Embassy Suites by Hilton, 200 Stoneridge Drive: 6 Jan 2025 7 comments
Commenter Tom mentioned this State story about this longtime zoo area hotel closing. The story is a bit confusing as it says that Hilton dropped this operation as a franchaise, but the usual case for something like that is to keep the doors open with a quick reflagging, or just operating as something generic like "Suites At The Zoo" for a while, but apparently it was already in train for the staff to be laid off and the property put on the market.
Commenter Heath provides the above pictures and comments that Hilton has been assiduous about getting its brand off of everything. It's not a bad looking building, though some of the reviews suggest it has seen better days inside.
(Hat tips to commenters Tom & Heath)
7 Responses to 'Embassy Suites by Hilton, 200 Stoneridge Drive: 6 Jan 2025'
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Justin
15 Jan 25 at 9:51 am
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It's sad to see Embassy Suites go under. But, in fairness, I can't say I'm surprised. Like @Justin, I spent some good times here for various conferences, training seminars, and casual happy hours. *I* always thought it was pretty nice and even kinda "up market". Which is why I was confused that it was located where it was.
The "Broad River corridor" isn't doing well at all. It has been in decline for over a decade. Greystone Blvd is essentially two huge car dealerships with the remnants of a few radio stations on one end.
Embassy Suites seemed out of place somehow. It was a little off the beaten path from downtown to get a lion's share of the "business" clientele. I always found their facilities nice enough, if perhaps a little dated. And with the Zoo and easy access to I-26, I always figured they did well enough.
If I had to guess, this is collateral damage in the decline of Broad River/Bush River area.
Lone Wolf
17 Jan 25 at 9:08 am
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I used to love to go dancing at the club there back in the 90s.
MizT
24 Jan 25 at 4:50 pm
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Yes, this place was a little dated, but it was always clean and well-maintained. I've done a lot of continuing ed courses here.
However, for me it always comes back to one thing: New Year's Eve. Me and some buds went in late 90's and it was pretty rocking. A few different dance floors and main party was in the Atrium. It was expensive - cover was like $50-$60 for food & champaign but didn't include beer!
Andy
27 Jan 25 at 8:19 pm
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Spent many nights here over the years. Actually had my 10 year high school reunion there about 20 years ago :-). My wife and I enjoyed it for many staycations. The breakfast and the managers reception were always great. The last few times, it seemed to have gone downhill. They had filled in the hot tub and just didn't seem as clean. Loved that they were one of the few hotels that still had smoking rooms.
Mr Bill
28 Jan 25 at 12:49 pm
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This was THE fancy/nice hotel in town until the Convention Center Hilton and Hampton Inn were built. The Hampton Inn, under Tony Tang's management had to have been the highest class Hampton Inn in the Country.
Under the early 2000's, the Embassy Suites New Years Eve party was THE place to be on New Years Eve, comeplete with all the requiste hiijinks. The meeting rooms with the exterior entrance was the entrance to Nitelites, which was a dance club and rules the 1980's to 1990's social scene. It closed when John Q. Hammonds (the hotel owner) decided there was a lot more return in renting it out as meeting and conference space than investing a lot of money in renovating and updating the night club. It used to be either Friday or Saturday nights that the big crowd would go to Nitelites and the other night they'd to to Crackerjack's ("The Club with the Suprise Inside") on Longcreak Drive ("behind Hooters" - now Taco Bell). It's an empty lot now.
Anyways, John Q. Hammonds was always overly leveraged. Lender took his hotels over from him. Private equity stepped in and clearly has done what private equity tends to do to business (see, eg. Wild Wing Cafe).
Steve
24 Feb 25 at 9:12 pm
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This was mine and my mom's "spot". We would only ever stay in this hotel when we went to Riverbanks, and as I got older, I did the same with my kids. 3 generations of my family loved this hotel, and we're all so sad to see it go. Yes, it wasn't as fancy as the years went on, sure it needed an upgrade in some places. But the memories it gave us are forever. The glass elevator my kid got stuck in, the lobby fountain that we all took pictures at, even the bedrooms that adjoined so you could run between your room and your mom's :D
Tracey Martin
22 Mar 25 at 9:37 pm
Lots of memories at this place. Our office was nearby so all guests coming in to see us would stay here. We also did our corporate Christmas meetings and parties here. It definitely began to decline as the years went on, but that does seem to be the case for Embassy Suites across the country as well.