Embassy Suites by Hilton Arcadia Pasadena Area Review

Booking & Stay Details

I booked my stay about four hours before arrival at the hotel. I was looking again for a hotel near our office in the Los Angeles area. I stayed before in the area at other properties including the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Monrovia and the Courtyard by Marriott Los Angeles Pasadena/Monrovia. I knew there was no Hyatt close enough so I was initially looking for a Marriott so I could requalify for Ambassador status. Then I remembered that I had two offers to stay at an Embassy Suite by Hilton property and get up to $65 back. I checked and there was an Embassy Suite hotel in the area. It was reasonably priced at just under $180/night.

Location

The Embassy Suites by Hilton Arcadia Pasadena Area is located along Route 66 in Arcadia. There are a bunch of other hotels in the area as well as a bunch of restaurants within walking distance. Most of you will be happy that there is a Starbucks across the street from the hotel as well. Arcadia station of the LA Metro Gold Line is just a block away and helps you to get in and out of Los Angeles without traffic.

Parking

There are plenty of parking spaces all around the building. Parking is complimentary at the hotel. What surprised me the most is that the hotel doesn’t have any Diamond Member dedicated parking spaces. I really like that benefit of Hilton and I only have seen Hilton do that in a broad spectrum across a lot of hotels. On the other hand, there are a lot of handicapped parking spots. 

Shuttle Service

The hotel has a shuttle service, but it doesn’t go to any of the airports in the area. You can request a shuttle to go places within a 6-mile radius of the hotel. It is on request only and you have to make a “reservation” a day in advance. 

Check-In

Check-in took actually quite a bit. There was a large line at the front desk and two agents were working at the front desk. The line moved pretty swiftly. Once it was my turn, it was a very quick process. Credit card and ID check and I got handed my room keys. There are four elevators in the atrium of the hotel. Two on either side of the building.

Check-In: 4 p.m.
Check-Out: 11 a.m.

2 Room Suite – 1 King Bed (Room 519)

You enter the room and will stand in the living room area of the suite. It comes with a sofa bed and a sofa chair. In the corner between the two is a small desk with a lamp. Opposite the sofa is a dresser with a TV on top of it. In the other corner is a work desk with two regular chairs and an office chair.

Behind that is a small kitchenette. It comes with a kitchen sink, coffee machine, and a medium-sized refrigerator. Inside the closet in the kitchen is a microwave and a safe.

In the entryway between the living room and bedroom is the entrance to the bathroom. The bathroom is small but still spacious enough to not feel cramped. Inside is a vanity with a small sink and a wall-mounted mirror as well as the toilet and a bathtub/shower combo unit. soap dispensers are mounted on the wall inside the shower.

The bedroom features a king-sized bed. On either side of the bed is a nightstand with a lamp. Opposite the bed is a dresser with another TV and a powder desk. Inside the bedroom is also a wall closet that holds an iron and ironing board.

The bedroom has a super tiny balcony. You can barely stand on it, but hey it’s a balcony that is actually real and not just a design accessory. The views aren’t that great either. You look at the neighboring hotel and its parking lot.

Public Areas & Amenities

Lobby & Atrium

The lobby area near the front desk features a bunch of seating options with cozy seats and TVs. There are more seating options throughout the atrium with cozy seats and also some with TVs. 

Business Center

The business center is located in the atrium near the front desk. It consists of two workstations and a printer. 

Fitness Center

The fitness center is located on the second floor above the indoor pool area. It’s a smaller fitness center with a core selection of workout equipment. The fitness center overlooks the pool below.

Hours:
24 hours daily

Pool

This hotel has an indoor pool area. Inside the pool area, you find a heated pool and a whirlpool besides a few chaise pool loungers.

Hours:
6:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. daily

Guest Laundry

The guest laundry facility is located on the third floor near the pool area. You need your room key to enter it and it comes with two washers and two dryers. One washer was already out of order. You can use the PayRange app to pay for the washer and dryer. Laundry detergent is available for purchase at the front desk. The Embassy Suites by Hilton Arcadia Pasadena Area also offers a dry-cleaning service. There should be a bag and paper form in the closet next to the bed. 

Housekeeping

The hotel offers regular housekeeping service which you opt-in automatically. You can put the DND sign on your door to let housekeeping know you don’t need any service for the day.

Dining

Breakfast

The hotel serves a decent breakfast buffet in the lobby. The breakfast dining section is closed off throughout the rest of the day. They serve a decent selection of food items. During booking, I checked what is offered for breakfast and the website mentions a grab-and-go breakfast. 

Get to breakfast early as the dining area fills up quickly and they run out of tables. You can opt to take your stuff back to your room or sit in the lobby, but neither is very convenient.

Hotel Restaurant & Bar

Well, at the moment the restaurant is just a bar as they don’t offer any food. According to the hotel, they will offer food again “soon”. Whatever that means. However, you can order room service from “The Derby” Steakhouse nearby and you can charge it to your room as well. 

There is nothing mentioned on the website that the hotel’s restaurant is closed and is only a bar. I am fairly sure that the opening hours shown on the website are not correct either. 

The website shows that the Restaurant is open from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m. but that information is outdated.

Bar Hours:
5:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.

Evening Reception

The evening reception is held at the hotel’s restaurant and bar. But there is no food served, as the hotel doesn’t offer any food at the moment. Look at the picture below to see which drinks you can get complimentary for the evening reception. What is strange, is that you can only get Bud Light as a complimentary beer even though they charge the same amount for other beers like Coors Light or Stella Artois. Just strange. The evening reception also gives you the option of a free soft drink, but you can’t get a bottle from the pantry rather than a glass from the bar. So, you have to get a glass from the bar and take it to go. There are some snacks

Hours:
5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Market

There is a market next to the front desk. It has quite a good selection of stuff. You can’t miss it. 

Conclusion

The Embassy Suites by Hilton Arcadia Pasadena Area is an older hotel. It’s a bit outdated but still worth staying here. I was disappointed with how disorganized everything is at the hotel. The website mentions a grab-and-go breakfast, but you actually get a full buffet. Furthermore, the website shows that they have a restaurant, but they don’t. It’s currently closed and is just a bar, but you can order room service from a restaurant nearby which the hotel contracted with. Nothing is streamlined, you don’t know what you get. I am also disappointed about the selection of complimentary drinks during the evening reception. It’s just so confusing. 

Other than that, my stay was good. That’s why I just like Marriott and Hyatt hotels so much more which have a lounge. Heck, even the evening reception at some Residence Inn properties is way more streamlined.