The Berkeley Hotel

Old rooms

I recently stayed at this hotel and had a deeply disturbing experience—the bed was infested with bed bugs. On the first night, I woke up with multiple itchy, red bites on my arms, legs, and back. Initially, I thought it might be mosquito bites, but upon closer inspection of the mattress and sheets, I found small bugs hiding along the seams. I reported the issue immediately to hotel staff, but their response was dismissive and unhelpful. No effort was made to inspect the room or offer proper compensation beyond a vague apology. I had to spend time and money treating my skin, cleaning all of my belongings, and making sure I didn’t bring the infestation home. This was not only uncomfortable but completely unacceptable. A hotel has a responsibility to maintain sanitary and pest-free accommodations. The lack of urgency or accountability from management made the experience even worse. If you’re considering staying here, I strongly urge you to think twice. No one should have to worry about being bitten by bed bugs in their sleep. This experience ruined my trip, cost me additional expenses, and caused unnecessary stress. I will not be returning. This place is disgusting, they have BED BUGS!!!!!!!!

The hotel is in a good position for visiting the city; it’s an easy walk from the hotel to Virginia State Capitol, Richmond Canal Walk and the downtown area. When we arrived we asked the receptionist for a map of the city centre, but he said the hotel did not have any, so we had to manage without until we found the Visitor Centre in Main Street Station. The Berkeley is an older hotel, parts of which, including our room, looked tired – though our bed was fine and very comfortable. Housekeeping service is supposed to be ‘on request’. We requested twice but our room was not serviced - though we were given snacks in lieu when we checked out. During our two night stay the in-house restaurant was never open – though we found nice breakfast and dinner options very nearby.

This hotel met and exceeded our expectations. It was clean and the staff was friendly and the location was good for us. The bed was super comfy. Staff was pleasant. I thought the value for what we got was excellent. I wouldn’t hesitate to stay there again.

A nice alternative to the higher priced hotels in the area