Affordable Safe hotel/vacation rental in Oakland/Berkeley (San Francisco, Concord: rentals, condos)

[Mike From NIU]

Hi folks,

My family and I (wife and 3 kids under 7) are planning a 4-7 day trip to Oakland in late June. We are starting to scout out accomodations, but don't know where to begin. The main areas where we want to be during the day will be near the Rockledge BART, though we will probably rent a vehicle while we're out there. We will also take a trip to San Francisco, too, but are willing to either drive or use BART.

So, are there suggestions for areas to look at or avoid when looking at hotels and/or vacation rentals in the Oakland/Berkeley area? For instance, hotwire lists Berkeley-Emeryville, Martinez, Walnut Creek-Lafayette-Concord, Oakland-Alameda, and Oakland Int. Airport as its five sub-location categories. I guess I would also be open to San Francisco options, too, but I think the travel and expense to Oakland would not be worth it.

As far as budget, we can't afford more than $140/night with taxes, and would like to keep it in the $100-115/night range if possible.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Archan]

There is a pretty nice Courtyard by Marriott close to the bay in Emeryville. They list it as the Courtyard Oakland Emeryville. It is not as convenient to Bart, but it is near the freeway, bay bridge, and a shopping center with restaurants like PF Changs, burrito shop, etc.. I've stayed there and if you get the right room, you may get a bay view.

Check their website for pricing, you may be able to get a bargain. There is also a Holiday Inn on the other side of the freeway.

5555 Shellmound Street
Emeryville, California 94608 USA
Phone: 1-510-652-8777

[bellalunatic]

Emeryville will not be all that convenient to Rockridge. try this:

Oakland Vacation Rentals by Owner, Oakland VRBO®, Oakland CA Resorts, Oakland CA Condos in the Bay Area (http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/usa/california/san-francisco-bay-ar/oakland - broken link)

I just looked at this page and there's one there that's a steal for 95$ a night, in Rockridge no less!! And you can contact the owners of the rentals directly chat with them etc, before committing.
We have a rental in Florida and we use VRBO, it is a great site, the pictures do not lie, much better deal than hotels especially when you have kids!
Enjoy your trip!

[artemis78]

Another vote for VRBO; you can also sometimes find vacation rentals on Craigslist. You can also check out bed-and-breakfasts, which are in that price range. There are a bunch in that area: Berkeley & Oakland Bed and Breakfast Network - Berkeley and Oakland, California - Bed & Breakfast Inns ONLINE - Travel * Lodging * Bed and Breakfast * Country Inns / Introduction (The South Berkeley/Elmwood options are also very close to Rockridge, and everything on this list is in a safe location.)

[Mike From NIU]

Thank you for the suggestions so far. We have been looking at bbonline.com and VRBO, but the properties closest to Rockridge either don't sleep 5, don't allow children, or are way too expensive. We'll still keep our eyes open, though, because we too also prefer the extra space that a house rental gives you when you have children.

Any other suggestions for neighborhoods/key words where we should (or should not) look in Oakland? What are the hotel districts to avoid, should we have to stay in one?

[artemis78]

I'd avoid the airport hotels, simply because they're so far (miles) from everything. Jack London Square is nice, particularly if you'll have a car; it can be a little on the loud side (train line runs nearby) but is usually priced accordingly, and there are usually lots of kids out on the weekends there. There are a LOT of restaurants right there, too. Emeryville is also okay if you'll have a car, but there's not much to walk to. You could also look at Downtown Berkeley---it's a little tedious to get to Rockridge on BART from there (they're on two different lines so you have to double back) but it's not far geographically and there are lots of hotel options.

The Claremont Hotel is right near Rockridge, but is generally pretty pricey. You could see if they have any deals, though, as the location is great for what you need.

[clongirl]

Perhaps this link might help. You might find a house/apt to rent...Travel - SFGate

[fizbin]

Not highly convenient to public trans, but a bit of a hidden bargain gem, is the Motel 6 on the Embarcadero in Oakland. Kids and pets welcome, the estuary on one side with a freeway on the other, it is actually pretty nice. My cousin stays here whenever he is in the area.

[DrDipNStein]

Oakland and safe do not belong in a sentence together.

[Mike From NIU]

Just to follow-up, we ended up staying on Alameda at a Hawthorn Suites. It worked out pretty well for us, as we were rarely traveling during rush hour. Travel across the bay to San Francisco for the one day was a pain, too, but the back-up on the Bay Bridge was bad enough that I don't think it would have mattered where we stayed. Alameda was a nice island; we were able to walk around it some and even went to the beach there.

Thanks for everyone's advice.