Please contact our events coordinator, Kelly, for retreat inquiries and quotes. Her contact email is [email protected]. Looking for a lodging right in the heart of the UC Berkeley Campus area? Maybe you're a part of a corporate group and want to set comfortable retreat? Located across the street from the UC Berkeley, the Bancroft Hotel offers a quaint and cozy vacation experience.
Think 1920s style, with modern amenities. Our Berkeley boutique Hotel is a great starting point when visiting the city of Berkeley, the Cal campus and all the San Francisco Bay Area has to offer. If you want to stay at a hotel near UC Berkeley, stay with us. You can't get closer than this!
Think 1920s style, with modern amenities. Our Berkeley boutique Hotel is a great starting point when visiting the city of Berkeley, the Cal campus and all the San Francisco Bay Area has to offer. If you want to stay at a hotel near UC Berkeley, stay with us. You can't get closer than this!
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When you stay at our beautiful historic Berkeley hotel, you are experiencing a part of history. Our building was built in 1928 for the College Women's Club, a Pan-Hellenic group for College age women. The club began as a group of recent graduates who were helping with the war effort.
They distinguished themselves from other women's clubs by actively promoting new educational opportunities, helping to start the Berkeley Day nursery (the first of its kind in the country) and worked on the first Braille translations.The club wanted a home for their group and commissioned Walter Steilberg, a Berkeley architect and UC professor to design a building.
They distinguished themselves from other women's clubs by actively promoting new educational opportunities, helping to start the Berkeley Day nursery (the first of its kind in the country) and worked on the first Braille translations.The club wanted a home for their group and commissioned Walter Steilberg, a Berkeley architect and UC professor to design a building.
We are the favorite hotel for visiting faculty, Cal parents and visitors to the Bay Area. San Francisco looks great from this side of the bay! Indeed, many of our rooms have bay views, balconies and views of the Berkeley campus and beautiful Berkeley hills. We are an island of serenity within the vibrant energy of Berkeley's famed Southside of campus.
The Bancroft Hotel is the greenest hotel in Berkeley! How can we say this and why should staying at an Eco Friendly hotel be important to you, when visiting Berkeley? Most businesses, like hotels, consume a lot of resources. From large amounts of water being heated and used, to lights being on, to regularly planned renovation-hotels are big consumers.
Planning a wedding in Berkeley? Or maybe a Berkeley Bar Mitzvah? The Bancroft Hotel is one of the great places in the Bay Area to have your wedding or special event. Step into the 3000 square foot Great Hall and you will be taken back to the grace and charm of a bygone era. Its high ceilings, stained-glass windows, raised stage and two fireplaces all make for a unique and memorable event.
We also want to be your gateway to Berkeley and beyond. From the usual to the unexpected. Of course we have recommendations for a great local restaurant or where to find the neighborhood cobbler. But we can also recommend some unusual and uniquely Berkeley things to do. Visit some of the great independent bookstores just around the corner.
Reviews (26)
Benjamin
Nov 01, 2021
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A. C.
Sep 03, 2021
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This a doozy, hold tight. My main review is with the venue and their staff -- I have a mention of the hotel stay, though, if you needed to know, skip to the end. :)
Held a wedding ceremony, reception and stayed 2 nights with the hotel. I have so much to say as the whirlwind of events that occurred over the course of a pandemic, I don't think I could ever recreate (or change anything for that matter).
The biggest shoutout I need to give is for Kelly. I have never met a more personable, kind, patient and thorough person and I couldn't be more fortunate to have crossed paths with her
Held a wedding ceremony, reception and stayed 2 nights with the hotel. I have so much to say as the whirlwind of events that occurred over the course of a pandemic, I don't think I could ever recreate (or change anything for that matter).
The biggest shoutout I need to give is for Kelly. I have never met a more personable, kind, patient and thorough person and I couldn't be more fortunate to have crossed paths with her
Mark Chrystal
May 17, 2021
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I traveled 2250 miles from Pittsburgh to help my son move out of the nearby dorms, only to arrive as agreed in my reservation to find that the doors were chained shut. They took my reservation for a 2-night stay, but there was no access to the hotel and nobody would answer a phone call or email. I have never had this experience at a hotel before. I was pretty amazed.
Menu Mystique
Jan 02, 2021
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The building is old and dilapidated. It's dark and depressing inside, feels like my Grandmother's attic. I don't like this place, it feels unhealthy and someone would certainly do better renting either a modern room that's has simple, common amenities OR, if one prefers something less corporate (as I assume some readers of this review might be hoping for), there are many other options close by which will certainly be more enjoyable. Additionally, if you own a car, this place isn't for you. The parking lot is a joke, too tight, too small, trying to squeeze every space they can make in order to maximize
Cody Preston
Jul 21, 2020
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Jeremiah S.
Jun 23, 2020
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The photos are definitely a sad manipulation of the truth. The rooms are SMALL. No seriously, they’re tiny. You’ll not find a climate controlled room. Consider the open window your AC; though the ceiling fan adds to the ever increasing humidity within that tiny box. Gosh forbid that you should bathe - then it’s like walking through the murky waters of the Louisiana Bayou. For $200 you’ll get a basic TV and a bed. Nothing more, nothing less. Speaking of the bed - rolling my eyes - the bed is very springy and uncomfortable. The sheets still had the “aroma” of the person that previously
Ninoska Adam-Glynn
Nov 05, 2019
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Nice staff and really close to campus. Actually, some of dorms are further away from campus building than the Bancroft hotel. It is historic, and thus older, but charming. Next door, there is a nice cafe, which is open until midnight (I would say it is the only cafe this close to campus open this late). Location, location plus nice staff!
Jonathan Winchell
Oct 10, 2019
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Shanti M.
Sep 12, 2019
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Ronnie G.
Aug 23, 2019
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I'm not happy to be writing this review. My wife and I traveled to Berkeley to drop my daughter off to begin her freshman year at UC Berkeley and should have read the reviews before booking a room at the hotel. Really disappointed with the quality control of this hotel. The bedding was old and stained and more disgusted with the old yellow stained pillows used. Based our find we will NEVER stay hear again. After reading the other reviews for this hotel I agree with the others that the hotel is run more like a hostel. My wife and I decided to check out early and booked another hotel that cares
Raze Watts
Aug 05, 2019
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Bradley S.
Jul 28, 2019
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John W.
Feb 15, 2019
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Love it. Old, beautiful, funky, and excellent staff all around. Every employee, including, I believe, the owner, was extremely helpful and courteous. My room was small but I didn't care. The location is great - walk to everything. The vibe in the hotel is mellow and comfortable. There is also off street hotel parking next to the place which is monitored though not all night.
It's a safe neighborhood in general. My last couple of hotel stays were at big chains and I was so happy to be at the Bancroft tonight. I will definitely return.
It's a safe neighborhood in general. My last couple of hotel stays were at big chains and I was so happy to be at the Bancroft tonight. I will definitely return.
Jordan Green
Dec 08, 2018
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Yugina Yun
Aug 11, 2018
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Cari A.
Aug 09, 2018
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Pros:
-excellent location! You can't beat it. So many places to visit that are walking distance
-offer continental breakfast
-it's a historic hotel
Cons:
-it's a historic hotel. Although this is incredible, that also means that there aren't a lot of amenities that you would expect to find. There is no A/C (they had a ceiling fan), no elevator, and only a few electrical outlets. So plan carefully with the time of the year that you come and pack smartly because you could be hauling your own items to the third floor.
Tips:
-they have things like hair dryers, irons and ironing
-excellent location! You can't beat it. So many places to visit that are walking distance
-offer continental breakfast
-it's a historic hotel
Cons:
-it's a historic hotel. Although this is incredible, that also means that there aren't a lot of amenities that you would expect to find. There is no A/C (they had a ceiling fan), no elevator, and only a few electrical outlets. So plan carefully with the time of the year that you come and pack smartly because you could be hauling your own items to the third floor.
Tips:
-they have things like hair dryers, irons and ironing
K. R.
Jun 30, 2018
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More like a hostel than a hotel.
1) Cleaning staff starts making very loud noises at 6am I personally would like a hotel to relax and don't appreciate getting woke up to crashes of silverware and squeeky banging of doors and windows slamming and the sound of tables and chairs screeching on wooden floors. Stay away, especially room 204!
2) Also balcony rooms claim to have a bay view but just overlook the parking lot and a big building.
3) called before booking about parking ahead of time before check in but the attendant was super rude and said it was too early to park.
4) very basic cold
1) Cleaning staff starts making very loud noises at 6am I personally would like a hotel to relax and don't appreciate getting woke up to crashes of silverware and squeeky banging of doors and windows slamming and the sound of tables and chairs screeching on wooden floors. Stay away, especially room 204!
2) Also balcony rooms claim to have a bay view but just overlook the parking lot and a big building.
3) called before booking about parking ahead of time before check in but the attendant was super rude and said it was too early to park.
4) very basic cold
Conni M.
Jun 04, 2018
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Too noisy for my comfort.
We got a nice room on the 3rd floor but on our last night, the a/c unit or something on the roof kicked in and stayed humming and vibrating a white noise the entire night until the morning. Horrible!
Hotel walls are very thin. You can definitely hear your neighbors.
Place next door had people hanging out and talking loudly starting at 5am on 2 of the mornings we were there. While the hotel has no control over this, the windows just did not keep out the street noise.
Room was clean. Free coffee.
Hotel has no elevator, but if you want help, they will haul your
We got a nice room on the 3rd floor but on our last night, the a/c unit or something on the roof kicked in and stayed humming and vibrating a white noise the entire night until the morning. Horrible!
Hotel walls are very thin. You can definitely hear your neighbors.
Place next door had people hanging out and talking loudly starting at 5am on 2 of the mornings we were there. While the hotel has no control over this, the windows just did not keep out the street noise.
Room was clean. Free coffee.
Hotel has no elevator, but if you want help, they will haul your
Carolyn S.
May 23, 2018
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This was my second time staying here, last time I was here for a wedding and this time for my sister's touring of the UC Berkeley campus.
This hotel continues to impress. The only downside is the lack of elevator and size in the rooms, but the vintage aesthetic makes up for that. The beds are comfortable. The breakfast was nice. They had board games being played at night which me and my friends in the area loved. I liked that they offered RSF passes which brought me back to my UCB days and gyms aren't bad.
The best part was the staff who helped us get our luggage up to the third floor
This hotel continues to impress. The only downside is the lack of elevator and size in the rooms, but the vintage aesthetic makes up for that. The beds are comfortable. The breakfast was nice. They had board games being played at night which me and my friends in the area loved. I liked that they offered RSF passes which brought me back to my UCB days and gyms aren't bad.
The best part was the staff who helped us get our luggage up to the third floor
Jason T.
May 21, 2018
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My visit was several months ago.
Looks as though the housekeeping does a good job.
The building is older, and is both under construction (something not mentioned when booking) and in need of a solid maintenance man/team. I don't think there is a single piece of furniture in my room without damage.
My "Bay view" upcharged room had scaffolding around the windows, and it's VERY questionable it has a view at all (other than the closed former Cal Berkeley art building)
Parking attendant wasn't wearing a uniform or tag or anything representing hotel or parking business.
Looks as though the housekeeping does a good job.
The building is older, and is both under construction (something not mentioned when booking) and in need of a solid maintenance man/team. I don't think there is a single piece of furniture in my room without damage.
My "Bay view" upcharged room had scaffolding around the windows, and it's VERY questionable it has a view at all (other than the closed former Cal Berkeley art building)
Parking attendant wasn't wearing a uniform or tag or anything representing hotel or parking business.
Vicky H.
Mar 30, 2018
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Ida U.
Jul 31, 2017
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It's not luxurious, but we love this hotel. Right across from campus, healthy tasty breakfasts and balconies are some of the features that make this place great. We were surprised to arrive for our 3 night stay and find that our reservation was somehow not in the book. Camilia, at the front desk, went into action and created a space for us to be in one room and not have to move during our brief stay. She turned what could have been a disaster into a non-problem and it was not easy. She worked the system and made it right for us. Thank you,Camilia!!
Chiara A.
Jun 15, 2017
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Recently attended an UC Berkeley-related event here at the Bancroft Hotel. It was for a course I was auditing and it was the end of the semester and year of the course. I have walked by here countless times yet never really noticed the establishment. When I heard where the event was going to be held and the location, I knew I would not have any problems finding the place. It is situated next door to Caffe Strada and the old location of the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive.
I arrived early ahead of the event and was greeted warmly by the staff. They advised me that I could wait in the
I arrived early ahead of the event and was greeted warmly by the staff. They advised me that I could wait in the
Andrew W.
Oct 07, 2016
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If quaint is at the top of your list, good. If noisy, rudimentary, and smelling of event catering is also at the top of your list, good. If patchy housekeeping (unflushed toilet on arrival) is great with you, fine.
This might be a good event venue, but it's a lousy place to spend the night if you value sleep. Keep looking.
This might be a good event venue, but it's a lousy place to spend the night if you value sleep. Keep looking.
Marnie L.
Apr 29, 2015
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Imagine it's the 1960's and the UC Berkley campus is at the center of an intellectual and cultural revolution. (You'll have to imagine most of it because today it appears the UC Berkley campus is at the center of a Urban Outfitters revolution, but I digress). The Bancroft hotel will help you envision that period because it retains some old-school charm in the decor and amenities. You can imagine that you are a philosophy student in your modest room directly across the street from campus, smoking at your desk with the lovely window-covered door to your patio wide open and the scent
Stan W.
Apr 01, 2014
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I recently was in Berkley for a work conference. Our designated host hotel was completely booked for the dates of the conference so after doing a quick Yelp search I came across Bancroft Hotel. With decent ratings and an affordable price, Bancroft seemed to be a good fit for my 2 night stay.
Location: Bancroft Hotel is literally across the street from UC Berkley. So the convenience factor of the Bancroft is easily a 10 out of 10.
Accommodations: Although the rooms are a bit on the smaller side, the room had basically everything you would ever want. The queen sized bed was comfortable and the
Location: Bancroft Hotel is literally across the street from UC Berkley. So the convenience factor of the Bancroft is easily a 10 out of 10.
Accommodations: Although the rooms are a bit on the smaller side, the room had basically everything you would ever want. The queen sized bed was comfortable and the
