Whittier : Hilton to Open March 22

The long-awaited Whittier Hilton Hotel will open March 22, although the $14-million facility in Uptown Village will not be entirely finished until early April. Workers have been unable to finish the restaurant and bar areas because of delays in acquiring carpeting.

The grand-opening party for the 206-room facility is set for April 5. The $100-a-plate premier will benefit the Whittier Museum. Joe DaRold, director of the museum, said the money will be used to install an elevator at the two-story museum as well as a heating system and a vault to store documents and collectibles.

Construction on the eight-story hotel on Greenleaf Avenue began a year ago, but the city spent more than six years attempting to attract a major hotel to Whittier.