As an Oakland high school student who regularly traipsed to Berkeley's Telegraph Ave., I always passed by the Claremont Resort & Club. It was a beacon; its stately, white façade perched atop the Berkeley Hills loomed over my high school years like a sentinel of elegance. To me, it was more than a hotel. It was a fairy tale-like symbol of timeless refinement.
Over the years, that same fortress of grace became part of my life. I attended weddings, parties and retreats there, always drawn in by its grandeur. So when I finally had the chance to spend a night—in its Tower Suite no less— complete with a rooftop terrace that stretches out toward the Bay—it felt like coming home, only elevated, literally and emotionally.
A Century of Presence
Claremont Resort & Club opened in 1915, perched on 22 acres where the Berkeley and Oakland hills meet. Its origin story is worthy of its architecture: a grand Tudor-style estate built on the old Peralta land grant eventually evolving into one of the region’s defining landmarks. Over the decades, thoughtful restorations have preserved its classic lines while updating the interiors for modern guests. Most recently, a management shift brought a refined new chapter: the resort marked its 110th anniversary, completed a thoughtful restoration, and reintroduced itself under a spring rebrand as an independent property. Through it all, the Claremont’s essential character remains unchanged. This continuity is part of why the Claremont feels larger than its history. It’s not just a building on a hill; it’s a presence, one that has held its place for more than a century.
Rooms With a View
With 276 guestrooms and a small collection of suites, the Claremont balances grand scale with a sense of calm. The Tower Bay View Suite, where I stayed, combines generous living space with a furnished rooftop terrace that quite literally opens up the Bay. Far below, the lights of Oakland, San Francisco, and the Golden Gate twinkled. Other suites, from spacious one-bedrooms to the expansive Presidential Suite, offer varying square footage yet the same understated luxury, thoughtful design, and a perspective on the Bay that is cinematic in scope.
Dining Above the Bay
The resort’s culinary heart is Limewood Bar & Restaurant, where brasserie-style black-and-white tile floors, a stamped tin ceiling, purple banquettes, pendant lighting, and an open kitchen create an atmosphere that’s vibrant and inviting. Add the sweeping panorama and Limewood is a standout even before the first cocktail is poured. It’s elegant yet casual. Sophisticated yet approachable. Whether for a special event, a date, or dinner with your Cal student, Limewood provides an atmosphere suitable for every occasion, every age, and every state of mind, with menu and drink choices to match. And that view? It’s icing on the flourless chocolate cake.
The nearby Lobby Lounge is as ideal for light bites and cocktails as it is for morning coffee and laptops. For something more casual, East Bay Provisions is the hotel’s all-day stop for Oakland-based Mr. Espresso coffee, fresh pastries, and easy snacks. On my morning coffee run, the space buzzed with both hotel guests and club members fresh from a workout, creating a relaxed neighborhood-meets-resort feel. The real draw here, though, is the pastry program. The resort maintains a century-old sourdough starter—affectionately called “Lenny”—that anchors its breads and pastries. Its most talked-about creation is the now-famous “squassant,” a seasonal, laminated hybrid that went viral and quickly earned a permanent place on the menu. Flavors rotate, but the outcome is the same: it sells out each morning, making East Bay Provisions an essential first stop of the day.
The Club: An Urban Escape
What makes The Club at the Claremont so compelling is how unusual it is today: a full-scale private club spread across hillside acreage, complete with palm trees, manicured gardens, and the kind of breathing room that feels increasingly rare in the Bay Area. The setting has a distinctly Mediterranean sensibility with sun-warmed furnished decks that overlook impeccable gardens and the shimmer of the Bay beyond.
Three heated outdoor pools anchor the space. It’s the sort of place where you can spend an entire afternoon drifting between the lap lanes, the deck, and a shaded terrace with a book. Paired with a treatment at the spa, the experience becomes one of the most effortless day trips imaginable.
The fitness and recreation offerings add to the club’s energy: Pilates and cycling studios, a full roster of classes, and an active tennis and pickleball community that keeps the courts busy from dawn to dusk. Everything here is designed to feel expansive, not just in size, but in spirit
The Spa and Its Treasures
The Spa at the Claremont is one of the resort’s true jewels. It’s a sanctuary with treatments that draw on both classic and contemporary practices. Massages, facials, body rituals, and hydrotherapy experiences unfold in a setting that encourages true relaxation. (My deeply hydrating facial left me glowing—so much so that I went to dinner at Limewood without a stitch of makeup—a rarity for me.)
The spa’s adjacent gift shop is its own discovery. In addition to quality CAL-influenced souvenirs (the hotel is a hub for University of California, Berkeley visitors), the shelves hold skincare, books, accessories, and wellness items. I imagine that locals likely consider the shop a “go-to” for gifts. It’s the sort of place where you go in “just to look” and walk out with something you’ll actually use.
A Team That Defines the Experience
What sets the Claremont apart, more than its dramatic architecture or hillside vantage, is the longevity of its staff. Many employees have been part of the property for decades, shaping a culture of service that is warm and assured. Their familiarity with returning guests creates an atmosphere of continuity rarely found in modern hotels.
Enduring Appeal
For me, staying at the Claremont carries the nostalgia of my teen years, the joy of celebration, and the perspective of adulthood all at once. The hotel that once felt impossibly grand from below is just as captivating up close, only now, for me its appeal isn’t just architectural. It’s emotional.
The Claremont remains a landmark not because of its size or its views, but because it has spent more than a century becoming part of the lives around it. And for anyone who has ever looked up at it from Oakland or Berkeley, the chance to stay within its historic walls feels like both a luxury and a kind of homecoming.
Photos courtesy of Claremont Resort & Club, unless otherwise noted
