Claremont Club & Spa - A Fairmont HotelvsGolden Bear Hotel
Both hotels are recommended by expert writers. Overall, Claremont Club & Spa, A Fairmont Hotel is the choice of most professionals compared to Americas Best Value Inn. Claremont Club & Spa, A Fairmont Hotel comes in at 96 with recommendations from 11 reviewers including Forbes Travel Guide, Gayot and DK Eyewitness.
Claremont Club & Spa - A Fairmont Hotel
 Rough Guide
 DK Eyewitness
 Star Service
 Forbes Travel Guide
 Star Service
 Gayot
 Michelin Guide
 Condé Nast Traveler
 Time Out
 Fodor's Show All Reviews 
41 Tunnel Road, Berkeley, CA 94705
From $215/night
- Pet Friendly
 - Bar/Lounge
 - Hot Tub
 - Free Internet
 - Room Service
 - Laundry Service
 
 Star
 "Built in 1915, the Claremont is the lap of luxury among Berkeley hotels." 
 "This stunning hotel is poised at the foot of Berkeley Hills, overlooking much of East Bay and San Francisco." 
 "Located just 2 miles south of the University of California at Berkeley campus, this is Northern California's most historic resort, an iconic, sprawling Tudor castle of a building dating from 1915." Full review
 Recommended
 "This Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star resort situated just outside of San Francisco offers everything from aquatic activities to tennis to wine tasting on its expansive grounds." Full review
 "A great fit for Fairmont, this is a heady icon drenched in local lore." Full review
 "This East Bay bastion of luxury offers boutique service, resort amenities and a rich sense of history." 
 1 Star
 "It is impossible to avoid falling in love with the Claremont. This Bay Area darling is filled with legend and romance." Full review
 "The perfect base to experience historic Berkeley." Full review
 "The aquatics offerings at the Claremont include heated recreational and lap pools and an outdoor whirlpool to relax in." Full review
 "Straddling the Oakland–Berkeley border, this amenities-rich resort beckons like a gleaming white castle in the hills." Full review
Golden Bear Hotel
 Rough Guide
1620 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley, CA 94702
From $90/night
- Pet Friendly
 - Free Internet
 - Free Breakfast
 - Shuttle Bus
 - Restaurant
 - Free Parking
 
 "The most pleasant of the many motels in the “flatlands” of West Berkeley, whose decent rooms have smart furnishings."