People at Reception were incredibly friendly, kind and helpful. Our room was lovely, comfortable, overlooked a lush courtyard. The bathroom was good, roomy enough and the shower was outstanding. Breakfast was good (pastries especially), but otherwise fairly ordinary. Swimming pool must be seen to be fully appreciated. The building was constructed in 1929, is still well maintained, was designed by woman architect, Julie Morgan, and described as Romanesque and Moorish. Lots of places to sit and read, work or just take in the period still reflected in the furnishings and ambience. My wife and I are trying to find an excuse to return sooner than later.

The only thing we didn't like was that breakfast ended too early.

I was on the top floor and had a fabulous view of the San Francisco Bay and Golden Gate. The spotlessly clean room was decorated with beautiful period furniture. This hotel was designed before WW2 as a long-term residence hotel for women. Hence, the rooms are not as large as one would expect in a typical modern hotel. Since food service was (and still is) provided on site, no coffee machine or refrigerator was in the room. Nor was there a TV or radio. However, there was a charging station for our 21st century devices. The included "continental" breakfast was elegant, generous and delicious! There were eggs, quiche, ham, every kind of cold cereal, milk, juice, breads and a wide selection of pastries along with coffee and tea. The "coffee corner" near the front desk is kept supplied with self-serve hot beverages (coffee, decaf, tea, hot chocolate) from early morning until evening every day. The building is an extremely well-maintained and beautiful historic landmark, designed inside and out by famous architect Julia Morgan. Tours are available on Sundays. I cannot recommend this place enough! Perfect for a single traveler. Parking available for $35/day on a lot right next door to the hotel; very easy to access (even prior to check in) once they know you are a guest.

On Sundays, there is no food service in the hotel, and very limited dining is available in the neighborhood. The street on which the hotel is located is nice, but you don't have to go far to run into some pretty unsavory areas. Be savvy about when and where you walk about. Weekdays are bustling with Cal students, so it feels a lot safer than on the weekend.

The breakfasts were delicious and the staff was friendly and efficient. The room was comfortable to be in. The bed was friendly to my back. The shower pressure was terrific for such old plumbing. The front desk staff were welcoming and efficient. The parking was a huge advantage.So easy in and out.

The potted plants,half dead, in the black PLASTIC pots were sad and disappointing to look at. Julia would be aghast! These are on the outside of the dinning room windows. The large ceramic pots (2) that are also visible have half dead plants in them. Very disappointing because the rest of the rooms and building are kept to a standard Julia would approve of. Maybe herbs or annuals or rosemary in the pots as a suggestion.

The room was clean and functional and the hotel had real soul and character, which feels rare these days sometimes when traveling. There is free coffee in the mornings from 5am, including decaf, which is very nice. The staff was very friendly and the included breakfast was good. The location of the hotel is incredible.

The rooms are very small and lack some modern amenities like a fridge and microwave. Also no real desk. The vibe of the hotel is also a bit stuffy from my perspective although some might perceive this as "fancy and nice". They also use physical keys rather than keycards, and don't secure access to upper floors where the rooms are at the elevator, which makes me nervous about security.

Room: Clean, quiet, and comfortable. No TV. No A/C. They have paid parking for vehicles directly adjoining the hotel with "in and out" privileges. Breakfast: Nice continental breakfast. Location: Middle of Berkeley with great access to Shattuck Ave BART station and the University campus. Recommend for anyone visiting the area.

Hotel was built in 1927. The exterior and some parts of the interior could use a professional restoration. The rooms still use a plain old key vs a keycard and it's not convenient to carry that key around all the time.

I enjoyed the whole experience. The staff were personable and patient. The room was clean and comfortable and quiet. The castle itself with its balconies and gardens and sculptures and koi pond made me happy. I felt welcome. Also best free (in the sense that it's included in the room rate) hotel continental breakfast in Berkeley, maybe California.

The room rate. Also the swimming pool would make a fabulous hockey rink.

We loved the gorgeous architecture and the old fashioned feeling of being in a grand hotel or wonderful bed and breakfast. We loved the proximity to downtown, to BART and to Berkeley campus. We loved that the hotel was fancy and casual at the same time, and had a youthful vibe, though many of us there were far from young.

The only things that weren't perfect for us were the shower pressure in our lovely room on the 6th floor, though the bathtub worked great, and the need to schedule use of the tiny fitness center.

Architecturally stunning, if you like 1920's Julia Morgan style. Large beautiful public rooms filled with books, even a working area with tables and free coffee, and a grand piano. Beautiful breakfast room with white table clothes and very nice pastries. An amazing ~75 ft long pool which was nearly empty in the early evening. My room had a beautiful view of the Berkeley hills. Thick towels, nice linen. Very helpful and friendly staff.

Wifi in the room was a bit spotty. There is no TV, but who needs TV?

beautiful building, helpful staff

Room was cold when we returned from a day out in late afternon. We complained and were told that heat was programmed only to turn on when the building reached an )unspecified) low temperature. It had rained and blown all day and it was hard to believe that the heat would not go on in these conditions. Breakfasts were repetitive, and in no way met the standard of the architecture of the hotel.

obviously, the architecture and the whole vibe of the property is incredible… it reminds me of somewhere you would stay if you were a visiting professor at UC Berkeley. The bar and the restaurant were so fun to have a drink and play cards in the evening before dinner… Amazing people watching and a very convivial atmosphere.

unfortunately, the pool was a huge draw for us, but we found it to be very cold and didn’t end up swimming in it.