The Executive Inn & Suites consists of two very different hotels in one: the new suites building (where all the attractive website photos were taken) & the old inn building, which is not advertised (for good reason as explained below). You will be placed in one of the least desirable rooms of the old building if you reserve this hotel through Hotwire. So don't be fooled by the home page website photos.

The suites building has a very spacious & nicely decored lobby with a concierge desk, a roomy and comfortably air conditioned fitness room containing modern elliptical trainers, treadmills & stationary bikes, large laundry rooms & an internet business center. The rooms are bright and spacious.

The same cannot be said for the "steerage" or ugly stepsister section, i.e. the older building where my wife and I were placed contrary to my email request when I reserved a room. Our dark & dingy room, too small for even a closet, did not seem quite so bad only when compared to the cacophony of noise of the first morning's rush hour traffic on I-880 & Embarcadero Drive directly outside our window. The fitness room is equally unappealing, unless one considers decades old equipment as being vintage quality like fine wine or antique cars. Overlooking the freeway, this small, hot & stuffy room contains a stairmaster & all- metal stationary bike that is older than the 30 year old exercise bike in my crawl space back home. There is no concierge. The laundry rooms are barely large enough to hold the washer, dryer & one very thin person. This section of the hotel rates little better than the one star rated Motel 6 next door. In fact the Motel 6 is a better value because it costs much less & is nearer to the water & further from the freeway.

The breakfast is not comparable to the selection of hot dishes and cut-up fruit that is now common in many budget hotels like Comfort Inns. While the breakfast coffee & juice selections are good, the only hot dish selection is the self serve waffles. The pastries taste no better than 1-2 day old packaged pastries from Safeway. The silverware is plastic & the cups styrofoam. Cut-up fresh fruit is unavailable.

On the plus side is the friendliness & helpfulness of the housekeeping personnel (for whom I was happy to tip) & most of the front desk staff who were pleasant & helpful when giving directions & answering questions that I am sure they have answered again & again.

This 3 night stay proved to be the lone letdown in our 2 week vacation to Hotwire booked hotels. We were not even aware of the superior amenities in the "first class" section of this hotel until we discovered them on our own. No one told us about these perks when we checked in. Nor was there an advisement in our room.

It appears that we were relegated to second class hotel "citizen" status due to our Hotwire booking. Although we emailed the hotel in advance requesting a waterside room or one in the new building (I had read the reviews), the manager declined to do so unless we paid extra; and so, I know that better rooms were unoccupied during our stay. He then gave me a card promising better treatment if I booked my next visit directly instead of through Hotwire.

The Hilton Homewood Suites adjacent to the hotel on the north is a much better value. It offers uniformly nicer rooms and a much better breakfast (as well as hot pasta dishes for dinner) at no greater cost. Hence it is booked up on the internet weeks in advance, I discovered, when I was looking for alternatives.

Recommended: No