This hotel suited a recent stay near where the old airport was once located outside of Pittsburgh. Shuttle service is available for airport pickup. The driver took me to a nearby Walmart for groceries (there’s a microwave and a refrigerator in each room).
Hampton Inn in Moon Township
It’s a simple hotel. It isn’t fancy and it’s accordingly priced. With coffee and chocolate chip cookies near the front desk and free wifi and hot breakfast (frittata, pork sausage, cereal, hot oatmeal with raisins, brown sugar and almonds, waffles and fresh fruit) every morning, the clean room (with built-in hairdryer) and welcoming staff added value. The knowledgeable staff happily accommodated my requests, providing me with details about a bus route into downtown, where I had a meeting with my editor at the William Penn Hotel.
Beyond amenities, service and accommodations, I think convenience — being located in Moon Township near the airport and several restaurants, such as a Primanti Brothers, a Walmart for just about everything you need — and the setting made for a fine visit. Built on an angle just off University Boulevard, this Hampton Inn offers a warm respite amid the sound of singing crickets.
The Hilton Cleveland Downtown offers perfect hospitality. During a recent conference visit, my first to the friendly, Forest City known as Cleveland, Ohio, I stayed at the host hotel for OCON Cleveland.
First impressions aren’t everything but they matter. Upon check-in, this Hilton rewards member received a complimentary upgrade (after a polite attempt to upsell) to a room with a view of both the lakefront and the city’s downtown. My requests, including a walking map of downtown Cleveland, were promptly accommodated.
Hilton Cleveland Downtown
From the front desk and housekeeping to catering, dining and other staff, including the bellboys, every Hilton Cleveland Downtown employee takes pride in the work. This includes the hotel’s union representative, Aaron, whom I ran into while taking a rest during one of my downtown walks. The union rep was professional and solicitous, offering tourist information and helping me find my way around town.
This is possibly the best Hilton I’ve stayed at, with the exception of the Boulders in Arizona, though I don’t know if that’s a Hilton anymore. Besides outstanding accommodations, with good amenities, Tenillya the waitress, Steve the bartender and bosses Keith and Daryl at The Burnham Restaurant, named after the Cleveland architect, made my delicious daily meals, happy hours and mixers better. With a glaring exception, an officious woman issuing contradictory rules with her hair in a tight bun, my experience at the Burnham was exemplary.
The 5pm to 7pm happy hour follows a 3pm to 5pm happy hour at the nearby Eliot’s Bar around the bend — this, too, is named after an individual, coincidentally to the purpose of my Cleveland visit, a man with an Ayn Rand connection, Clevelander Eliot Ness (portrayed by Robert Stack in TV’s Untouchables, which Miss Rand enjoyed) — where I met a couple of Objectivist intellectuals for a glass of wine on my first day.
Happy Hour continues at Bar 32, where Nicki served while I enjoyed good conversation until 9pm. For daylight touring, sightseeing and roaming, I sought Kevin’s counsel at the front desk. He provided me with a history — he explained that the hotel opened for business on the eve of the GOP National Convention in 2016 and that both presidents Obama and Trump stayed here — and good humor, too.
In fact, Hilton Cleveland Downtown provides consistently pleasing, competent and quality service, accommodations and experience all around.
A short weekend stay at the Parc 55 San Francisco, a Hilton hotel, was pleasant. Located near Union Square, the high-rise hotel afforded a terrific view (pictured here) of the skyline, convenience to public transportation, landmarks and conference venues, such as Moscone Center, and overall access to the city by the bay.
Check-in and checkout were a breeze. The room is nicely appointed, with Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf coffee brews and tea and a two-cup machine, comfortable bed and decent bathroom, outlets and seating. It’s not the fanciest and the desk space is tight once the ice bucket and coffee trays are factored, though these can always be moved to make room for serious workspace. A mini-refigerator was a welcome addition but may not be available in every room. I was upgraded upon check-in when reserved room specifications weren’t available. The usual amenities were on hand.
The downside to almost any San Francisco hotel stay including Parc 55 San Franciscois the parking, which is valet parking for $76 per night (no self-parking available). This price is high, though standard for Hilton’s and other downtown or adjacent hotels, and the city’s 14 percent tax is part of the cause. Some area hotels offer self-parking — the Grand Hyatt at Union Square, a fine hotel where I’ve also stayed, offers “assisted” self-parking for $39 per night — and many do not, and the Westin St. Francis estimates that downtown’s average overnight Union Square garage self-parking fee is $32.
The lobby-level restaurant offers handy self-serve, buffet or service options for breakfast and a view of the surrounding bustle on the streets. Of course, what’s convenient for guests also makes the location prone to the city’s notoriously aggressive homeless population, so it’s a good idea to hold kids and valuables close and stay alert. San Francisco Police were heavily on patrol during my visit.
San Francisco is a great walking city, Union Square is delightful and I’ve always enjoyed my visits. The Parc 55 San Francisco makes working, networking and dining with friends, colleagues and locals easy and convenient. I did want to see the statue at the public park in Union Square, which was closed to the public to accommodate broadcast coverage of a Chinese New Year parade, and there’s construction in and around the Union Square/financial district area. I didn’t have spare time to explore, but there were some interesting city history-themed exterior reliefs by the valet parking (I’ll try to post pictures on social media) and, oddly, an Alcatraz-themed exhibit making the rounds dominates the lobby, complete with a jail cell, gigantic photos of prisoners and a gun on display. Like the Fairmont Pittsburgh, which I recently reviewed, the hotel’s atmosphere and staff demeanor is relaxed, professional and businesslike. Despite downsides, it’s still a lovely little city on the bay. Staying at Parc 55 San Francisco worked out fine.
Author’s Note
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