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September 2, 2010 5:16 PM

Need advice on motels or hotels near Mills College in Oakland, CA.

I'm going to a wedding this weekend at Mills College in Oakland. I'd like to find a motel or hotel within stumbling distance of the reception if possible, and according to Google the Sage Motel, Mills Motel and Holiday Hotel are very close. They don't look like the nicest places in street view, but does anyone know of them personally? Are they best avoided or would they be okay for a night? Not looking for anything fancy, just cheap, clean and not-too-sketchy.
Other hotel/motel recommendations gladly accepted...and if there simply isn't any decent lodging nearby, tell me that too!

posted by janerica to travel & transportation around Oakland, CA (8 answers total)

I can't give you a personal recommendation but tripadvisor's hotel reviews are invaluable for situations like this.
posted by corey flood at 5:28 PM on September 2, 2010

Call Mills College: [phone]. They probably have a queued broken record for friends and family visiting students who want to stay nearby. The three motels you mention don't fail the driving-past test, but I don't know better than that. There's a row of motels on University Avenue in Berkeley that are safe bets and not gougingly expensive, but you'll need a car or city buses to get to Mills from there -- BART's not close.
posted by gum at 6:32 PM on September 2, 2010

Per gum's suggestion, they do have suggestions on their website. I don't think any of them are particularly close. I haven't spent a lot of time in the area, but I don't think I would really recommend the area nearby for walking through in dress shoes by myself, especially possibly tipsy from a reception. Hopefully someone more familiar with the area can say.
posted by wintersweet at 7:49 PM on September 2, 2010

Personally I wouldn't stay in any motel near Mills; it's really not the best neighborhood. The hotel situation in the East Bay in general kinda sucks, but there's a Courtyard by Marriott in Emeryville which will be pretty convenient (as long as you have a car).

Looks like Mills has a hotel recommendation page. Note that none of the places mentioned are anywhere close to the places you found.
posted by asterix at 7:50 PM on September 2, 2010

but there's a Courtyard by Marriott in Emeryville which will be pretty convenient

About two years ago, I had the single strangest experience of my business-traveler life at that hotel. When I checked in, I was handed the keys to an OCCUPIED room - someone's clothes were all over the room. I went down to the desk, and after some headscratching, they got it straightened out, and I was given another room. Then, later that night, as I was getting ready to go to bed, another hotel guest, who was just checking in, opened up MY room door. I packed my stuff, made a call to another hotel in the area, and checked out on the spot, but not after arguing with the manager over whether I would have to pay for the room for the few hours I was there. I REALLY REALLY REALLY wouldn't recommend staying at that hotel. The only thing good about it was the fact that there were a half-dozen (corporate, chain) restaurants right across the street.

If you're going to stay in Emeryville (and it's not a bad idea for access to Mills College really) I would recommend the Woodfin or the Hilton Garden Inn, instead.
posted by deadmessenger at 8:13 PM on September 2, 2010

Oh and on their suggestion page linked above by wintersweet, they mention the Claremont Hotel. I've stayed there, as well, and I can't say enough good things about that hotel. If you do stay there, by all means get a drink in the patio bar, preferably at sunset - a better view of Berkeley and the Bay isn't to be had anywhere.
posted by deadmessenger at 8:16 PM on September 2, 2010 [1 favorite]

Yeah, the Claremont's awesome, but it's definitely not cheap.
posted by asterix at 9:12 PM on September 2, 2010

I'd recommend against Emeryville, if only because the southbound Eastshore Freeway (80 West, 580 East) is a total clusterfuck at just about all hours of the day. Downtown Oakland is a much better bet, traffic-wise.
posted by clorox at 10:13 PM on September 2, 2010