First trip to San Francisco, heard that the hotels were expensive in the downtown core, so we opted for Berkeley. It seemed a little far but doable, so long as you have a rental car.

I had to admit I thought the hotel was a little pricey, but after staying there I can understand why. We arrived in the middle of the week and the hotel was booked solid. We was lucky to get a room by booking online. The room was clean, it had no funny smells, and the shower had good water pressure. The TVs were all upgraded to flat screens, which was a nice perk. The beds were comfortable and I wanted to take the pillows home with me. You even have the option of soft or firm pillows which were marked. Breakfast was also included with the price of the room. It was one of the better breakfasts I have had in a hotel. There is the option of eggs, sausages, pancakes, danishes, toast, coffee, tea, etc. Definitely, worth the stay.

After the first night stay, I thought about staying longer but the hotel was booked solid and I had plans to drive up the coast.
Maybe, next time.

As part of business trip I stayed in Holiday Inn in Berkeley.
Later I extended the stay for vacation as well.
It was much cheaper than staying is SF, just 20 min from the SF city center.
The hotel is renovated, provides free WiFi and cable internet connection.
Free parking on site.
Free breakfast is great, especially the cinnamon rolls :-)
Evening reception was very helpful and nice.
Overall - nice place to stay, cheaper than San Francisco options.

Berkely seems to have two kinds of hotels.....the totally over the top expensive & the dumpy, cheaper places! The Holiday Inn Express is kind of in the middle. It is nice, clean, good location and plenty of parking. The rooms are good sized and quiet, the beds are comfortable. The breakfast is the standard Holiday Inn Express fare, but it is free and there are plenty of choices. I will stay here again.

Clean, comfortable, attentive staff. Elevator and luggage cart! Definitely a good value for the money in Berkley. We were a little concerned as we were driving toward the Inn, thinking it might not be the best of neighborhoods. But we realized that we were quite safe, as we parked in the enclosed lot. Breakfast was typical self-service, but nice. Definitely recommend.