I consider writing this review a public service because it's really, really bad. The reason this place has an average of 3.5 stars is that the French Hotel Cafe is veritably fantastic, and a lot of these reviews are for the cafe or are skewed by loyalty to the cafe. In fact, besides location, the only good thing about the... More

after the negative reviews for this hotel, i booked a stay at the french hotel for 4 nights this past february. the location was ideal, close to my daughter's condo and my grandson's pre-school. i was very pleasantly surprised by the comfort and convenience of this hotel. the french hotel is not a hilton or even a days inn. it... More

Carpet is worn out and ripped, walls are dirty, guy at desk kept talking to his girlfriend when I asked a question. One of the worst hotels I have ever had the misfortune to visit. Heat was a small radiator hidden under the desk -- I froze during the night. Stay away.

This hotel has a great location in the area north of Berkeley. Great shopping and restaurants nearby. We found the room to be clean and bright. It is a bit on the worn side but was still comfortable and spacious and on par with many of the other Berkeley hotels. We found the staff to be quite pleasant and helpful.... More

in case your friends have a full house, this is your choice to stay overnight, at a walking distance. shattuck ave has everything you need at hand: bars, yoga, supermarket, farmers market, and the best pizza in town. the coffee place at the entrance gives your room a very tropical aroma.

This hotel actually does remind me of a french hotel in Paris I once stayed in when I was backpacking through Europe on a strict budget. Not in a positive way. I booked this place based mainly on its location directly across the street from Chez Panisse - photos I found had it looking bare bones but in decent shape.... More

Wonderful location--everything you need is within walking distance. However, have to agree with other reviewers that the hotel itself is in serious need of some updating. As for cafe/coffee shop, it's busy and apparently popular with locals as well as travelers.

I'm in this hotel now, trying to sleep. Instead of curtains in our room, we have a pull-down metal security gate (what storefronts use when they close for the night). The bathroom window has duct tape on it to securely hold it in the frame. The mattress and bedding must be a minimum of 20 years old, and the carpet... More

Felt much more like a 'no-tell motel' than a quaint property in a great location. They had those 'shiny/slippery' bedspread that seemed like it belonged to the 60's and may not be too clean, very thin blanket, not a very clean bathroom, and very thin walls. It was cheap but not a deal or worth it. I note the other... More