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Motels and B&Bs in the Berkeley area

Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > Housing, Neighborhoods, & Moving > Motels and B&Bs in the Berkeley area



Hotels/suites with a kitchen for visiting relatives

March 2003

My family is planning to travel to the East Bay area in the summer and we are looking for hotels/motels or vacation condos with suites and kitchen/kitchenettes. We will be traveling with our 3 year old twins and newborn. I have seen the other recommendations but was hoping for more information. Thank you, CB


Out of ignorance, I can't recommend any hotel with a kitchen. Consider reposting your query, along with dates and contact info, in the ''abode'' section of these newsletters. Your best option might be to sublet (or swap) a family home in the East Bay. I'd have offered you mine for much less than a hotel if only I'd known your visit would overlap with my absence. That way, you'd get a (double) stroller, crib, high chairs, etc. If you live somewhere terrific, a home exchange might work too. Anonymous
try the Garratt Mansion in Alalmeda they have a corporate apartment you can rent www.garrattmansion.com. or go to the VRBO website there are places you can rent www.vrbo.com. Juliette
There are a number of places now in Emeryville that are "suite" hotels. I think there's a Woodfin, an Extended Stay America and some sort of suite in the Bay Street complex.
The Golden Bear on San Pablo and Cedar has some units with kitchens; La Posada on Walnut offers kitchens (although usually for longer stays); in Emeryville there's a new ''Extended Stay America'' that offers cooking along with high speed internet connections and also there's Woodfin Suites (more expensive, I think); and also there are two places in Alameda--the Coral Reef and the LinOaks. The contact information for all of these is under Hotels/Motels at www.calrentals.housing.berkeley.edu. Becky White

Hotel or B&B near Montclair

March 2003

I am looking for a hotel or bed and breakfast near the Montclair or Glenview areas of Oakland. I know it is a long way off, but we have relatives coming from out of town for the holidays and I'd like to check into some places for them to stay. Location is more important than cost, as we'd like them to be pretty nearby. I appreciate any ideas you may have. New to East Bay


Have you considered the Claremont hotel' It's pricey, but only about 5 minutes from Montclair, and extremely nice. Karen
Redwood House is a b&b in Redwood Heights run by Don Tyler. He has two bedrooms and the space is quite nice... Great views. It's not a full time job for him (he teaches in the Oakland Public Schools) so he's not there all the time, but is very welcoming when he is. My father and brother really liked the food, but two other siblings didn't (too much asian fusion), so be clear if what you want is straightahead pancakes. He's about $90 a night. Here's the contact information: Redwood House Bed & Breakfast Oakland, California 94619 (510) 530-6840 Fax: (603) 853-0645 email: redwoodhousebb at yahoo.com Don Tyler, Innkeeper He's on 39th, just off the Redwood Road exit. Tell him the Godfreys recommended him, he had full impact (every single one of the seven of us) Godfreys last year. Myriam
There is a Berkeley-Oakland B&B Network - most of the B&B's are a member. You can find most of them listed at the bbonline/ca/berkeley-oakland website. There are some others that are not listed, and you are welcome to give me a call: 510/652-5024, or send me an email to get more info. I run a B&B in the Rockridge area. Kelly

B&B or room near Rockridge for my parents

March 2003

My parents are coming to town for their annual visit in a few weeks and I'm charged with helping them find a place to stay. In the past they've stayed with family, but would like to find a bed and breakfast or room in a house where they could be for 5 days. I've checked out a couple of places, but was wondering if anyone out there has any favorite places that are close to Rockridge or Elmwood (they'll have a car, so it doesn't have to be precise). My parents aren't particularly picky, but I think they'd like their own bathroom. All suggestions greatly appreciated! Tara


My friend Terry has a great place to stay for visitors to Berkeley.

NORTH BERKELEY HILLS HOMESTAY Quiet, peaceful suite available for one week & longer The North Berkeley Hills Homestay is a beautiful and peaceful sanctuary for guests visiting the San Francisco Bay Area for one week or longer. Located on the north edge of Berkeley at the Kensington border, this wonderful private home features art and antiques from around the world, partial views of San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge, red oak floors, Persian rugs, and a warm, comfortable ambience. The guest suite features a large, lovely bedroom and bathroom (with shower) and is situated on a separate floor from the main house. The room has a queen- size bed, private phone line and answering machine, DSL service (1), plentiful closet and dresser space, a rocking chair, and a bistro table with two chairs. Guests may use the kitchen and laundry facilities. The house and grounds are entirely non- smoking and pet-free. We use only environmentally-sound cleaning products. You can see photos of the North Berkeley Hills Homestay at http://www.geocities.com/hillshomestay/photos.html Contact hillshomestay at hotmail.com or call Terry at 510.528.9970 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. PDT. Christine V.


I highly recommend the Redwood House B&B. The owner Don Tyler is a wonderful host and his house is amazing. We have had a few friends stay there with glowing reviews. The main suite has a fabulous view of the city in the bathroom. It's in Redwood Heights off of Redwood Road exit from the 13. The number is 530-6840. patricia
Hi, I run a B&B in Rockridge - Dean's B&B, located about a 5 min walk from the Rockridge BART station. Feel free to drop me a line, or you can check out us as well as the other B&B's in the Oakland/Berkeley area at www.bbonline.com/ca/berkeley-oakland. Good luck! Kelly
My folks stayed at the Rose Garden Inn (also known as Grandma's Rose Garden) on Telegraph near Ashby. It's larger than a B&B, but more personality than a regular hotel--Very nice gardens. Julie
My sister and her husband spent three nights in October at the Elmwood House, a B & B on College Avenue at Parker Street in the Elmwood district. They enjoyed their stay. As far as I know, they had their own bathroom. Breakfast was coffee/tea and croissants. The house is a beautifully and artfully furnished brown shingle. Contact Steve at 540-5123. Mary
Five years ago I was here in Berkeley househunting and got a list of B&Bs from the ''Berkeley and Oakland Bed and Breakfast Network.'' At the time the contact was Mary Leggett (654-0648) who has a B&B in the Claremont Hills. I also remember visiting a great B&B from the list that was on Alvarado in the Claremont Hills and would probably be perfect for your parents. The owner was Mary Harrow, and her number is 848-1431. Her place was really nice (and so was she), but it wasn't right for us because we had two adults and a child, and the room she had available at the time couldn't accomodate us. The list contains several other interesting-sounding B&Bs in Berkeley and Oakland. I hope this helps. Maria
My folks have a nice room in their house with a bathroom that they sometimes rent out. It is in the Claremont neighborhood, a short walk to Elmwood, an even shorter walk to Domingo. The house is up a long flight of stairs. Breakfast is not included, although there is a coffee maker in the room, and a small fridge. Contact me if you are interested in more info. Arden arden at sports4kids dot org
For your visiting parents, I would recommend a studio B&B with separate shower/toilet accommodation in North Berkeley. Has separate entrance, sweet decor, and can be arranged with or without breakfast. It is close to the gourmet ghetto and could work if your folks have a car. It is called Nura's Place and the phone contact number is 841-4202. There is also a lovely garden space just outside the room. Good luck! Suzanne
When my sister-in-law and her husband came to visit us last fall they stayed at Dean's Bed & Breakfast near Albertson's in Rockridge. They were very happy with the accommodations -- rather small, but private, clean and pleasant. Dean's is on the web at http://www.bbonline.com/ca/deans/index.html. Kathryn

Hotels near Piedmont Av for visiting parents

Dec 2002

As we are due to have our baby any day now, relatives from the East Coast are wondering about places to stay in the Oakland area. The Claremont is definitely outside of their price range (not to mention not wanting to support anti-union activity). Does anyone have some good hotels to suggest? We live near Piedmont Ave. in Oakland, so we'd like the hotel to be within, say, 10 minutes of home. Thanks allison


We used to live in that area, and I don't have any hotels to recommend, but our visiting relatives have stayed at a few bed and breakfasts that are right in that neighborhood. I'll list them below, but it's been a few years, so I don't know if these are all still in business:
Bedside Manor (452-4550)
The Rose Suite (763-1371) A private studio apartment -- good for longer stays
The Bates House (893-3881) I think this is a little closer to downtown Oakland than the others, which are between Piedmont and Grand.
You may be able to find more listings by calling the Berkeley and Oakland Bed and Breakfast Network at 547-6380 Good luck! Debbie
What about a B&B? Check out all the lovely, wonderful bed and breakfasts right in our own local Oakland/Berkeley neighborhoods! Just off Piedmont is ''The B & B on Fairmount'' Check out this website with all the details, then stop by and visit! www.bbonline.com/ca/berkeley-oakland/index.html Kathleen Burke
My parents have stayed in the Washington Inn (downtown, near the Marriot), which was kind of quirky but worked well enough. They've also stayed at Jack London Square (Jack London Inn, I think, which is really run-down). I also remember hearing about a small B&B somewhere near the Oakland Rose Garden. There's also this place, which I just saw online: http://www.bbonline.com/ca/fairmount/index.html Good luck! Michael B.
Check out the Lake Merritt Hotel -- cute, old, right on the lake, last time I looked about $125 a night. The downtown Oakland Marriott is a reasonable convention hotel, you might be able to get good rates there depending on what's going on. That part of Oakland isn't so great after dark (I work in the area), so if your relatives are prone to solo midnight strolls, I'd give it a miss. Cheap, but respectable is the Best Western on the corner of Third and Broadway -- it's the one attached to the Buttercup Restuarant. Doesn't look like much on the outside, but the rooms are nice, good service, pool. Walk to Jack London Square. Ditto the bit about midnight strolls. Consider also the Emeryville hotels, easy to reach from that part of Oakland if you head down 40th St. Carolyn

Cheap motel for parents here from France for 3 weeks

2001

Hi, My family is arriving in 3 weeks from France, and our place is too small to keep them at home with us. So, can anyone recommend a nice, and cheap, hotel or motel in Berkeley or in the area? Stephanie.


This summer we had a wedding in Berkeley and had to research the area for motels. The best deal we found was at the faculty club on the University campus. My parents stayed there and loved it. It was cheaper than the average decent motel and the rooms are lovely. However, they book up fast so you have to call in advance. It is also important to confirm your reservation with them, as we had one small complication. The only disadvantage is the parking! Shoshana
I really like the Berkeley City Club. It's a Julia Morgan building, extraordinarilly beautiful, and centrally located between campus and downtown. Prices run about $80 a night. Dashka
I usually put friends and family (if too numerous to accomodate at our place) into the Rose Garden Inn (Telegraph/Stuart) or the Berkeley City Club. Both are very nice and quaint and have a touch of classyness and old-world - although they are not super bargains - rooms will cost 80 - 100/night. AJPlow

Inexpensive rooms close to campus for conference

Sept 1999
Heather 9/99

Hi, I am trying to find places to stay for some upcoming conference attendees
who are looking for reasonable ($50 - $85/night) rooms fairly close to campus,
and the local hotels are either much too expensive or have reputations as drug
sales points.  Does anyone know where I can look for this kind of info, or have
any direct recommendations for me?  I've never done this here, and I've only
lived here a year, so I don't have a lot of anecdotal background on what's
available.

---------------------------------------
Melissa
Here are some #'s for B&B's in the Bay area.  Also Brown Shingle in North
Berkeley at 848-6385.  Good
Luck!!  http://www.bbchannel.com/USA/California/Berkeley.asp

------------------
Jerry
I told Priceline I wanted a 3-star hotel in Berkeley/Oakland (and nowhere
else) for $70 per night.

It was certainly a gamble, you don't know which hotels Priceline thinks is
a 3-star, and you don't find out until AFTER you've paid, and it is all
very nonrefundable.  The other bit of potential nastiness is that the room
is potentially only double occupancy so if you need more than two people
the hotel might complain -- the Radisson did not however.

One final element of the Priceline game: if you don't get a hotel at that
price, you need to change the level of quality or the dates before you can
bid once more.

The Berkeley Marina Radisson offers a free shuttle to the North Berkeley BART.

By the way, I note that several of the links suggest the Hotel Shattuck
which sadly, is no more!

Places under $70/night

Jan 1998
From: Ginger

I don't know of any places under $70/night, but there are
a lot of nearby places in the $70-$90 range - some of these
will give you a discount if you are on "official University
business" - not sure what that means but it may include student
discounts - people visiting my research project have stayed in
some of these and gotten a discount:
- Bancroft Hotel
- Durant Hotel
- Hillegas House (B&B)
- Berkeley City Club
Also, the Women's Faculty Club, if you know a member who can
reserve a room for you, has nice rooms for about $75/night.
Tip: membership in the WFC is only about $7/month. As far as
I know, any UCB staff or faculty member can join. It's
a nice place to put up out-of-town guests plus they have the
best food on campus!

Date: Jan 21, 1998
From: Becky

In response to the inquiry about accommodations around $60 or less, I'd be really curious if anyone finds anything in Berkeley or nearby that is not total sleaze at that price. . .I used to recommend the Days Inn in Emeryville for decent accommodations around $65 a night, but now it's a Sheraton and the rates are at least $100! Community Living puts out a Hotel/Motel list, and we do list the cheaper places because we feel compelled to list whatever we can that would fit a "student" budget, but frankly, many of these places are not very nice and we have had some complaints. . .


More recommendations


Evergreen B&B, Pleasanton

Re: Romantic Getaway for Couples (March 2003)
You might be interested in checking out Evergreen B&B in Pleasanton- it's close, it's beautiful and Jane makes a great breakfast. They were actually featured in the ''Great Places to Kiss'' You can check them out on their website- www.Evergreen- inn.com. Juliette


Redwood House

Re: Wedding night romantic getaway in the Bay Area (March 2005)
Well, I don't know what your friend's style is (what they would consider ''romantic''), but I do know that it can be difficult to find a place to stay for only one night (so many places seem to require two nights stay). That being said, when my husband and I got married, some friends of ours did the same thing: paid for a night at a bed & breakfast of our choice. I did some research and found a wonderful place that is *really* inexpensive: Redwood House in the Oakland hills. We got a Master suite style room (bedroom with canopy bed, sitting room with TV and a huge bathroom with marble and a sunken tub with a view of the bay), plus breakfast for $120/night. The owner, Don, is wonderful, very funny and sweet (though he's VERY talkative, so if they don't like that, this might not be the place -- not to worry, he does respect your privacy). Essentially, this is his home and he rents out 2 rooms. The house is gorgeous, with a bird aviary in the entrance, a solarium off of the master suite and it's FILLED with art and decorative objects. We loved it, and we were able to rent the room for just one night. You can find Rewood House online by Googling it. Anonymous


Rose Garden Inn, Berkeley

Re: Wedding night romantic getaway in the Bay Area (March 2005)
we rented rooms at the rose garden inn on telegraph near russel for guests who came to our wedding. its beautiful - check it out ilona


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