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Embassy Suites Hotel
Rating Details »
250 Gateway Blvd
South San Francisco, CA 94080
(650) 589-3400
South San Francisco, CA 94080
(650) 589-3400
- Price Range:
-
$$
19 reviews for Embassy Suites Hotel
Came here for a conference stay..tagged along some friends to make the stay worthwhile.. I must admit I overexpected a little bit. With my Hilton experiences I must say naaah. I stick with the Hilton family of hotels and see that there's some inconsistencies like this. Double tree is way even better (for this one though.). Spell congestion,, the halls, the setting,, everything so close. The pool and jacuzzi (or was it one?) ,,,so minimal. the frontal architecture of the hotel being "square" was awesome. anything other than that,,thumbs down. And what happened to the breakfast buffet??
I was really expecting a four-star, but my senses sometimes deceive me. Good thing this experience had a bunch of cherries on top: keep handy friends available,, so the magic keeps rollin.
Unfortunately, I had the displeasure of staying here for two weeks on business. I travel extensively, and was forewarned to stay at the Burlingame location a few miles away, but I did not have a choice this time as I was traveling on the company dime.
I will spare you all of the details but their security is lax. My laptop was stolen from a conference room hat was supposed to have been locked by staff as had been requested. A thief entered through the unlocked back door walked into the conference room and a minute later left with my laptop and one other.
I realize thefts happens in and around big cities but it was what happened after the theft that really has me steamed. As soon as I reported the theft it appeared that the hotel when into damage and liability control mode. Even after realizing that their employees failed to secure the room they acted as if it were my fault the computer was stolen. Additionally, they did not want to cooperate with the police and provide a video of the suspect entering and leaving.
I expected to hear from management quickly, and after waiting through the weekend I was still waiting. Finally, I wrote a letter to the General Manager, Rudy Ortiz, and expressed my dismay at not having heard from them but he did not even have the courtesy to respond. As I write this review I have yet to hear from them.
I don't want this to sound like a gripe session so I will also relate some of the other issues outside of lax security and indifference to customers that I experienced.
The other items on my mind are rather more mundane but again speak to my overall experience while staying here. The first is simply what I think is laziness on the part of a worker, and possibly a supervisor. The cleaning done in my room was absolutely below par simple things, like the tub were not cleaned, the floor was not vacuumed, water rings on surfaces were not wiped. I also noticed a rather bad odor in my room. I did report this and an air freshener was placed in the bedroom near the vent, although the odor never did go away and my key card needed to be re-magnetized repeatedly. The dryer did not dry, unless you doubled the time and the price.
When you put it all together I think you have a top down attitude of indifference and poor management. I addressed all of the concerns above with the management but they did not respond. Now I realize why all of the Japanese businessmen request any Embassy Suites but this one when visiting the area.
Don't go there. Stay someplace else!
Best sunday brunch. 25$ person , all you can eat and all the champagne you can drink. They have at least 30 different dishes and a gorgeous dessert tray !
What a waste of time. I made a reservation and told them I would need early check-in, and the front desk person said that would not be a problem but that I needed to call back around noon the day of, and when I did, another employee told me early check-in was not possible, at which point she began to argue.
We will be disputing this charge when we receive our bill, and I will take this craptacular hotel to small claims court if I have to.
Really rude staff!
Regrettably the nearest hotel to my office. Had to stay here when I interviewed. Rubbish. Rubbish breakfast, rubbish bar, 1970s rooms. Never stay here. It's not even cheap.
Road trip across America on a budget with a carload of adults who like to drink? This hotel chain is a good value for that.
Some Calgarian friends of mine are in town and we picked them up here last night to take them out for a proper night of drinking. Um. Well first off the room was huge. Second, it was 9pm and they were already half in the bag after having participated in the "evening social." Geez. I wish there were free drinks at all hotels. Third, we needed a couple taxis because there were way too many people to fit in a car and we just called the front desk and they sorted us out in about 3 minutes.
I knew of this hotel chain but never set foot in one until last night and honestly I'm surprised by the other reviews. It's not the Ritz but its fine and the price is right. I'd stay here.
Older hotel that has been updated nicely. Warm, inviting woods and colors, only a small refrigerator in rooms, no longer have microwave ovens.
Atrium area is lush, peaceful and relaxing to enjoy drinks or dining. Downside is, the hotels (or corporate) energy saving plan that is not conducive to a nice nights stay.
My room was cold, could not get the heat to come on. Called Maintenance, he said they have a policy statement at the front desk explaining you turn the heat on to 64*, and the heat "goes on".
Regardless if you want the room warmer, you WON'T get the heat above 67*. I had to sleep in multiple layers of clothing and add a blanket to the bed. Not an enjoyable stay for me.
Resorted to hanging the blow-dryer on the bathroom door hook & aiming it into the bedroom for heat. ..... Pathetic.
Cannot get hot water either. Took two showers during my stay, ran the water for 8 mins. waiting for hot water. Never came. Three sink faucets in the rooms as well, no hot water either. Tepid warm water at best at various times of the day or night.
Receiving breakfast is mandated by your breakfast voucher, there is a man guarding the entry of the eating area. You must have a voucher for each & every guest, provide your room number & name. He cross-checks your name/room# against his clipboard, which is a bit disconcerting to me. Not a buffet style anymore either, only one hot meal per person so you must choose between eggs or pancakes & you must give your voucher to the line staff; one size portions only and no second helpings. You can get all the cereal, toast & muffins you can eat.
Hotel that charges higher prices, then "controls" how energy is consumed by guests.
Was here for business so my company paid. I would never pay to stay at this hotel.
I'm not necessarily cheap when it comes to hotels, but Embassy Suites offers a number of deals.
When my family goes on long vacations we always stay here and take their shuttle over to SFO. The rooms are huge so we can fit at least 6 people in. They also have complimentary drinks & snacks at happy hour and a made to order breakfast (also free).
The best deal with this E.S. may be that if you stay here, your car can also stay during your trip (no paying for long-term parking).
Sometimes you just feel like getting out of SF and sleeping in a different room for a change. And if you've been to one Embassy Suites, you've been to them all and know what to expect--lots of space, high/comfy beds, clean rooms and bathrooms, and ample parking.
Here are the cons of this one: the fish bowl (or box) architecture, where all of the floors are basically square perimeters that frame the ground level so you can hear the noise from the happy hour downstairs in your living area (but not the bedroom), and it might take a while to walk to your room.
Unlike other airport hotels that are full of flight attendants, businessmen and pilots, this one is full of tourists, with their kids, greasy long hair, and janky feet in sandals.
No DVD player or game system! What the heck.
Here are the pros of this one: Complimentary breakfast with a made to order omelette, sausage, hashbrowns, etc (not great food, but hey it's free and filling); and a complimentary happy hour.
Room service is fast (everything is pre-made in the kitchen), and the business center has free printing.
Also, if you're a gov't worker or AAA member, you can get a discounted rate.
I don't recommend this for a little getaway, but definitely for a study or work marathon.
Like kids? Only when you can shut them up with medication or a stark kick in the butt. Okay, a bit exaggerated. Embassy Suites generally attract families, and families usually mean kids. While I don't mind kids, people should keep their children well behaved. Like a lot of embassy suites, there is a large open area in the middle of the hotel. Get a few screaming kids in the middle, and you have an effective sound chamber of squeels. Stay far enough away from the door and you don't really notice it, but I don't feel like I should have to retreat to the corners of my room to enjoy a peaceful stay.
The greatest part of the stay is probably the freebies. Free breakfast with made-to-order omlet station, juices, fruits, cereals. Free happy hour with cocktails and chips (chips, pretzels, crackers, whatever).
Last IMPORTANT note. If you're thinking about internet, go to a starbuck's. I couldn't connect using wireless (or wired, in some rooms). It's like they have a single wireless router in the basement. I got enough connectivity to pay for a connection, then it dropped me. Happened EVERY time I stayed here (4 or 5 times).
OMG, the staff at this hotel are jerks. The chamber maid came by four times before check out to rush us out of the room so she could clean it. I think this is a general hotel policy for them.
The pool water has so much chlorine in it, it made us sick. The breakfast is sparse since Hilton took it and gave you the third degree when you go order breakfast. And who the hell screws up scramble eggs? Well who ever is cooking this food did, it was chewy and cold.
I've stayed at many ahotels, and this was by far the worst experience ever. The second was a Hilton hotel in LA area. What's up the this hotel chain?
Overall, our stay was great! From the beginning, I could tell that we were going to have a pleasant stay at this hotel. I walked right up to the wonderful staff member at the reservation desk and within less than 5 minutes, we were on our way up to our suite.
Our room was on the 3rd floor and was extremely welcoming. The beds were beautiful unlike other hotels we have stayed at before. Perhaps they have renovated this room? Don't know but I was more than satisified.
The hotel offered an indoor pool and jacuzzi, happy hour from 5:30 to 7:30 pm and a free all you can eat breakfast buffett in the morning. I mean -- What more can you ask for?
I'm not going into detail about the features of this hotel as it's pretty consistent with other Embassy Suites. It has in fact seemed to have been renovated since the last time I've stayed there which was about five-years prior to my stay a few days ago.
Here's the BUT...
ALL the staff members I have encountered during my stay were extremely rude. They have like this, "can NOT" attitude about them. What's wierd was that I remembered that the staff wasn't as nice when I was there five-years ago but figured, that was a fluke...I guess not!
When I checked in, I was waiting at the side of the front desk upon entrance of the hotel. The desk agent, Jolaina, raised her hand to signal me to go to the other side, okay, whatever. When I get there, no, "Good evening," "Welcome," or even a simple, "Hi." She seemed like she was having a very bad day, she wasn't friendly (to me at least) and had that demeanor of, "I gotta check in this punk-ass kid who's probably going to trash the room" attitude. She was friendly when one of her co-worker's was leaving and made sure to say, "bye" to them, with a smile! Anyhow, I handed her my credit card and ID and was ready to go...I know the rules. I remember everything she told me, thereafter, "You're on the 3rd floor." and that was it! I've stayed at other ES before and she didn't even direct me what side of the floor my room was in, didn't confirm my room type, didn't explain about their breakfast hours, didn't explain about the evening social, etc. Talk about your first impression.....BITCH!
THEN...the next day, I had to be at work early so, I didn't have time to eat a full breakfast so I just went and grabbed a cup of coffee. The breakfast attendant (didn't catch her name) well, I guess I was in her way. I was getting a cup she cut right in front of me to fill her cup first. Whatever...again. So I finally fill my cup and move over to where the cream and sugar was, where she was standing. While I'm creaming and sugaring my coffee, she reaches right in front of me to grab her cream and sugar. Not even an, "excuse me." When she walks away she knocks into me and spills a little bit of her coffee and looks at me like it's my fault. This was at 6:05am, breakfast doesn't start til 6am, the bitch was already on her coffee break and acting like it was the end of her shift.
Later that day, around 2pm, I remembered I left the do not disturb sign out and so I knew they housekeeper wouldn't clean my room. So, I called the hotel and the operator, Marie answered and told her the situation. She said she would call housekeeping and take care of it. Cool, I figured one person at that hotel is doing their job. I get a call a few minutes later on my cell phone and it was Marie. She was telling me that it was against hotel policy for the staff to enter the room with the DND sign out. I didn't really need new sheets and had enough towels to last me the next night, but now it's just the principle of the matter. So, I told her, "Eventhough I am the ONLY registered guest and I'm talking to you live this minute and that there should be NO ONE else in the room, the housekeeper still can't enter?" She reiterated that it's against hotel policy. So I told her, "So, I need to find someone to take that little DND sign off the door and then they'll clean the room?" She said, "Yes...oh and, it has to be done before 4:00pm because that's when the housekeepers go home."
Recollecting my thoughts about this hotel just makes me tired of ranting. I hate all this negativity especially about the ES...it's my favorite hotel brand. But this one in particular just needs to get their act together.
BOTTOM LINE: DON'T STAY AT THIS HOTEL!!!!!!!!! I have a feeling that this is a franchised hotel which means, they just have to get by with the bare minimum standards. Which can explain why their staff has this unhappy attitude; the franchisee could be screwing them with their poor business practices and benefits.
If you're looking to stay at an Embassy Suites, stay at the ES in Burlingame, it is by far, so much far superior than this place. Their staff is friendly, rooms are nice and have a better food/restaurant selection.
I just stayed at this hotel because Burlingame was booked and SSF was wide open...hmm, I wonder why?
This is a great alternative to staying downtown. I was traveling with a friend, so sharing a suite meant we could hang out together, but still have some privacy for sleeping. I slept on the bed, which was very comfortable, and he had the sofa-bed (not so comfortable).
All the suites have been recently refurbished, apparently, and ours looked great. Everything was clean and well maintained, with the standard amenities (soap, lotion, shampoo, conditioner), and lots of fluffy towels. The water pressure was fantastic, making for a great shower. The living area had a nice desk and modern office chair, sofa-sleeper, and comfortable arm chair. There were two TV's - one in the living area and one in the bedroom, with HBO and the usual cable line-up.
Check-in was fast and courteous. I had booked through Priceline (and no mention was made of that by the desk clerk). Although we arrived late on a Saturday night, we found a parking space in the lot. There was a complementary full breakfast, with omelets made to order, which was very tasty. My friend (an early riser) said there was a long line for the omelets early in the morning, but by the time I dragged my behind downstairs (10 am) there were just a few diners left and plenty of tables open in the atrium. I asked for a safety pin at the front desk, and was given one in a little sewing kit, which was nice. Both the front desk and buffet staff were uniformly friendly and helpful, and check-out was simple.
There were a few minor inconveniences. No ethernet cable in the room for internet, and the front desk didn't answer when I called to ask for one - although it was after midnight, and we should have been asleep anyway. Having done my research using the Bidding-For-Travel website, I paid about half the rack rate, but would have been happy paying the full rate (which is about half what the downtown hotels are going for). Overall, a great experience. I'd definitely stay here again.
One tip: if you're driving, don't use MapQuest directions to the hotel. Use the directions posted on the hotel website. You'd be amazed at how badly one can get lost at night in SSF.
I've been to this Embassy Suites for a wedding reception, kid's birthday party (in a hotel room), and most recently, to hang out with a friend who was in town on business. I've noticed a few things...the chlorine stench wafting up through the entire hotel is a little much, the extremely slow elevators, and the somewhat not-too-helpful hotel staff...however, they do have free breakfast, a pretty decent bar and room service, and free parking. FREE. It's my favorite word, really. The rooms are also quite large and they have wireless internet access ($9.95 a day), and you can fit a decent amount of people in the room for a party (in case you're into that sort of thing).
I did not actually stay here, but I visited four days in a row, and stayed for about 5-6 hours each time. We were either in the pool area, room, or the lobby/atrium thing. It seemed clean. There were always tables and chairs available, even for a big group like us. They werent snobby by asking us to be quiet or something. But one thing, they dont play Sharks hockey games. One star down just for that. Come on man, you cant get Sharks hockey? Thats ridiculous. Anyways. The atrium lobby is cool. Tvs and a full bar. Lots of tables. The bar however is, weird. VERY expensive. I was pissed off but didnt say anything. I ordered, and very specifically, CHEAP rum. I said "Whats your cheapest rum?" (I'm broke).So I ordered a double of "CHEAP" rum. Guess how much, guess...........14 dolllars!!!!! WTF? I can buy a bottle of rum for that. Whatever. Plus I see what people mean about the service, have some coffee people. Maybe because I look in my twenties, she treats me like crap because she is in her 50s working a bar at a hotel. I've seen that before, believe me. I kind of feel bad, but I highly doubt it was not of her doing. Just fake it atleast. No one wants to work. But otherwise, everything else was cool. Oh and you can park in the parking lot till midnight, thats when the tow truck comes around and gets people who park overnight and then go to the airport for a trip or whatever. There is also street parking on the side.
We spent the night at this hotel last night... we stayed here b/c I didnt feel like waking up @5am just to take my husband and my brother to SFO to catch their flight to British Columbia. So for my own convenience and for a secondary gain of getting a little bit of R&R..I volunteered to pay for the night's stay. They have suggested to take the airport shuttle,etc.. but my suggestion sounded better of course. I like the fact that we have the room on their penthouse (the highest floor) and my kids got a kick of looking down checking people and the view outside. And of course their complimentary breakfast...Service is great...
Good service, in-hotel restaraunt is pretty good. Heated pool. Didnt kick us (20 rowdy teenagers) out after coming to talk to us about the noise complaint. They use to have a really good kids birthday party deal-it was like 99 bucks for a pizza, a VCR/DVD to watch movies on(usually extra) and the room. Not sure if they still have that though...
its a nice hotel. i work at a hilton branch property so i get employee discounts. anyways i came here for valentines day 2008 with my bf. we're both under 21 at the time, and yes i do know the policy of checking guests under 21 is prohibited. however, i am an employee of a hilton branch like i said, and under the the hilton member program, it did NOT say that under 21 is prohibited. soooo the lady at the front desk told me i couldnt check in and that they just started to become more strict about checking guests in under 21. i called my manager and he spoke with her and she still insisted that we couldnt check in. i mean, we have dinner reservations and i never had this problem before so it was really inconvenient for us to just sit there and wait. i understood though that we had to, and finally the front desk manager/supervisor was helpful enough to assist us. he was very accomodating and we were HAPPY. i just didnt like how the lady talked to me. so minus 2 stars for that. i only wanted to have a great first valentines day with my bf, but that had to happen!
