After 56 years, the Hilton hotel next to the Oakland, California, airport has closed. This comes after a number of other nearby businesses have already shuttered and locals have left because of the persistent violence in the neighborhood.
After the last guest checked out on August 28, the hotel was declared closed. After 56 years, the Hilton hotel next to the Oakland, California, airport has closed.
This comes after a number of other nearby businesses have already shuttered and locals have left because of the persistent violence in the neighborhood.
After the last guest checked out on August 28, the hotel was declared closed.
The hotel where Egigu Lemma, also called “Gigi” by his coworkers, spent over 35 years working as a bellman and guest service agent was closing. “We thought we were all going to retire there, but we were heartbroken,” he said.
More than 150 employees lost their jobs, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
At the age of 19, having come initially from Ethiopia, I began working at the Hilton. Lemma stated that he was a refugee who had come to this nation and that he had been staying at the hotel more often than at home. “I loved the job, I really loved the job.”
Ex-employees of Hilton Oakland Airport Hotel think that the hotel’s closure was caused by persistent criminality in the vicinity, however Hilton authorities have not clarified their reasoning.
Situated on 20 acres, the Hilton hotel at 1 Hegenberger Road in Oakland had been in operation for more than 50 years. It featured 360 guest rooms and 15,000 square feet of event space.
The iconic West Coast fast-food chain company, In-N-Out Burger, previously told Fox Business that repeated car break-ins, property damage, theft, and armed robberies of customers and employees led to the decision to shut down in March. The only In-N-Out Burger store in Oakland closed earlier this year.
In January, a nearby Denny’s closed its doors after 54 years, citing safety issues. Along with a nearby diner, two Starbucks stores have shuttered.
“Closing a restaurant location is never an easy decision or one taken lightly. However, the safety and well-being of Denny’s team members and valued guests is our top priority,” Denny stated.
According to the Oakland Police Department’s annual citywide end of year crime report, violent crime in Oakland increased by 21% in 2023 over the previous year to 3,690 robberies, 3,531 aggravated assaults, and 120 homicides.
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Blue Shield and Clorox decided to hire security guards for their employees in response to the increase in violence in Oakland.
In the past, Blue Shield stated that it “recognizes the public safety challenges in the City of Oakland, and we are committed to fully supporting our employees’ safety.”
Due to their dread of violence, some Oakland residents have even moved out of the city, and this summer, 60-year-old retiree Dave Schneider was shot and killed while pruning his front tree during the day.
