IC San Francisco Master Thread [merged]
Huge hotel set to rise by Moscone
32-story tower will cater to conventioneers - Dan Levy, Chronicle Staff Writer Saturday, October 15, 2005 Construction on the biggest San Francisco hotel in nearly 20 years is about to begin on a South of Market site a block away from Moscone Center. The 550-room InterContinental hotel at Fifth and Howard streets will be geared toward the city's growing convention business and feature 43,000 square feet of ballrooms, meeting rooms and prefunction space. Rising 32 stories, the upscale $200 million development -- operated by the same group that runs the Mark Hopkins on Nob Hill -- will also feature an indoor swimming pool, a fitness club and a spa, all steps from the Moscone West convention hall at Fourth and Howard. It could open as early as November 2007. "If you talk to the convention people, they say there will be a room shortage in the coming years," said Leonard Blakesley Jr., executive vice president of project developer Continental Development Corp. in El Segundo (Los Angeles County). "We think we'll be opening up in an up market." San Francisco suffered a huge drop in its convention business after the combined effects of the tech crash, recession and Sept. 11 attacks led to a prolonged slump after 2001. But industry experts say the city turned a corner last year and is now poised for steady growth for the rest of the decade -- much of it because of the 2003 opening of Moscone West, which gives convention bookers the flexibility to schedule both bigger and smaller groups. The Moscone Center complex, with its three halls, now has more bookings set for the next 10 years than in any previous 10-year period, according to the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau. "The convention business is really strong," said Thomas Callahan, chief executive of PKF Consulting in San Francisco, which does market research for the hospitality industry. "And for investors, hotels are a hot space to be in." Continental Development has held approvals for the hotel site for seven years but has had difficulty getting the project off the ground. Lenders have been concerned that the city's hotel market could not support a new facility, Blakesley said. Despite the upsurge in convention bookings, the average daily room rate in San Francisco has only recently recovered from a post-dot-com low of $144.81 in 2003, according to PKF Consulting. This year, the average room rate is $155 -- far below the peak of $169.74 set in 2000. In 2002, developers of the Westfield San Francisco Centre dropped plans for a hotel on top of the mall, and the St. Regis luxury hotel project at Third and Mission streets has been delayed for years -- although it is reportedly set to open next March. But Blakesley said Continental finally secured funding in recent weeks from a consortium led by the Bank of Nova Scotia, setting the stage for an official groundbreaking in December. "It's only taken seven years, but now we've put all the parties together," he noted. The InterContinental would be the city's largest hotel since the 1,500-room Marriott opened at Fourth and Mission streets in 1989, the year of the Loma Prieta earthquake. The most recent large hotel to open in San Francisco was the 423-room W Hotel in 1999. Blakesley said all of the InterContinental's meeting rooms would have plenty of windows and natural light. The boxy design will be "somewhat complementary" to Moscone West next door. The design architects are Patri+Merker with Hornberger+Worstell doing the construction drawings and architectural administration. Despite the craze around the country for buying investment-grade commercial property (several hotels in San Francisco are reportedly on the block), Blakesley said, Continental intended to keep the hotel, not sell it right after it was built. "We hold most of our properties perpetually," Blakesley said. "We plan to continue to own the hotel. Our strategy has been to build and maintain." ________________________________________ InterContinental Hotel Address: 888 Howard St. Rooms: 550, including 14 suites Height: 32 stories (320 feet) Developer: Continental Development Corp. Architects: Patri+Merker; Hornberger+Worstell Completion date: November 2007 Amenities: Two ballrooms, 21 meeting rooms, fitness club, swimming pool, 90 valet parking spaces Source: InterContinental E-mail Dan Levy at [email protected]. Page C - 1 http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...type=printable |
I wish they put one up in LA.
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Architectural rendition of the new IC San Francisco:
http://www.hornbergerworstell.com/po...9v2partii.html |
Originally Posted by goingsomewhere
InterContinental Hotel
Address: 888 Howard St. Rooms: 550, including 14 suites Height: 32 stories (320 feet) Developer: Continental Development Corp. Architects: Patri+Merker; Hornberger+Worstell Completion date: November 2007 Amenities: Two ballrooms, 21 meeting rooms, fitness club, swimming pool, 90 valet parking spaces Source: InterContinental E-mail Dan Levy at [email protected]. Page C - 1 http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...type=printable |
Originally Posted by holtju2
Only 14 suites???? :td:
And with it right next to Moscone, we can expect a premium price on the place, too...it better be good. |
IC San Francisco Master Thread [merged]
http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/ic/...oon/mosha.html
So it sounds to me like Mark Hopkins isn't really cutting it anymore. Does anyone know anything more about the new Intercontinental going up in San Francisco? |
I don't know if it is as much an inditement on the Mark Hopkins which to me has a great location, really good brand name and excellent service. As it is IC recognizing they can have more rooms in San Fran and take advantage of a good location. Similar to Toronto, you have your more modern toronto center and you have the IC T.O. I can't see them dropping the Mark Hopkins though it is a well known hotel. There is going to be one in Phoenix, that one should be pretty nice as well.
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Yikes! Did anyone note there are 14 suites out of 550 rooms???? That should be an interesting scenario for RA's.
:eek: |
well the thread on the new RA upgrade policy at the mark hopkins really deters me so i'm hoping they won't have this problem at the new IC. Though they will only have 14 suites, I'm hoping that RAs would be upgraded, at least, to one of the 3 club floors...
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when does this open - i need to be at moscone in april - thanks
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I have not been able to find any information about that anywhere other than Early 2008...
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http://www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2...Francisco.html
This article projected an opening in October 2007, so perhaps there have been delays. I'm assuming this is a different owner than the Mark Hopkins.... http://www.continentaldevelopment.com/ http://www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2...roperties.html IIRC, the SF Marriott is just around the corner on 4th and there's an affordable parking garage on Market nearby, as well as BART stations. Good location. Pat |
From the Interconti site ... "Early 2008" ... I can't wait but am not holding my breath.
While I like the classic, historic, charm of the Mark Hopkins, and Nob Hill is an excellent location (though a #$%^&*( pain to walk up to), the fact they have only 40 suites out of 382 rooms and the fact they don't give Club Access to Ambassadors or RAs (but are more than happy to sell it to you for an absurd price), is well documented on numerous threads. Unfortunately, 14 (+1 Presidential) suites vs. 550 rooms total will force the new IC SF to be even MORE stingy on upgrades. ---- From the interconti.com site: USA - InterContinental San Francisco - Opening Early 2008 888 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA Pre-Opening Office: 999 California Street, San Francisco, CA 94108, USA Conveniently located adjacent to San Francisco’s magnificent Moscone Convention Center, and within a short, scenic stroll of the city’s financial, entertainment and premium shopping districts, the new InterContinental San Francisco will offer guests as many reasons to stay inside its cool-blue exterior as it will to venture outside. Adding to the city’s sophisticated flair, towering 32 stories high, the InterContinental San Francisco’s 550 guest rooms will be luxuriously appointed with natural wood, marble and glass. The bedding will be plush and the working areas large. And, of course, the views - of San Francisco’s famous skyline, Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge and South Bay. Club InterContinental guests will enjoy even more indulgence, with high-speed Wi-Fi Internet access, Continental breakfast, daily refreshments and specialty cocktails - all with our compliments. For food and drink, our new San Francisco hotel will continue in the 60-year culinary tradition of InterContinental Hotels & Resorts. Offering contemporary California cuisine, the all-day, street-level restaurant will feature a bar, show kitchen, fireplace and outdoor terrace seating, while capturing the color and vibrancy of South of Market. Conferencing and Banqueting The InterContinental San Francisco is destined to be the city’s most desirable destination for meetings and events. The two ballrooms will be nothing short of spectacular. The meeting rooms - all 21 of them, on three levels, comprising 43,000 square feet of flexible meeting space - all feature natural lighting. The conference and banquet facilities themselves will be the most technologically advanced in the city, equipped with high-speed Internet access, digital and 35 mm slide projectors and overhead projector screens, ISDN lines, independent climate controls and locks on every door. Coordinating it all, making sure everything runs smoothly and according to plan will be an attentive staff of experienced caterers and a dedicated, multilingual team of conference service professionals. Additional services available include limousine, floral, photography, courier/messenger and a full-service Concierge. Pampering, Relaxing and Working Out The InterContinental San Francisco will house a ten-room treatment spa, a veritable oasis of relaxation and tranquility, featuring an array of special treatments and signature experiences performed by a team of therapists and qualified professionals. For more vigorous ways to relax and unwind, the hotel will also offer a state-of-the-art, full-service fitness center and an indoor pool. Only in San Francisco Guests will benefit from San Francisco’s renowned public transportation system, including Cable Car, MUNI and Bart. By trolley or foot, an exhilarating array of historic treasures, museums and bustling nightlife await every visitor. Places of interest include: Chinatown Alcatraz Island Fisherman’s Wharf San Francisco Zoo Cable Car Museum Coit Tower Golden Gate Park SBC Park Ghirardelli Square Metreon Center San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Union Square Hotel Services: Individual climate control guest rooms Spacious guest rooms with superior quality bedding (3) telephones Desk-top plugs for PC and high-speed Internet access Large working area Plasma TV Full-length dressing mirrors In-room safe Fully stocked mini bar In-room coffee and tea service Guest Room Comforts: Full-service Concierge State-of-the-art spa with 10 treatment rooms Fitness center with indoor pool Gift Shop 24-Hour Business Center 180-space parking lot with valet parking available 6 elevators Club InterContinental: Private-keyed elevator Deluxe accommodations located on the top 3 floors of the hotel with upgraded in-room amenities Club InterContinental lounge, featuring complimentary Continental breakfast, all-day refreshments, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Access also available for all hotel guests for a nominal fee Complimentary laptop computer and high-speed Internet access Room Types and Capacities: Total room inventory - 550 Deluxe king - 271 Deluxe Double/Double - 223 ADA rooms - 16 Suites - 14 Presidential Suite (2-floor duplex with fireplace) - 1 Cribs, cots and rollaway on request Children under 17 stay in same room Foam or feather pillows on request Connecting rooms available Meeting and Function Space: Main Ballroom located on level 3 - 6,800 sq. ft. Junior Ballroom located on level 5 - 5,400 sq. ft. Level 3 - 6 Meeting Rooms located on level 3 totaling 5,530 sq. ft. Level 4 - 8 Meeting Rooms located on level 4 totaling 5,700 sq. ft. Level 5 - 7 Meeting Rooms located on level 5 totaling 4,495 sq. ft. Contact information: Gail Gerber Director of Sales and Marketing InterContinental San Francisco pre-opening office: 999 California Street San Francisco, CA 94108 Tel: +1 888 811 ICSF (4273) Mob: +1 415 748 8852 Fax: +1 415 291 9020 EMAIL [email protected] |
Originally Posted by vsevolod4
(Post 7257652)
From the Interconti site ... "Early 2008" ... I can't wait but am not holding my breath.
While I like the classic, historic, charm of the Mark Hopkins, and Nob Hill is an excellent location (though a #$%^&*( pain to walk up to), the fact they have only 40 suites out of 382 rooms and the fact they don't give Club Access to Ambassadors or RAs (but are more than happy to sell it to you for an absurd price), is well documented on numerous threads. Unfortunately, 14 (+1 Presidential) suites vs. 550 rooms total will force the new IC SF to be even MORE stingy on upgrades. |
yeah, it'd be pretty ridiculous to basically just get an ambassador upgrade...
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