Signature Inn Berkeley Oakland — Hotel in Oakland

This is among the least expensive accommodations I could find in the livable parts of the East Bay (I paid $119 a night plus tax), but it's also fairly minimal in what it offers. On the positive side, my room was clean; the plumbing functioned well; the bed was comfortable; and a provided fridge worked fine. If you don't expect more than that, you'll probably be happy with it. ||The immediate location, near 40th St. and Broadway in Oakland, isn't interesting, although there are a couple of good places to eat across the street. Beyond that, you're just a 10-minute walk (to the east) from Piedmont Ave., with some good restaurants and shopping, a 10-minute walk (to the north) from an okay Safeway shopping centre, and a 15-minute walk (to the west) from the Macarthur BART Station. With a car, or by bus, you're near hospitals and the UC Berkeley campus. If this location is good for you, as it was for us, this is a good choice for the money. ||To say that this motel has zero curb appeal would be charitable. There's a rather retro large vertical motel sign over a dull brick exterior with large forbidding steel gates. To enter you need a code, which you can't get until you register, or, if you're not registered, you can phone the reception, assuming you have a phone. Once inside you find a parking lot surrounded on four sides by two storeys of motel rooms. A few small potted palms, reminiscent of the forlorn palm in the movie "Mr. Roberts," punctuate the asphalt scene. Though I had a confirmed reservation, I wasn't allowed to enter the office before producing ID. Some signs warn you about video surveillance and other signs state prohibited behaviour. All in all, it felt to me like a secure military compound, though I'm sure some will like the sense of protection from a dangerous world. ||I was in a room with a queen bed. The bed was 20 inches off the floor, noticeably lower than the average 25 inches. The floor was bare and worn but clean, except for one small area carpet. There was a small desk, but no comfy chair. There was a window overlooking the parking lot, but that meant that there was a window overlooking ME from the parking lot and from the other motel rooms, so I closed the shades and I might as well have had no window at all, There was an air conditioner / heater which worked quite well and wasn't very noisy. There were two small waste baskets, one in the main room and one in the bathroom, but no recycling box or organics box. There was a down-market chest of drawers with a flat-screen TV perched on top, which received several channels but, as far as I could see, no streaming or screen-mirroring. A well functioning small fridge was welcome. On the far wall (as you enter) there was a walk-in closet, without door, on the left, and a washroom, with a sliding door, on the right. The washroom had a toilet, a small sink in a small stand (without much room to lay out toiletries), and a shower (no bath). The sliding door left an inch or two open on all sides, so it didn't so much separate the bathroom as simply block the view. Also, after I closed the sliding door, it simply slid open again, unless I worked to align a couple of flanges sticking out of the floor with some slots in the door, which it was hard to do from inside the bathroom since there was no handle on the inside of the door. The free wifi worked well. ||The weirdest design choice was light switches with motion sensors for the overhead lights in both the main room and the bathroom. Unless I found a way to cover the motion sensor, the bathroom light went on whenever I entered. If you do that in the middle of the night, you'll wake your partner and shock your eyes. Similarly, the overhead lights went out in a few minutes if the motion sensor didn't register any movement. Since the motion sensor couldn't see me in the shower, I was guaranteed to finish my shower in the dark, unless I opened the shower door and got its attention. Similarly, when I was reading in bed or working at the desk, I needed to wave vigorously at the motion sensor every now and then in order to get the light on again.||There was maid service every day. Unfortunately the maid decided to throw out a couple of things that I wanted to keep because (I suppose) they looked like garbage to her, though they weren't in the waste basket. ||Friends stayed in the "queen room with sofa", which was more spacious, and had a window looking over Broadway. It appeared to be a more comfortable room, though more...

First off, it's a small motel in Oakland. Don’t let the initial skepticism fool you – it’s actually a charming little spot to stay. The location might seem a bit sketchy at first, but once you check in with the owner, everything feels perfectly fine. There isn’t a traditional lobby; instead, you check in at the front desk through a window.

The best part - Self-parking is FREE! No daily fees like at other hotels, which often charge up to $40 per day.

I stayed for two days after Thanksgiving, so the place was pretty quiet with only a few guests, which was great. It felt like we had the entire motel to ourselves.

Rooms: The room was spacious with a retro white decor and modern touches. There were plenty of lights, a medium-sized refrigerator, a large security safe (big enough for a laptop), and an area to hang your clothes and store luggage. It also had a desk, an iron board, tv and a long dressing mirror. The bathroom was updated, with a sliding barn door and a walk-in shower (no tub). I liked the wall-mounted shampoo and body wash dispensers. Hot water dispersed fast and great. Nice sized toilet.

Bed: The bed was comfortable for me, as I prefer a medium-firm mattress (I can’t stand overly soft beds). There were plenty of pillows, and the queen-sized bed was just right. If I could change one thing, it would be the bed frame. I’m not a fan of boxed-in mattresses where the sides touch when sitting on the bed. But that's a minor issue.

Window Shade: The shade is a single layer, and while it blocks most of the light, there was some light seeping through the sides. I like complete darkness when I sleep, so adding an extra layer of curtains would be a great improvement, though this is also a small issue.

Price: Great value at $99 plus tax per night, with no extra resort or hotel fees. Rates and availability may change, of course.

Nearby Attractions: To my surprise, there were plenty of cool places to eat and shop nearby. There’s a wide variety of options within walking distance! Try Brendas for New Orleans-style food, or head to Piedmont Avenue for a cute strip of local stores and a CVS. I especially loved the vintage shops and the many locally-owned stores offering unique items.

Signage: I would suggest the big signage be changed for a more modern 2025 look so it doesn't stray folks from coming. Visual marketing is key. Change it to the actual motels name and make it enormous and take away that word "Motel". That large word of "Motel" overrides the main purpose of what your property really offers. You have a great place. Spark it with more colorful retro lights on outside too so it doesnt look too dark. Just a helpful perspective from a customers view. :)

Overall: I found this place spontaneously online while visiting family for a day. If you’re picky or prefer high-end accommodations, it might not be for you. But for a motel, I think it’s better than most I’ve seen. Its an upgrade in my opinion. No breakfast, but plenty of cafes nearby to try. The owner was friendly, and the place was quiet and...

For a motel that's just about $100/night, this was a fantastic experience. The owners clearly put a lot of love and care into upgrading this place. My room was adorably decked out with some minimalist meets mid-century retro decor, including a really nice mini-fridge (the handle was broken but it didn't affect usage or appearance at all, really). The extremely kind man who owns the place is available 24/7 at the front office, and the parking is secured with a keycode-access locked gate. Late check-in is allowed, and I believe you call the front desk to check-in no matter what your arrival time is. Each room is also secured with a keycode, rather than an actual keycard. My room had an ironing board and iron, a safe, a flatscreen tv with dish and dvr, tons of hot water and good plumbing, quality linens and complimentary toiletries (face soap, hand soap, shampoo/conditioner, lotion), a super comfortable mattress and pillows, and a heater/AC unit. Of course, being an old-school motel, the wall are thin, so I used earplugs. Also, as other reviews have noted, there's a motion-sensor light in the bathroom that's really bright! I packed painter's tape, which leaves no residue when removed, to block the sensor b/c getting a hit of super bright light in the middle of the night is miserable. (There is also a normal light in the bathroom.) There's a motion sensor timer on the main room light as well, but I was able to use the nice bedside lamps, so the overhead light timing off wasn't an issue. The window has a screen but no shades, so light gets in - I also used the tape to block out that light, but a sleep mask would also work. Parking does get very full on Friday/Saturday but is no problem other days (the free gated parking is first-come first-serve and there aren't enough spots for every room). Besides all that, everyone staying at the motel when I was there was lovely, except one night there were some AWFUL rude and unhinged guests (2 people staying in 1 room) - I think they were high - and the owner bravely came out to confront them when they were bothering other guests. (These crazy people said they planned to leave a bad yelp review claiming they were "harassed" by the owner and other guests - I don't have a yelp account, but if you see something claiming a story like that there around this date, please know that version of events couldn't be further from the truth. They were the harassers and spewed gross epithets at the owner and other guests, and the owner bravely confronted them.) All in all, it was a cozy neighborhood feel with vintage aesthetics and all the basic comforts. Note there is no pool or breakfast (some photos show that for some reason) but my room did have a nice little coffee maker and free coffee, although there are two great coffee places just blocks away if you're looking to splurge (Blue Bottle and Mother Tongue Cafe). I'd absolutely...