Hotel Shattuck Plaza- Berkeley, Berkeley

Although they have reshaped the place (it used to be even more of a disaster) the price is high comparing to the service received. We even sampled their catering service for a banquet - they broke the record of mediocrity by running out of mashed potatoes (there was not enough chicken either, no invention in the food item for a 50$ charge for this catering). Simply not worth the value.

We found this hotel awful, so bad we moved to another hotel after 2 days. The hotel in general and the rooms specifically are not well kept. The rooms had non-functioning blinds and the bed was falling apart. The management was not very friendly or accomodating. Also, NO PARKING, you have to pay $16 a day for the city lot across the street. Finally, at about $100 a night(!), it should have been $10.

Literally speaking, the hotel still has its ramifications from the early 1900s and despite the money it makes, the general manager is so cheap that he doesn't even buy the right blinds, but a smaller size. He treats clearks like dirt and went through 9 clerks in 4 months! Don't fall for the whole "continental breakfast" thing b/c its a lie and they only have watered down coffee and oj. The rooms are pitiful b/c the housekeepers barely clean the room and its stained everywhere! It is nothing like the pictures online! Don't ever ever ever go here! Why do you think the price is so low compared to others? its because the quality is low as well as the service.

This was a terrible experience. The building heat is only turned on twice a day 5am-7am and again at 7pm-9pm the rest of the time you are left to freeze without even an extra blanket. The windows are paper thin and face the noisy street ensuring you hear every subway train, not too mention the homeless saxaphone player who was there every night. The first night of my stay I was given a room without water in the bathroom and two twin beds pushed together which was supposed to be a king. The internet service is limited to 10 minutes and hotmail and gmail are blocked. The manager is so rude. I asked nicely to be changed to a room with water and their only was concern was to make sure I was properly charged for having my girl freind stay with me. Also if you want to sleep in I hope you don't mind the sun shining through thte translucent blinds and in your face. :(

We arrived at the Hotel Shattuck with some trepidation having seen reviews written by former guests. However, we were pleasantly surprised. We booked two rooms, one for a week and the other for four days. The rooms were quite spacious. Although the carpet, wallpaper, sheets, and just about everything else was stained, they were all clean. Room maintenance was good. The bathroom was clean but with old fixtures and little shelf space. The shower was easy to control and the spray very smooth. Hot water arrived at the tap instantly. It was great. As other reviewers had noted, there was not enough heat generated by the 19th century radiator. This was easily fixed as the hotel clerk gave us two space heaters that were more than adequate. Some reviewers have complained about rude hotel staff, particularly the manager. We encountered only helpful staff and the manager gave us a bottle of water from his office refrigerator when we told him that the vending machine was out of water. The hotel claims to provide a continental breakfast but everyone, including some hotel staff, agrees that the breakfast is an insult to the guests, consisting only of coffee, watered down orange juice, a choice of white or whole wheat sliced bread (which was very fresh, though), and some near rancid butter (served in a cold room). There is an elevator which was marginally operational during the week we were there. Internet service is provided for guests but is limited to 15 minutes per room per day (the hotel clerk may bump that up if you ask nicely). The hotel is about 30 feet from the BART station, and in the same building is Cold Stone Cremery, Mel's diner, a multi-screen movie theatre, a Starbucks, a computer games store, a "hands-on" museum, and lots more. Caddycorner to the entrance is a Walgreens. Caddycorner to the other end of the building is Peet's (my favorite). The UCB campus is one block away. It was a far, far better location than all of the other hotels we considered. In summary, as long as quirky things do not bother you, the Hotel Shattuck is a really great value with lots of pluses and a few stange minuses.