Time Travel to Berkeley (Without the G-Force)

Berkeley City Club

Stay at the Berkeley City Club hotel and prepare to be spellbound by this National Register of Historic Places* property in the heart of a college town. The Berkeley City Club opened in 1929 and today stands lovingly preserved as an architectural gem. Talk about good bones! Berkeley’s landmark building was designed by the famed Hearst Castle architect Julia Morgan. In fact, similarities between the Berkeley City Club and Hearst Castle have given the building the nickname, “The Little Castle.”

Walk into the Berkeley City Club Hotel and feel history infuse you. Expansive ceilings, soaring vaults, and interior courtyards abound. As Berkeley, California’s best-preserved and most recognized hotel, the Berkeley City Club blends Moorish and gothic elements, creating a California design landmark. In addition to 38 spacious guestrooms, the property also offers cool throwback amenities like a bocce ball court, an indoor swimming pool, and even has a skincare studio and hair salon! Notable, the Berkeley City Club pool is unlike any other hotel swimming pool in the world. A signature Morgan design, the pool is set beneath its original 1920’s vaulted ceiling and features original tilework from the time.

Historic Dining

Dining is another highlight. Julia’s Restaurant is one of Berkeley’s best, and with Chez Panisse in town, that’s saying something! Chef Fabrice Marcon flexes French technique on the local bounty of fresh, organic, local, and seasonal ingredients to create artful, farm-to-table-via-Provence dishes.

To really feel like you're going back in time, head into Morgan’s Bar & Lounge for a craft cocktail. Try An Architect in Paris (where Julia Morgan studied) or go big with the Campanile! The reimagined space exudes the swagger of a bygone era where manners, civility, and style reigned!

The Berkeley City Club will celebrate its centennial in 2030, which leaves plenty of time for travelers to say they were guests during the landmark’s first 100. Book online or dial the Berkeley City Club directly at 510.848.7800.

*The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the nation's historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America's historic and archeological resources