Nice Hotel, but the Staff Puts it over the top
I love this hotel. I stay here when I'm in Hayward on business. The location is great. To/From my office I go against the higher traffic flow, but 2 things make this hotel stand out to me above location: The Bistro Bar and the staff.
First, there are some great restaurants in the area - another plus for location. HOWEVER, at the end of a long day, when I get to the hotel, I prefer to just stay there. The Bistro Bar has a great bar with a good selection of spirits and the food is really good. If you get there in time for happy hour, I HIGHLY recommend the Ahi Tacos. For dinner, the salads are great, as is the fish sandwich, the burger, the fish and chips, the salmon, the steak... Honestly, I haven't had anything there that wasn't good. I choose to eat breakfast here as well in the mornings. The buffet is a bit on the expensive side, but the selection is good and it includes coffee. If you order breakfast off the menu, it's less expensive, but does not include coffee. So, there's that to factor into the budget. I typically go with the buffet if I'm only staying a couple of nights. If I'm staying all week, then I tend to mix it up. The Omelets are really good off the regular menu.
Finally, my favorite part is the front desk staff - especially Yoti (sp?). She always has a smile on her face and is willing to help however she can. For example, this last trip, my allergies were giving me a fit. So, I stopped by the front desk on my way out the first morning and asked if she could send another box of tissues up to my room while I was out. I apologized for going through the partial box that was in my room over night due to allergies. She was like, "I know how you feel - my allergies are going crazy, too. Would you like a box now to have in your car on the way to and from the office." I was so thankful she offered that because I needed them. The next day, my shoes that I almost always travel with were, for some reason, giving me blisters on my heels this trip. I went to the lobby store to buy bandaids, but they didn't have any. Again, Yoti was at the desk. I thanked her again for her help the day before with sending tissues to my room and providing a box for the car. I explained that I was trying to buy bandaids, but didn't see them in the store. She said, "No worries. I have some in the back. I'll get you some." She disappeared for a few seconds and reappeared with 4 bandaids which came in VERY handy for my problem.
The other folks I've encountered at the front desk are equally as nice and I'm sure would have been as willing to help, but you can tell that Yoti enjoys her job and helping out customers. She's really great. Also, the wait staff and bartenders are amazing as well. Just good folks. Is there anything over-the-top about the hotel itself? Not really. It's equally as good as any other DoubleTree... and certainly better than some I've stayed in, but the great people that work there are what makes the difference for me. On a scale of 10, they definitely rate 10-out-of-10... and Yoti is probably a 15 on that scale. :) Looking forward to being back there is a couple of weeks.