Doubletree Debuts in Downtown San Diego Hotel with $11 Million Hotel Transformation

Doubletree® Hotels (NYSE:HLT) welcomes a city center hotel addition in America’s Finest City with today’s debut of the Doubletree Hotel San Diego Downtown. Situated on a hillside in Little Italy that overlooks the downtown San Diego skyline with dazzling harbor and bayside views, this 333-room, 22-story full-service hotel is situated in the heart of one of the country’s most vibrant and successful downtown business, entertainment and shopping districts. The historic Gaslamp Quarter, Horton Plaza, Seaport Village, Petco® Park and the San Diego Convention Center all are within convenient walking distance, along with easy access to the famed San Diego Trolley that whisks visitors off to Old Town; Qualcomm® Stadium; Tijuana, Mexico and other local attractions. Formerly a Radisson® hotel, the team at this newest Doubletree addition is placing the finishing touches on an $11 million renovation project that has completely reinvigorated all aspects of the hotel including guest rooms, 10,000 square feet of meeting and event space, dining facilities and much more. The Doubletree Hotel San Diego Downtown is operated by Harbor View Hotel Ventures LLC, under a franchise license agreement with Doubletree Hotel Systems, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Hilton Hotels Corporation. The hotel is managed by San Diego-based American Property Management Corporation (APMC). "Given the enormous popularity of San Diego as a top destination among leisure and business travelers as well as convention-goers, we are extremely proud to introduce our fifth Doubletree hotel in the San Diego area,” said Dave Horton, senior vice president – brand management for Doubletree Hotels. "Our Doubletree hotel reach now provides travelers, meeting planners and local residents with a great portfolio of hotels, event facilities and locations to choose from in San Diego County. From Del Mar to Rancho Bernardo to Mission Valley and now downtown San Diego, this fantastic Doubletree addition demonstrates strategic ways we continue to grow our brand in major metropolitan areas across North America and around the world.” "APMC was formulated on the belief that truly caring for guests, elevating the guest experience and being genuinely appreciative of their loyalty is representative of genuine quality service. The core hospitality values of the Doubletree brand and the Hilton Family of Hotels reinforce the philosophy we have engendered,” said Michael Gallegos, president and CEO, APMC. "Our entire hotel team is proud to welcome the world to America’s Finest City with our $11 million reinvestment in downtown San Diego to create a contemporary, comfortable and upscale downtown hotel offering.” Guests enter the Doubletree Hotel San Diego Downtown with an inviting and soothing ocean-inspired sensory experience that features an intricate cascading design of water and glass that envelopes the unique style of check-in pods. Breaking the barrier of the traditional front desk, guests are not only greeted with a personalized welcome they also receive the warm and delicious welcome of the legendary Doubletree chocolate chip cookie. Most of the spacious guest rooms and suites at the Doubletree Hotel San Diego Downtown feature private balconies that open up to the heart and soul of downtown San Diego, while all guest rooms have been significantly updated with a contemporary design scheme of warm beach tones and textures that create an environment of tranquil comfort with modern elegance. Contemporary, residential-style furnishings include large, flat-screen televisions; Wolfgang Puck® in-room gourmet coffee service and the brand’s signature Sweet Dreams® by Doubletree Sleep Experience. Spacious guest bathrooms have been redesigned to include Neutrogena® bath and body products; upgraded lighting; new vanities, fixtures and granite counters; framed mirrors and a curved shower rod that allows for 20% more space in the shower. Business travelers enjoy large workspaces with outlets at desk height; ergonomic desk chairs; complimentary, wireless high-speed internet access; and virtual in-room printing services in every guestroom. A 24-hour, self-service business center also is convenient for those last-minute office needs. A complimentary hotel shuttle is available for transportation to San Diego International Airport. The well-appointed meeting and event space at the Doubletree Hotel San Diego Downtown -- the largest function space of which is the 3,600-square-foot Seaport Ballroom -- can nicely accommodate small to medium-sized gatherings for executive training seminars, banquets, social occasions and receptions for up to 250 guests. To unwind at the beginning or end of a long day, guests may enjoy an outdoor heated swimming pool and whirlpool, and dry sauna. The Doubletree Hotel San Diego Downtown also provides business and leisure travelers with a fitness facility which includes an extensive array of cardio and weight training equipment. Ariana offers exquisite and fresh California cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as a relaxed atmosphere for a favorite evening beverage. In-room dining also is available during peak hours. Members of the Hilton HHonors® guest reward program may earn Points & Miles® for every qualifying stay at the Doubletree Hotel San Diego Downtown. Hilton HHonors is the only hotel program that allows any of its members to reap Double Dip® earnings by simultaneously accumulating both airline miles and hotel points with each qualifying stay at more than 2,900 hotels worldwide. "Our major hotel makeover truly re-establishes the Doubletree Hotel San Diego Downtown as one of the finest upscale hotel offerings in the city of San Diego,” said Larry Saward, hotel general manager. "Whether your next visit to downtown San Diego is for business or leisure, our team members welcome residents and travelers from around the world, to experience the Doubletree difference with an industry-leading guest reward program, the welcome of our legendary chocolate chip cookie and a refreshing new hotel environment.” Just 15 minutes from Sea World®, the world-famous San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park and some of Southern California’s best beaches, the Doubletree Hotel San Diego Downtown is the natural place to stay. Located at one of the main entrances from Interstate 5 to downtown San Diego, the Doubletree is located at the intersection of Front and Cedar Streets at 1646 Front Street, San Diego, California, 92101. For more information on the Doubletree Hotel San Diego Downtown, visit the hotel’s website at sandiegodowntown.doubletree.com, call l-800-222-TREE in the U.S. and Canada or contact the hotel directly at 619-238-6800. About American Property Management Corporation (APMC) Founded in 1990, San Diego-based American Property Management Corporation focuses on purchasing nonperforming and underperforming hotels and transforming them into successful properties through state-of-the-art financial systems, innovative food and beverage concepts, preventative maintenance, human resources support and creative sales and marketing. The company's 39 hotels and resorts are located from coast to coast with 9,513 rooms, 5,000 employees, generating more than $300 million in annual revenues. The company’s hotel network includes independent and brand-name full-service hotels, boutique properties and resorts. APMC was ranked 10th of the Top 100 Independent, Third-Party Management Companies in the March 2004 issue of Hotel & Motel Magazine, and the 17th-largest hotel owner in the United States according to Hotel Business magazine rankings. In the July 2003 issue of National Real Estate Investor magazine, APMC was ranked 10th of the Top 25 Hotel Owners. About Doubletree Hotels With a growing collection of contemporary, upscale accommodations in more than 180 gateway cities, metropolitan areas and vacation destinations throughout the U.S., Canada and Latin America and an aggressive hotel development campaign around the world, Doubletree Hotels, Guest Suites and Resorts are distinctively designed properties that provide true comfort to today’s business and leisure travelers. From the millions of delighted hotel guests who are welcomed with the brand’s legendary, warm chocolate chip cookies at check-in to the advantages of the award-winning Hilton HHonors® guest reward program, each Doubletree guest receives a satisfying stay wherever their travels take them. To make reservations at any Doubletree hotel, travelers may visit our website at www.doubletree.com, contact their preferred travel professional or call 1-800-222-TREE in the U.S. and Canada. Hilton HHonors membership, earning of Points & Miles® and redemption of points are subject to HHonors Terms and Conditions. Mayor Pete Wilson declared San Diego "America's Finest City" in 1973.