Super 8 By Wyndham Berkeley

We paid 100 bucks for just six hours, and it was a horrible stay. I’ve stayed at Super 8’s before and they’ve always been clean and nice, but this one was a mess. The bedding was dingy, almost black, the room was dirty, and the microwave didn’t work. There wasn’t any complimentary soap or shampoo either. The manager was rude, beyond rude. I can’t understand how he got the job.

I slept well and had no complaints. The room was small but cozy, clean, and comfortable, and it was affordable with lots of places to eat nearby. Parking is available, though it can fill up fast. I care a lot about cleanliness and was pleasantly surprised to see a “sanitized label” in the bathroom. More places should do that.

We stayed for two nights and had no issues. The room was spacious and comfortable, with soft beds and pillows. It also had a cold fridge, coffee maker, microwave, blow-dryer, and TV with HBO movies. The bathroom has had some updates, though the handle was coming off and it could use more work. The lobby is tiny, and breakfast is basic, just toast, coffee, juice, and cereal. Good parking and location, and much cheaper than nearby hotels. I’d stay again for the price alone.

The man who checked me in was friendly, but getting into the office at night wasn’t pleasant. It only fits one person, so I had to wait outside in the cold parking lot. The location doesn’t have much around it in the way of restaurants or gas stations, and the room itself was okay for what I paid. One thing they don’t mention is that you need a major credit card. If you booked through a third party and prepaid without one, you have to wait for a refund. This is just my experience, and someone else may feel differently. I stayed in room 105 on the ground floor and felt uneasy, like I was being watched. There was a barred, tempered glass window in the bathroom where the shower is. You can still see a silhouette through it, there was no curtain, and the window opened onto an alley where someone could be without being seen. I also found a small hole by the mirror. It was directly across from the shower’s glass doors and had a clear view of the bed. I took one photo from the bed, then went outside to see where the hole led. It opened into a staff storage closet, which made the whole thing creepier. I don’t know whether anyone was watching me or what was behind the hole besides the closet, but it didn’t make me comfortable. There was another hole in the closet by the safe, though that one could have been for a cable or for bolting the safe to the wall. Still unsettling. If you’re a woman traveling alone, I’d avoid room 105.