My husband and I stayed here in September while visiting my daughter at school. The location is fantastic! We were in walking distance to Slow, Chez Panisse, the campus, Telegraph Street, and the BART. It was nice to be close enough to meet our daughter for a meal or a quick walk in between her classes. We did not go to the restaurant, but it was pretty crowded all 3 nights we were there. Our first room had a very large bathroom, and a smaller bedroom. At our request, we were given an alternate room which was larger. Be sure to ask if you aren't satisfied with your room. Our room faced Shattuck, where I could thoroughly enjoy the sights and sounds of Berkeley.

When the hotels in San Francisco get booked up because of the endless series of conventions, I just stay in Berkeley and use BART to get back and forth quickly (I don't like paying more than $200/night, but I aim for a 4-star experience). The Shattuck Plaza is -- quite literally -- across the street from the Downtown Berkeley BART stop and in the heart of Berkeley's restaurant district (yes, a few homeless gather there, but even when I arrived on BART well after midnight, there were many others getting off BART at the same stop, and the area is well lit). Beautiful old building nicely restored just a few years ago with some fun and funky common-area finishes. Rooms are smallish, as expected in a 100-year-old hotel. But the decor is extremely well done so the accommodations feel current but cozy. Like nice European hotels, if you aren't happy with the room you're assigned, and there's alternate availability, they will gladly show you options. And do look if you're unsatisfied with your first assignment. Different rooms have different configurations, different bathroom sizes and variable angles on the TV (e.g., in my room, the TV wasn't on an extendable swivel so the viewing angle from the bed wasn't ideal). All bathrooms that I saw were very small (room for one)...but done up with first-class finishes. Only suggestion I would make is for management to install a magnifying make-up mirror in the bathroom as well as a full-length mirror somewhere in the room (e.g., back of the closet door). View from my room was a spectacular -- albeit distant -- panoroma of the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco skyline (but I'd focus more on a room you like v. a view you'll enjoy once or twice briefly). Spectacular sunsets my first evening there. While I'm not a fan of the on-site restaurant, the hotel is a great place to stay while visiting Berkeley or San Francisco.

This is an older property right in the heart of Berkeley that is really updated and well managed. Great beds, linens, rooms and service. Our room was quiet. Bathrooms are nice-large and we were upgraded to a suite which is always really nice! We chose this property because it had close proximity to the BART station. Was perfect for staying at while we went to the Oakland Coliseum to see Bruce Springsteen. Parking is easy in a garage across the street. We walked to Chez Panisse Cafe - which I highly recommend. Tons of other great restaurants nearby and some nice boutique shopping if you have the inclination. We had breakfast in the hotel restaurant which was very good. I bet the dinner menu there is good as well. We will be back.

The staff are your typical snotty, over educated "Berkeley" people who will help you but make you feel like crap while they do it. Loved the hotel, very nice place, but never coming back.. We were a group of college girls staying the night after an event at the hotel. The event for our organization was fun but the treatment we received after the event was horrible! Somehow (we blame ghosts) the deadbolt on our hotel door swung over and locked us out of our own room. It was late (about 12am) and we went to the night shift staff for help opening our door after the event in the hotel ballroom. We waited a total of maybe 2 hours waiting for the one staff member to find objects like swiffer handles to open the door.. while we waited to get in our room, other hotel guests came out to complain to us. One man stayed out in the hallway to watch us "damn college students" disturb the floor outside our room.

The real hotel staff was good and did not charge us for anything did everything they could. During check out however one young man behind the counter pretended to gasp at an "$800 charge on my account". I realized it was a joke quickly but for a second I truly believed I was being charged $800 for us being "disruptive" or whatever and got upset.

Overall had a good experience but don't plan on coming back.