West
Blue state hotel near major airport hub closes its doors after 56 years amid crime crisis
The Hilton hotel next to the Oakland, California, airport has closed its doors after 56 years, after many other neighboring businesses have already closed and residents have moved away due to ongoing crime in the area.
On Aug. 28, the hotel’s final customer was checked out, and it was officially shut down.
“We thought we were all going to retire there, but we were heartbroken,” Egigu Lemma, known as “Gigi” by his colleagues, told Fox News Digital about the closure of the hotel, where he dedicated over 35 years as a bellman and guest service agent.
Over 150 workers lost their jobs, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
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The Hilton sign at the entrance of the Oakland airport hotel, which has shut down after 56 years. (Google Street View)
“When I started working at the Hilton, I was 19 years old, originally from Ethiopia. I came to this country as a refugee,” Lemma said, adding that he spent more time at the hotel than at his own house. “I loved the job, I really loved the job.”
Hilton officials did not say why they closed the Oakland airport hotel, but former workers believe it was the result of ongoing crime in the area.
“Hotel ownership reached a decision to permanently close Hilton Oakland Airport,” a Hilton spokesperson told Fox News Digital, in part, adding, “Hilton continues to welcome guests across the Bay Area where Hilton and our franchise partners operate nearly 50 hotels.”
“Businesses slowed down after COVID, but we were OK, at least the hotel was up in business, but after COVID, the crime was high, vehicles were broken into, catalytic converters were taken, they stole the ATM from the hotel,” Lemma explained about the ongoing difficulties in the area.
Oakland police investigate the scene after shooting an armed carjacking suspect on International Boulevard and 105th Avenue in East Oakland, California, on Friday, Feb. 17, 2023. (Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images)
The Hilton hotel at 1 Hegenberger Road in Oakland stood for over half a century in business, spread across 20 acres, with 360 guest rooms and 15,000 square feet of event space.
Lemma shared fond memories of the hotel and its character with Fox News Digital.
“We had a hotel cat. Her name was Parris Hilton, and she was there for the last 16 years, greeting the hotel guests,” he said.
Earlier this year, the only In-N-Out Burger restaurant in Oakland closed, and the popular West Coast fast-food chain company previously told Fox Business that regular car break-ins, property damage, theft and armed robberies of customers and employees led to the decision to shut down in March.
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In-N-Out Burger in Oakland closed in March due to crime in the area. (Google Street View) A neighboring Denny’s also shut down in January after 54 years, citing safety concerns. Two Starbucks locations and a local diner in the area have closed too.
“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’s said in a statement on the closure.
Violent crime in Oakland was up 21% in 2023 from the previous year, with 120 homicides, 3,531 aggravated assaults and 3,690 robberies, according to the Oakland Police Department’s annual citywide end of year crime report.
The crime surge in Oakland prompted Blue Shield and Clorox to provide security guards for their workers.
Blue Shield previously told Fox News Digital that it “recognizes the public safety challenges in the City of Oakland, and we are committed to fully supporting our employees’ safety.” Some residents of Oakland have even left their homes in the city due to fear of crime, while 60-year-old retiree Dave Schneider was shot to death last summer while trimming his front tree during the day.
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Fortunately for Lemma, he managed to find another position after the Hilton hotel’s closure.
“I’m one of the luckiest ones…but most of them didn’t get a job,” he said about the other hotel employees. “I found a job, but my mind is still at the Hilton.”
He confessed that sometimes on his way to work in the mornings, he makes the wrong turn, thinking he’s still going back to the Hilton Oakland Airport hotel.
“When you think about all those memories, it’s very sad. After 56 years, it’s very sad,” Lemma said.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, the Oakland Police Department and Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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The Denver Broncos’ 2026 schedule has arrived, with nine games on the road and eight games set for Empower Field at Mile High this season.
The Broncos are set to travel 19,129 miles this year, which ranks 15th in the NFL, according to Bill Speros of Bookies.com. Denver does not have an international game this year, which helped them rank near the middle of the pack in travel. Last season, the Broncos played in London and logged 23,267 travel miles, seventh-most in the league.
Elsewhere in the AFC West, the Los Angeles Chargers will travel 24,816 miles (seventh-most), the Las Vegas Raiders will trek 21,099 miles (13th-most) and the Kansas City Chiefs will log 18,401 miles (17th-most) in 2026.
The San Francisco 49ers (38,105) and Los Angeles Rams (34,847) are set to face off in Australia, giving them by far the most travel miles in the league. The Carolina Panthers (8,740) will have the easiest travel schedule this season.
Social: Follow Broncos Wire on Facebook and Twitter/X! Did you know: These 25 celebrities are Broncos fans.
SEATTLE – After making one turn through a six-man rotation following the return of Bryce Miller, the Seattle Mariners are making a tweak for the next time through.
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Manager Dan Wilson said Friday the plan is for the club to piggyback Miller and fellow right-hander Luis Castillo during the next turn. The M’s have yet to decide which of the two will start.
“That’s the approach we’re going to take and we’re ready to roll,” Wilson said. “I think our guys are in a good spot in terms of getting an extra day here, and I think that’s gonna come up huge for some of these guys.”
Miller, who started the season on the injured list with a left oblique strain, made his season debut Wednesday night in Houston, tossing 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball on 81 pitches. Castillo pitched Thursday’s series finale against the Astros, allowing three runs on four hits and three walks while striking out six over 5 2/3 innings.
The pair is lined up to pitch Tuesday’s home game against the Chicago White Sox. Miller will have had five days of rest, while Castillo will have had the typical four.
Wilson said both players have been accepting of the decision.
“I think they were definitely in a good spot with it and understand it,” Wilson said. “And I think these guys, as we’ve talked about, these guys in this clubhouse, all of them want to do what’s best for the team. And these guys have really taken to that and they’re ready to go.”
Wilson acknowledged that a piggyback situation could get complicated by game flow and situations, but pointed to the potential benefit it could have in giving the bullpen a night off. Either way, it’s a situation that will be evolving for the club as they go.
“This is something that we haven’t done before, so it’s going to be a lot of waiting and seeing and understanding and assessing and making our adjustments as we go,” he said. “But in theory, you can lay it out, and you just don’t know how it’s actually going to play out. So we have to be open to different ways to proceeding, but we’ll take a look at it when we get there.”
The Mariners’ decision to go to a six-man rotation then a piggyback situation with Castillo and Miller come after widespread speculation about what the club’s plans would be when Miller returned from the IL.
When the season started, the assumption was right-hander Emerson Hancock would once again find himself as the odd man out when Miller returned. However, Hancock, a first-round pick at No. 6 overall in the 2020 draft, has earned himself a spot in the rotation during a breakout start to his season. In nine starts this year, he has a 3-2 record, 3.02 ERA and 56 strikeouts to 10 walks over 53 2/3 innings.
Castillo’s spot in the rotation started to come into question after the veteran started to struggle following a strong first start of the season. In seven starts from April 5-May 9, Castillo posted a 7.79 ERA over 32 1/3 innings and batters hit .329 against him. But his most recent start against Houston marked a step forward for the three-time All-Star and highest-paid pitcher on the Mariners’ roster.
Seattle Mariners coverage
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