Mare Island Cheap Vacations

My husband and I visit Berkeley often since our daughter goes to college there. Usually, we stay somewhere convenient because our trips revolve around moving her in or out. This is her senior year, so for our last move-in, we decided to treat ourselves to 1 night at the Claremont. At check-in, we were told we had been upgraded to a Queen Suite bc the Deluxe Room w/ Bay View that I had booked was no longer available. We checked in after dark, so I didn’t see much that night. The next morning, I opened the windows and saw the beautiful view. Not. I really appreciate the history of the Claremont. Even before I looked it up, I told my husband it felt like a place that would have been the place to be in the 1930s. It definitely has that old-fashioned, grand-hotel feel, almost like stepping back in time. Unfortunately, the room felt more old than historic. Pros Gorgeous location Exceptional service Beautiful, spacious marble bathroom Great old-fashioned, historic atmosphere Cons Room was musty and had a stale cigarette smoke smell Thick, tired carpeting that could use a refresh Mildew in the corners of the shower Stained carpet in the check-in area The room we received was not the room I booked, the “upgrade” didn’t feel like one. Overall, I felt the hotel was overpriced for the condition of the room. I can see how grand this property WAS, and I really wanted to love it. Sadly, I left feeling that the Claremont has seen better days.

Absolute Nightmare – Dirty, Outdated, and OverpricedWe had an absolutely horrible experience at this hotel. For over $400 a night, you expect a 4-star experience, but this place is an absolute joke. They call themselves a "boutique" hotel, but it is just an old, dirty, and poorly maintained building. It felt like living in a horror movie.Here is everything that went wrong:Disgusting Room & Cleanliness: The old lamps were caked in thick dust, and the window was covered in spiderwebs. The carpet looked a century old, completely covered in stains to the point where you couldn't tell its original color. The bathtub and sink were dirty, and the doors and handles were so filthy I didn't even want to touch them.Terrible Maintenance: The walls and floors were incredibly rough—it looks like they didn't even sand the surfaces before slapping a cheap layer of paint over them. The elevator is ancient and dangerously slow.Uncomfortable Environment: The wall air conditioner was extremely noisy and blew freezing air directly onto the bed. To make matters worse, the shower water pressure was incredibly weak.Rude & Incompetent Staff: The front desk staff at check-in and the young male working the second-day afternoon shift were incredibly rude. We asked for bottled water twice and were told they were "out of water," or that the cleaning staff had it but they "didn't know where the cleaners were." Truly baffling service.Overpriced Food: The hotel bar/restur was another massive disappointment.

The resort fee was a surprise as it did not seem like a resort.

My husband and I visit Berkeley often since our daughter goes to college there. Usually, we stay somewhere convenient because our trips revolve around moving her in or out. This is her senior year, so for our last move-in, we decided to treat ourselves to 1 night at the Claremont. At check-in, we were told we had been upgraded to a Queen Suite bc the Deluxe Room w/ Bay View that I had booked was no longer available. We checked in after dark, so I didn’t see much that night. The next morning, I opened the windows and saw the beautiful view. Not. I really appreciate the history of the Claremont. Even before I looked it up, I told my husband it felt like a place that would have been the place to be in the 1930s. It definitely has that old-fashioned, grand-hotel feel, almost like stepping back in time. Unfortunately, the room felt more old than historic. Pros Gorgeous location Exceptional service Beautiful, spacious marble bathroom Great old-fashioned, historic atmosphere Cons Room was musty and had a stale cigarette smoke smell Thick, tired carpeting that could use a refresh Mildew in the corners of the shower Stained carpet in the check-in area The room we received was not the room I booked, the “upgrade” didn’t feel like one. Overall, I felt the hotel was overpriced for the condition of the room. I can see how grand this property WAS, and I really wanted to love it. Sadly, I left feeling that the Claremont has seen better days.

My husband and I visit Berkeley often since our daughter goes to college there. Usually, we stay somewhere convenient because our trips revolve around moving her in or out. This is her senior year, so for our last move-in, we decided to treat ourselves to 1 night at the Claremont. At check-in, we were told we had been upgraded to a Queen Suite bc the Deluxe Room w/ Bay View that I had booked was no longer available. We checked in after dark, so I didn’t see much that night. The next morning, I opened the windows and saw the beautiful view. Not. I really appreciate the history of the Claremont. Even before I looked it up, I told my husband it felt like a place that would have been the place to be in the 1930s. It definitely has that old-fashioned, grand-hotel feel, almost like stepping back in time. Unfortunately, the room felt more old than historic. Pros Gorgeous location Exceptional service Beautiful, spacious marble bathroom Great old-fashioned, historic atmosphere Cons Room was musty and had a stale cigarette smoke smell Thick, tired carpeting that could use a refresh Mildew in the corners of the shower Stained carpet in the check-in area The room we received was not the room I booked, the “upgrade” didn’t feel like one. Overall, I felt the hotel was overpriced for the condition of the room. I can see how grand this property WAS, and I really wanted to love it. Sadly, I left feeling that the Claremont has seen better days.