Bayview Café - Berkeley

From the initial welcome at the front desk with Laurie, my friend and I were excited to begin our overnight stay at the Claremont. She was great. Also, as this... read more From the initial welcome at the front desk with Laurie, my friend and I were excited to begin our overnight stay at the Claremont. She was great. Also, as this was a gift from my employer a colleague would also be staying. We all were given an early check-in and we hurried to our room to get ready for a personal training session and a message we had booked. I would be sharing the personal training session with my colleague. The training was just alright. I wouldn 't recommend the trainer. The trainer seemed to not have read the forms we filled out about our specific interests. Before we ended I reminded her, as had I stated in the beginning, I specifically asked for Pilates. She informed us since the area for this activity was a little congested she would show us some Pilates movement on the mats. She then showed us stretches that were not related to Pilates at all. After leaving the Club we got a bite to eat at the East Bay Provisions The friend getting the message met us there and we enjoyed the food, the service, and the atmosphere! Definitely a highlight of our stay. The Limewood Restaurant was also a very nice experience. After dinner Saturday night, we followed the music and found a small group of electricians celebrating their recent graduation. They invited us in to dance and celebrate with them. it was a fun evening all around. That would soon change. Returning to our rooms we prepared to watch a movie together. My colleague was coming to our room and the movie had been paid for. Suddenly, there was a fire alarm going off and an announcement over the P.A. to evacuate our rooms along with a suggestion that the alarm was possibly in error and to stay in our rooms. This message repeated on a loop for approximately 10 minutes. About this time I answered a knock on the door expecting my colleague. it wasn 't. It was an employee of the hotel who accused us of having smoke coming from our room. I immediately told her, No, it 's not! She pushed past me where my friend was in bed in her pajamas and proceeded to look around the room and up at the ceiling. My friend quickly pulled the covers up over herself, and after looking around the woman left the room with me on her heels. I complained to her and another hotel staff member in the hall that this was not acceptable. And, it was not the proper way to address a concern by making an accusation against a hotel guest and then barging into their room without permission. This was an invasion of privacy. Other hotel guests were standing in their doorways asking what was happening. People seemed confused and concerned. By now the P.A. was still on a loop but only contained the first part of the message, leaving off the suggestion to stay in your room. My colleague had shown up and we prepared to evacuate. After standing outside with guests for approximately 45 minutes people started going back into the hotel and to their rooms. There was no announcement nor did anyone come out to tell us it was safe to return to our rooms. Very disappointing experience at the end of the day.

Unexpected stay due to both parents we were supposed to visit having Covid. We enjoyed the location close to our needs. We love Peets coffee and the bakery acro... read more Unexpected stay due to both parents we were supposed to visit having Covid. We enjoyed the location close to our needs. We love Peets coffee and the bakery across the street. The health club and variety of classes and activities was excellent. We had a fabulous room for most of our stay. The hotel is clean and charming.

Reserved a suite with bay view. Ended up with room on the first floor (basement) with a view of the tennis courts. Only had 1 comfortable place to sit. Being a... read more Reserved a suite with bay view. Ended up with room on the first floor (basement) with a view of the tennis courts. Only had 1 comfortable place to sit. Being a Fairmont Hotel, expected more. The staff are very good. Food and service in the rest were great.

As a frequent guest at the resort over the years, I've always enjoyed top-notch service, so I was excited to participate in the First Annual Haunted History Tou... read more As a frequent guest at the resort over the years, I've always enjoyed top-notch service, so I was excited to participate in the First Annual Haunted History Tour of the establishment. Our tour guide shared fascinating insights about the resort’s history and operations, along with the spooky events that have taken place over the years. We explored several hallways and rooms where these occurrences happened, and at one point, my wife got startled by a vision! We had a fantastic time—it's no surprise the tour sold out. I'm looking forward to celebrating our 25th anniversary there and can't wait for the Second Haunted History Tour next year!

I experienced several issues during my stay at the hotel. There was no water in the room, and the air conditioning was excessively noisy. At a rate of $500 per... read more I experienced several issues during my stay at the hotel. There was no water in the room, and the air conditioning was excessively noisy. At a rate of $500 per night, which equals over AUD$750, I expected better accommodations. My room faced a parking lot, there was no assistance with my luggage, and breakfast was not included in my booking. Based on these experiences, I would recommend downgrading your rating to 2 stars. I was referred to this hotel by UC Berkeley, as it was one of their six suggestions, and I have expressed my significant disappointment with my stay. In fact, the situation was disappointing enough that I chose to check out four days early and find alternative accommodations.