Hotel again graces the Colorado River's banks in downtown Yuma

A century ago, the Southern Pacific Railroad hotel served as the focal point along the banks of the Colorado River, considered one of the nicest places to stay in the area at the time.

Once again a hotel graces the riverbanks with the completion and opening of the Hilton Garden Inn, the "star" of Yuma's riverfront revitalization efforts.

With its rich colors, architectural accents of brick, rock and wood and custom lighting - not to mention the warm greetings of the staff - the hotel raises the bar for the community's hospitality industry.

It was a long time coming, one that tested the patience of developer C.W. Clark.

Clark recalled responding to the city's request for a proposal for a public developer to partner with the city of Yuma to redevelop the riverfront. That was 10 years ago.

He said he saw an opportunity to indulge his love of hunting and fishing while working on the project. Little did he know at the time how little he would be fishing and hunting and how much he would be working.

A major issue was putting together the land needed for the sweeping redevelopment effort, he said. "That took a lot longer than anyone thought. There were 20 government agencies involved. Five government agencies were operating on property there and had to find new homes."

In the meantime, he had to go back to the drawing board several times as circumstances changed. In the end, the master plan includes the completed hotel and companion Pivot Point Conference Center. His next project will be construction of an apartment complex, to be followed by condominiums, offices, retail space, health club, boutique hotel and restaurants as "the market dictates."

On the public side are the completed Gateway Park, the East and West Wetlands and plans for a parking garage and federal courthouse.

At the moment, though, Clark is just savoring having the hotel open at last.

And despite it being finished in one of the worst economic downturns in many years, response has been "very positive," said general manager Ken Hammac, who has been with Hilton for 23 years, including opening the Hilton Garden Inn Detroit Downtown.

Hammac estimates that the 150-room hotel is enjoying better than 70 percent occupancy, with 82 percent of the bookings coming through the Hilton HHonors guest rewards program. In addition, 700 group rooms have been booked in the past three weeks for the coming year.

Across the parking lot, the 20,000-square-foot conference center is serving as the venue of several events a week, Hammac said. About 60 percent are social events, many of them weddings; 40 percent are business conferences and meetings, with 15 percent of them involving organizations from outside Yuma.

Clark said that in selecting the Hilton Garden Inn brand, he wanted to bring to Yuma a truly high-end hotel. "I think the community needed that."

Hilton Garden Inn is one of the fastest-growing brands within the Hilton Family of Hotels, with more than 400 locations across North America, Europe and Central America.

The Hilton Garden Inn Yuma is operated by Yuma Riverfront Hotel Owners, L.P., under a license agreement with a subsidiary of Hilton Hotels Corp.

A major investor is the Quechan Tribe with a 75 percent interest in the property, according to Mike Jackson, tribal president.

Located at 310 N. Madison Ave., the hotel can be reached at 783-1500.

The four-story hotel features guestrooms and suites offering the Garden Sleep System bed, complimentary Internet access, high-definition 37-inch television, microwave and refrigerator. The hotel also has a guest laundry, heated swimming pool, fitness center, complimentary 24-hour business center, lounge, five meeting rooms, the Great American Grill restaurant and a bar with ice rail to keep drinks cold.

Along with the modern conveniences and high-tech features, the hotel has re-created a piece of the riverfront's history. The design in some ways harkens back to the old railroad hotel, the artwork is all historic, the landscaping has all native vegetation - and just outside the window the Colorado River can be seen.

"That's been great for guests," noted Hammac. "That's a nice perk to have. Many are already taking advantage of the easy access to the river and jogging trails."

That's just the beginning, said Clark. With the start-up of Yuma River Tubing and Segway Tours available to hotel guests, "it all flows together." In the future, he hopes to offer bicycle and kayak rentals as well.

"There are some fun things coming," he promised.

One of them is the city's plans to develop the Pivot Point Interpretive Plaza next to the hotel where a 100-year-old locomotive has been relocated.

The plaza will celebrate the significance of the location off Madison Avenue as one of the most important spots on the southern transcontinental railroad system in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

The entire riverfront redevelopment area is labeled the Pivot Point, named for the concrete structure in the river on which the railroad bridge would swing, or "pivot," opening the way for steamboats that once plied the river.

** Check out the view of the new hotel at http://www.yumasun.com/sections/slideshow/?id=448459

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Joyce Lobeck can be reached at jlobeck@yumasun.com or 539-6853.