Berkeley City Club Hotel

I think the Berkeley City Club is a charming hotel—authentically vintage in good way. My colleague and I stayed there for a full week during a conference at the nearby university. There’s a distinct scent of an old building, which I personally liked—it adds to the atmosphere. Everything feels authentic and is well run by a committed and thoughtful staff (some of whom seem to have been there for many years). The building itself is truly an architectural wonder. We stayed in a large suite that felt like “my grandma’s house,” in again in the good sense: cozy, quiet, with very comfortable beds, wonderful views, and a surprisingly high-quality shower room. I highly recommend booking one of the upgraded suites—they don’t cost much more and truly feel like an apartment you’re living in while staying in the city. The breakfast is quite good. There’s no cooked-to-order egg selection, but they offer two kinds of quiche and boiled eggs, along with excellent pastries and the usual elements of a continental breakfast. The quiche—though excellent—can start to feel repetitive after a few days. The hotel is located right next to the university, and it was easy to go down into town for dinners. There’s no coffee machine in the room, but I really appreciated the extensive tea and coffee station on the first floor, open 24/7 free of charge. It was a pleasure to sit in the architecturally striking hallways on one of the vintage sofas, drinking coffee with my colleague and reflecting on the ideas we absorbed during the conference. All in all, I think this is an excellent hotel. If true vintage character is your taste, you’ll almost certainly enjoy it as much as I did.