This year, Boykin Lodging Company will spend $7.25 million improving the Doubletree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center Berkeley Marina. The waterfront property's improvements include significant guestroom updates, complete bar and restaurant renovations, and major technology enhancements. Approximately half the improvement budget is earmarked for the Executive Meeting Center (EMC), a state-of-the-art conference facility with the prestigious endorsement of the International Association of Conference Centers (IACC). The  EMC will rival the best conference facilities in Northern California such as the Chaminade in

Doubletree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center Berkeley Marina 200 Marina Blvd Berkeley, California

"The Bay Area lacks quality conference space and we are filling that gap. Combined with the significant improvements being made to the hotel, the EMC will distinguish us from the competition," stated Rob Palleschi, General Manager of the Doubletree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center Berkeley Marina. "Better yet," he added, "we have the good fortune of a terrific location in the Berkeley Marina with plenty of free parking, breathtaking views of San Francisco Bay, and beautiful surrounding parks."

The last few years have been difficult for hotels worldwide. Bay Area room bookings have been sluggish while the supply of available hotel rooms has risen dramatically. Other challenges facing the Bay Area hospitality sector include the weak economy; decline in travel following war in Iraq and SARS; and, aggressive price competition amongst hotels in the region.

"We have the greatest hotel location in the Bay Area, and we are committed to making it prosper in spite of the challenges facing the hospitality sector. We spent months talking to civic leaders, friends, neighbors, and even the competition as we shaped our new direction in Berkeley," said Richard C. Conti, President and Chief Operating Officer of Boykin Lodging Company.

The first EMC meeting rooms open this summer at the Doubletree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center Berkeley Marina, and the project is scheduled for completion in the fall. The EMC caters to groups up to 300 and promises to reduce fatigue and increase productivity of conference attendees by using the latest in ergonomic furniture, seating, and lighting. All conference rooms will have high-speed Internet connections and sophisticated audiovisual systems with convenient controls at a main podium.

Unlike other Bay Area conference centers that use an a la carte approach to pricing, the EMC will offer the convenience of all-inclusive pricing. The essential elements of a successful meeting will be packaged into a daily per-person, per-day price. These include lodging, meeting rooms, three meals, refreshment breaks, basic audiovisual, gratuities/service charge, business center services, high-speed Internet access, and a dedicated service support staff.

"Switching to the Doubletree's strong central reservation system and its affiliation with the Hilton HHonors frequent guest program will provide us with the exposure we need to ensure the success of the EMC," concluded Palleschi.

About Boykin Lodging Company
Boykin Lodging Company, which wholly owns the Berkeley Marina Doubletree Hotel, is a real estate investment trust that focuses on the ownership of full-service, upscale commercial and resort hotels. The Company currently owns 31 hotels containing a total of 8,800 rooms located in 18 states, and operating under such internationally known brands as Doubletree, Marriott, Hilton, Radisson, Embassy Suites, and Courtyard by Marriott among others.