The Claremont Club & Spa, A Fairmont Hotel

Best hotel if you’re looking for east bay near Berkeley or Oakland

I would not return back to the Claremont. Sat to journal and chair was falling apart. Manager was more concern with being vaccinated than room.

The Claremont is a beautiful, historic property. The rooms were clean and well equipped. The staff was friendly and eager to accommodate, however very limited in what they could offer due to the resort’s limitations. chose location to visit our son who is spending a semester at nearby Northeastern Oakland campus and take our daughter on CA college tours. on line description of Claremont as a resort and spa we expected down time relaxing and unwinding at the spa and pool. spa only open for services Thursday-Sunday. Can only schedule appointments Wed-Sunday. called on Wed no spa services were available for our stay. tried to have the concierge schedule us outside of these restrictive hours- unable to help. only dining location with outdoor seating had the patio close for 10 days for construction day after we arrived. When it was still open on day 1 tried to eat outside for late afternoon apps, the hostess refused to seat us because it was 3:45 and she couldn’t let anyone in until 4 PM when the menu changed to dinner/ outdoor option…very bad vibe. The pool and fitness club are misrepresented on line as well. had the impression it is primarily for resort guests but reality “club” is a community health, swim, and tennis club. hotel guests have LIMITED access to. The Saturday and Sunday we tried to use the pool there were no lounge chairs and pool packed w people. No food or beverage service at pool, NOT resort level. aside from clean/safe, VERY disappointing

Historic charm, but very dated. Limited food options. Hidden fees. Booked through American Express Hotel collection and the check-in agent wasn’t familiar with the benefits of booking through AMEX and didn’t apply my breakfast nor resort credit nor did he offer an upgrade or late check out. Overall, you get an immediate sense of historic charm and some of the rooms have good Bay views, but the whole place is dated and the finishes are certainly showing their age. Spa looks nice, but closes around 5 p.m. which makes it impossible to use if you are staying for a business trip. View from Limewood restaurant is great. Service, however, was just average. I give it s “meh” or a “so-so.” Could use some polishing up inside, better food options, and better spa hours.

In addition to the quality of overall service and cleanliness of the room and the hotel, the staff went out of their way to help me find the owner of a lost wallet. They worked daily to locate the owner at her workplace, since no personal phone could be found. They also found and donated to me a pair of much needed reading glasses, that they had in their lost and found department. Holly, one of the staff in the concierge department, put my mind at ease so that I could enjoy the rest of my stay.

I wanted to take a moment to give a HUGE SHOUT-OUT and humble thank you to all of the following Fairmont Hotel truly Exceptional and Extraordinary Staff. 1. Andy C- Director of Banquets 2. Mai H -Inspire Assistant Manager, Food & Beverage 3. Raphel aka Rafa (Houseman) 4. Manuel (Houseman) 5. Rakesh - Food and Beverage Manager 6. Food Chef- Name unknown 7. Tracy 8. Kim Each person listed above makes up the most outstanding hotel and hospitality team I have ever had the opportunity to work with. My event was a surprise birthday party for my 75 year old dad. Preparing for the event was laborious and anxiety provoking, in order to make the party a success while keeping it super-secret. Andy, MAI, Rafa, Manuel, and Rakesh worked tirelessly and well into the wee hours to make my event a memorable one and success. Every single thing I requested was met with a humble accommodation and every problem I encountered was met with a swift solution and prompt action. The Jr. Suite was marvelous, spacious, and the views are breath taking. I really Absolutely don't have the words to express the humble and amazing team you have at the Claremont Club and SPA. Literally everyone mentioned in this email became A superhero for my family's celebratory weekend.

We had a fabulous 4-day stay at the hotel as we were given a beautiful room with a spectacular view and received exceptional customer service throughout. We were greeted with a friendly hello by every staff member who passed us. Want to give a special shout-out to Lauren (originally from CT ) who was so kind and accommodating, and especially Jonah, who was super helpful and Awesome in addressing our questions with the warmest smile. We're already looking forward to our next visit.

Outside of hotel: - Grounds extensive, well located on the hillside of Berkeley overlooking the Bay. - Tennis courts and pool at the Club. - Spa that closes at 5pm, very early. - Grand old building that looks beautiful. Inside, public areas: - Lobby grand and well appointed. - Limehouse restaurant and lobby bar lounge has beautiful views, a terrace that looks over the Bay. - Food expensive but good. However, for a hotel this large, food and beverage outlets are too few, restaurants close early (10pm? 11pm?), not even room service is available. Restaurants not sufficiently staffed. - Reception and concierge friendly. Rooms: - Clean but decor and furnishing old and dark, insufficient lighting. So dark in the wardrobe area that I had to move my suitcase out to an area by the window or couldn’t see anything. Lighting in bathroom also very dark, could not apply my makeup in the low lighting. - Aircon very noisy. Air intake machine inside wardrobe, strange setup. Ended up turning it off although nights were cold. - Minibar empty. Nothing to eat and drink at night, no room service. - Mattress too soft, gave me backache. - Housekeeping efficient and clean, but likely overworked. Room not tidied up daily until mid afternoon. Pricing: - Not fixed price within the same period, booked online and pricing changes by every few hours if demand is high. - Average price USD440 a night for a bay view deluxe room, expensive for what the hotel is. Nevertheless I would rather they list the real total price than slap on this hidden fee “resort fee” of USD50 a night, which I understand is an illegal practice in California from July 2024.

We had a fabulous 4-day stay at the hotel as we were given a beautiful room with a spectacular view and received exceptional customer service throughout. We were greeted with a friendly hello by every staff member who passed us. Want to give a special shout-out to Lauren (originally from CT 😊) who was so kind and accommodating, and especially Jonah, who was super helpful and awesome in addressing our questions with the warmest smile. We look forward to our next visit.