The Crowne Plaza at Foster City looks very unpretentious from the outside, and is not the usual towering edifice that one expects of this chain of hotels. In fact, the very unique design of it is what I found totally charming , and once inside, it is easy to become enamored with the atrium, with its cascading falls, enormous koi fish, Japanese style garden mini-walks and bridges, and tall and luscious green trees, especially in the open restaurant by the elevators. If you are not driving, as we were, they will provide a complimentary shuttle pick up for you from the airport in San Francisco, which is minutes away.
Every time we stayed here, we had a room on the 3rd floor in the tower with a view of the tree lined boulevard below. Gaining access to the tower is a bit tedious as you must trek from the registration desk to a side exit door which travels the length of all the conference rooms and eventually leads to the outside. Cross the street, re-enter another building and take the elevator to your designated floor. The room décor is quite sunny, and the bed ultra comfortable. Our quarters were equipped with a full size desk computer with high speed internet access, which always puts a smile on Chuck’s face. Actually, the PC came in quite handy for our apartment search as we look for temporary lodging in the Bay area.
You will also have video check out ease through your color TV, and if you’re lazy and just want to hibernate for the day, there are in-room movies, Web TV and Sony Playstation to help you escape reality. The very necessary hair dryer is there, iron and ironing board, complimentary paper including the locals which I thought was a bonus as I got to learn about all the art and theater venues all around the Bay area. You can find extra copies of those at the reception area as well.
They have 3 restaurants on the premises, but we kept going back to the Florian Café for breakfast and dinner once or twice, mainly because of the ambiance, and the sound of falling water, as this is the one located in the atrium. If you happen to be there on Sunday, give in to the Sunday Champagne brunch.
They do have banquet and conference accommodations, which were taken up by a company event the first time, and a wedding the second time where a maximum of 1500 people can attend.
I wouldn’t hesitate to stay there again; we also do get fantastic rates through the internet.
Parking is plentiful and free of charge for guests.