Hilton Garden Inn Redding (California)
5050 Bechelli Lane, Redding, CA 96002
Tel: 1-530-226-5111 Fax: 1-530-226-5005

AAA Category <> <> <> . . . . . . . . . Hilton Award Category 3 (25,000 points / night)
General Manager: Greg Knoell ([email protected])
Parking: No charge . . . . . . . . . . . . .Free Redding Airport Shuttle

I checked in to the hotel with a AAA No Smoking King Standard rate (one day cancellation notice) of $116.10 (plus 10% taxes) - this hotel is a couple of miles south of Redding and two north of the Anderson Factory Outlets, a block west of Interstate Highway 5. You can occasionally hear a train nearby, but it is not very loud.

The hotel is “HGI Classic,” a dining / restaurant area by the lobby and three floors (-01 at the east end, -40 at the west, odd-numbered rooms face north and the entry side parking / Bechelli Lane, even rooms face south and look over the valley below, with pleasant views of the Sacramento River, some mild rapids and an island, as well as the coastal range of mountains.) Walking on the floor can resonate a bit - I strongly recommend the third floor (even numbers at that.) Given the closeness to vacation spots, lots of children and families, some of whom are put on the third floor, particularly weekends, and it can get full weekdays with businesspeople.

Parking is free; the hotel has the usual coin laundry, and a 24-hour Pavilion Pantry for light food , beverage and convenience purchases and a fitness center with recumbent bike, treadmill, and stair stepper – there is an outdoor swimming pool, open 7 AM - 10 PM. There is only one elevator – service can get slow when the hotel is running full.

Check-in was uncomplicated and welcoming, and both sugar and sugar-y chocolate chip cookies were available at the desk. I was given chits for full breakfast, and a chit for two bottles of water from the Pavilion Pantry (HGI branded water bottled by McClellan Mountain Spring Water in Eureka, CA; the water for sale is Dasani.)

W were assigned room 236, a 3rd floor King "Evolution" spacious HGI room that was clean, done in creams and greens, a mild striped vertical neutral and beige wall covering, just sufficient lighting, with a king "Garden Sleep System" adjustable firmness bed with NZ wool mattress cover, nightstands (one with two-line telephone and Hilton [Timex] clock radio, work desk with Herman Miller "Mirra" chair, with free network connection high-speed Internet (Cat 5 cable required, on request from front desk,) and remote printing (via Printeron to an inkjet printer in the Business Center, downstairs.) An overstuffed chair in a dark green with matching Ottoman, cabinet with ice bucket and glasses, coffee service (Starbucks House Blend medium roast and decaf, “House Recipe” tea bags,) small refrigerator and tiny microwave oven, cabinet with drawers and 25” / 63 cm television with Lodgenet, closet with folding luggage rack and full ironing set and hair dryer complete the room. HVAC is decent, and you can cool the room even when it is 102F / 39C.

The bathroom is pretty standard, with a cr@ppy plastic "Alsons" adjustable / massage showerhead in the showerbath, which has the newer bowed shower curtain rod. The usual full complement of Neutrogena amenities were provided, including soaps, lotion, shampoo and conditioner and mouthwash. The bathroom was clean, with three of every kind of (generic and thin) towel - housekeeping seems good. As always, USA Today newspaper is delivered daily weekdays to the room. There is a coin laundry as well as dry cleaning and laundry service offered - but beware, the list has no prices!

In the Great American Grill restaurant, breakfast is $8.95 ($5.95 children 12 and under) full buffet, served 6 - 10 weekdays and 6:30 – 10 weekends. Lunch (11:30 - 2 weekdays) and dinner (5 - 10 PM daily, also room service hours, add CA sales tax and 18% service charge to menu prices,) are also served, and alternatives with an automobile are two miles away.

Breakfast the first day consisted of a steam table with scrambled eggs with cheese congealed into a large amalgamated mass, tiny biscuits with a white sauce with no sausage or meat bits (library paste with fly specks is what it looked like,) overcooked potato bits, ham slices, bacon, French toast; eggs cooked to order are a much better idea. A variety of breads, English muffins and pastries is available, with hot and cold cereal, mixed chopped fruit bits, tinned grapefruit sections, berry mix and pineapple chunks, yoghurts, Starbucks coffee (caffeinated and decaf) and a fairly flavorless orange juice. My second stay offered scrambled eggs (no cheese "glue") and waffles, as well as omelets. A "lunch special" is offered for $7.95, and a "dinner special" at $12.95 (all courses.)

Food was OK, though I have yet to find any restaurant in Redding I would laud for great food - but the table waiting was generally scattered and often very slow. The hostesses always acted like they were above and beyond the "regular help," and no matter how much things were backed up (e.g. one day only one of two waitstaff showed up) they would seat people stop to chat with them, but never offer to help out, refill coffee or juice, ask if anyone was doing OK or wanted anything else. The waitstaff themselves seemed friendly, cheerful - and very green, untrained and easily distracted.

This property can run $134 AAA / AARP rate weekdays.

On my return, the third floor was filled and I was given room 230 on the second floor and a $5 chit for the Pavilion Pantry as compensation for lack of "Evolution" room upgrade availability - the room was fairly (surprisingly) quiet, and was the same as the 3rd floor "Evolution" room (normally considered an upgrade, or available for $10 more than the King Standard) except for the Herman Miller "Mirra" chair (replaced by a fairly uncomfortable generic task chair,) and the absence of the "Garden Sleep System" adjustable mattress (replaced by a generic firm mattress.) Surprisingly, the towels were better (Martex HH Collection.) The room also had WiFi (which suddenly crashed completely,) and an Ethernet connection (which I changed to as it is faster than the WiFi and did not crash on me.)

I was told by the grudgingly helpful front desk manager it helps for status guests to annotate the booking with a request for the "Evolution" room and if one wishes, particular room numeration.

Two more nights to go, as I added a day's booking to what I originally had due to scheduling necessities. Staff were considerate and helpful in keeping the same room, and even though there was some kind of strange group of a flock of teenaged girls in very skimpy outfits who were acting hyperactive these last few days, the room continued to be quiet. The male desk manager was the only one who appeared unhelpful, always appearing to serve me with an unwilling attitude; he gave me two breakfast chits for my last day, but almost with clenched teeth. WTH? This guy was pretty strange, every time I dealt with im - everyone else was friendly, at least.

I would stay here again, but request an even-numbered (preferably 300 or 340 at e or w end of the third floor hall) Evolution Room, and expect occasional uneven and unspectacular service.
__________________