Aiden Hotel by Best Western @ Berkeley, Berkeley

We attended a concert at Freight and Salvage and this was the perfect location. Just a short 10 min walk from the venue. The staff was extremely helpful and next time we are in Berkeley we will stay here again

Jeroen Buiks, General Manager at Aiden by Best Western at Berkeley, responded to this review
Hello emilyb932022, Thank you for staying at Aiden by Best Western @ Berkeley when attending a concert at the iconic Freight & Salvage! We're glad to hear that you liked our location due to its proximity to the venue and look forward welcoming you back soon when visiting one of the many amazing music venues Berkeley has to offer! Regards, Jeroen Buiks General Manager

I stayed in the Aiden Best Western and I'd definitely stay here again. They have valet parking, rooms that are newly remodeled, refrigerator, microwave, etc. and the location seemed safe. The hotel staff were very accomodating and friendly.

Jeroen Buiks, General Manager at Aiden by Best Western at Berkeley, responded to this review
Hello 7charis78, Thank you for this amazing review of your stay at Aiden by Best Western @ Berkeley! We all look forward to welcoming you back soon when traveling to Berkeley! Regards, Jeroen Buiks General Manager

The Aiden Hotel is one of the most upscale BW properties I have stayed at. The rooms were amazing. Very clean and well organized. The staff were very professional and attentive. Be aware there is no breakfast and there is a charge to park. Otherwise a great place to stay. Public transit options available. Will definitely come back when I am in the Bay area.

Jeroen Buiks, General Manager at Aiden by Best Western at Berkeley, responded to this review
Hello UIVandal, Thank you for reviewing your stay at Aiden by Best Western @ Berkeley! We're very happy that you found us one of the most upscale Best Western hotels you ever stayed at and that the team made your stay as comfortable as possible! We look forward welcoming you back soon when traveling to Berkeley! Regards, Jeroen Buiks General Manager

Hotel was comfortable, clean and quiet, and staff was genuinely courteous and always available. Our satisfaction was their #1 goal, promoting a family-like atmosphere, something rather refreshing these days.

Jeroen Buiks, General Manager at Aiden by Best Western at Berkeley, responded to this review
Dear Laurie C. Thank you so much for this wonderful review of your stay at Aiden by Best Western @ Berkeley! You really gave us a big compliment and we can't wait to share your feedback with the entire team. They will all greatly appreciate to hear that their hard work is not unnoticed! We look forward welcoming you back soon when traveling to Berkeley. Sincerely, Jeroen Buiks General Manager

For a big university town, Berkeley doesn't have many decent, conveniently located hotels, so the Aiden Best Western is a welcome new addition to the scene. I'd never stayed in this type of BW before. I got the impression that Aidens are supposed to be smaller, hipper versions of ye old Best Western. This one was trying really hard and mostly succeeded. The basic room I rent was small and sparsely appointed, but the appointments were updated and spotless (as should be the case for a new hotel). The large shade covering the windows (which opened! Loved that!) didn't keep out the morning light, so I'm glad I had my eye mask (recommended). There's a Keurig on offer and a large TV. The bathroom was almost as big as the room with a spacious shower and nice water pressure. The price point was a good value for the area, and the location was excellent. It's easy walking distance to BART, downtown, amenities, etc, but not in the thick of anything (which is a good thing for any place located on University Ave). I took advantage of their guest bikes, which are awesome. It was too cold for the rooftop area, but that also looked lovely. And they do have little heaters for those chilly Bay Area summer days/evenings. The breakfast menu (things that could be microwaved) and various ales and kombucha-on-tap on offer in the lobby was strange and off-putting. It was almost worse to see a menu printed in a hip font listing add-hot-water oatmeal, granola bars and little individual bowls of cereal from Costco than to not have it on offer at all. Bring your own food and drink in with you and/or order it from the many restaurants in the area. I'd definitely recommend the Aiden Best Western to anyone looking for a clean, updated, good-value place to stay in Berkeley.

Jeroen Buiks, General Manager at Aiden by Best Western at Berkeley, responded to this review
Hello Worldbutterfly, Thank you for reviewing your stay with us! Aiden is a new brand within the Best Western family of hotels, and we are currently the first and only one in California, although more are opening soon! Therefore, we're happy you decided to stay with us to see what we're all about. All rooms come with regular roller curtains as well as a separate blackout curtain. This blackout curtain should block all daylight even during the day, so in case that was not the case in your room, then please contact us directly so we can look into this and remedy this for any future guests. We're also happy to hear that you liked our location close to the North Berkeley BART station and Downtown Berkeley. We hope you will consider staying with us or any other Aiden hotel soon! Sincerely, Jeroen Buiks General Manager

My teenage son stayed for one night at the Aiden Berkeley in late May. The hotel seemed very new and was spotlessly clean. We were booked into an accessible room as that was the only availability left, and unfortunately the accessible toilet would not flush. The hotel staff was very responsive and addressed the situation quickly. The room overall was well-decorated, clean and had nice light. The hotel has a nice roof deck with fire pits, complimentary coffee in the AM, and an evening cocktail hour serving beer, wine, and kombucha on tap. Although the hotel was expensive, it seems to be the newest hotel in Berkeley and we would stay here again.

Jeroen Buiks, General Manager at Aiden by Best Western at Berkeley, responded to this review
Hello rachelrH4697WK, Thank you for taking the time reviewing your stay at Aiden by Best Western @ Berkeley! We're glad that you liked the fact that we are a new hotel (opened April 2021) and that you were satisfied with the cleanliness of your room! We apologize for the issue you experienced with the ADA toilet in your room. We remedied this by installing new push plates in all ADA rooms, so future guests won't have this same problem. We're also happy hearing that you liked our rooftop terrace, coffee bar and manager's reception in the later afternoon! We look forward welcoming you back soon when traveling to Berkeley! Regards, Jeroen Buiks General Manager

Clean modern new hotel. Room is clean and bright. We had a room on the second floor that faced north so we did not have any street noise. Staff very friendly and helpful. Nice rooftop deck with gas fireplaces and comfortable seating. Location is safe to walk around the neighborhood, grab a cup of coffee or a meal. Easy to find a free parking on the street just north of the hotel. Free coffee in the lobby was very good. I would stay here again when I visit Berkeley.

Jeroen Buiks, General Manager at Aiden by Best Western at Berkeley, responded to this review
Dear LJ1, Thank you so much for taking the time reviewing your stay at Aiden by Best Western @ Berkeley. We're very happy to hear that you had an enjoyable stay and that you would stay with us again when traveling to Berkeley! Thank you also for acknowledging our staff for being friendly and helpful because that really means a lot to us. Thanks again for staying with us, and hopefully we'll see you back soon! Regards, Jeroen Buiks General Manager

Our stay was wonderful! The hotel was really clean, staff especially Rosie was super friendly and helpful. The hotel manager made sure our minivan had parking space in their structure-spaces may be tight so check in beforehand on whether your vehicle will fit. But street parking is safe. There was complimentary wine daily at happy hour, nice touch! The decor is boutique, upscale and we loved it. I wish there was more double bed rooms.

Jeroen Buiks, General Manager at Aiden by Best Western at Berkeley, responded to this review
Dear irenehchen5, Thank you so much for taking the time writing this amazing review of your stay at Aiden by Best Western @ Berkeley! We really appreciate you acknowledging our team member Rosie for being friendly and helpful. This feedback allows us to celebrate this with her and to thank her for her dedication! We all look forward welcoming you back soon when visiting Berkeley! Sincerely, Jeroen Buiks General Manager

Very new hotel in Berkeley. Rosie checked us in and was extremely friendly and patient. The rooms were clean and beds were comfortable. Our room was in the corner and was an odd shape, but still nice. There was a nice area on the roof with good views.

Jeroen Buiks, General Manager at Aiden by Best Western at Berkeley, responded to this review
Hello Emily H, We're very happy to hear that you enjoyed your stay at Aiden by Best Western @ Berkeley and that you were satisfied with the cleanliness of your room! We also like to thank you for acknowledging our Guest Services agent Rosie because that is really appreciated! We hope you will stay with us again in the future when traveling to Berkeley! Regards, Jeroen Buiks General Manager

Excellent place to stay -- clean, comfortable, quiet, and close to BART. I had a room on the north side of the building (second floor) so that may have helped block out street noise. Staff members were all incredibly helpful and friendly. I'll definitely stay here again.

Jeroen Buiks, General Manager at Aiden by Best Western at Berkeley, responded to this review
Hello 609sarah2022, Thank you for choosing the new Aiden by Best Western @ Berkeley for your recent visit to the East Bay. We're very happy that you had a pleasant stay with us and that you liked the convenience of having a BART station just one block away from us! Thank you also for acknowledging our team for being helpful and friendly because that really means a lot to us! We look forward welcoming you back soon when traveling to Berkeley. Sincerely, Jeroen Buiks General Manager

Mod, great walkable location. Loved the rooftop area, free bike use and happy hour. Super clean but small. Pricey for size. We were there for a special occasion but on a regular visit would not spend the extra money on hotel, but would use that for outings.

Jeroen Buiks, General Manager at Aiden by Best Western at Berkeley, responded to this review
Dear arttakesps, Thank you for reviewing your stay at Aiden by Best Western @ Berkeley. We are happy hearing that you loved our rooftop terrace, free bicycles and our managers' reception! We also appreciate your feedback regarding the cleanliness of our hotel because that is a main priority for us. We would love having you as our guests again in the near future and recommend contacting me directly so I can personally assist you with your room assignment! Sincerely, Jeroen Buiks General Manager gm@aidenberkeley.com

The hotel has a great location! We were here to visit UC Berkeley, which is just a mile from the hotel. It is an easy walk to the abundant restaurants on Shattuck Ave and Downtown Berkeley. Just a 5 minute walk to a BART station if you want to go to take the train to SF. The building is new construction and you enter the hotel to welcoming and bright lobby. There is even awesome rooftop deck! The rooms were very comfortable and had a great layout. The beds and linens were really comfortable and offer a great nights rest. The whole staff is friendly and quick to answer any questions or offer local recommendations. Jeroen, the manager, was great to work with and was very helpful with changes we had to make to our reservation prior to our stay.

Jeroen Buiks, General Manager at Aiden by Best Western at Berkeley, responded to this review
Dear kheslin8, Thank you so much for this great review of your stay at Aiden @ Berkeley! It was our pleasure to assist you with rescheduling your reservation and we're glad it worked out to your liking! We are very fortunate to be located just one block away from the North Berkeley BART station, because that makes it super easy to get to our hotel by public transportation. We also like to thank you for acknowledging the entire staff for being helpful and friendly as this really means the world to us! We look forward welcoming you back soon when traveling to the Bay Area! Sincerely, Jeroen Buiks General Manager

New property in excellent condition. We were really impressed with our stay. The room was perfectly clean, nice amenities, comfortable bed and nice staff. The property is pretty compact, built efficiently for an expensive city environment. A 10 minute walk to the Berkeley downtown corridor, with many excellent restaurants. Of course Berkeley is an interesting town and has a large homeless population, though it was generally fine around the hotel property. There is a convenience store across the street and the property is close to the BART public transit system. The fourth floor is an outdoor balcony, which is a nice place to hang out with comfortable seating. I believe they offer a happy hour, we were out and about during that time, however I am sure when things are 100% post covid in operation it will be a popular option. This brand is wonderful, under the Best Western organization and we will now keep an eye out for other Aiden properties as we make our travel plans.

Jeroen Buiks, General Manager at Aiden by Best Western at Berkeley, responded to this review
Hello Ryan H. Thank you so much for this amazing review of your stay at the new Aiden by Best Western @ Berkeley! We love hearing that you enjoyed your stay with us and in particular our wonderful rooftop terrace! We're also very lucky to be located just one block away from the North Berkeley BART station, which makes it super easy to get to our hotel by public transportation. Best Western is currently expanding the Aiden brand, so please stay on the lookout for any new Aiden hotels close to you. We look forward welcoming you back soon when visiting Berkeley again in the future! Sincerely, Jeroen Buiks General Manager

I had an opportunity to stay twice - one night each stay just a week apart from one another. I agree with previous reviews that everything at the hotel is new, fresh & bright. The 4th floor rooftop deck is very nice, with seating and gas fires and work out area. The rooms were clean and very little street noise was heard from my 2nd & 3rd floor rooms. The staff were extremely friendly and always available.

Jeroen Buiks, General Manager at Aiden by Best Western at Berkeley, responded to this review
Hello danigalen, We're so glad hearing you enjoyed your second stay at Aiden Berkeley as much as the first time! We are also pleased to hear that you loved our rooftop terrace with the lounge furniture and fire pits! We really look forward to your next stay with us when visiting Berkeley! Regards, Jeroen Buiks General Manager

This hotel is a recently built facility and they charged a premium for it in comparison to say, the Howard Johnson by Wyndham across the street, which charges half the price. We were concerned about the lack of on-site parking but it was not at all a problem. Street parking was plentiful, brightly lit, and right in front of the hotel. We felt very safe parking on the street and did not spend the extra $25 to park in their garage. We checked in very late and staff was available for us. We checked out very early and staff was available there too. Very good experience. The room was bit small with a king size bed. You have to walk sideway at the foot of the bed to get to the bathroom if you are on the window side. Furniture was new. Room had a new feel to it. Plenty of amenities and we really like that it has a steamer for business clothes. What took the rating down from above average to average for me was I expected to have no problem with my stay when paying a premium for the same location as the Howard Johnson. I could not for the life of me connect to the internet on my laptop. It connected fine to my mobile hotspot but would not connect to the hotel's wifi. The wifi connects fine to my phone but for a business trip, I needed that internet to work. Hot water was slow to come out which was unexpected. I have had fast hot water at dinky hotels in the middle of nowhere but not this newer property on University Blvd in the middle of Berkeley, CA. Do not order the breakfast. The room service does not equal quality. You are better off buying a cereal bar at the Target across the street. In summary, average quality for above average price. If you do not need the internet for a laptop, you probably will have an above average or even excellent stay.

Jeroen Buiks, General Manager at Aiden by Best Western at Berkeley, responded to this review
Dear Kien P. Thank you for reviewing your stay with us! We're glad you had no trouble finding street parking because this is easy to find in the streets surrounding our hotel, notably on Berkeley Way. We also like to thank you for recognizing the team for accommodating an early check-in. We are really sorry to learn about the issues you had with your Wi-Fi connectivity. Our team is available 24/7 to assist with any issues you may encounter, and we would have loved the opportunity to helping you connecting to our network! We even have some promotion codes in our arsenal that will keep you stay connected for several days at very high speeds, and we would have loved to provide you access to this. We are also sorry to hear about your breakfast experience. We use high quality products from Sonoma Made Foods which we prepare in a professional grade oven. The product itself is good but it may be possible that our team did not prepare it properly. As a courtesy to you we have voided your breakfast charge and a credit has been issued to your credit card. Sometimes when occupancy is low, it may take a little longer for hot water to reach a guest room, and this may have happened during your stay. After receiving your review, we immediately checked your room, but could not find any issues and hot water was available quickly. Again, we would have loved learning about the issues you experienced during your stay with us, so we could have looked into this immediately and offered you satisfactory solutions. Please contact us directly in case you like to further discuss your stay with us. Sincerely, Jeroen Buiks General Manager gm@aidenberkeley.com

Nice roof views and fireplace on top of the hotel provide great seating for small groups, and great location for eating take out food. , rooms are not large, but clean and new. Nice, convenient location, central for varied food options as well.

Jeroen Buiks, General Manager at Aiden by Best Western at Berkeley, responded to this review
Hello tjmj421, Thank you for reviewing your stay at Aiden by Best Western @ Berkeley! We're glad you loved our rooftop terrace as well as our location in Central Berkeley. We look forward welcoming you back soon when visiting the East Bay. Regards, Jeroen Buiks General Manager

New hotel. Walking distance to The Greek. Check in was easy. Front desk clerk was friendly and helpful. Rooms are large and clean. Roof top lounge area is a bonus. Our vehicle was too large for garage parking, but they offered up a space directly in front of hotel. Excellent stay on every metric.

Jeroen Buiks, General Manager at Aiden by Best Western at Berkeley, responded to this review
Hello Functiongirl, Thank you for reviewing your stay at our new Aiden by Best Western @ Berkeley! We're very happy you enjoyed your stay with us and that you found our location ideal for visiting the Greek Theater at UC Berkeley! The Greek had an amazing band line-up this season, so we are excited to see who will play next year! We're also excited to hear that you loved our wonderful lounge area with fire pits on our rooftop! We look forward welcoming you back soon. Regards, Jeroen Buiks General Manager

When I walked into the lobby of the Aiden in Berkeley, I was struck by its sense of design. Soft seating mixed with high top tables, a wall painted as if it is street art, and sleek bicycles hanging on the wall, waiting for patrons to ride them downtown. Only one mile from UC Berkeley, the three-story Aiden makes every effort to give the illusion that clientele are in an oasis. The upper floors are set back, allowing for large potted plants outside big windows. The hip wallpaper consists of articles and facts about Berkeley. The designer toilet is mounted on the bathroom wall—no pedestal. The window coverings are amazing—the best I've seen in a hotel. The inner roller shade is blackout and the outer roller shade is translucent. They spared no expense on the desk drawer pulls. The bed and pillows were super comfortable; the hotel quiet. I give Aiden high marks for sleep comfort. The rooftop has outdoor seating, yoga mats, and a TRX workout system. So why the 3 star rating? I don't think the interior designer ever stayed in the room. Although the room had ample space, the layout was less-than-ideal, and even dangerous. My room opened to a large hallway of empty space—no pictures hanging and no furniture—that looked rather bland and unfinished. Turning the corner into the main room, I was happy to see a stylish room. But on further inspection, the good looking room wasn't as functional as it should be. First of all, the desk and office chair were placed at the end of the bed. Even a wafer-thin person would not be able to sit in the chair and get work done. In fact, to get from one side of the bed to the next it's best to remove the office chair. However, if you remove the chair, the desk drawer pull, which sticks out a few inches, becomes an obstacle. Both my partner and I ran into it and after more than a week, we both still have bruises, The drawer pull even drew blood from one of us! After the second injury, I wrapped a hand towel around the drawer pull. I'm not sure why the hotel bothered with a super fancy phone system with a screen or an alarm clock. Just about everyone has a cell that serves as both a phone and an alarm. Their phone system and alarm left very little space on the bed stand. They were wired such that I was unable to move them out of the way and store them on the floor during my stay. And, unbeknownst to me, the alarm was set to 6:00 AM. It was quite startling to have it wake me. Layout is an easy thing to fix. Given that the hotel is so new, I expect they will sort out some of these flaws, especially the “deadly drawer pull.” The location is fabulous, near the university and lots of restaurants of many ethnicities. There seemed to be a fair amount of on-street parking, although I opted for valet garage parking (extra fee) at the hotel. The staff are friendly, welcoming, and full of helpful knowledge of the area.

Jeroen Buiks, General Manager at Aiden by Best Western at Berkeley, responded to this review
Dear DigitalRabbit, Thank you so much for taking the time writing this detailed review of your stay with us! We're very happy that you had an overall good stay and that we offered many things you enjoyed such as our unique décor, rooftop terrace with TRX workout station and the comfort of sleep. We do appreciate your feedback regarding the room layout because we do take this very seriously. We are a brand-new hotel, and we are still working on fine-tuning the final details, and guest feedback is therefore very valuable! We would have loved the opportunity of offering you a different room during your stay that may have been more suitable for you. We have many different room configurations, and it would have been our pleasure to show you some options! We also apologize that you got woken up by an alarm that you didn't set. We specifically installed single-day alarm clocks to avoid this issue, so we will investigate what caused this to happen. We really hope you will consider staying with us again in the future when visiting Berkeley, and if you do, please contact me directly so I can see to it that you are assigned to a room that you will find very comfortable! Yours sincerely, Jeroen Buiks General Manager gm@aidenberkeley.com

I never thought I would write such a glowing review of a Best Western hotel. Call me a snob, but I just did not think a Best Western could be this nice. My wife and I loved this place. It was so so much better than I thought. The room was huge, with enough room to park our stroller, a baby's crib, and much more. And the manager was wonderful and he even let us change our dates to accommodate our baby's needs. Also, the location is wonderful, near amazing food. And parking is a breeze. This is the place I def plan to stay at when I am in Berkeley next.

Jeroen Buiks, General Manager at Aiden by Best Western at Berkeley, responded to this review
Dear Zahir110, Thank you so much for this glowing review of your stay at Aiden by Best Western @ Berkeley! It means a lot to all of us that you selected Aiden to be the very first hotel to stay at with your newborn baby, and we are very excited hearing that we were able to meet and exceed your expectations! We are also happy to hear that you found our location in Central Berkeley to be very convenient. We all look forward welcoming you back soon! Sincerely, Jeroen Buiks General Manager

My wife and I enjoyed our 3 night stay at the Aiden very much. The hotel is new and well designed. We found the staff to be very friendly and helpful. We enjoyed eating a take-out meal up on the rooftop patio. The views of the bay are gorgeous and it is a very nice shared space. I was not a huge fan of the shower head. The water pressure was not very powerful and there was no way to adjust the stream. I also wished there were more hangers to dry out the towels in order to encourage reuse. All-in-all a good value for the Bay Area.

Jeroen Buiks, General Manager at Aiden by Best Western at Berkeley, responded to this review
Dear David N. Thank you so much for reviewing your stay with us! We really appreciate your nice comments about the staff because that really means a lot to us! We are also happy to hear you enjoyed our rooftop terrace and that you found this a great spot to relax. We just installed several fire pits on the rooftop which will make it even more comfortable to be up on the roof late at night while staying warm and cozy! Thank you also for your feedback regarding the shower because this allows us to remedy that issue. We look forward to welcoming you back soon! Regards, Jeroen Buiks General Manager

Great stay, Great fixtures in room, Keurig coffee, large windows. Great Mexican, Thai, and pizza within a hundred yards. Target across the street. We rode two bikes provided for free to ride on bike path right near by. Happy hour for a free beer (or wine). Staff was really nice. Rooftop with 3 propane fireplaces and workout room. Nice views.

Jeroen Buiks, General Manager at Aiden by Best Western at Berkeley, responded to this review
Hello newknowl, Thank you for this amazing review of your stay at the new Aiden by Best Western @ Berkeley! We are very happy to hear that you liked our location in Central Berkeley and that you enjoyed our bicycles to explore the area! Thank you for recognizing our staff because that really means a lot to us! We look forward welcoming you back soon when traveling to the East Bay! Regards, Jeroen Buiks General Manager

Ok I rarely write reviews but wanted to give this hotel kudos. I travel international for business and experience a variety of hotels. Visiting our daughter she suggested the new Aiden. The rooms were clean bright and well designed. The rooftop seating area was a real plus. The icing on the cake and why I am writing this was the staff, they were beyond helpful, pleasant and went beyond my expectations. This was a really good value for the money.

Jeroen Buiks, General Manager at Aiden by Best Western at Berkeley, responded to this review
Dear Cor1225, We sincerely appreciate your wonderful review of your stay at the new Aiden by Best Western @ Berkeley! We are a new hotel and that is why we love all feedback we can get! This will allow us to find areas of improvement which will help us in becoming a better hotel! Thank you also for acknowledging our staff because they will appreciate hearing that they are on the right track! We all look forward welcoming you back soon to Aiden Berkeley! Sincerely, Jeroen Buiks General Manager

We needed to be in Berkley for a weekend event. The Aiden had no reviews (turns out it had just opened), but looked clean and perfectly located. We had made the perfect choice. Joreon has put together a great staff. They know the area and were always ready to b e helpful. Rooms are clean (if small). The rooftop deck is beautiful. The Marina district and the Berkley campus are both in walking distance and (at the suggestion of the staff) we visited Indian Rock for a magnificent sunset experience.

Jeroen Buiks, General Manager at Aiden by Best Western at Berkeley, responded to this review
Dear Josh R. Thank you so much for this amazing review of your stay at the brand-new Aiden @ Berkeley! Thank you also for being one of our very first guests! The team and I are very excited to see our first TripAdvisor review rated 5-stars because we could not wish for a better start! Aiden @ Berkeley is all about offering a Berkeley experience, so we are very happy that you enjoyed our local touches including our local IPA and Berkeley Coffee! We all look forward welcoming you back soon when traveling to Berkeley! Best Regards, Jeroen Buiks General Manager