The Claremont Club & Spa, A Fairmont Hotel

the best and nearest hotel to UC Berkeley

Best hotel if you’re looking for east bay near Berkeley or Oakland

I would not return back to the Claremont. Sat to journal and chair was falling apart. Manager was more concern with being vaccinated than room.

The hotel and amenities were perfect! We enjoyed breakfast in bed with quick delicious in room dining, the pool and wonderful message at the spa. Our flight was cancelled for a few days and the hotel was very accommodating to extend our stay. Would highly recommended!

The guest rooms were so spacious! I loved the fresh water bottles daily the they put in our rooms, huge hallways to get through with our luggage, and gorgeous views. It was a bummer that the construction was going on daily, a few of our guests had to change rooms, but the staff was so accommodating and helpful that it didn't make a difference. The staff at the hotel was so friendly, and helpful, and really made each and every guest feel special! Loved the area outside the front door of the hotel. We'd have wine while sitting outside by the fire lit tables and couches, overlooking the bay. Some of our guests played corn hole on the lawn, while others just relaxed. We chose the Lobby Lounge bar space for our rehearsal dinner. It was perfect for our event, with the blue room off to the side to host our food, and we had the entire lounge for a welcome cocktail event, which we invited all the guests from the wedding. It was a semi-private event so the Bride & Groom could say hi to all of their guests before such a busy, special day! Food was great, well planned out by our event coordinator Kishara! Our guests had a fantastic time! And at night when the sun went down, we had a picture perfect view of the bay all lit up! Gorgeous!

I wanted to take a moment to give a HUGE SHOUT-OUT and humble thank you to all of the following Fairmont Hotel truly Exceptional and Extraordinary Staff. 1. Andy C- Director of Banquets 2. Mai H -Inspire Assistant Manager, Food & Beverage 3. Raphel aka Rafa (Houseman) 4. Manuel (Houseman) 5. Rakesh - Food and Beverage Manager 6. Food Chef- Name unknown 7. Tracy 8. Kim Each person listed above makes up the most outstanding hotel and hospitality team I have ever had the opportunity to work with. My event was a surprise birthday party for my 75 year old dad. Preparing for the event was laborious and anxiety provoking, in order to make the party a success while keeping it super-secret. Andy, MAI, Rafa, Manuel, and Rakesh worked tirelessly and well into the wee hours to make my event a memorable one and success. Every single thing I requested was met with a humble accommodation and every problem I encountered was met with a swift solution and prompt action. The Jr. Suite was marvelous, spacious, and the views are breath taking. I really Absolutely don't have the words to express the humble and amazing team you have at the Claremont Club and SPA. Literally everyone mentioned in this email became A superhero for my family's celebratory weekend.

Outside of hotel: - Grounds extensive, well located on the hillside of Berkeley overlooking the Bay. - Tennis courts and pool at the Club. - Spa that closes at 5pm, very early. - Grand old building that looks beautiful. Inside, public areas: - Lobby grand and well appointed. - Limehouse restaurant and lobby bar lounge has beautiful views, a terrace that looks over the Bay. - Food expensive but good. However, for a hotel this large, food and beverage outlets are too few, restaurants close early (10pm? 11pm?), not even room service is available. Restaurants not sufficiently staffed. - Reception and concierge friendly. Rooms: - Clean but decor and furnishing old and dark, insufficient lighting. So dark in the wardrobe area that I had to move my suitcase out to an area by the window or couldn’t see anything. Lighting in bathroom also very dark, could not apply my makeup in the low lighting. - Aircon very noisy. Air intake machine inside wardrobe, strange setup. Ended up turning it off although nights were cold. - Minibar empty. Nothing to eat and drink at night, no room service. - Mattress too soft, gave me backache. - Housekeeping efficient and clean, but likely overworked. Room not tidied up daily until mid afternoon. Pricing: - Not fixed price within the same period, booked online and pricing changes by every few hours if demand is high. - Average price USD440 a night for a bay view deluxe room, expensive for what the hotel is. Nevertheless I would rather they list the real total price than slap on this hidden fee “resort fee” of USD50 a night, which I understand is an illegal practice in California from July 2024.

Great staff, fab view, vintage hotel, excellent if visiting Cal Berkeley. Restaurant is overpriced with a limited menu. Rooms are nice, outdated and overpriced. If you want the view & experience worth a stay. Also great if your into tennis, walking