Hilton Costa Mesa Has Perfect Location For Travel Needs

by Courtney Caldwell

The sun-soaked lobby of Hilton Costa Mesa

As a 20-year resident of California it was never necessary to think about a hotel or where to stay when meeting with clients in the area. After all, they were all right there in my backyard, not more than a half-hour drive away. Suffice it to say, I was spoiled from the immediate access.

All that changed when we moved the company to Michigan in 1998. Meeting with clients in Southern California now required a place to stay. Not as easy as it sounds. In fact, it became quite daunting to find the right hotel, one that provided close proximity to client's bricks and mortar while at the same time being close enough to visit family 40 miles in the opposite direction. So, both location and freeway access were very important.

With Southern California plenty big enough to be its own state, surely there are thousands of hotels that fit the bill. Not quite. Indeed there are hotels galore, but most didn't meet my requirements until I found the Hilton Costa Mesa. Not only did this property fulfill my needs, it exceeded my expectations in almost every way.

Location, location, location; a good place to start. The Hilton Costa Mesa is located right off the 405 freeway which, for those of you who don't know, is the main artery for traffic going north and south on the west side of the state. This is crucial in getting around as most of the east and west freeways intersect all along the 405. If you have business travel between LA and San Diego or just want to soak up the sun at any of the coastal beaches, this is the freeway you'll likely use the most.

The Hilton Costa Mesa is only a few short miles from the heart of Costa Mesa, and from Newport Beach, a swanky upscale beach community. The hotel is literally at the end of the Bristol Street exit ramp, making it accessible for those going to nearly any town or beach along the coast. Shops, restaurants and famed malls, South Coast Plaza Resort in Costa Mesa and Fashion Island in Newport Beach are also conveniently located near the hotel and freeway.

So what else makes this Hilton location so fantastic? Well, for me, it's a stone's throw from where I need to meet with clients in Irvine, only 15 minutes away. On the other hand, it's only a half-hour away to visit family in Santa Monica to the north. For others who are traveling to the area, it's only minutes from some of the best tourist attractions Southern California has to offer.

For vacationers, Disneyland, the ocean, the mountains, and the desert are not more than a thirty-minute drive in any direction. San Diego is just an hour away to the south and Hollywood an hour to the north. For sightseers, this Hilton provides the best home-base location for easy access to many of California's best hot spots.

While location was very important to me, it was personal safety that topped my list of requirements. In my quest to find the perfect hotel in Southern California, I found many that offered convenient location but left a feeling of uncertainty about survival. I also found many that felt safe enough but offered very few amenities or limited access to shops and restaurants, resulting in a sense of feeling trapped, and sometimes hungry.

Having just spent $74 million in renovations, the Hilton Costa Mesa left no stone, or should I say amenity, unturned. Allow me to describe the shock and awe I felt upon entry. After the sliding doors graciously opened to welcome me into the lobby, I stood there like a child in the circus for the first time; mouth agape, eyes gazing upward. The 90-foot ceilings made the lobby feel more like the Houston Astrodome. The openness and spaciousness of this lobby provided an immediate sense of safety and security. There were no dark corners or crevices where someone could pop out (whether real or imagined) and scare the hell out of you. The only things hiding in dark corners and crevices were a multitude of security cameras, which canvassed the area discreetly.

As my gaze panned across the massive entryway, a shiny movement caught my eye. There, across the lobby riding rails up and down the outside wall overlooking the restaurant and bar, were glass and gold elevators shimmering in the sunlight streaming through the glass entry. Passengers were clearly visible. For women this is especially nice since so many are concerned about riding an elevator alone with a male stranger. Not too much can happen in these see-through capsules -- even if you wanted it to -- without dozens to witness your every move. Hell, you can't even lift up your skirt for that one last tug at your blouse, at least not without flashing a lobby audience.

Bristol Palms California Bistro & Bar

Other points of interest were the restaurant and bar within the lobby. The Bristol Palms California Bistro & Bar offers first class cuisine rivaling some of the finest in America. The placement of the high-back booths and intimate low lighting provide a sense of being in a very private and swank establishment, unrelated to the hotel. They've done an excellent job at creating the illusion of being elsewhere.

This was by far one of the best restaurants I've ever dined at in a hotel, never mind a hotel lobby. For those concerned about their personal safety in new territory, the Bristol Palm offers the perfect alternative for dining out without having to leave the building. It's also very comfortable for dining alone, or with clients. In fact, if I lived in the area and knew about this restaurant, I'd be sure to make it part of my haunts when dining with clients or friends.

The chef prepared one of the most amazing lunches I've ever had. So much for my good eating habits on the road. Each dish was prepared with elegant style and presented with such a colorful flair that I began to wonder if Wolfgang Puck was in the kitchen. Not a dessert eater, I turned down the bowl of ice cream layered with chocolate syrup stripes and cookies, however, to show my gratitude to management, I took one bite. That's all it took. I devoured the entire thing, making a very unladylike pig out of myself in front of my hosts. In fact, they chuckled at the groans and moans I made with each bite which no doubt sounded more like a 976 call.

The bar area at Hilton Costa Mesa

The bar, small and quaint, was adjacent to the restaurant and had its own area for seating. An Asian-style wooden overhang covered the bar to provide separation from the high ceilings, but not enough to block the view of the glass elevators, which were quite entertaining to observe. The elevator's descent reminded me of the movie Scarface when Michelle Pfieffer made a memorable appearance as she descended in a glass elevator.

The Hilton Costa Mesa also offers a more private setting known as the Executive Lounge, which is located on the concierge floor and requires a special gold key for access. The lounge offers a wide variety of amenities such as a complimentary continental breakfast, soft drinks, fresh fruit, cookies, hors d'oeuvres nightly, and cocktails from 5-8 p.m., which is on an honor bar system. I visited the Executive Lounge several times and found fresh food available at all times of day in a warm, friendly atmosphere. An on-duty attendant is always present to help with whatever you need. The Lounge also provides a wide-screen TV, which is easily viewed from any seat in the room.

Speaking of rooms, let's move on to the sleeping quarters. Rooms are rooms, especially in chain hotels...but not here. Although the lobby was remarkably gorgeous, user-friendly, and quite an architectural delight overall, I really expected to find an average guest room. After all, how much different can one hotel room be from the next? Man, was I surprised.

The presidential suite bedroom

The rooms were spacious and the décor was not cringeworthy (as if a colorblind decorator had selected the color scheme). The wallpaper, bedspread, and curtains were a warm blend of soft colors that made you feel immediately welcomed. The cherry walnut furnishings added a whisper of elegance, like a cross between upscale and down-home. It took no time to find my comfort level and feel good about being there. Internet access was convenient, allowing instant connection to move backlogged emails out of the way. All rooms also have complimentary bottled water.

The bathroom was a woman traveler's dream: large, roomy, and plenty of lighting. One of the biggest challenges women travelers face in hotels is poor lighting in bathrooms leaving one feeling either under-or-over made-up when they leave the room. Not here. And counter space for all your stuff? In spades - I even had room to spare. I can't speak for most, but I'd rather have a great bathroom over a great room when staying at a hotel. All too often, that's sadly the case where one is up-to-snuff and the other is sub-par. But the Hilton Costa Mesa must have rounded up hundreds of women travelers for a focus group because they got it all right -- everywhere, every room. I was a happy camper at Camp Hilton.

After wolfing down the 5,000-calorie lunch the day before, I thought it wise to regain control and get back to my healthy eating regiment. Much to my surprise, which somehow escaped my notice when initially walking through the lobby, there was a counter deli that offered fresh salads, croissants, muffins, and light sandwiches for those on the go. This was an enormous gift, preventing a stop somewhere along the freeway in an unfamiliar town to grab a bite before my first meeting. Another blessing indeed.

Hotel management gave me a tour of the hotel, which revealed a whole host of other cool stuff that was missed upon arrival. There are numerous meeting rooms and ballrooms for big events. And of course, what great hotel would be without a decent fitness center these days? Hilton Costa Mesa had it all and more, including a heated pool, perfect for relaxing or exercising. Would I stay there again? You bet I would -- over and over and over. And I highly recommend it to both business and leisure travelers alike who need a good central location in Southern California.

Enjoy a mild California night at the Hilton Costa Mesa....

It had everything I needed; excellent location, personal safety, executive lounge, superb restaurant, easy access to the freeway, great atmosphere, friendly staff, a large gift shop, a workout room, and much more.

One might expect to get all this at the cost of an arm and a leg. Much to my surprise, rooms are only $169...$145 during the off-season. Suites run $500 ($350 off-season). I didn't stay in a suite, but I did get a chance to view one and it was quite beautiful. No surprise there after everything else I experienced.

The Hilton chain seems to have made some drastic changes in recent years that have proven quite beneficial to guests. Clearly they've been doing their homework on the wants and needs of those who travel and are making all the right moves to accommodate those desires. And that's what makes a happy traveler come back for more, as they will again after only one stay at the Hilton Costa Mesa.

For more information on Hilton Costa Mesa rates and reservations, go to www.hilton.com or call 1-714-540-7000.