Oakland Airport Hilton

My most recent stay was the first one at this property for me in a number of years. I don't remember all the details of my last stay, but this one was pleasant enough. The group rate that I paid was $105 plus taxes and that seemed to be very reasonable considering that the hotel is a hop,skip and a jump from the airport.

The property itself is spread amongst several three stort buildings so it has less of a hotel feel in many ways. On the other hand, for those that aren't particularly mobile it can mean a fair walk to the lobby or the conference center.

There are three restaurants on the grounds, Amelia's cafe which is open for breakfast and lunch, Stanleys Bar & Grill a finer dining experience with entrees from $18-$25 and the Sports Edition Bar which is open every day. The food in Stanleys was quite good with a nice ambience while the sports bar was predictably noisy but the barbeque beef sandwich I had was very good and reasonably priced at $10.

If there is a downside to the property it is that there isn't a convenient place to eat within a short walking distance which limits your choices if you don't have a car. For the venturesome there is a Subway sandwich shop about 3 blocks away and a Wal-Mart, Panda Express and Starbucks some 4 blocks away. Walking to these stores will be great exercise as the blocks are quite long in my opinion.

With a Holiday Inn being built next door that should provide some resonable competition and maybe dining options as well which is good news for any traveler.

Hilton Ontario Airport

This property is conveniently located near the Ontario, California aiport. There is a free hotel shuttle available by either calling the hotel directly or using the phone in the baggage claim area.

The Hilton considers this a business property and strives to help guests get a good nights rest and remain productive. This was evident during my stay as they received a large number of prom goers late Saturday night and promptly evicted them when they became too noisy.

My room was one of the most spacious I have encountered recently an for the price ($95). On the oher hand the bathroom was very small. I could barely stand in front of the sink since the toilet was crammed in so tightly. I would have gladly taken less room space for more bathroom space.

I ate in the hotel restaurant and the foo was actually quite good. There is a breakfast and lunch buffet available which provides a decent value for those that have good appetite. If you want some variety, there are several restaurants within a 5-10 minute walk from the hotel.

For those seeking wi-fi service their is a daily charge of $10.99 a day which I think it a bit stiff and my experience with the service was bad enough to seek a refund. I was told there had recently been some adjustments t the service so maybe it was just a temporary network issue.

Overall my experience was a very pleasant one and I wlll definitely consider this property again ifthe price is right.