After a three-month delay, the only Embassy Suites in the San Fernando Valley opened for business in downtown Glendale Nov. 25. Now that it has launched the holdup was due to ongoing construction the 272-suite hotel has created 120 jobs in Glendale and has its sights set on garnering business from studio executives, leisure travelers and the various corporations headquartered in the Jewel City. “We’ve been lucky enough to be able to negotiate quite a few corporate rates already,” said Yolanda Bender, director of sales and marketing at the hotel. Rounding out the executive team, which was completed in October, is Grace Tanji, general manager; Mike Domingo, assistant general manager; and Omar Corletto, director of food and beverage. Bender believes that the hotel will be able to compete in the marketplace by being “reasonable but upscale,” as she puts it. “In these economic times, we’re upscale, but we’re not $500 a night. I think we fill a need really well.” Standard rates at the hotel are $279 for weekdays and $199 for weekends. However, corporate rates are discounted based on the number of room nights expected to be booked in a given year, Bender explained. The hotel is also in the process of designing weekend packages for locals with limited cash flow. “I think in this kind of economy maybe you can’t afford to fly somewhere, but you can come to our hotel,” Bender said. “You can do our romance package. It offers an alternative.” In addition to its rates, the executive team is betting that the hotel’s features, such as its two-room suites, fitness center and cuisine, not to mention the Embassy Suites brand name, draws visitors to the hotel. “We have a beautiful property. We have great service,” Bender said. “Our food is just delicious. I think, that said, as a package, as a central location, I don’t want to say it sells itself because obviously it doesn’t, but it makes our job a lot easier as salespeople.” The Embassy Suites Glendale is 12-stories, complete with a waterfall, granite-boulder and flagstone pond. The two-room suites at the hotel feature separate living areas with sofa beds and desks, private bedrooms and baths, two televisions and more. Also available are special opera suites with high ceilings, a private bedroom, living room and parlor surrounded by floor to-ceiling windows. Moreover, the property contains 10,000 square feet of meeting space with onsite catering, an outdoor pool and whirlpool as well as in-house restaurant Bistro 800, which is equipped with a full-service bar. Also of note is a 24-hour valet and helipad available for guests with special approval. While the Glendale site is the first Embassy Suites in the Valley, it is the sixth such hotel in the greater Los Angeles area and the 196th Embassy Suites Hotel in the brand’s portfolio. Arcadia-based Kam Sang Company Inc. owns and manages the hotel. The company owns Marriott and Sheraton properties as well. Jim Holthouser, senior vice president of brand management for Embassy Suites Hotels, discussed the significance of the Glendale site opening. “We are excited to expand upon our presence in the Los Angeles area, as well as add a new development partner in Kam Sang Company,” he stated. “Offering such a strong value proposition to business and leisure travelers helps Embassy Suites to thrive in the current economic climate, and we are happy to bring that value to Glendale.”
