arlflyer

Couldn't find a thread, so thought I'd start one...

Had a stay over the weekend in this ES that just opened earlier this year. It's been built out inside a grand and historic downtown building, so a departure from the usual cookie-cutter atrium ES properties that we know and love. And in my view, they did a very nice job. The lobby, bar, restaurant, gym, and pool are on the top floor and afford great views of the city. I was surprised by just how modern and well put-together both the rooms and common areas were, and commented at the time that this could just as easily have been one of the nicer Hilton-branded properties.

The amenities and breakfast are ES-standard, which means more than adequate in my book, and the manager's reception lives on.

Overall, given the location and features, I'd think that this is a property that would appeal both to business travelers staying for the week and leisure travelers, including families, in town for weekend events.

Nicely done, in my opinion, and I'd be more than happy to come back any time.

isle-hawg

I stayed there earlier this year to go watch game one of the Stanley Cup Finals. The hotel is centrally located downtown, only a couple blocks away from PPG Paints Area (Console Energy Center at the time) with lots of good restaurant options within easy walking distance of the hotel. This hotel is certainly my first choice should I go back there again.

isle-hawg

Deleted dupe post.

jonexplores

I stay at this location every week with my current contract. The staff is very friendly and always gives me a warm welcome when I arrive. As a tip if you are here on a Wednesday, the bar on the top floor has half price food and drinks. The portions are large so you can get a lot of food for very little. I usually make this my Wed night dinner.

bimmerfreak0

Any issues here? Have a hearing on wednesday at the VA. Website mentioned something about construction, which is interesting considering I thought it was already new/renovated. Any tips?

arlflyer

While the hotel is newly built-out, it is in a historic building and only occupies some floors. Additionally, if memory serves me correctly, there is some new construction, from the ground up, going on in adjacent blocks. So it would not surprise me that there might be some ground-floor pedestrian detours in the area or work being done in the building. However, I doubt that anything would impact the operation of the property on the floors that the hotel occupies.

You could always pick up the phone and ask...

ffj

ESs have done away with cut pineapple at breakfast, as a cost savings measure. There are exceptions. is this one?

arlflyer

Lol, inquiring minds want to know. This is real hard-hitting stuff. I'd say that if this is burning a hole in you, it's definitely worth picking up the phone and getting the down low.

Are we talking chunks, semicircles, or rings?

bimmerfreak0

You forgot crushed...

dmarge18

How's the area around this Embassy these days?

arlflyer

I was there a couple months ago, so I think that qualifies as "these days". This is sort of an open-ended question, so I guess I will say - generally fine? It's downtown Pittsburgh...so the things you would expect to be in downtown Pittsburgh are still in fact there; none of the buildings have moved or anything . Like many urban centers, the area has experienced some changes in the past years due to decreased office occupancy, etc. Specific to this hotel, the immediate streetscape in front of the property had a decent homeless contingent due to the shuttered storefronts under Mellon Square, if that's the kind of thing you're getting at, but I never experienced any specific issues and there is nothing really unique about that to this property vs. the Omni, Renaissance, etc.

I've always enjoyed my stays at this property, it punches above its weight as an ES, and as far as Hilton offerings go, it will remain my go-to when I am in town for the foreseeable future.

Eujeanie

Also asking...we're thinking of staying at the ES and relying on the public transportation to get around. Car rentals are very expensive, plus parking, and the buses/subway? seems to go everywhere.

Would you say this would be a mistake for a couple of seniors? Bite the bullet on a car to go and park right at everything we want to see?

Eujeanie

From the ES we want to go to the Heinz Museum (I think it has a different name), the National Aviary, Carnegie Science Center, and the Frick.

dmarge18

Pittsburgh doesn't have great public transit. You could take the T to the North Side and the Science Center is right there but the Aviary would still be a bit of a walk. The Heinz History Center is next door to the Homewood and Hampton, and 'technically' walkable from the Embassy, but you may not want to. I'd also recommend the Carnegie Museum in Oakland, and you could take a bus right there.

Overall, it's how much you want to pay for convenience. There's ample street parking by the Aviary and Carnegie Museum, and it's cheap to park in the Strip District where you can (and should) roam while visiting the Heinz History Center. That'd be my choice because I like convenience when I get to return home for a visit, but to each his own.

Eujeanie

Thank you so much for your insights. We also like the convenience (and safety) of just driving to where we want to go. But $550 for a rental car plus $38/nt parking is a tough pill for 5 nights. Not that we "can't" pay it, it just is the most expensive car rental we've had to deal with lately (post Covid). On the other hand, it would enable us to make a day trip out of the city to....where? Falling Water?

We have just dipped our toes into Uber recently (on the urging of our kids), how would you say that would be for a compromise to get from place to place in the city?