Two hotel developers seek space in Belmont: Marriott, Hilton hotels proposed near Highway 101 along Shoreway Road

“It’s certainly an indication of the economic climate that we’re in right now and it certainly speaks to the demand for hotel construction that I think is being experienced Peninsula wide,” said Community Development Director Carlos de Melo. “We haven’t had a hotel proposed in Belmont in a number of years, whether it was the unavailability of land or the market wasn’t right. But the market is definitely right.”

The four-story 169-room Marriott was proposed by OTO Development, which is seeking to secure the long-vacant 3.39-acre property from Nikon Precision, Inc., de Melo said. Located at the intersection of Shoreway Road and Cormorant Drive, the site would also provide 169 surface parking spaces as well as a slew of amenities for the modern traveler. Meeting space, a lounge and bar, buffet area, exercise room, outdoor swimming pool and patio have also been proposed, de Melo said.

“Certainly it’s rooms that would be available for everybody, but they’re kind of niche or target audience if you will, is the business traveler that wants amenities but not fussiness,” de Melo said.

The market is competitive as Nikon, which maintains a corporate office across the street, received numerous offers for the property that’s currently zoned light industrial, de Melo said.

Both the Marriott and Hilton sites will need to be rezoned to highway commercial after being reviewed by the Planning Commission and City Council, de Melo said.

“These are good spots for them to be, certainly these uses are not inconsistent with what’s out there now,” de Melo said, adding they’re designed to be visible to Highway 101 traffic.

The proposed 96-room five-story Hilton would also include meeting space, breakfast area, fitness room as well as an outdoor patio and swimming pool. Located at 1201 Shoreway Road, construction would involve redeveloping the 1-acre former Empire Lumber site that’s sandwiched between the Extended Stay America to the south and a Motel 6 to the north. Owner BPR Properties submitted the application, which still being reviewed by staff, de Melo said.

Representatives from BPR and OTO were not available to comment on their plans.

Public hearings during Planning Commission meetings are anticipated for both projects before the year’s end, de Melo said.

With the Belmont’s transient occupancy tax, or hotel tax, at 10 percent, the city could profit from the new developments and the economic prosperity of business growth in the region.

“It’s good for Belmont to capture the transient occupancy tax generated by business travelers,” said Vice Mayor Eric Reed, who noted the city is neatly situated in the northern part of the expanding Silicon Valley. “There’s a lot of demand for hotel rooms and they generate a significant revenue stream for the city. [The revenue may be] somewhat volatile, but I think over by Highway 101, close to the high-tech firms, is a good place for them.”

Visit the Major Development Project page at belmont.gov for more information about the Marriott Springhill Suites Hotel proposal.

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