Hilton San Francisco Airport
The Hilton San Francisco Airport – the former Sheraton SFO Gateway – is located at Airport Boulevard in Burlingame, close to the airport of San Francisco. Like many airport areas, there is not much to do outside of the hotel. A very few restaurants are around the hotel, but that's all. But you can walk to Burlingame, which is one hour walking along the bay and crossing the freeway through suburbs. It is
an easy and safe walking. Downtown San Francisco could be reached by shuttle to the airport and then by BART. The ride to the airport takes approximately around 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the traffic and number of passengers. The hotel shares the shuttle with the nearby Crowne Plaza.
The hotel is a 15 floor building with around 400 rooms built as a H but the wings are not linear, so the views are not blocked by the other wing.
There is a driveway to the hotel which also leads to the parking lot, but it is possible to park the car in front of the main entrance for a few minutes and check in and then either park the car or leave the hotel again.
Self parking is available for 18 USD / Day, valet parking is an additional 7 USD.
After entering the hotel, one is standing in the lobby. The lobby is of average seize with a few tables and chairs on the left and right of the entrance. Opposite the entrance is the check in desk. The check in area is large with several places to check guests in and out.
Behind the check in desks are four elevators available to reach the floors with the guest rooms. A business center is available as well.
Gym and the pool are located on the second floor. The gym is small and very narrow and I consider it as one of the worst and narrowest gyms I have experienced so far. There are treadmills, steppers, and bikes. The equipment is okay, no state of the art but okay for a workout. Towels and water are provided by the hotel. The pool and the Jacuzzi are next to the gym and of smaller size compared to other hotels. The area is really not nice, but it is okay for splashing around and a few short laps to refresh body
and mind; swimming as exercise is not really possible. Lounge chairs are standing around the pool and the pool has windows unlike the gym, which only has windows to the pools. Towels are available in the pool area, but no locker or changing room. While the gym is open 24/7 the pool is only open from 05:00 to 23:00.
The Executive Lounge is located on the 15th floor. It is open from 06:00 to 23:00. Breakfast is served starting at 06:00 until 11:00 and evening snacks are served between 17:00 and 19:00.
The restaurant “Windows of the Bay” and the bar “Lobby Lounge” are located also on the ground floor facing the bay (side). The bar is only open in the afternoon and evening, while the restaurant is open all day and also serves breakfast in the morning. Bar and restaurant close at 22:00.
visited on California + London (LA + Bay Area)
stays April 28, 2010
direct link to Hotel: Hiton SFO
Arrival Date: 28 April 2010
Departure Date: 29 April 2010
Room type booked: Deluxe Room (got Executive Room)
Rate Plan: Advanced Purchase Rate
Room Number: 1022
Room Rate: 99.00 USD (excluding taxes)
Status of Guest Program: Gold
I arrived in the hotel around 16:35 and approached check in, where one agent was on duty. I was neither addressed by name nor greeted as Hilton Hhonors Gold Member. During check in, she did not talk to me and eventually I got a key to my room. I was not told anything about breakfast, especially where and when it was served. So I asked and learnt by doing so, that I received an upgrade to Excecutive Lounge and breakfast as well as hors
d'oeuvres would be served there. In the morning at check out I also learnt, that the fee for the use of the internet is waved for HHonors Gold and Diamond Members. In so far, check in was far away from being good. Not only that it was not the friendliest one, I did also not get all information I should have gotten during check in. In so far it is not really surprisingly, that I had to ask about some things like pool and gym.
The room was in the typically shape of a hotel room. After entering the room, one is in a small hallway. There is the entrance to the bathroom and a wardrobe with safe and iron and ironing board. The bathroom was on the right side and was of bigger than average seize. It had a bath, toilet and sink. The bathroom was in a medium shape. Bathroom amenities were by Crabtree & Evelyne; three big, medium and small towels were placed on the towel rack or lying around the sink. The showerhead and the shower curtain
were okay. I would not have minded, if the the water pressure would have been a bit stronger and the temperature was changing quite a lot between warm and really hot, so one had to adjust it quite often.
The room was of medium size with a king on the right side and two bedside table with a lamp on both of them. On one of them were the phone and the Hilton Signature Alarm clock placed, on the other the coffee facilities. Opposite the bed was the wall mounted Flat TV.
There was a board to put a carry on which leads into a glass board made from frozen / crashed glass. This board was below the TV and became bigger and wider closer to the window and doubled there as desk with lamp, desk chair and phone / LAN connection.
In front of the window was a lounge chair with a small table and another lamp in the corner of the room.
The air condition was controlled electronically from a unit at the entrance. Unfortunately it was one of this air condition units mounted at the window close to the desk. There was not need to use it, since it was not really warm and there was a draught even if the air conditions was turned off – probably from the wind outside, but not sure. The window could be opened.
The bed was okay, this time not too soft. Too many pillows, but I am used to it now.
LAN / W-LAN were available for a fee (9.95 USD until noon the same day), but this is comped for HHonors Gold and Diamond Members, which was told during check out. Again, I think it should be highlighted as perk already during check in. .
A bit of an annoyance was the long waiting times for the lift. I am not sure, if this is always the case, as only three out of four lifts were in use during my stay and I had to wait five minutes to go downstairs one time.
The lounge is open from 06:00 to 23:00 and serves breakfast from 06:00 to 10:30 and hors d'oeuvres from 17:00 to 19:00 and cookies from 19:00 to 21:00. The interior of the lounge is not that bad, with two Flat TV, a small business corner with a PC and printer and a number of lounge chairs.
Beverage is available during the opening hours, however alcoholic beverages are available for purchase, while non-alcoholic beverages are offered complimentary. Breakfast in the morning consists of coffee and tea as well as orange and grapefruit juice, cereals, yoghurt, bagels, toast, omelette, sausages, bacon and hashed potatoes. Fresh fruit and fruit salad and muffins are also available. The selection is okay, though it would have been nice if they were a few more healthier options available (e.g. more fruit
and bigger selection of yoghurt or even muesli).
The food options in the evening consists of meat balls, grilled cold vegetables, bread and a small selection of cheese and olives. Nothing special, but not that bad for a US hotel. If one is not hungry, one can easily skip dinner in a restaurant. Wine as well as beer is available for purchase for around 4.50 USD for beer and wine starting with 8.00 USD for a glass of wine.
Check out was fast; an invoice was printed without problem, although the stay was prepaid. However, I was not addressed by name and also not asked if everything was okay. I have had better experiences so far.
Overall a nice hotel and the rate was low, therefore I was really surprised to get an upgrade on a midweek stay. The location close to the airport and to the highway are good. The gym and pool are small and not really a highlight of the hotel. A minus is also the attitude of staff, which could be a bit more friendlier. On the other hand free internet for elite members are an advantage – in so far the competition with the other nearby chains seems to work. But the question remains why one is not informed about
this during check in. I will probably stay there again, if I can get this or a slightly higher rate. In comparison to the nearby Crowne Plaza, the Hilton is equal with the better gym and pool in the Crowne Plaza and the better lounge in the Hilton.
