Residence Inn makes itself at home in downtown Sacramento
Extended-stay chain's site near Capitol Park is its fourth urban hotel
The Residence Inn by Marriott in downtown Sacramento will join 496 others around the world in its chain, but it also will join a much more select group of peers -- it will be only the fourth Residence Inn in the heart of a city.
The urban extended-stay inns are tall buildings built in downtowns. They have higher room rates than their two- and three-story suburban counterparts.
Marriott International Inc. invented the concept of "extended stay" hotels in the 1970s by adding a fully stocked kitchenette to a hotel room to create a home-away-from-home -- usually out in the suburbs.
So far, there are only three of the urban Residences -- in Denver; Austin, Texas; and in New York City's Manhattan.
The fourth will be the 240-room Residence Inn at 15th and L streets, across from Capitol Park, set to open in early June. It had been scheduled to open this month, but completion has been delayed by some irksome little items, including couches that turned out to be too big to get into the rooms without taking their legs off and removing each room's door.
The rooms are finished to a standard exceeding Marriott's requirements. There are marble kitchen counters and window sills. Each of the two-bedroom suites contain three flat-screen televisions -- one for each bedroom and the living room.
There are 24 two bedroom suites, 10 of them corner rooms overlooking the Capitol. Those rooms will have a premium weekday rate of $299, about $30 more than those without the Capitol view.
"We're still working on setting our rates," said Tess Dubois-Carey, general manager of the hotel. Interest and demand so far has been very strong, she said.
Studio rooms, which include a kitchenette, living area, couch and sleeping area, will fetch around $190 a night on weekdays. One-bedroom suites would be priced between $200 and $300 a night.
Suburban Residence Inns such as those in South Natomas, Rancho Cordova, Roseville and on Howe Avenue get around $210 on weekdays for two-room suites and $170 for singles.
The addition of the new hotel downtown is a benefit to the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau because it can set aside room blocks for future conventions, bureau president Steve Hammond said.
"It's going to be a nice addition to downtown," said Gunter Stannius, general manager of the Sheraton Grand Sacramento Hotel. But he is always concerned about room supply, demand and rate.
"If the demand is there, they will get the rate," Stannius said. "If not, then they have to start lowering rates, and everyone has to watch that."
One of the perks of Residence Inns is complimentary breakfast. The downtown inn is adding an urban touch with a winemaker's forum some afternoons.
Thirty condominiums occupy the three top floors of the hotel. They'll have a separate ground-floor entrance and elevator; guests won't have direct access to the condo units through the lobby elevators.
(Those corner units have awesome views.)
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Well I dont have as much of a problem with Cal Pizza Kitchen in general as I do the idea of it being the tenant. I agree with everyone that CPK can certainly drive some traffic with its reasonable pricing for all types of customers. My only issue is that the building can be a really special place given its architecture and location but I think it cant reach its full potential as a CPK. I would much rather see the CPK go in next door at the Marriot or 800 J lofts. There is certainly room for all types of eateries downtown but I cant help but feel a little cheated when a great spot is leased by only an average chain restaurant. I guess you have to take what you can get and hope for the best...
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