Ramada by Wyndham Oakland Downtown City Center — Hotel in Oakland

For context, I live in New York City, pride myself on being a low maintenance traveler, and have stayed in Oakland before. Having said that, I had to leave this place after a few hours.||I arrived too early to check in, but there was no room in the lobby to relax, as a (perfectly harmless) unhoused gentleman had taken over the lobby with a lot of his stuff (suitcases and bags etc). I’m assuming he wasn’t a guest because he was still there after check in time hours later. That wasn’t the unsafe bit, but it was kind of annoying that I didn’t have any comfortable places to wait and what little space there was was occupied.||Other reviews have mentioned that this neighborhood is a bit rough around the edges but there were so many signs with safety warnings, that it started making me nervous. ||There’s a restaurant in the tiny lobby and whatever cuisine it was, was very pungent. the smell permeated not just the lobby but my room as well. I couldn’t open the window so I was stuck with it. Again, not safety but a really unpleasant part of the stay.||While I was waiting I overheard the manager telling one of the restaurant employees to keep everything locked up because of all the people that would be would be coming through in the next few days. She was also arguing with the front desk clerk about breaks vs lunch which never makes for a great experience.||The last straw was when I went for a run to lake merrit (this was at 430 in the afternoon - broad daylight). When I asked for directions The front desk clerk motioned for me to head down 13th street (he was on the phone apparently which I couldn’t tell because he was using his mobile phone and wireless earbuds which I couldn’t see). 13th gets increasingly desolate the further one gets away from Broadway. During the run a homeless woman (to whom I had given plenty of space) all of a sudden came at me and started chasing me down the street! That’s not the hotel’s fault, but they could have warned me to head up one block and taken 14th which is much busier and safer, as I found during subsequent runs.||I was there for work so asked the corporate travel agency to find me a new a hotel (ended up staying around the corner which was great), and explain the situation to the front desk agent (complaining about the homeless guy in the lobby in front of the homeless guy could have been awkward). The travel agent got back on the line and politely described his exchange with the front desk as “not the most professional,” because of the front desk agent’s hostility. I ended up leaving without saying anything but holy hell did I get a dirty look when I walked out with my luggage. ||The two positives were that the person I spoke to the next day was very pleasant and only charged me for one night (which is fair - they’re running a business), and my room and the lobby bathroom were very clean (which is why I think that the smell must have come from the...

For context, I live in New York City, pride myself on being a low maintenance traveler, and have stayed in Oakland before. Having said that, I had to leave this place after a few hours.||I arrived too early to check in, but there was no room in the lobby to relax, as a (perfectly harmless) unhoused gentleman had taken over the lobby with a lot of his stuff (suitcases and bags etc). I’m assuming he wasn’t a guest because he was still there after check in time hours later. That wasn’t the unsafe bit, but it was kind of annoying that I didn’t have any comfortable places to wait and what little space there was was occupied.||Other reviews have mentioned that this neighborhood is a bit rough around the edges but there were so many signs with safety warnings, that it started making me nervous. ||There’s a restaurant in the tiny lobby and whatever cuisine it was, was very pungent. the smell permeated not just the lobby but my room as well. I couldn’t open the window so I was stuck with it. Again, not safety but a really unpleasant part of the stay.||While I was waiting I overheard the manager telling one of the restaurant employees to keep everything locked up because of all the people that would be would be coming through in the next few days. She was also arguing with the front desk clerk about breaks vs lunch which never makes for a great experience.||The last straw was when I went for a run to lake merrit (this was at 430 in the afternoon - broad daylight). When I asked for directions The front desk clerk motioned for me to head down 13th street (he was on the phone apparently which I couldn’t tell because he was using his mobile phone and wireless earbuds which I couldn’t see). 13th gets increasingly desolate the further one gets away from Broadway. During the run a homeless woman (to whom I had given plenty of space) all of a sudden came at me and started chasing me down the street! That’s not the hotel’s fault, but they could have warned me to head up one block and taken 14th which is much busier and safer, as I found during subsequent runs.||I was there for work so asked the corporate travel agency to find me a new a hotel (ended up staying around the corner which was great), and explain the situation to the front desk agent (complaining about the homeless guy in the lobby in front of the homeless guy could have been awkward). The travel agent got back on the line and politely described his exchange with the front desk as “not the most professional,” because of the front desk agent’s hostility. I ended up leaving without saying anything but holy hell did I get a dirty look when I walked out with my luggage. ||The two positives were that the person I spoke to the next day was very pleasant and only charged me for one night (which is fair - they’re running a business), and my room and the lobby bathroom were very clean (which is why I think that the smell must have come from the...

This hotel has recently been sold to Wyndham, and is operated by an independent subsidiary.

The Good: My room was small, but looked nice, was clean, and had a small coffee maker and refrigerator. Shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion, and a hairdryer are all provided. The air conditioner blew cold air and was adjustable down to 61°. All staff I encountered were nice, professional, and helpful - except for one guy who was fairly aloof.

The Meh: Rooms are not soundproof. I could hear conversations in the room next door - consequently, I left the air on and the fan on all night. The air conditioner is fairly loud, though not a problem for me at all. I appreciated the noise since it cancelled other noises inside and outside the hotel. Though this hotel advertised "hot breakfast" (the main reason I went here), it didn't have any kind of breakfast potatoes, and the pancake/waffle maker was disengaged. The "hot" part is egg patty and sausage patties and oatmeal. There are bagels & bread, so one could make a breakfast sandwich.

The Bad: There is no market inside the hotel. There is a cooler where you could buy juice, cold Starbucks, & soda. There are two stores nearby that advertise "market". Beware. The closest store right around the corner is a magnet for illegal activity & homelessness. The other market is ok-ish, I was told by staff. Personally I wouldn't go to either at night and one I wouldn't go to ever. If this hotel had another vending machine that offered sandwiches, cup of noodles, or incidentals, that would be great. There is a good kabob place right next door, and actually attached via door in hallway, fyi.

Overall, for my stay, I would go here again since the price was reasonable ($90ish or less) for the weekdays. If I had to pay the $189 price for a weekend night, I would have been disappointed with what was offered at that amount.

Update: I did stay here a second time. Again the staff was pleasant and professional. My room this time was smaller than my first visit and did not have a microwave or a mini fridge. I would say the bed is the size of a double or small queen (not a standard queen). The room was clean and attractive. Just know what room options you'd like (amenities) before booking. The breakfast this second time was different too. There were delicious hot waffles, but no egg or sausage patties. There was a microwaveable breakfast burrito you could cook near the...