Aiden By Best Western - Berkeley

I was skeptical as I drove up to this hotel from the look outside. It looks fine but it wasn't what I was thinking it reminded me of maybe a dressed up apartment building when I drove up. But I will tell you looks can definitely be deceiving. The lobby is clean and the staff friendly and accommodating. The room was small but well maintained, clean, and very modern decor almost posh. I was traveling on business and this hotel ranks high on the best (without a full kitchen in the room) hotel I've stayed in on business travel. Quiet! And I mean church mouse quiet. I got the best sleep and no loud guests or door slamming. They offer valet parking in which it was $29 per evening. The valet parks the car in the hotelgarage. They offer breakfast (hot or cold) that you could have brought to your room or you could go to the lobby dining area and enjoy. The breakfasts are for a cost. They offer free beverages in the lobby like fruit infused water, tea and coffee. Security seems on par as I felt safe in this hotel. There are some cool walkable restaurants and stores around the hotel. The staff were all nice to me. I recommend this hotel.

Stayed for the weekend recently while in town on business.Corner room the first night with a queen bed, a decent room with a great view of the area. Clean comfortable and even on the road it was relatively quietWas moved to the upper floor, my second night there a king room on the back of the building and it was even quiter, more spacious and just as comfortable. Valet parking is the only real option here without a hike. There is no parking on or at the building only a loading zone. *Note: the day dude didnt know how to use a keyed car? honestly he pulled my hood latch and could not figure out how to use the ignition or start my car? The hood came open as I left the hotel to get on the highway a real wtf? moment A solid hotel a stones throw away from the university, harbor and all things Berkeley. 2.5 Stars would of been 3.5 Stars rounding up for the great night manager, check in staff.***but deducted a star plus and rounding Down for the moronics of the Dude (a grownass man to busy on his cell phone) who didnt retrieve my vehicle safely and put my safety in serious jepoardy, still shaking my head over that one00944

Best kept secret won't be secret for long - this little hotel is a modern boutique hotel masquerading as a Best Western - it packs in so much value for the price and has warm and friendly service. This is my first stay here and I'm so glad I selected it! Camilo the night front desk manager was very welcoming, kind, and helpful in every way. Thanks for the wonderful welcome and making me feel right at home! Great service deserves a great review!The property is completely new/updated, modern, very clean, and pretty quiet. It's located in the very walkable neighborhood on University Avenue close to Trader Joe's, Target, UCB, Target, and an eclectic collection of interesting restaurants within walking distance. The rooms are functional and thoughtfully designed for a comfortable stay, for studying, including extended stays as it has great little drawer, shelves, and other little built in storage space. I love the views from room 308, which has corner windows and lots of natural light. The rooftop is a beautiful place to watch the sunset. The bed is a touch on the soft side but I still slept well. The bed is more full sized than queen but it was fine as I had it all to myself.There's a complimentary coffee and tea bar, kombucha on tap for sale; breakfast to order from a local restaurant delivered to you, Keurig in the room with complimentary bottled water, a mini fridge, water glasses and glass mugs in the room, a programmable safe, ironing board, Kleenex branded tissues, Drybar toiletries including their nicely formulated lotion, valet parking, bikes for you to ride, the list of amenities goes on and on! Someone put their heart into this little place and it shows! I didn't check yet if they have a gym but you could easily get your workout by walking up and down University Avenue. Oh and they have bikes, and two TRX in case you want to work on your split ring tricep dips on the rooftop while watching the sunrise lol.This place is a hidden gem for now, but probably not hidden for long. You won't regret staying here!Update! This place is still great, they are undergoing some renovations. Rosie the day manager was really wonderful too, offering to move me to a different room as my AC wasn't working. The service makes up for the little hiccups, kudos to the staff for looking out for my comfort!

I really enjoyed this place. There wasn't any sort of breakfast, but I liked the rooftop for sunrise and sunset. The best part was being able to borrow bikes! We took them on various rides around the city and everyone we encountered was friendly.

**Review for Nov 17-19 2023**The location, ambiance, and amenities at this Best Western are satisfactory. However, this review focuses solely on the staff.Potential guests should be aware that the staff's approach is inconsistent and appears to change based on the individual, the day, or perhaps their mood.During our stay for the Berkeley Half Marathon weekend (Nov 17 to Nov 19), our experience with the staff was disappointing. The person at the front desk during our check-in around 5 pm seemed disinterested in answering questions, lacking the expected customer service demeanor. We dismissed it, attributing it to a bad day.The following day, a different staff member, a woman, proved even less accommodating. Her attitude towards customer inquiries and her apparent disdain for her role were evident. We requested a late check-out, but there was a discrepancy between the information given by the staff on Friday and Saturday, highlighting the inconsistency in policies.When we mentioned the man had told us 11 am, the woman became furious. Even though we were not confrontational, her response was unprofessional and unwarranted.To make matters worse, when my parents came to pick us up after the race and informed her they were waiting for their daughter and niece, she displayed a dismissive and rude attitude towards them as well.To the management, I urge you to improve the overall service. As someone who has worked in the customer service industry, I understand the challenges, but all customers deserve respectful treatment, especially paying ones.For those considering staying here, proceed with caution.

Finally a comfortable place to stay in the Berkeley area. I traveled there solo for work and sifted through gastly reviews for similarly priced hotels in the area, seeing wild complaints of everything from getting scabies to being punched in the face in the lobby. No thanks! I'm super thankful for this hotel, despite being weirdly a Best Western, was clean, comfortable, well located and safe. It's also a short walk to grocery stores and restaurants in the area as well as a quick ride to other towns in the area. It's definitely at the top of my list for any future stays in the area!

$20 fee for early checkin. Clean room, well-maintained property, & views from the unit are picturesque. My favorite feature would be the dedicated workspace & ergonomic chair. Mattress firmness is on the (very) soft range with little support. The TV is equipped with satellite programming, Netflix streaming, YouTube,SLing & Google Play appsWi-Fi performance is average:24-40 Mbps down20-25 Mbps up0.8% packet loss10ms latency7ms jitterI am not a fan of properties that charge an early checkin fee but, overall, I would recommend this location if you can tolerate the mattress.

Awesome hotel! The location is great if you need to access UC Berkeley. There are plenty of options for food within walking distance, and a Target is nearby. The rooms are clean and modern, and the Google TV is a huge plus. Cristian at the front desk made the stay even better, hooking it up for me and my students on a school trip. I highly recommend this hotel!

Great location with several restaurants within walking distance & nice rooftop area to hang out.

This place is fantastic and the front desk staff has great customer service! We loved our stay