DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Berkeley Marina

The view over the water and the location were lovely, and the staff were pleasant. My room in building 3 meant a pretty long walk to the lobby and main entrance. The room itself was basic, and the bed wasn’t great, though it wasn’t terrible either. Parking was excessively expensive. Still, I had a decent stay and would come back.

The location is fantastic, but the room needed attention. The bed sagged badly in the middle, and one side of its box stand was crushed. There were used women's razor blades in the nightstand, and the tub liner had pieces missing. Even the bathroom doorway felt too narrow for me at 5'8, my shoulders were wider than the opening. Unless they update the rooms, I probably wouldn’t stay again.

The water-side setting and friendly staff were the good parts. My room was tiny, dated, and ugly, and being next to a noisy ice machine didn’t help. I wasn’t expecting a Waldorf, but I did expect better. The pool and gym also had very restricted hours, closing at 1pm, and the morning coffee selection that usually has around eight choices was down to two. I’ve stayed at many Hilton properties as a lifetime diamond member, and this was probably the worst value I’ve had.

The parking system kept giving us trouble. It cost $40 a night, and the room-key tap to enter or leave often failed for me and other guests, backing up cars in both directions. I went to the desk several times; they said they’d reset and fixed my key, but the problem continued throughout my stay. Inside, the room seemed overdue for upgrades. There was no mini fridge or blackout curtain, the bathroom smelled like a wet mop, and black mildew spots covered the ceiling. Doors throughout the hotel slammed loudly, and our own door seemed to stick when opening and closing. Around 10:20pm, people were shouting and fighting in the hallway. I called the front desk three times asking for security, but nobody answered. That was alarming with the commotion right outside our door, especially since I didn’t see hallway cameras. I expected more from a Double Tree Hotel - Berkeley Marina. I wouldn’t recommend staying here.