Schmap Berkeley Where to Stay

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Berkeley - Where to Stay
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Berkeley Home
Schmap Berkeley guide and map

Choosing a hotel in Berkeley is a good deal easier than choosing a restaurant. We've made it even simpler by breaking Berkeley accommodations down into four basic categories:

I-80 Corridor

With the expansion of high technology/Internet/biotech businesses along Interstate 80, hundreds and hundreds of hotel rooms have magically appeared in nearby modern, multistory business hotels run by national chains. At the foot of University Avenue, there is the Ramada Inn and Holiday Inn Express Motel, while across I-80 at the Berkeley Marina, the Radisson complements its sprawling waterside hotel with a conference center.

Even more hotels have converged near the freeway on rapidly emerging Emeryville to the south: a spanking new Holiday Inn, a Courtyard by Marriott, the just-renovated Sheraton Four Points and the towering new Woodfin. These hotels all come equipped with meeting facilities, computer hook-ups, copiers, fax service and other business necessities.

Strip Motels

Berkeley's main through-transit corridors, San Pablo and University Avenues, have for years featured motels like the Golden Bear Inn, the Berkeley Budget Inn, the Hotel Westerner—all on San Pablo—and the Berkeley Travel Inn, Campus Motel, and University Hotel—all on University Avenue. These are, pretty much without exception, reasonably priced, no-frills motels such as one finds on "the strip" anywhere else in America.

Near Campus

Hotels near campus, the Bancroft Hotel and the Hotel Durant foremost among them, have been around since the 1920s or 30s. As much to celebrate their survival as their exclusive location so near the The University of California , these hotels tend to be run with a bit of pomp and circumstance. Other campus area hotels include the smaller Beau Sky Hotel and The French Hotel. Not quite so near campus, but bearing mention because they often serve the same clientele and in any case have many of the same attributes, are the quaint Rose Garden Inn and the large and popular Claremont Resort and Spa. Just over the line in Oakland at the base of the hill, the Claremont offers countless tennis courts and pools, spa facilities and the like. It's a favorite with locals, whether for wedding receptions, business meetings or weekend getaways.

The Hills—Bed & Breakfasts

While the steep and sweeping expanse of the Berkeley/Oakland hills is without a commercial presence, it is dotted with any number of small bed and breakfasts and guest rooms in private homes. Such lodgings are for the most part unlisted, and are found through either Bed & Breakfast Accommodations in Berkeley (+1 510 548 7556) or the Berkeley Oakland Bed & Breakfast Network (+1 510 547 6380). The advantages of the hillside bed and breakfasts are numerous—quiet, safe and charming neighborhoods, unobstructed views of the bay, and the chance to stay in some exceptionally comfortable and gracious homes. However, one tends to need a car to reach many of these hillside destinations, and the rooms do not have the reliable standards one takes for granted at the Holiday Inn.

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Bancroft Hotel

Across the street from the University

2680 Bancroft Way
Berkeley, CA 94704
United States
+1 510 549 1000 / +1 800 549 1002
http://www.bancrofthotel.com

Originally built as a private women's clubhouse in 1928 then converted to a University sorority in the 1970s, this National Register landmark became a hotel in the early 1990s. Designed by the famous Bay Area architect Walter T. Steilberg, it offers wonderful Asian and Mediterranean touches, and influences from the Arts and Crafts movement like the stained glass windows, an immense banquet hall with a warm and comfortable feeling from the design itself. It is next to the famous Caffe Strada, a block from the Pacific Film Archive and just a short walk to Telegraph Avenue with its many shops and restaurants. Check the website for more details.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Red Heart

Beau Sky Hotel

Southern hospitality with Victorian splendor 2520 Durant Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94704
United States
+1 510 540 7688 / +1 800 990 2328 A block away from both the University and Telegraph Avenue, nestled between many restaurants and bookstores, this three-story building, built in 1911, stands out like the gleaming white Victorian jewel it is. With its balconies and inviting porch, the hotel lends a bit of congenial Southern atmosphere to the bustle of Berkeley.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: K Chen

Claremont Resort and Spa

Elegance and charm 41 Tunnel Road
Berkeley, CA 94705
United States
+1 800 551 7266 / +1 510 843 3000
http://www.claremontresort.com/ Famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright has said that the Claremont is one of the few hotels in the world with warmth, character and charm. The staff will go out of its way to charm you at this white jewel nestled in the foothills of Berkeley. On the grounds of what was once an English-style castle (built with Gold Rush money), this sprawling white, Mediterranean-like villa was constructed in 1915 and has served guests with its gracious elegance, luxury and style ever since. A full spa service was added in the late 1980s.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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French Hotel

Simple European comforts 1538 Shattuck Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94709
United States
+1 510 548 9930 This small hotel feels almost like a bed-and-breakfast or a small inn. The rooms are on the smaller side, but are cozy, with views, televisions and French touches in the artwork and bedspreads. The French Hotel Cafe is right downstairs, and also lends a distinctly European feel; everyone from hotel guests to locals to students gather here for good coffee and conversation. You are conveniently close to the bustling downtown, but just far enough ensure peace.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Hotel Durant

Tradition, elegance, location 2600 Durant Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94704
United States
+1 510 845 8981
http://www.hoteldurant.com Since 1928, this Berkeley landmark has provided accommodations to upscale business travelers, vacationers and those visiting on University-related business. One of the largest buildings on Durant Street, the rooms have panoramic views of San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland and the Bay. Its location cannot be beat, as you are only one block from the University, near Telegraph Avenue, a few blocks walk from the Elmwood Shopping District, as well as institutions and Pacific Film Archive. The rooms are elegant and nicely appointed, with comfortable furniture and bright windows; most rooms have views.

Review © 2007, Wcities

Photo: Ash Vegas

The University of California, Berkeley

Golden Bears & Nobel laureates At the corner of University Avenue and Oxford Street
Berkeley, CA 94704
United States
+1 510 642 6000
http://www.berkeley.edu Perennially ranked among the top universities in the country, the 1,365-acre, 465-building campus offer visitors as well as students museums, libraries, superb views from the campanile, public lectures by Nobel laureates, world class entertainment and NCAA sports. Campus life centers on Sproul Plaza and Sather Gate. A reminder of Berkeley's place in American social history can be found in the form a plaque in front of Sproul Hall, marking the spot where Mario Savio launched the Free Speech movement in 1964. Free tours of campus are given Monday-Friday, leaving from 101 University Hall at the corner of University Avenue and Oxford Street. Saturday at 10a and Sunday at 1p, the tours leave from the Campanile.

Review © 2007, Wcities

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