces south and the man-made lagoon, with two swans in it and some plantings. It is large, very spare (think Scandic with dark walnut colored woods and a rather creamy an disconcerting yellow that looks slapped on and has some scuffs, with a green patterned carpet (see? it IS green!) that has obviously seen better days - ours has some truly huge spots that have been desultorily cleaned and some burn and stain marks. The actual housekeeping is decent, but the carpet looks like a poorly cleaned crime scene.
Furnishings include a King bed on a platform with a headboard, desk, large chest with four drawers and built-in fridge with an LG flat screen and coffee system on it. The bed is flanked by night tables, and an arm chair and matching Ottoman in brown and orange complete the picture. A two-line phone (still branded "Gaia Napa Valley") is on the desk, there are three desk lamps (two flanking the bed) of which one has a burned out CFL bulb.
The list of amenities on the Gaia site (and edited for actual conditions) is:
- Cable TV with Premium Channels
- Complimentary High–Speed Wireless Internet Access
- Refrigerator (small, but not tiny)
- Microwave (no longer so)
- Desk
- Multi–Line Phone
- Voice Mail
- Eco - Friendly Literature (meaning no hotel book)
- Complimentary environmentally sensitive toiletries (wall-mounted dispensers only)
- Coffee/Tea Maker featuring organic fair trade coffee and teas (plain old Wolfgang Puck coffeemaker)
- Clock Radio (no clock radio at all)
- Blackout Drapes
- Hairdryer
- Complimentary Local Calls
- Iron & Ironing Board
- Electronic/Magnetic Keys
- Electronic Check–Out
The bathroom is tiny, if bright and attractive, with a tile backsplash at the shower-tub enclosure, with a curved (and dinged) shower rod and curtain, wall-mounted dispenser for shampoo, body wash and conditioner, a sink in manmade dark stone with another dispenser for lotion and body wash and plenty of lighting, as well as a hairdryer and nice thick new Hilton towels - which feel slightly waxy, as they are all new Hilton towels (washing dispenses with that waxy, less absorptive feel). The door misses the toilet by a bare centimeter when you open it, so this gives you the idea this bath is a bit cramped - for one, fairly impossible for two at once.
The closet offers an extra blanket, luggage jack, ironing set and nine hangers. Air conditioning is effective and Mitsubishi, wall-mounted and operated by a wall-mounted digital controller (Fahrenheit only).
The Gaia Spa seems to offer a huge variety of programs; as we will not use the spa on our brief stay here, I can not comment on their offerings and expertise. There are a Precor fitness center and business center.
The Gaia restaurant and bar is very laid back, with a bright modern look and it has what seems like a decent menu stressing organic goods - no way to ascertain the veracity of that, of course - and a fairly lengthy wine list and selection of good beers on draught. We had a light supper, and it was fairly decent - splitting a hamburger (claimed to be grass-fed Niman ranch, but probably overcooked because grass-fed beef has less fat than corn-fed, served with blue cheese, very light and tasty onion straws and good frites / French fries we left half of behind,) and Cesar salads doesn't give you insight into how good the cooking can be.
I do wish they felt more Hilton-respectful and HHonors elite-welcoming in this property and had done some further cleaning (or installed new carpets or at least deep-cleaned them) prior to opening as a Doubletree, but they don't seemingly recognize HHonors status much, and they didn't go for much more than a surface face lift to open as a DoubleTree. A few of the staff seem to feel superior and that this is recently recycled property something special - I disagree, but... I booked another hotel for the stay I had originally booked here for mid-May, as I had no need to actually be in the specific area. I would recommend the ES or HGI in Napa over this property for many reasons, though currently one can save $$ or points staying here and it is close to Six Flags, or - see below - visiting clients.
I'll add that this may be a dynamic situation - perhaps this property will provide employees some additional training, Hilton clock-radios with aux input, etc. will arrive soon and they will, especially, set aside some rooms for deep carpet cleaning prior to the summer rush. We can hope...
Why stay? At this point, you can stay for under a Benjamin ($100 for our non-US friends) or a mere 12,500 points a night, and the property is within decent driving distance of Napa and Sonoma County wineries and sights. The enticing and substantial breakfast is a bonus, particularly for a day's exploration leading to a nice dinner in the area. Location, while not central to Napa wine country, is not too far for a nice drive to either Napa or Sonoma wine country. (Ironically, my maternal grandfather and great-grandparents lived two miles away from this very spot!)
How could they become greener? Automatic motion sensor lights in bath, perhaps a card-operated master switch in the room, some more shading of summer sun-exposed windows, water-saving shower with temperature control and on-off function to hold water temperature; a nice sheet and spread combo instead of a duvet requiring cranking air con down to 65 F / 18 C to sleep comfortably - in my home we have summer inside temps 76 - 78 F and use a sheet and top sheet / light spread with an efficient ceiling fan, saving significant energy and a bundle electricity payments - for some ideas.
Last edited by JDiver; Apr 16, 2019 at 5:49 pm Reason: Update and finalize with report of May 3, 2011 stay
Apr 14, 2011, 6:34 pm
#3
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: FLL
Posts: 204
Seems to be one of the best deals around right now.
Booked a three night award over Labour day weekend for a whopping 37.5K points TOTAL(lowest paid rates for the period rates over $200/night) and pointwise the HGI in Napa requires 40k per night, the ES 50k/night
Rather suspect its going to move up from at cat 2.
Booked a three night award over Labour day weekend for a whopping 37.5K points TOTAL(lowest paid rates for the period rates over $200/night) and pointwise the HGI in Napa requires 40k per night, the ES 50k/night
Rather suspect its going to move up from at cat 2.
May 3, 2011, 6:19 pm
#4
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Matre-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,946
OK, first stay report! Mixed bag, but for this region, cheaper by 50% than any other property in the area.
May 3, 2011, 8:44 pm
#6
Join Date: Feb 2011
Programs: HHonors Diamond, WN A-List, National Executive, Avis Preferred, CO
Posts: 9
Thanks for the report. I had looked at staying there for a trip this past weekend but ended up at the ES. I had also looked at the HGI, and almost wish I had stayed there instead. After driving past the Doubletree on the way into town I was glad that we did not stay there since we were going for some wine.
However at the points of 12500 /night or booking for less than $100 /night it would need serious consideration especially if you are going to go with the family and go to Six Flags, or if you have a DD for the wineries.
However at the points of 12500 /night or booking for less than $100 /night it would need serious consideration especially if you are going to go with the family and go to Six Flags, or if you have a DD for the wineries.
May 4, 2011, 9:24 am
#7
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Matre-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,946
All in all, not a bad deal - good price in bucks or points, fantastic breakfast spread, some pros and some cons. The biggest con is this is not in Napa Valley wine country, but on the very threshold on an antiquated highway that can get congested. For a Hilton property closer to Napa wine country the HGI and ES await - but if those are not crucial requirements or the pocket is deep and the arm short 
, this place is OK.
, this place is OK.Thanks for the report. I had looked at staying there for a trip this past weekend but ended up at the ES. I had also looked at the HGI, and almost wish I had stayed there instead. After driving past the Doubletree on the way into town I was glad that we did not stay there since we were going for some wine.
However at the points of 12500 /night or booking for less than $100 /night it would need serious consideration especially if you are going to go with the family and go to Six Flags, or if you have a DD for the wineries.
However at the points of 12500 /night or booking for less than $100 /night it would need serious consideration especially if you are going to go with the family and go to Six Flags, or if you have a DD for the wineries.
May 25, 2011, 8:01 pm
#10
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Matre-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,946
I'm almost afraid to see how the price has risen as well - and now that summer is nearly* here, it will soon fill up.
(Maybe summer has been detained in Ukraine - it isn't here, that is for sure!
)
(Maybe summer has been detained in Ukraine - it isn't here, that is for sure!
)
May 26, 2011, 4:58 am
#11
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Programs: Mucci, BA Gold, TK Elite, HHonors Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 7,694
The cheapest room I could find for a weekend in late June was 239USD.
It looks like a nice property and I want to give it a try. (And thanks for the review^)
May 26, 2011, 11:29 am
#12
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: EWR, PHL, JFK, BWI, ACY
Programs: *A, Hilton, Marriott
Posts: 132
Points Reservations already made?
If a points reservation as a Cat 2 (12.5K pts) has already been made for Labor day wknd, I'm assuming it will be honored even though this has now become a CAT 6 ?
Is that the general trend for most new hotels into the Hilton family, including all the Home2Suites that are entering in as Cat 1's even in downtown San Antonio & Baltimore? can we assume they will move up?
Thanks.
Is that the general trend for most new hotels into the Hilton family, including all the Home2Suites that are entering in as Cat 1's even in downtown San Antonio & Baltimore? can we assume they will move up?
Thanks.
May 27, 2011, 2:23 am
#13
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Programs: Mucci, BA Gold, TK Elite, HHonors Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 7,694
I don't see how they can get out of honouring these reservations. You made them in good faith based on what was offered at that time. Just because they increased the points requirements does not mean that they can apply it retroactively. It works the same way for commercial reservations.
Jun 27, 2011, 11:56 am
#14
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Programs: Mucci, BA Gold, TK Elite, HHonors Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 7,694
Stayed for the weekend on points. They honoured the 12.5 per night reward reservation. The hotel is rather nice. They upgraded us to a lagoon view room (probably the same room but with a nicer view). The hotel is very much DoubleTree now, and we got all amenities without asking. Convenient for Napa and Sonoma. We ate at their restaurant twice (no driving after wine tasting), and found it perfectly fine for a hotel restaurant.
I would say that it is a very nice addition to the HHonors properties.
), and found it perfectly fine for a hotel restaurant.I would say that it is a very nice addition to the HHonors properties.
Jul 2, 2011, 9:33 pm
#15
Join Date: Apr 2011
Programs: Earning the most valuable miles in the sky
Posts: 32
Will be at this property tomorrow as someone in our group screwed up in their research and booked the Doubletree in Santa Rosa... Have a car service taking us to Rutherford tomorrow for the day after we swap hotels. Low expectations as this was a last minute booking and this was the only chain property (SPG, Marriott or Hilton) property available on Sunday night.