Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Berkeley by IHG

We’ve stayed here for a week twice now, and we’ll be back. The hospitality is the best part: Luis the manager, Yana at the front desk, and the housekeeping team all made us feel like family. Our remodeled room was spacious and had a fridge and microwave, with strong shower pressure and daily housekeeping. They even put out fresh cookies each evening, and there’s a small gym on site. Breakfast and parking are both free, which is a big deal when other places charge up to 60 bucks a night just for parking. It may not be the fanciest place in town, but for the value and the people, it’s hard to beat.

The room itself was clean and quiet, and the location worked well. The problem was the night receptionist. On Friday, a friend was only stopping by to drop off a folder while my colleague and I worked on a project, but the desk attendant turned him away and threatened to call the police. My cousin was also refused when trying to see me, and the doors were locked at 6pm. The receptionist looked angry and was extremely rude. Front desk staff should be able to greet guests with a smile and handle visitors politely.

There was a hair in my food, which was the worst surprise. The TV powered on, but none of the channels worked, and the internet kept cutting out so much that it was unusable. If you need working TV, reliable internet, or food without hair in it, I wouldn’t book here.

A straightforward stay in Berkeley, and it was easy to get to. The front desk staff were really nice. There’s a bakery, Thai food, and an ice cream place nearby.