Sanford Winery

My husband and I visit Berkeley often since our daughter goes to college there. Usually, we stay somewhere convenient because our trips revolve around moving her in or out. This is her senior year, so for our last move-in, we decided to treat ourselves to 1 night at the Claremont. At check-in, we were told we had been upgraded to a Queen Suite bc the Deluxe Room w/ Bay View that I had booked was no longer available. We checked in after dark, so I didn’t see much that night. The next morning, I opened the windows and saw the beautiful view. Not. I really appreciate the history of the Claremont. Even before I looked it up, I told my husband it felt like a place that would have been the place to be in the 1930s. It definitely has that old-fashioned, grand-hotel feel, almost like stepping back in time. Unfortunately, the room felt more old than historic. Pros Gorgeous location Exceptional service Beautiful, spacious marble bathroom Great old-fashioned, historic atmosphere Cons Room was musty and had a stale cigarette smoke smell Thick, tired carpeting that could use a refresh Mildew in the corners of the shower Stained carpet in the check-in area The room we received was not the room I booked, the “upgrade” didn’t feel like one. Overall, I felt the hotel was overpriced for the condition of the room. I can see how grand this property WAS, and I really wanted to love it. Sadly, I left feeling that the Claremont has seen better days.

It’s a nice hotel but it’s definitely not worth the price of the room. The pool is super tiny and will be overtaken by children. The only restaurant onsite is priced extremely high and the service is terrible; slow, expect to sit there for 2.5 hours. I also ordered a $130 bottle of prosecco but paid around $193 for it due to charges of having it delivered to my room, (from the restaurant onsite?) Paying $63 extra for having delivered what you order from the menu in your room is absurd. I have stayed at the Four Seasons, The Ritz, etc. and none have been as desperately money hungry as Oceana. I paid about $1050 for the one night and honestly people could get a way better experience for that price anywhere else. Expect to get charged for breathing at Oceana. I wouldn’t go back there.