More about Claremont Resort And Spa
Claremont is great, IF and only IF, you are prepared - Read On...
by A TripAdvisor Member
Recently stayed at The Claremont for one night to celebrate a birthday. I purchased a package including room and 2 50 minture spa treatments and made sure to ask for a deluxe bayview room as these are supposed to be the best (from other reviews here).
The best part of the trip was the spa. It was renovated about 2 years ago and is absolutely beautiful, well equipped and clean. The staff was excellent. We had a massage in the am and lunch outside on the balcony (not included in package but very nice with a great view of SF bay and SF). In the PM we had facials and were thoroghly relaxed by about 3 PM when we went to check in.
This is the bad part but with a happy ending. I had reserved a room with 2 beds and as I said before picked their best non-suite room. When I got to the front desk I asked for a room in the newer wing of the building. After some checking the clerk handed me the keys and off I went to room 702. They call it the seventh floor but it is actually on the second floor (go figure). When I got into the room I was immediately angered. One bed, no view and a tiny room albeit nicely appointed. Back I went to the front desk.
I explained to the clerk that I had requested 2 beds and 702 had only 1. I also told her I was expecting a larger room with a view. She did not seem to care so I explained to her what a deluxe bayview room actually was. She again did not seem to understand I was mad, did some checking and said, "Ok, I have a deluxe room for you but it's in the south side of the building (not the renovated part)". At this point I didn't care and went up to room 352. I openned the door and was confronted by ONE BED again. The room however, was bigger and nicer, had a decent view - so I thought OK - at least we're moving in the right direction but I still needed 2 beds. Back I went to the front desk.
With no smile to greet me I told the same challenged clerk that this most recent room had only one bed. I was somewhat louder this time and got a few raised heads behind the desk and another clerk came over for moral support (for the co-worker, not me). She did her thing on the computer (DOS based BTW) and looked up at me triumphantly and said, "Sir, the room we had originally blocked for you is the one we just showed you, room 352. That is the room we had reverved for you." That seemed to be the end of the line with her - I got this take it or leave it look. I told her thank you very much, now I need to speak to the manager. "That's fine" and off she went.
Next out of the shoot was the manager, the polar opposite of the clerk. He could not have been nicer or more competent. I explained the situation and he asked me what, in particular, was most important about the room. I said, "Two Beds". After a few moments on the computer he looked up and explained that a local company had booked every single room with two beds to save money. The company asked its employees to double up. At least now I understood what was going on. Moments later the manager told me he found a suite with two beds AND a living room (at no extra charge). I thanked him profusely and up we went to room 268.
Although it was in the older side of the building the two rooms were huge and the bath was all granite. In the living room was an armoire, a couch, a big chair and ottoman, a family sized dining table with six chairs and a small fridge. The best part about the living room was the view - incredible. The living room had windows on three sides. The only negative about the room (and I really didn't care at this point) was that the furnishings were dated and a bit beat up. You would think that with such a spectacular view and space there would be upgraded furnishings.
The separate bedroom was also huge, had two comfortable beds and a second armoire with TV - very nice. Strangely, there was a locked mini-bar but the front desk had not given us a key. Didn't matter - I usually don't eat or drink from those.
The rest of the stay was very nice - no problems. Although we didn't use them the outdoor pools, lockers and fitness center are very nice (and also feature a nice view of the bay from parts).
So, there you have it, the Ying and Yang, of The Claremont Resort and Spa. Would I go again? Yup - the Spa alone is worth it and I like a little battle every now and then. Be prepared to wage war and you'll be happy.
Spa - Bah!
by A TripAdvisor Member
In June of 2004 I was given a Head to Toe spa package. When it came time to have my facial I was told that the facialist had gone home sick. I was asked to come back the next day to get a facial which didn't work with my schedule. I was then told that I would be sent a letter allowing me to return at another time. After several phone calls, I finally received the letter (late July) but not for a facial - it was for an Essential Oil Wrap. There was never an offer of credit for the facial. I tried to call several times to schedule and on only one occasion did someone try to call me back - I missed the call. It is now December and because of my hectic schedule and because the person who wrote the letter no longer works at Claremont, I still have not received my full spa treatment. Additionally, I found the spa overcrowded and inconvenient for the "included" lunch. You had to walk in a robe or fully dress again to eat in another building. Would I recommend the Claremont Spa--NO.
Pleasant stay but wouldn't go back
by A TripAdvisor Member
We spent the weekend at the Claremont in a superior bayview room for which we paid $280 including taxes, resort fee, etc. but not including the $19 overnight parking fee. We had a nice time mainly because we hardly get away from the kids, so this was a treat! When we do get away for a weekend, we stay at the Ritz Carlton but we were attending a party in Berkeley so we picked the Claremont this time.
I was bracing myself because of all the bad reviews in this site, so I was pleasantly surprised with the staff who were very pleasant and helpful and not rude at all. I let the manager on duty know this because I wanted to give credit when it's due (and he happened to know about the negative reviews on this site and seemed puzzled by them!).
The hotel was VERY busy last weekend due to two wedding parties staying there. Our superior room was on the small side, the bathroom was very small and basic, but the king bed was comfortable and the view of the City was beautiful. It's funny but I did take note of the really old clock radio in the room after reading it on one of the reviews. Really, they could have upgraded that. It was one of those $5 ones you can buy at your local drugstore. There was also a musty smell upon entering the room but it was just slightly detectable. This is a very old hotel after all. But I couldn't believe that they couldn't spring for HBO...isn't that almost a given at any hotel/motel?
The spa was booked solid so I was not able to avail of the spa services (I heard the Deluge shower is a must), but we did use the fitness center twice. It was small and just packed; I guess the hotel sells fitness center memberships to Berkeley residents. The jacuzzi, steam room, and showers in the ladies' locker room were fine. You didn't get any of the special touches you get at the Ritz such as the chamomile-scented ice-cold face towels for the steam room/sauna or the locker room attendant. We've stayed at the Ritz for the same amount of money, so if I were to pick between the two, I would definitely stay at the Ritz and skip this one.
Absolutely Perfect!
by A TripAdvisor Member
I stayed for an entire week and loved it! The staff is extremely professional and friendly and the hotel is gorgeous! This was my very first visit to San Fransico and I really believe is worth the sacrifice on location.
This place is a true gem.
Most of the negative reviews are from people who only stayed 2 or 3 days....
This place is gorgeous, a true spa in a secluded location.
You feel as if you are trasported from the noisy city to a space all of your own. The food was also great and overall the service is just wonderful.
I highly recommend it
Does not Deserve its 4 Diamond Ranking
by TripAdvisor Member JenniferSP
My husband and I arranged a weekend getaway from the kids and booked a spa package.
We checked in at 3:30pm on a Saturday and had to wait in line for 25 mintues to check in. On checkout at Sunday morning we had to wait 20 minute to checkout.
Our room was quaint, but very small for the price. There was one very small window in the room. The closet was bigger than the bathroom.
We then went to the pool. We ordered 2 Mai Tais from the poolside bar. I had to wait 15 minutes in line because there was only 1 bartender working on a gorgeous, sunny Saturday afternoon. The Mai Tais were horrible. The bartender put in twice as much grenadine as Mai Tai mix. Disappointing for $6.50 each.
My facial was fine, but the facialist was a little bit rough. The spa facilities could have been cleaner -- there were wet towels strewn about and puddles of water on the floor. I stayed in the spa for 45 minutes and no clean up attempt was made. The spa furniture was ratty.
The view is beautiful and the building spectacular. However, it appears that management is resting on its laurels and quality is slipping.
The service and facilities are not what one would except of a high end luxury resort.
The perfect galpal getaway
by TripAdvisor Member SaiSai
From the moment we walked in to the moment we left, everyone we encountered was friendly and helpful. Our deluxe bay view room was not huge, but the view was lovely and the bathroom was a good size. Our visits to the spa were perfect and the attendants are all extremely professional. I found the spa to be lovely, although it is a bit confusing to find your way around at first. The deluge shower and stone massage are musts, and it's perfectly wonderful to be able to soak in their whirpool while gazing over the bay at the city.
My only complaint is that the food is not near the caliber of everything else. Room service is relatively fast and friendly, but the food is just adequate and the meal lacked the special touches (fresh flowers, high quality china) that you may find at other hotels of this level. Paragon was better, but not by much. Jordan's was a big disappointment...poorly executed, uninspired dishes that are priced at least $10 more than they deserve. But I must say that service in all these areas was wonderful.
I'm lucky to live right across the bay, so I will be back as often as time and budget allows. This place offers charm, quality and relaxation.
Worth it if you use pool, sauna and fitness room
by A TripAdvisor Member
If you use all the facilities, pool, fitness room, sauna, messages, hairdresser,
then its worth the price of the Bayside rooms which are the nicest. Otherwise,
the price sure doesn't fit the other rooms. I think they should give you a break if you don't use everything however the dining room (Jordans) is always
Excellent.
Stay Away from the Claremont
by TripAdvisor Member JJvC
EEEKS! Stay away from the Claremont. We booked a spa special $465 for a deluxe bay view room and two spa treatments for what we hoped would be a romanitic get away from Palo Alto without our kids. The room was disgusting, dirty, filthy windows and if it had a bay view...you couldn't see it due to all the scaffolding surrounding the window. The carpet was dirty, the bedding thin and uninviting, I opened the window and the sill was filled with bird poop, debris and dirt. The "award winning" Jordan's restaurant was closed. At 0815 we had two men working on the scaffolding outside of our room, hammering, talking and laughing (we didn't really find it that funny). There was never enough staff working at the front desk so if you had a question/complaint you had to be willing to wait 20 minutes for your turn to talk. The spa treatments were lovely...but it is hard to look past everything else terrible. Don't go to the Claremont until they finish their renovation and can afford to keep sufficient staff employed and facilities open!
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