Belrose Bed & Breakfast

We were off to Berkeley to go to the Cal-Arizona game. We tried to find a night at one of our usual places, but no luck since this was homecoming weekend. I thought we'd have to do something like Hilton Garden Inn in Emeryville [ I'd read that it's OK}; but really wanted something more personal & in a nice, walkable, pleasant area. After emailing all the B & B's that sounded promising, and getting mostly 'sorry' replies, a vacancy at Belrose happened. But we were required to book 2 nights. So Ok, the rates were reasonable, $125 a night, for the East room. Relief -- we got our room for the weekend!So Friday afternoon, we make the 2 1/2 hr trip to Berkeley. It's a rainy day & we love it. We are so happy with the location of the Belrose, in the Claremont district of Berkeley, a few blocks from the Claremont Hotel, in a beautiful neighborhood of lovely old homes & mansions. Ah, love Berkeley in the Fall. We had unfortunately come down with bad colds, so opted for an early dinner of Matzo Ball soup at Sauls & an early night turn-in back at the B & B.Our room, one of 3, and the Queensize bed, was comfortable, spacious and a private vintage bathroom... very solidly built fixtures & the BEST shower I've ever had, with great heaps of hot water. The bed was comfy and the house was quiet. Belrose Avenue can be noisy with the flow of traffic towards the intersection of Claremont & Tunnel towards Hwy 24, but once we went to bed we didn't notice it.The breakfast was well laid out and pleasant in the dining room overlooking the veranda & pool. We had good pastries & fruit & cheese, with Peets coffee the first morning. But our 2nd morning, we were treated to the best cinnamon rolls made by the hostess Mary. What a treat. We easily were able to walk to Memorial stadium for the game. And Berkeley is such a great town to walk in. So we didn't have the hassle of finding parking for the game.... had our own spot back at the B & B. They have a private driveway & carport in back of the house. We saw that parking at the sororitys & frats was running $45. So we were glad that worked out.All in all we enjoyed our stay. The hostess was very friendly & helpful. I think certain things could be upgraded & spiffed up a bit [ carpets mainly]. Because some antiques are used in the furnishing of the rooms, the use of old furniture is also apparent and can look a little shabby. We were not pleased that there were no amenities in the bathroom, and very surprised that the rooms weren't cleaned & linens changed/ bed made the 2nd morning! I've never been in a place that didn't neaten up your room. The pool needed some work done. So that's why the deduction of a star.I was really pleased to find another place to stay in the area. And I'm sure we will be back. One note, there is no sign on the house stating it is a B & B. So this little gem is relatively unknown, except for some listings on the online services.

Buyer beware"!!!!Read all the reviews carefully and you will see that the B&B host/owner may very well promise you a room and then give it away to someone else!!Here is our nightmare story..... We were planning a trip to Berkeley for the Cal - Ohio State game and found what looked like a very cute B&B just a few blocks from Memorial Stadium. I called and inquired and to our joy, there was one room (the master bedroom) available. I sent a check the following day to "secure" my reservation and then called a couple of days later to confirm it had been received it. (Conversations with with the host/owner indicated she was quite sweet but somewhat disorganized or befuddled). She confirmed that she had received the check and the room was reserved for us.The week of our stay I called to again confirm but only got an answering machine. And the mobile number was never answered and the message for the mobile number said the caller had never set up their voice mail. I never received a call back. Then the day of arrival, I called multiple times again and still no answer or call back. We arrived about 1 pm on Saturday to find the house completely open with no one around. We had no place to park (all three stalls in the back of the house were full) so we proceeded to the game and had to find a different place to park which cost us $50. After the game I called again and finally the host/owner answered. I told her who I was and asked where we should park when we arrived? Silence on the other end was not comforting!! Finally, she says, and I quote, "I'm so sorry but I'm full!!" I said but you have my check and we confirmed our stay! Again I quote, "But, I did not cash your check" There is more to the conversation but I will spare you.Needless to say Berkeley and most surrounding towns were sold out and we spent the next hour attempting to secure a room. (BTW, The Hilton Garden Inn was a life saver!!)I do not want to be mean or harsh but I honestly believe this person should not be running a bed & breakfast.

My boyfriend and I had to get away from SF for a weekend, away from the apartment, the depressing weather, and from the hectic chaos that has invaded our lives lately. Instead of renting a car, we decided to get a room for the weekend in Berkeley/North Oakland and just take Bart over. I chose the Belrose primarily because it was the only B & B with a pool. Neither of us had ever stayed at a B & B, so we did not really know what to expect. We were pleasantly surprised. Pat, the proprietor, was super sweet and very helpful. She provided a nice breakfast as well as maps for our ventures on foot. The house is in a beautiful area and right next to Claremont Canyon, and Claremont Hotel. Check them out at http://www.ebparks.org/parks/claremonthttp://www.claremontresort.com/Anyways, we had a wonderful time at the house, which was within walking distance of the Elmwood district shopping and dining. We spent two days by the pool relaxing. Pat is so helpful and knowledgeable about the area. I could go on and on but I must get back to work. I highly recommend Belrose House, and I will be back there from time to time when I need a little R & R.

Open, warm, comfortable and relaxing, located in north oakland/ south berkley area the Belrose encompasses everything that a classic B&B would offer but much more. The lovely and infinitely interesting hostess, Pat has a myriad of tales to spin your hours away if you are so inclined to share your time. So much so I felt that ever welcome sense of... "knowledge gained", you really only get from someone who has truly lived. I had the opportunity to speak with Pat in the expansive and ever so comfortable den area. So well lit by the enormous wall of windows over looking the pool centered court yard that I must have spent 2 hours drinking it all in. The room captured a timeless sense of life lived and waiting to be enjoyed with books along every wall and a piano perched in the corner waiting to be played. Deep comfortable chairs rounding a antique coffee table littered with fantastic literature all presented before a warm fireplace ready for use. What a treasure she is and what a gift she brought to my life by welcoming me into her secret treasure of a home.As for the rest of the home, I could go on for days... however to keep it short I can say; The pool was clean and cool and beyond refreshing in the heat of the east bay summer. The food delightful. The rooms crisp and clean but by no means void of life. The books that lined the walls spoke of years of living and enjoying life. I recommend the Belrose if you are looking to rest and rejuvenate. Go, stay with Pat and soak in the treasures of life among the orange trees and doll houses and all the wonderful amenities that you can find there. I say with true earnest intent, the Belrose is the best B&B I've ever stayed in.

This bed and breakfast is probably the worst customer service I've ever had to experience. Although extremely well meaning people run the B&B, they completely messed up our reservations in a bad way:1) My parents got into town and the owners were no where to be found - we couldn't get into the B&B! Despite many efforts to get in touch with them, they forgot to leave the key for us! In my opinion it gets no worse than this. Fortunately there was enough room in my apartment for my parents to stay with me because there was no getting into the B&B. 2) The next day, after profusely apologizing and offering to give them a free night, we think the problems have passed. Only come to find out after my parents stay that they charged their credit cards for the night they told them was free! Ugh, these people don't know how to run a business.3) A friend of mine originally recommended this B&B, saying that her parents have had great stays except once where they forgot HER parents too. In short, although it is a nice B&B, I will never recommend this place to anyone considering that they can't be reliable enough to reserve rooms or charge your credit card properly.