Fodor's Expert Review French Hotel

Editor's Note: This location is reported to be under new ownership and therefore this review may contain inaccuracies.

The only hotel in north Berkeley, one of the best walking neighborhoods in town, this three-level brick structure has a certain pensione feel—guests check in at a counter at the back of the café, and the only public space in the hotel is the hallway to the elevator. Rooms have pastel or brick walls and cherrywood armoires and writing tables. Balconies make the rooms seem larger than their modest dimensions. The bedspreads and decor are '70s-chic, but you couldn't ask for a more central location. A ground-floor café, serving arguably the best latte in town, buzzes day and night with overflow from other restaurants (Chez Panisse is across the street).