Berkeley City Club

Beautiful place ruined by a remarkably rude, uncaring, and unprofessional manager. Had to wait 1.5 hours after check-in time to check because the rooms weren't ready. Was told, twice, we would be called when the room was ready and were never called. Expressed displeasure about this to the manager, who show no hint of remorse, made a bunch of excuses, told that a check-in time of 3:00 means "3:00 or whenever the rooms are ready". Check in time means that is when you get to check in! Apparently this hotel doesn't care about keeping up their end of the contract with their guests.

Grand old building with wonderful architecture and history to wander through, including the stunning indoor pool (lap swimmers bring your cap and goggles...a treat for sure!) Clean and comfortable. Sadly, breakfast was not being served, but after a pre dawn wander thru the beautiful nearby UC Berkeley campus, I picked up croissants to enjoy in the gorgeous indoor courtyard, accompanied by complimentary coffee. A great choice in a great location.

The worst staff I've ever encountered! My reservation says check in at 3. We arrived at 3 and we told another 30 mins and they would call when the room was ready. 30 mins later, still not ready and they gave us attitude for inquiring. Went for another walk, this time for 1.5 hours, still no communication from them. After 2 hours, we returned and they told us the room was ready. We asked why they didn't call and it was obvious they forgot, but didn't apologize and tried to blame it on the housekeeping staff and the fact that they've "been busy." The manager at the front desk is an absolute nightmare! She refused to offer any compensation for the inconvenience even though it was entirely her fault. Would never stay here again...do yourself a favor and book elsewhere.

Cozy boutique hotel in a historical landmark building. Very clean, Excellent breakfasts, lunches and dinners at the Julia's restaurant on the second floor. Very classy service at the restaurant. Regular musical events. And excellent location literally just off the campus of UC Berkeley. Staff at the reception could have been warmer and more forthcoming to address our queries. Daily parking at $35 seems too high given that we did not need this mush time to park as we were driving around all days long.

It is an amazing historical building, with beautiful rooms. There are multiple very nice spaces to use for relaxing and even working. The rooms are quiet and beds are comfortable. We had a lovely view to the Golden gate bridge and the whole area around which was pleasant; we had picked it when booking the room. The breakfast was also quite nice, with a variety of fruits, sweets and savoury options. The staff were also very friendly and nice. As a hotel, we felt like they are abit cheap in service. The room does not have a TV or fridge, and not even a glass you could drink water. The shower was a disappointment; there was barely running water in our bathroom, and the water was constantly getting cold, so no proper shower was possible. The Wifi was also not so stable, on the 6th floor in our room. We had the “don’t disturb”sign on the room as we didn’t want room service, but they still intruded and tidied up the room, which we thought was strange. The bathroom was also not well maintained; those moldy grouts between tiles could be cleaned. There is parking for a fee of 39$ a night, which is pricy but convenient.

We love this hotel. A beautiful historic building. Beautiful common rooms, courtyards, bocce court, and swimming pool. A magical place. A kind, sweet , devoted staff.

We stayed here one night at the end of a coastal road trip and wish we had more time to hang out at the hotel and experience the retro Julia Morgan designed spaces including the bar. The location is set back a few blocks away from busier Shattuck which was nice and kept the outside noise at night to a minimum. The complimentary breakfast was delicious--great quiche and small pastries. We received coupons for free drinks and desserts at the restaurant but didn't have time to use them since we spent our evening with friends who live in Berkeley. The rooms are old without a TV or fridge or microwave which we found charming but could be a negative for someone looking for a modern room with all the amenities. We would definitely stay here again to have more time to explore the bar/ restaurant and the sitting spaces indoor and out.

Absolutely loved our stay at this beautiful, historic hotel. The rooms were lovely and the complimentary breakfast was great! Spencer at the front desk was adorable and very helpful. I enjoyed speaking with him. I’d definitely stay here again.

I wasn't expecting much more than a hotel that had a little bit of history attached to it. What I got was an experience. The Berkeley City Club was designed by Julia Morgan who had other small achievements like the Hurst castle! She built this building in 11 months and it opened in 1930 (she worked on Hurst castle for 1919 to 1947). I got the experience of staying in a building very similar in design to the Hurst castle; Beautiful Gothic Revival influences. The complimentary Continental breakfast served in Julia's Restaurant (Farm to table French restaurant) was one of the best I've had. Fresh juices, pastries, a selection of fresh fruits including pears and plums (hell, I'm lucky if the hotel has apples). They had these incredible individual eggs souffle...delicious! My room was small but very airy, thanks to being on the corner. Overall, i had a wonderful stay. I will definitely be staying here in the future if I'm working in the area. One more thing to add: the first two floors are completely open to explore and wander around. All rooms are available to check out including the event rooms, sitting areas, restaurants, patios etc.

Protect the city club at all costs! This venue is a hidden gem close to UC Berkeley. Yes, it is old. Yes, it is drafty but it is an architectural gem. Continental Breakfast in the restaurant is good and swimming in the pool is even better. Bring a swim cap

The Berkeley City Club is truly one of my favorite places for weddings in the Bay Area. I do makeup and hair, and over the years have had many clients that have had weddings here. It is so beautiful and special. Thank you for having me on your preferred vendor list. - Shana, Fox & Doll Makeup & Hair

We have tried the restaurant. The food is great. Parking is not the best. We did not book a room there. The ambiance to us is superb.

a lovely old-fashioned hotel with comgortsble beds and beautiful public spaces. the rooms are old but quite nice and the plaster walls and picture moldings are reminiscent of the 1920s. The breakfast is excellent and varied with attentive service. The restaurant and bar are delightful and quiet

Berkeley city club hotel has a rich history, being designed by Julia Morgan, a woman who was truly a pioneer of American architecture in the late 1920's. This hotel was coined the, "Little Castle", and from here began Julia's vision, particularly for women, who needed a place to unite and gather for social, cultural, recreational, and family related connections, in the East Bay. She called it the Berkeley women's city club, and it garnered over 4,000 female only members in 1930 for 33 years, until opening up to men as well in 1963, which then was renamed the Berkeley City Club. I provide the cursory history to validate my 5-star rating, as I'm in awe of this rich history. Would I normally choose the Berkeley City Club Hotel for my 5-night iconic milestone wedding anniversary with my husband? No way! Why? Well there are a litany of reasons, so let me provide the condensed version: no room service during stay (maybe towels if you ask nicely), need to be quiet as a mouse (unless you want a potential $500+ party disturbance fee, drafty as heck, paper thin walls, and that's just the tip of the iceberg! But, if you want to have a piece of history and really appreciate how well preserved and most recognized hotel that Berkeley has, then you've arrived at the right place. And truth be told, I'm honored and thrilled to be staying here.

This architectural gem is within walking distance of Berkeley college, which is why we chose it. The interiors are spectacular, a bit reminiscent of Hogwarts. Some areas could use an update, as the place feels a little odd. However, the beautiful details, staircases, windows and courtyard make up for it. The rooms are tidy but not luxurious. The service is just ok. Front desk checkin is also odd, not terribly welcoming. The only place to store luggage was self serve and felt less than secure. I can't say I recommend leaving any valuables there. If you want something out of the ordinary and need to be near Cal, this hotel might be for you.

Stayed here for my birthday weekend with the dear husband and I'm in love with this place. I felt like I was a cast in the Harry Potter's series! Room is dated but with a nice feel to it. Just how I liken I love how quaint it is and the view is fabulous! it's overlooking the bay, UC Berkeley campus and the hills! Bed is comfy! A little bit of fascinating history was this was designed by a woman architect, Julia Morgan! Super plus! +++ Staff was friendly, he was especially friendly when we were checking in. It came with a scrumptious continental breakast: quiche, hard boiled eggs, pastries, yogurt, and a slew of more goodness, but most especially, they have Peet's coffee! Indeed, I had a happy birthday! There is also an olympic pool, however between 9AM-12noon you have to make reservations and after noon, it's open for all. I would totally recommend and if given a chance, would absolutely stay here again!

Totally overrated. The accommodations were anything but comfortable and getting a good night sleep was impossible. There was no air conditioning so you had to sleep with the windows open which doesn't sound to bad until you realize the entire neighborhood was having a repaving project done all night. Constant construction noise. I really can't blame the hotel for this but they could have informed us and made some sort of accommodation. The only reason I gave it two stars was the continental breakfast was top notch

I took swimming lessons from Boris here when I was just 4 years old. I can still remember him. He was such a great teacher. He really taught me how to be a great swimmer because ten years later I was ranked first place in the USA for my event. He would reward me with a quarter if I did a good job. I thought that was a lot of money. With inflation that would be $2.75 today, because that was 1952. I'm glad to see that after 70 years that beautiful pool is still here. This is a beautiful club with great traditions.wish I lived closer to enjoy it once again.

Nice place, nice food. Natalie is super sweet, giving her 10 stars. Love the vibe here.

What an amazing piece of history nestled alongside UC Berkeley's campus! I have seen a few photos from the Berkeley City club's instagram, but they mainly feature the Julia Morgan Restaurant, the indoor pool (currently closed), and their courtyard for private events. I loved the character and charm embodied by the little castle! It was welcoming and cozy, and the staff was welcoming while remaining respectful of the social distancing protocols. Upon check in, you receive a small packet of hand sanitizer and disenfectant wipes. Elevator capacity is limited to one-household, and masks must be worn at all times when outside your room. I felt very safe while on the premises. Additionally, the views from my bedroom window were spectacular! I was in a room on the 6th floor (top floor) and had sweeping views of the bay. While the charm of a historic building comes with a few quirks (low water pressure and a noisy furnace you have to handle with care), I felt these were minor inconveniences to enjoying the overall ambience. Would definitely recommend to friends and family passing through Berkeley in the future!

This is the most beautiful and well maintained gem in California. my recent stay was unsurpassed with quality and memories to last. The restaurant was fabulously delicious and all the the staff was wonderful and kind. if you love architecture of the ages this is the little gem to see. I'm looking forward to my next stay....

Wow, we had such a great night here! This review has been sitting in my drafts for some time so it's a bit late (4 months; not much lol).. We had our graduation ceremony here on Friday, June 17th and it was amazing. Yulianna, Cynthia, Annie, Maria and all staff were the best with all the planning, event coordination, and making sure everything was setup on time and did it with such grace. This was my first time attending our event at the Berkeley city club and I would recommend this venue for your future events. We chose the 3-hour top shelf bar, steak/salmon/vegan pasta option, crab cakes, salmon bites, spinach spinikpota,, cocktail shrimps and many other appetizers. Everyone was so helpful and friendly which made our event very easy to manage. My only advice is to prep the speakers to talk closely and directly into the mic at the podium. Luckily, I have some experience with sound engineering and was able to control the volume/feedback but it's definitely something to keep in mind. Other than that, it was great event and we will definitely come back next year!!

After considering a membership for sometime and visiting several times, I finally decided to pass. The main reason was they don't offer a single fitness class after work or on weekends. They only offer classes during the week in the late morning or early afternoon. As a person with a full time job, there are no classes I can make, and really undermined the value of a membership. Please offer classes in the evenings and weekend. I'd purchase a membership in a second if you did! This is such a beautiful place.

Stayed there for the night. STUNNING. Will definitely be back again. Beautiful rooms, garden..everything.

We had a last minute emergency that required us to change the venue of our fundraiser with less than 6 hours notice and the Berkeley City Club (and specifically Al-Leigh) were so incredibly helpful and accommodating! I am so grateful to their team and will recommend them to anyone looking to host an event in Berkeley.

I had the pleasure of being a guest at Berkeley City Club. A close friend is a member and took me to lunch at Julia's. We sat at their outdoor dining area. Beautiful weather and it was the perfect Berkeley weather. The service was exquisite. The food was delicious. We started with les pommes de terre frites (it was the perfect French fries, skinny & crispy!). Then we both ordered the Salmon salad special (pictured). For dessert we opted to share the lemon Crème brûlée (perfection) accompanied by coffee. I can't wait to return. Next time I'd love to try the dinner menu. I enjoyed my first luncheon here. I look forward to the next time again.

My husband and I were supposed to get married at Berkeley City Club this past weekend, but of course COVID had different plans haha.. Instead, we had a small backyard ceremony and spent our wedding night at Berkeley City Club - it was absolutely perfect! The front office staff, Adrianna, was so kind to us when we got there and made sure we felt welcome. Once we got to our room, we were surprised with some champagne and mini desserts to congratulate us! It was so sweet and definitely made the evening extra special. In regards to COVID, there were hand sanitizing stations everywhere and everything felt very clean and comfortable. Unfortunately, no complimentary breakfast was served, but the staff said they're currently trying to add that back in - corona style! Thanks, BCC, for making our stay so enjoyable! We cannot wait to have our wedding reception there next summer! :)

I wish I could give this place 10/5 stars for the amazing service, great care, accommodating and kind staff alone... but add to that the stunning building and incredible views... it would break Yelp, I would give them so many stars! We got engaged the week everything shut down. After searching for somewhere that offered a refund for Covid aka "acts of God" (I think that's what most places call that kind of cancellation), my fiancé stumbled across this place and their prices were very reasonable, their refund policy beat the other places, the couches in the members lounge make for easy beautiful photos even WITH distancing (each group at a different chair/couch for artistic clustering), and they were really a joy to work with! In addition to Covid complications, we also had to plan for a family member who had very particular special needs and the hotel staff were beyond patient in figuring out everything and pulled it off beautifully! The chef is great and the food was very good quality and he was still kind enough to accommodate requests we made on customizing the menu! The hotel staff and wait staff are beyond kind and made us feel welcome every step of the way! They even remembered my family and asked about my nephew when we came back from our tasting. Heather (their event coordinator) was our main point of contact and she was very transparent, friendly, professional, and patient the whole time. Planning a wedding during a pandemic is a real challenge and can be emotionally draining but this place and the staff here was the saving grace that made the whole experience possible, beautiful, and they even brought joy back into the process. On top of ALL THAT, the whole building is gorgeous, photos here are beautiful and the bridal suite we stayed in had these huge, lovely windows that let in a nice sea breeze and overlooked the bay. The night before our wedding, we loved sitting on the couch, choosing our wedding music, and watching the sunset. This is such a special place! This really is the best place to work with and have a perfect wedding or, really, any event or even to just stay for vacation! We will definitely be coming back to visit more casually. So, I'd give this about 1,000,000,000/5 stars. Hope that doesn't break Yelp.

The staff is great. Nice ppl! One thing is they have no ppl of color that work there. There is 1 works in the kitchen you wouldn't know she existe. There is everything but black ppl. It needs more diversity of color. Other than that it's a nice hotel. They are doing upgrades to make rooms better. Nice ppl need more diversity in management and employees.

For anyone who loves architecture, staying at this club is a like a child going to Disneyland for the first time, as there is always something to see around the next corner. However, this review is going to focus on the first class service provided to my family by front office Manager Faith Tautua'a. We needed two rooms booked under my name to my cc, but that would allow my ailing 88 year old to check in early (Before I flew in for the night) for a family funeral so he could rest before the services began. When Faith understood the logistics and situation, she immediately said, "Mr. Zedlar, I understand and I will take care of your Father. I will make sure he has a room to rest." Faith delivered 100%. My Father checked in without a hitch and was able to rest before the funeral services of one of the pillars of our family. Lastly, when I checked in, I offered Faith a $50 tip to thank her for kindness and professionalism, she instantly slid the money back and said, "First, thank you very much, but it would mean more to the club if you could write a review." To me, that makes her the Berkley Club employee of the year when she is more concerned about the reputation of the club before her personal gain.

Wow, had a fantastic stay at this fine establishment. Was immediately greeted by very friendly staff who made us feel right at home. Grabbed a drink with my wife and we were then treated to a surprisingly wonderful tour by a gentleman named Mark. The tour was fabulous and Mark was very knowledge about the space and history of Berkeley. He also had a great sense of humor and made it fun! The place is beautiful but the people really make this this building sing. Thank you again to the staff (big ups to the bartender and bar manager) and in particular Mark! You guys rock.

We arrived at the City Club on Thursday June 18, 2021 around 3:00 PM. This is a wonderful get away location we have cherished and sponsored several months a year for the past 10 years. We have appreciated this place for its historical architecture for its historical decor and friendly staff. Sadly, this place has changed. Eventhough after reopening its doors after the COVID-19 related closure, the architecture remains intact in its outside, inside it is a completely different story. Before we address the inside I must stay how disappointing it was walking in the premise and being received "greeted" by some type of property manager in a very cold, impersonal almost punitive in character. Upon our arrival she approached us at the top of the stair and yelled "You guys need to wear masks, and if you don't have any, we have some back there." She was rushing around erratically, for no reason, since we were the only guests at the site, at that time. She pointed at...we don't know where.... We were ok with her cold welcoming, we understand people are panicking about the COVID thingy, and they should, but since the Club is Just reopening, a more gentle greeting would had been appreciated. This is particularly necessary because there were no signs outside the door stating mandatory use of mask. The real shocker was how much Japanese furniture and decor have been added to the inside. These cheap, Japanese pictures, tansu, chairs, picture frames, vases, tasteless flower pots with pasted on codfish, heavily ornate bureaus, chinoiserie style bookcases, etc...all really repulsive and vulgarly out of place. At times we felt like walking into an all-you-can eat cheap sushi restaurant in the middle of an Asian furniture flea market. Nothing wrong with Asian furniture, but for the city club...? That was ridiculous. Also the premises were dirty with cobweb everywhere, There was no sign of maintenance personnel other than a single guy running around, exploited keeping the place head over waters. The women working the office and the general manager should walk around with a rag, dusting off the place, that would be a good use of their time. The breakfast given was only comparable to US Army MRE's. One hard boiled egg, one tasteless peach yogurt, and a really dry chocolate croissant. These breakfast boxes were stacked up at the front of the reception booth, with a $45 sign right behind them. Not sure what that was all about but we felt confused and werent sure if they were charging $45 for such breakfast insults. To add insult to injury, when you approach such breakfasts boxes the receptionist locked eye with yours to ensure their ostentatious display was indeed effective, maybe hoping you left behind a $20, a $20 and a $5 atop the table. The room: it was clean, however there was paint peeling off from the bathtub walls. Not safe for children. There was also a non functioning water knob on the shower pipe head-high which posed a serious threat. We hit it on our way down to soap our feet, and on our way up to rinse them out. This was just an absolute poor design. In the bed area, the mattress was hard as a rock, this made us feel like sleeping at the Tower of London, It was simply a true punishment. But, the biggest problem was the two sharp acorn bedroom curtain hooks, which were screwed right behind the bed, were there should had been a head rest head level. In the middle of the night, upon raising to use the restroom we banged our heads bloody upon them every time. I had to unscrew the acorns from the hooks in order to avoid being maimed by such terrible negligence. Lastly, outside our room there was a black and white picture of Julia Morgan accompanied by Two reproduction paintings of the same picture on each side. These had no decorative, nor historical value. We weren't sure we felt like Julia Morgan's presence times three was spying on us. I hope they spread them out or just get rid of the extra two. We wander if the paintings were viewed as the unwanted gift you have to say thank you for. Really, too much beauty in a single wall. We will continue supporting this place because the restaurant is beyond wonderful. Exquisite French cuisine, fresh ingredients, amazing duck, trout...really excellent. But what set this restaurant and the Berkeley city club apart from the average is the phenomenal Staff at Julia's restaurant. There were absolutely professional, accommodating, attentive, friendly, responsible and over all gems. We want to say thank you, especially to Maria and Karel. We would love to be back just to see them again.

We used the Berkeley City Club for our wedding venue. Madison was our coordinator leading up the wedding, and was clear and prompt in all of her communications. The venue itself is so classic; we brought in minimal decorations, since the venue itself is so beautiful. Our dinner was fantastic, and the kitchen was extremely accommodating with dietary restrictions. And the staff is so so so friendly. I can't stress this enough. During our wedding, we all felt that everyone there was also having a good time along with us. Seeing their happiness and excitement for us really added to the event.

We signed up for a tour through Door Open. We were in group of 6, and the docent are current club members. We got to visit all the areas and see one of Julia Morgan's master piece. The do have restaurant, bar, pool, garden, hotel, etc.

I just became a member two months ago. It's a gorgeous play to go to and swim, and just soak in the exquisite Julia Morgan architecture and the collection of chinoiserie they have collected over the years. They have interesting activities, like painting and voice coaching. The pool is divine and very few people ever there. I looked into accomodations for friends and the value you get is unbelievable. The following are pics of a suite, which with the member discount would have come to only about 200 per night.

Just came back from a great stay. I cannot say enough about how much this magical Julia Morgan building is. We had a suite (worth it) and enjoyed every second of every well thought out space in the hotel. We were there on a Sunday so no restaurant and bar but that didn't matter. Great stay. Bed very firm but slept better here than at home. Incredible views. Yummy breakfast. Interior spaces like no other. Would stay again 10 out of 10.

My sister and I stayed here for a one night stay after driving up from LA. The hotel is BEAUTIFUL! The gentleman who checked us in was very nice and gave us a quick history of the building. We dropped our items in our room and took a look around and the grounds. There were hand sanitizers near the elevators and doors and they even gave us sanitizing wipes when we checked in which was awesome. I can't wait to come back for a longer stay and more time to appreciate the architecture.

We were married at the Berkeley City Club in November of 2021, and it was the most magical and lovely wedding anyone could hope for! We started looking for venues in January of 2020, and toured one or two before we visited the City Club. We pretty much knew it was our spot from the second we walked through the door. Julia Morgan's "Little Castle" is exactly that; romantic, elegant, intimate yet large enough for a medium-sized wedding like ours. I haven't seen architecture as beautiful anywhere else in the Bay Area, and the price was on the high end of our budget but still affordable. Our first point of contact, Heather, was incredibly helpful, knowledgeable, and accommodating. She answered all of our questions and was flexible enough to allow us to customize the packages they offered to our meet our needs. By July of 2020 it was clear we would not be able to safely hold our wedding on our original date (late November, 2020). Heather and the City Club team were so understanding, supportive, and comforting during a challenging time. They rescheduled our wedding for the same weekend of the following year and helped us feel excited even when things felt pretty bleak. By the time we got back in touch in early 2021, there had been some staff transitions, but eventually we were put in touch with Yulianna, who was an absolute rockstar throughout the final days of our wedding planning. We threw a ton of questions at her and she answered them in a kind and timely way. At the rehearsal and the day of, Yulianna was with us every step of the way and went the extra mile to make sure every detail was perfect. The serving staff at our wedding were incredible (especially Maria!), and the whole team made us feel like royalty. Overall, the Berkeley City Club made our dream wedding happen and we would recommend it to anyone looking for their fairytale wedding venue!

We recently had our wedding here on 3/13/21. My husband and I are so grateful for Berkeley City Club and the staff that assisted with our special day. Not only was the venue flexible and accommodating, but made planning a wedding during a pandemic very easy. We primarily worked with Heather for the majority of the wedding planning- not only was she professional, but also supportive and so kind. Madison took over for our rehearsal and day of and she was equally kind, supportive, and professional. The entire staff the day of were professional, communicative, and flexible. The venue itself is beautiful and we were so happy to get pictures everywhere. The benefit of beautiful architecture and decor is needing less additions day of. The location is also ideal to explore Berkeley and all it's unique eateries. I highly recommend Berkeley City Club for any special events.

Wow, impressive visit on a Living Social Voucher for $99 a night. We only stayed Saturday night. We walked around most of the hotel and really enjoyed it. I give this hotel five stars because our visit was so pleasant. We were upgraded to a suite first of all. All the staff we came into contact with were friendly and helpful, welcoming and warm. Our suite was so comfortable with a queen bed with matress pad, tiled bathroom, several large closets, and a sitting room which included a twin bed that may have been a trundle. We were in room 304 on the third floor and they had a wifi router near the elevator. The wifi in our room was good but we had trouble streaming a movie, but surfing the internet and email were fine. The room was as clean as could be and I felt good staying there. As many say the architecture of the building and details is outstanding, so beautiful. The garden areas through the windows takes you back in time. The pool was gorgeous but we didn't use it. Parking was $20 per night and the lot is next door to the hotel. To address some of the complaints, the windows in the rooms are original and I could see how it could be noisy during the week but there was no construction while we were there. They provided ear plugs which was a nice touch and they work, use them! The staff were excellent, not sure what that is all about. The shower/tub was excellent even with hot and cold separate faucets. The location is excellent, close to University, Telegraph Ave., Bart and the shopping district. We brought our bikes and took the Bicycle Blvd. to the Marina and to the 4th Street shopping. Great stay and we will definitely keep in mind when we visit Berkeley again.

We stayed here before a work-related conference at UC Berkeley the next day. Many things were awesome, including: easy to make a reservation at a good rate over the phone with a friendly lady, the beautiful architecture, the parking lot, the awesome city and water view out our window, the easy access to campus (quick and cheap to catch a ride in the am, nice and easy to walk home in the pm). The bed was amazingly comfortable, the hallways quiet, and the staff and guests super nice and friendly. And since we arrived late and left early, we didn't even get to use all the amenities, which looked ever-so-sweet, including the beautiful looking restaurant (just the quickest ever bite of breakfast in the am, which was included), the few garden areas on site (somewhat illuminated and still beautiful even at night), and the famous pool (bring your swim-cap, apparently). The only downside, really, was when the fire alarm went off in the middle of the night. And, ooops, apparently it was the second night in the row to do so... Comfortable bed and bay breeze or no, I had a pretty tough time getting back to sleep after that.

The Sills/Nisperos wedding is the best wedding I've ever witnessed, in my life, ever *chef's kiss* Love always and forever, Daniel

Bay Area Gem of a venue. I hosted a Bridal Tea Party for my daughter in the Drawing Room. We used several of the venue tables charming wood chairs to create one long grand table. House linens were nice so why rent. I simply brought an burlap overlay to create a look I wanted. This room has a lovely patio off of it to enjoy and we had our our private extra large restroom/ powder room. Street parking is only 2 hours but most of us parked in public parking at 2315 Ellsworth St which is at corner just few feet away from venue. I paid $6.00 for all day parking . A few guest found $5.00 lot for parking a block away. This venue has plenty of friendly staff everywhere you turn making you feel very pampered. Our food was outstanding. I highly recommend this venue for a variety of gatherings

We recently hosted our Welcome Reception/Sangeet for a cross-cultural wedding at the Berkeley City Club and can't say enough about the venue, the food, and the people who helped us make it all happen. Victoria was amazing at helping us seamlessly organize everything we needed and wanted. Pricing was transparent and the event went on without a hitch. Everyone here was incredibly friendly, accommodating, and easy to work with. The staff is full of seasoned pros who know how to get an event put together. Then there was the FOOD. We were a bit hesitant to ask a French chef make Indian food for our guests but wow, Chef Marcon delivered. From the tandoori lamp chops to the mango pudding, everything was made from scratch with fresh seasonal ingredients that all tasted incredible. This night was one of 3 big events for our wedding and our guests could not stop raving about the food. Hats off to Chef. Highly recommend this venue for anyone looking to host a wedding or other large event.

We had a wedding with 95 guests at BCC in August 2022. It is an exceptionally beautiful, historic venue - not only the wedding spaces, but the entire building where we and most of our wedding party spent the weekend. Between the garden courtyards, the pool, the top-floor balconies, the member's lounge, etc, there are countless gorgeous locations for photos to range from lush to stately to elegant to sunny. The venue staff live up to the old-world class of the building by providing exceptional services on site: great food at Julia's restaurant, a very complete bar at Morgan's, a well run hotel upstairs. Our wedding weekend felt like a vacation in an old European town center. The venue worked well with all of our vendors, and though there are some restrictions about how the historic spaces can be used, we were able to make everything work. I would highly recommend the Berkeley City Club for anyone who wants a wedding venue that feels totally unique, yet still classic, elegant, and historic. Your planner and photographer will love working with BCC. Berkeley is also a wonderful place to spend a wedding weekend: great weather, lots of great restaurants and cafes, lovely hikes nearby in the east bay hills, and close to major airports. A few pieces of advice for those considering a wedding here: - BCC has done a great job with certain accessibility retrofits, but ultimately it is still an old building. One member of our wedding party was in a wheelchair and found certain parts of the building difficult to navigate. - The complimentary tasting is limited to 2 first course and 3 entree selections. We arranged to pay extra to be able to try more first courses and entrees. - If you're designing a custom cocktail and want to make sure that it's just right, reach out to the venue to work out the details early. We found that the bar had trouble reproducing our recipe at banquet scale - it was still delicious, but that detail could have been smoothed out earlier in the process. - Lodging at BCC and most nearby hotels is pricey. Make sure your wedding guests will be able to afford it. Try to book a room block at an inexpensive hotel nearby early in the planning process. - Pay attention to UC Berkeley schedules when planning your wedding weekend. Rehearsal dinners and afterparty spots are much easier to book in the summer before the students are around. - Consider Le Bateau Ivre for your rehearsal dinner, Cornerstone for your afterparty, and Cameron Stanford House for your Sunday brunch. We loved them all.

We couldn't be more grateful to the Berkeley City Club team for providing us such a beautiful venue for our ceremony and reception and helping us bring our wedding vision to life! When we first saw the venue, we immediately fell in love. The architecture and classic, romantic atmosphere matched perfectly with our vision. Victoria was incredible to work with and so flexible; ensuring every detail was exactly what we wanted and how we wanted it. The team the day of from catering, to hospitality, executed flawlessly. This venue and the team are the very best and we will be back often to visit and will be reliving our special day over and over for years to come!

My family and I had such a lovely experience with the Berkeley City Club. I decided to go through with a small wedding this August despite all the limitations of Covid-19. The BCC events coordinator, Heather, really pulled out all the stops to make it a special day for us out on their terrace. Delicious food and drinks were served in a safe and thoughtful way. My guests were able to sit outside with the right amount of distance between us but an atmosphere that brought us together. We even got to dance! Thanks to BCC for making it happen.

As mentioned in most reviews, The Berkeley City Club is an impressive example of Julia Morgan's work. This might only matter to you if you know her buildings dotted all over the East Bay. The lobby, indoor swimming pool and lounge areas were impressive when I arrived on a rainy day. The elevator is funky. And then you step out into a barren, awkward foyer/hallway onto the guest floors. My room was small with a huge closet and tiny, updated bathroom. The bed and bedding were very comfortable and it was easy to sleep. My complaint is with the heating and lack of electrical outlets. There was a small floor heater that could only be plugged in the bathroom and aimed into the room. Because the space is small, my room was warm and cozy within a few hours. There is a lack of electrical outlets; the one available outlet in my room was in the bathroom, opposite the mirror. Also, the only lighting in the bathroom is over-head and a dim 40 watt bulb at that. The complimentary breakfast was in a cold large hall with lots of south facing windows. Plenty of food: bagels, juice, coffee. One industrial-looking toaster that all the guests fought over, plugged onto a snarl of extension cords. Again to reach an electrical outlet far away. I grew up in Berkeley/Oakland. It's difficult to find a luxurious, or even comfortable, hotel in the Eastbay. If a warm comfortable relaxing room to come back to at the end of your travels, is what you seek, I wouldn't recommend The Berkeley City Club. But given your choices, it's not awful.

Stayed here after flying in on no sleep from east coast. Put me in a room right next to a wedding receptions. Couldn't hear myself think. but heard every toast and wedding song the band played. Asked for a room change. they were sold out. The wedding would be over by midnight. dont ever stay here unless you are part of the wedding. No sleep no fun. Super loud and very annoying.

You've heard of the slow food movement. If the Slow Hotel Movement catches on, the Berkeley City Club would epitomize what it is all about. The building itself is beautiful. Designed by renown architect Julia Morgan (who also did Hearst Castle) and built in 1929, it has that old world charm with classic features such as cane chairs in the "Coffee Corner", glass doorknobs, diamond paned glass, indoor swimming pool and even a "drawing room." No TVs exist in the charming, cozy rooms. Rather a TV sitting room is provided around the corner from the Julia Morgan historical room. No WiFi in the rooms either. There are hot spots outside the elevators at each floor but otherwise you have to use the 1st and 2nd floor public areas to get any Internet connection. What would a multi-tasking woman like myself do? I spied a box of mineral bath salts in the bathroom. So I took a long overdue soak. Room 408 was quietly in the corner with a beautiful unobstructed view of Golden Gate, Alcatraz and SF. If you like fresh air, parents with adventurous toddlers might want a room that does not have a long drop. The waist-high windows do not have screens and open wide, right out to the breezy air. Parking wise, there is no bellhop. In fact, the lot ($12 to park) is not close to the hotel itself. If you get here on the weekend, just be sure to park on the nearby streets after 5:00 pm and all of Sunday is free. Breakfast is a treat. Fresh fruit, Greek yogurt, freshly-baked goods, scrambled eggs, some sort of meat hash and straight-out-of-the-oven mini fruit cobblers. The latter was to die for, served up in ramekins with walnuts, plums and apples. Heating is by a steam radiator contraption. It started hissing around 5:00 am, but I was already awake by then. Management obviously knows this can become problematic, there were two pairs of ear plugs by our bedside. Groupon lured me to this place, roughly half off at $80 for two including breakfast. When I was a student at Cal, this building was not a public hotel! It is still a private club, but they have a theatre and as I'm typing this they are filming a movie on the 2nd floor. With all the actors dressed up from the 1940s in their suits and fedoras, it made for quite a sight!

We had our wedding ceremony and reception at the Berkeley City Club this past June. While the wedding was beautiful and we loved spending the day with our friends and family, the 1.5+ year journey leading up to our wedding working with the BCC was less than smooth. The good things first: The venue is stunning. The terrace was the perfect spot for the ceremony (when you cover the side opening with curtains to block views of the parking lot and free clinic) - it allows you to have an outdoor ceremony while still being covered from the sun. The library for cocktail hour is gorgeous. The reception hall was the perfect size for a wedding of 135 with a dance floor in the middle. It was so nice to have separate spaces for each part, but all of them flowed so well into each other and made for easy transitions. There are also so many hidden gardens and spots for pictures around the club. The venue also being a hotel was a HUGE plus. Being able to celebrate all evening and then just take the elevator to your room was perfect for us and our guests. Catering / Bartenders - the food was delicious! The zucchini ravioli was a big hit and the flat iron stake with chimichurri was delicious. Lots of compliments from our guests on the food! The bartenders were also amazing - despite serving the wrong beer, they poured generously and were on top of serving our guests and also making sure that myself and the groom always had a drink when we needed one! And then the bad: Events Management Turnover - in the time since we signed our contract to when we had our wedding we went through 5 different events managers. There was also a time when there was no events manager and we were concerned that our wedding might not even take place. None of the events managers kept good notes, we had to repeat information multiple times, things were promised to us that ended up not happening as each person had a different opinion of what was offered. The last management change happened just over 3 weeks out from our wedding - it was incredibly frustrating starting from scratch with a new contact so close to the wedding day. Over promised, under delivered - throughout working with our 5 events managers, one of them told us we could have our choice of colored linens. Our final events manager (the one that came in 3 weeks before the wedding) came in and tried to take that away from us, saying it was something that was not offered. We pushed back since we were so close to the wedding date and they finally agreed to bring in colored linens for us at no extra charge....BUT on our wedding day the colored linens (we had asked for white tablecloths and navy napkins) weren't there. Instead it was their standard off-white / cream linens. While this isn't a HUGE deal, it did change the look of the room and what we had been hoping for. We also picked from their menu all of the alcohol that we would want at the wedding. We confirmed our choices with them the week before the wedding and made bar signage that listed each item. On our wedding day, the BCC changed all the beer types that they served at our wedding (without informing us) so what we had listed for our guests was incorrect. The types of beers weren't even close or comparable to what we had asked (if we ask for an IPA at least switch it out for another IPA). Overall, the wedding was a success and the venue was beautiful. Just beware of the high turnover and attention to detail. You'll need to be on top of your communication with this venue.

Gayle and I recently attended the wedding of one of her employees here at the Berkeley City Club. The Bride was nervous and later told my lovely Bride that when she came into the ceremony and saw her smiling face, she knew everything was going to be all right. We had a fabulous time together in this wonderful monument to Julia Morgan. This was the wedding that Gayle and I could have had, even though I wouldn't have changed our Walnut Creek Civic Park venue. The building and it's architecture is fabulous, and has me wondering how we can return for dinner, some other event, or even a hotel evening away from home. The service from Berkeley City Club staff was top notch, starting at the Julia's bar and continuing on through the reception and dinner. The Bride was radiant and the energy was joyful, as we danced the night away.

OK, so I don't need to describe the gorgeous architecture, which others already have done. Several years ago the Aurora Theatre performed here and we saw a few of their productions. Their performance space was on the first floor, a large room w/ 2 rows of chairs around the perimeter, one on the floor level, the other about 6-8 inches taller behind it. If there was a third row I don't remember. It was a theatre in the round, an incredibly intimate performance space where you didn't have the privacy of darkness to hide your tears if you were moved. Tonight Nina and I had tickets for the Del Sol String Quartet as part of the Berkeley Chamber Performances. The performance space was on the second floor, a large auditorium w/ a stage. Rows of folding chairs were set up but the crowd was sufficiently large to require more chairs be brought in. The room was chilly enough for coats to be necessary but that wasn't a problem. The architectural details were a marvel to look at, the acoustics were excellent and the performance was terrific. I'll probably review it tomorrow.

I had a Living Social deal to stay here, so I thought for a night during Labor Day weekend, my bf and I could have a little staycation in the East Bay to get away from our cluttered little studio for a change of scenery. It was easy to get to Berkeley City Club from the downtown BART station (just down Shattuck and hang a left on Durant for a few blocks), and we checked in easily (check-in is at 3PM). They ran out of rooms with queens, but we got a sweet room on the top 6th floor with a view of the Bay and San Francisco in the distance. Actually, the room was a bit smaller than our little studio, but at least it wasn't cluttered (woo, I needed this break!). The room had plenty of towels, extra blankets and pillows, a room heater, phone, clock/radio and shampoo/conditioner, soap, lotion blow dryer and ironing board in the bathroom. After checking in, I decided to take a dip in the pool. You need a code from the front desk person to get into the changing room, which seemed to be co-ed but luckily empty when I went in to change (they have little booths for privacy). The changing room was a little dank and needs some updating, but it served its purpose (towels are provided) and I quickly changed and headed to the pool.. What a lovely, historical pool with water that is not heavily chlorinated - loved it! There's a viewing area where people can actually watch you while you swim - this was a little strange but oh well. A wedding was going on during my swim and the party was taking pictures right outside the window - oh well, I don't think they could see me enough to get me in the shot, thank goodness. I enjoyed my laps in the relatively empty pool, and I loved the mosaic tiling of the floor. I quickly changed back and went up to my room to shower - aww, very relaxing! We loved wandering around the hotel to the little tucked in gardens with beautiful flowers and charming fountains to the TV room, rooms where weddings and conferences can be held, reading the historical timelines of the hotel history and architecture on big poster boards. The architecture and design of the hotel is lovely and very Euro-influenced - loved it!! According to my bf, the building needs some work, but I loved the overal feeling of it. There's a hair salon and a skin care spa also at the hotel, and there was a lovely breakfast in the morning included with your room rate (eggs, potatoes, freshly baked pastries, cereal, oatmeal, juice assortment, coffee, tea - wish there was bacon though or some kind of meat!). The front desk guy was all right at giving instructions when asked direct questions about the hotel, but otherwise, he was a bit strange I'd have to say, sort of rambled and didn't make much sense when trying to make general conversation. The lady in the morning was a little better, although my interaction with her was limited. There's free Wi-Fi, free coffee, tea and water in the lobby all the time, picture postcards and cards you can buy, and the elevator is super smooth (they are adding a 2nd elevator too). The rooms were relatively quiet except for this whirring sound outside maybe from the ventilation system - it became sort of background white noise eventually though and didn't bother us much. We didn't do much in the evening as we are not too familiar with Berkeley, but we went to a nice French restaurant on Shattuck and then went to bed early with full bellies and food coma. We slept so well on the nice, comfy bed...z...z.z...z..z.. Check-out was easy enough too (it is at 11AM). Thank you, BCC for a lovely stay!

Lots has been said about the BCC. I don't have any new descriptions or relating of events I've gone to there. Just a couple small stories and a tip or 2. I lived in the Berkeley / Albany area for 30+ years, as a Cal student, then raising a family. I lived for a year in the Ida Sproul Dorms in the 60's and a great apt. building on the same block on Durant. I was married at the Chapel of the Methodist church on the corner of Durant & Dana. I walked to work everyday down this street for a year to the Pacific Phone. company near Shattuck. In other words, a lot of life events happened to me in the immediate neighborhood. I never ONCE noticed this building. And I love old buildings. I don't know why this one is so reclusive & anonymous from the outside. The color? Then I moved away, but with adult children still living in the area, I tried lots of B & B's , hotels and then-- the City Club. On my 1st visit, I was so excited to experience it, but was actually dismayed by it. It was a kind of loaded situation. We got a small room with twin !?!? beds. It seemed like a YMCA as far as room furnishings. And our teenage son at the last minute joined us & so 3 of us in the room. It was not ideal. But I liked the location well enough, the place itself a marvel and the price & breakfast included definitely a plus. So the next, and repeated visits we found a room we love... the furnishings, bathroom, etc are still out of date & schlumpy... BUT, and I might regret telling this, the best rooms are the upper floors, back corners. And the reason? You have views on 2 sides, out to the bay and over the Cal campus. And outside your door is the best... at the end of the hall is a large low-walled patio, where you can sit out & have drinks and enjoy the view. It is really very nice. To illustrate how well used this club/ hotel is by locals and non-hotel guests, while staying one time, after a swim [ we had the pool to ourselves] we were walking back through the lobby area when a small group of women were happily have a book talk over tea at a very lovely sitting area overlooking the courtyard. One of them noticed my curiosity & invited me to join. Wet dripping hair, towel wrapped around me, I accepted a cup and cookies and a lively discussion! So we'll go back, again & again. It's the best in the Cal area.

I had my wedding at the Berkeley City Club last June. It is Julia Morgan at her best - the building and the decor are stunning and all the different rooms create such a gorgeous backdrop for the reception. We held our ceremony in a nearby church instead of the city club, but guests were able to walk between locations. Guests raved about the venue and the events staff was wonderful. Sandy Roissier, who manages events, is incredible. She was on top of every detail and made the entire process very easy for us. The bridal suite is a wonderful touch, with a lovely view of the bay. You can also schedule your hair appointment at the salon on the ground floor - Dale Oxley hair studio is fantastic and the location is so convenient. My only suggestion would be to shop around for day-of coordinators if it's allowed. The woman we were assigned was nice but not very proactive or engaged. She didn't arrive until a few hours before the ceremony so my bridesmaids and I had to deal with a vendor or two. Luckily, Sandy was there and took over for us. Other than that the day went exactly as planned and I couldn't be happier. Cal alumni with CAA membership even receive a discount! I absolutely recommend Berkeley City Club for an unforgettable, beautiful wedding. Service Provided 5, Experience 5

What a cool spot. My friend and I had a stay-cation here. We loved the library area. I can see why many folks host events here because the architecture is amazing. There's a huge pool and a continental breakfast in the morning. Wi-Fi is spotty and the shower takes awhile to warm up. Otherwise, it's a decent place to lay your head for a night, it's not too bad. If you're looking for a luxury suite, this isn't it. The location is close to downtown and the campus. If you use the designated parking spots it's $20. Street parking didn't seem too bad if you arrive after 6pm. Just check the street signs. It might be a cool spot to host an event.