Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Takara Sake
MUSEUM
Stop in to see the traditional wooden tools used for making sake and a short video of the
brewing process. Tours of the factory aren't offered, but you can view elements of modern
production and bottling through a window. Flights ($5) are available in a spacious tasting
room constructed with reclaimed wood and floor tiles fashioned from recycled glass.
Sleeping
Lodging rates spike during special university events like graduation (mid-May) and home
football games. A number of older motels along University Ave can be handy during peak
demand. For B&B options, look up the
Berkeley & Oakland Bed & Breakfast Network
(
www.bbonline.com
)
.
YMCA
HOSTEL
2001 Allston Way; s/d with shared bath from $49/81; )
The 100-year-old downtown Y building is still the best budget option in town. Rates for
the austere private rooms (all with shared bathroom) include use of the sauna, pool and fit-
ness center, and kitchen facilities, and wheelchair-accessible rooms are available as well.
Corner rooms 310 and 410 boast enviable bay views. Entrance on Milvia St.
Berkeley City Club
HISTORIC HOTEL
breakfast from $165; )
Designed by Julia Morgan, the architect of Hearst Castle, the 35 rooms and dazzling com-
mon areas of this refurbished 1929 historic landmark building (which is also a private
club) feel like a glorious time warp into a more refined era. The hotel contains lush and se-
rene Italianate courtyards, gardens and terraces, and a stunning indoor pool.
Elegant Old World rooms contain no TVs, and those with numbers ending in 4 and 8
have to-die-for views of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge.
