Tuesday, July 1, 2014

AC Hotel Coming to Downtown San Jose

Yesterday, I posted about the hotel explosion happening in North San Jose. Fortunately Downtown is getting some love as well. Remember the mediocre-looking Hampton Inn project on Santa Clara Street and Highway 87? There is a photo below to refresh your memory. This was a 6-story, 162-room wood construction, limited service hotel.

Instead of Hampton Inn, a much nicer AC Hotel is being built in its place. This will be a 7-story, 210-room hotel, built from concrete and steel and featuring an AC Lounge. AC Hotels is a hip, modern brand somewhat similar to Aloft or W Hotels. I think you'll agree with me after see the photos below that this is a significant improvement over what was planned before.





10 comments:

  1. Except the picture you show was the first rendition of the project. It later morphed into a much nicer design at 8 stories with a nice restaurant. This was also posted in your blog. Still, this new hotel is probably a little more hip than even the last revision of the original hotel concept. A little too drab though. Needs more excitement in the façade.

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    1. Except what?

      "Remember the mediocre-looking Hampton Inn project on Santa Clara Street and Highway 87? There is a photo below to refresh your memory."

      Did you read the post before commenting?

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    2. Yeah, I read the post; did you read mine? I don't need a lesson in posting so no need to be schooling when you can't read yourself.

      The picture of the Hampton Inn shown was before they revised it. The later revision, which was later posted on this blog was much nicer. In fact the side facing Hwy 87 looked much more interesting than this version of the AC hotel.

      This is a better hotel, so I'll take it anyway.

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    3. You don't make sense. You do need schooling.

      He posted the before and after. That's why there are two hotels pictured. He was clear that he posted both.

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    4. The Anonymous replier to the first anonymous post, sucks at "the internet". And then they were 3.

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    5. You don't get it still. The info posted was taken straight from the AC developer's website. Thus it is full of misinformation to sway people. The pictures posted are not "before and after". The first picture was the original Hampton Inn rendering. It's misleading because they (Hampton Inn) then revised it to a much better version, which is not shown. The second image is the AC project, which is their first and only image of this new hotel flag.

      If the article wanted to be fair then they would have used the much nicer revised renderings of what the Hampton Inn was going to look like, rather than their first underwhelming attempt. If they did, then it would have been a toss up as to which project was more attractive. Since that wouldn't have improved their chances of approval, they used the older Hampton Inn rendering to make themselves look better "See, our project is going to be so much better"

      The Hampton Inn was going to be 8 stories (and thus was not going to be wood framed as stated). The AC is actually shorter at 7. (so much for giving SJ an impressive skyline) The AC also doesn't look as good on the side facing the highway. The Hampton Inn at least had some different elevations and better landscaping on that side facing heavy traffic entering San Jose.

      The internet is full of misleading info that unfortunately guys like Mr. Anonymous, who can't even read, get impressed by. Joshua is doing a great job as a non-paying info blog on improving the city. But this particular instance I think if he carefully looked at it he would realize that he posted himself the revised images of the Hampton Inn and thus should have seen this was a manipulative article that he cut and pasted from. Sorry, it's not a big deal but I hate the spread of misinformation.

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    6. Oh, I get it. You're one of those guys that likes to point out that a peanut is neither a pea or a nut and that the US actually lost the war of 1812. You must be a hit at parties.

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  2. AC is much better, and few know that its also a Marriott brand. AC has generally only been in Europe (Primarily Spain and Italy) and just starting to make the move to the US Market. A Much better fit for downtown.

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    1. It'll be the first AC Hotel in California.

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