This is an extraordinary hotel! I stayed here over thanksgiving weekend, slipping in due to a last minute cancellation. What a magnificent stay! It's somewhat like being in a dream. The hotel was designed by Julia Morgan in the early 1900's. It was designed as a women's club and had 4,000 members. The rooms are warm and inviting with beautiful views of the
Bay, the dining room was lovely with excellent food. The lobbies are exquisite with many formal special event rooms including a grand ballroom. In addition, they have an amazing swimming pool which is huge.

The staff awe warm and caring and very helpful. I cam't wait to visit again. The manager actually carried my suitcases outside the day i left... That's service!

We had a chance to stay in this Hotel two weeks ago. The building architecture wise is just beautiful (no wonder it has a nickname called "little castle"), however, maybe the building is just plain too old or lack of maintenance, the room that we were staying (Room 601) has bad water damage on the ceiling and it was never taken care of. We were excited to use the beautiful swimming pool... again, on the picture, it looks great, but it too also was just too old and you can see some damage on the bottom of the pool and during winter time, the lighting in the indoor swimming pool was not bright enough, so it's a bit creepy to swim there... The bedroom that we had (601) was also really small, compare to regular hotel room. As another reviewer mentioned, this room is right next to the elevator and the building was so old, so during the night we didn't really have good sleep.

Room 601 is quite unique as I think this is the ONLY room that with a outside balcony which you can open it up but you probably don't want to go outside as it's kinda scary (not good if you have young children.. as I don't feel safe)... The bathtub was original, pretty, but uh...same issue with an open-to-dangerous balcony...

The FREE breakfast was good though, a bit more choices than a typical cheap continental breakfast...(donuts, coffee, etc.). You do get really nice fresh juice, pastry, toast, muffin, etc.. but that's about it. Don't expect a $30 type of buffet breakfast...

One quick note, this is a "private" club that has some long-term residents living in here, mix with hotel guests. It's kind of unique I guess although it didn't bother us.

Parking and roller bed were charged separately. So although we got a good deal from LivingSocial, at the end we paid around $150 for one night (including tax, etc.).

Also, they give you real "keys" of the hotel room and there is no plastic key cards. So you want to be careful not to lose those real room keys...

Overall, we had a rather "unique" experience in this little castle. However we probably won't come back again though...as once is probably enough.. :)

I got a Groupon for this place and went for 2 nights - loved the place, staff were amazingly helpful and friendly - feels like a real people place, I felt they knew me after just a 2 night stay. It was lovely to experience the character of the building too - beautiful architecture. Great breakfast in wonderful dining room, lovely way to start the day. I'm going back!

If you love history. If you love Julia Morgan. You will love the Berkeley City Club. Originally a women's-only club, it has been painstakingly restored and is now part of Historic Hotels of America. Not today's boutique hotel, the BCC is all about quiet elegance of bygone times. If your heart's desire is to live like a king or queen, the Berkeley City Club is your getaway kingdom. With a Julia Morgan design, affectionately known as "The Little Castle," it's the closest you'll ever come to a night at her legendary Hearst Castle. Only members and guests can indulge in the indoor heated swimming pool, reminiscent of the bigger castle's famous Roman Pool. Guest rooms are cozy and TV-free, while common areas beckon you to unwind and garden courtyards offer meditative space. Bring a good book. A good friend. A lover. Come solo. Check online for special events and theatrical productions performed at the Club. The rate includes a continental breakfast and it's a great location! Just blocks from Shattuck, Telegraph, and UC Berkeley campus. Great dining and area attractions. Nearby performing arts district.

WI-FI spots throughout. Coffee and tea in the lobby. Lunch and dinner is now served Tuesday - Saturday at Julia's. This is a one-of-a-kind. Leave your notions of modern hotels behind. There are some larger suites but hotel rooms are of that era -- smaller but big enough. Julia never intended you to spend time in the room. It was all about the public spaces and gardens. The exquisite tile work in bathrooms, the pool. garden courtyards -- sensory overload. Tiny architectural details everywhere you look -- spend some time exploring. It's what Julia would want. Prices are very reasonable by Bay Area standards.