Reviews are ordered by language and date with a maximum of 25 reviews.
Nice hotel in a nice area
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4.7 |
Guest name: AliceInHerPartyDress, Lichfield, United Kingdom
Guest type: Honeymoon
stayed in Jul 2008
The hotel was one of the cheaper ones in the area, but still expensive compared to those out in rural areas. This was not unexpected though. Hotels in town tend to be more expensive. It has the feel of an old fashioned up-market hotel where service really matters. It was very clean and the staff very attentive and friendly. There was a slight mix-up with the car parking charge. We only had a car for one of the days that we stayed. We had taken it back to the car hire office by the second day and they attempted to charge for the second days parking. This was soon sorted out though when we explained.
Breakfast is not included and is quite expensive. I can recommend the 3rd Street Diner on the corner of 3rd Street and Main. It is about 10/15 minutes walk from the hotel and well worth the walk.
If I was ever in Richmond I would stay here again as it is in a very convenient location and is a nice hotel.
My ratings for this hotel are:
4.0 Check in / front desk
4.0 Value
5.0 Service
5.0 Rooms
5.0 Location
5.0 Cleanliness
Very nice stay -- would definitely return
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4.7 |
Guest name: NWTRNR, Portland, Oregon
Guest type: Young single
stayed in Jun 2008
I was just a little wary anticipating my visit, due to some of the other reviews that talked about how the hotel needed to be renovated.
On my arrival, the front desk service was pleasant and efficient. I had asked about a quiet room on an upper floor. I was given a room on the second floor at check-in. I had been traveling all day and was just happy to have arrived, so said nothing and figured I would check out the room and perhaps it would be fine.
The room itself was very large -- with a huge bathroom. The room overlooked the street and every time a car went by on the cobblestone street it was very noticeable (thumpity thump, thump...) -- however I figured it might be kind of like white noise, so decided to stay in the room. That changed abruptly when I heard a cell phone ring and discovered it was from the adjoining room, and then began to hear murmurs of the ensuring conversation. That was enough to get me back down to the front desk.
The front desk was very eager to help alleviate my concerns. However, there were no other room available with king beds other than on their smoking floor. They encouraged me to check out a room there nonetheless with the caveat that from their experience, the smoke smell was not very strong. I decided to give it a shot, and, surprisingly, the smell was very minimal. After a minute or two, I could hardly smell it at all. The second room was a little smaller, but had a nice view and a balcony. As I was getting settled in, I got a call from the front desk. They wanted to let me know that they just realized they were expecting a guest to check in later that night in the next room over that had a young infant, and apologized, but thought perhaps I would want to move yet again. I thanked them for the call, and moved again.
The third room was just fine. A beautiful balcony and view. It was on the sixth (top) floor. The fourth, fifth and sixth floors sport views and many have balconies. The room was VERY quiet. The bed was perfectly comfortable and the room and bathroom were well appointed. Yes, as other reviewers mentioned, the decor is a bit dated, but everything was very clean and very comfortable. I noticed as well, that in the lobby there were photos of a planned renovation of the rooms. So that should satisfy those in need of rooms with the latest and greatest decor.
Overall I was thoroughly pleased with the Berkeley. It has an excellent location for restaurants and shops right outside the door. The service was excellent throughout my stay and should I be traveling back to Richmond again, I would definitely stay here again.
My ratings for this hotel are:
5.0 Check in / front desk
5.0 Business service
5.0 Value
4.0 Service
4.0 Rooms
5.0 Location
5.0 Cleanliness
Superior
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4.9 |
Guest name: LeppFrog, Chadds Ford
Guest type: Young single
stayed in May 2008
An excellent hotel that is upscale without attitude. The staff is impeccable and the restaurant’s cuisine is superior. The Berkeley is located in the heart of Richmond’s historical district.
My ratings for this hotel are:
5.0 Check in / front desk
4.0 Business service
5.0 Value
5.0 Service
5.0 Rooms
5.0 Location
5.0 Cleanliness
Desperately needs a remodel
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2.9 |
Guest name: bboger, Virginia
Guest type: Honeymoon
stayed in Apr 2008
My wife and I stayed here for a quick in-town getaway. In-laws kept the kids and we just needed some time away. I was surprised to find the Berkeley was fairly reasonable compared to the other decent hotels near downtown. It was much less than the Jefferson (of course) and about the same as the Omni. There also seemed to be plenty of availability. I was surprised because the Berkeley has been around for a long time in Richmond and has always been a great, well-known place.
Now I know why. The reservation and and check-in was great, the front desk even said the provided us with a free "upgrade" on our room. When we got to the room, here is a list of the things that bothered us: the toilet was broke (running constantly, but was just the valve in the tank which I was able to fix), a lamp didn't work, the hairdryer didn't work, a make-up mirror in the bathroom was falling off the wall, the crank for the window next to the balcony fell off in my hand, and the HVAC system sounded like a tank rolled through our room every time it cranked up. A wheel on a desk chair fell off when I sat in it. The decor was probably very good in the mid-eighties, very "old" Richmond with brass and patterned rugs, but looked real bad now.
This poor hotel is in desperate need of a remodel. It was once a fabulous place in Richmond, but has grown old. I wouldn't stay there again until I hear they have invested some significant money in updating everything.
Pros: location and not-too-expensive price
Cons: decor and getting old
Hope this helps everyone out there.
My ratings for this hotel are:
4.0 Check in / front desk
2.0 Value
3.0 Service
2.0 Rooms
4.0 Location
2.0 Cleanliness
Great location, EXCELLENT restaurant!
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4.5 |
Guest name: Nerf, Richmond, VA
Guest type: Honeymoon
stayed in Nov 2007
We decided to go for an in-town getaway to celebrate a special event, so we sent the kids to Grandpa's and went down to the Berkeley and a night on the town in Chaco Slip. It was FANTASTIC! We chose the Berkeley because of its great location-- safe, lots of people out and about, tons of good restaurants and bars all around. We also liked the fact that it's one of the few nice Richmond hotels that isn't Victorian and frilly. We wanted simple, elegant and comfortable, and that's what we got. We looked at their special packages and decided instead to just get their weekend rate ($159) and bring our own champagne. The room was large, not overly fancy, and the bathroom had excellent amenities.
After checking in and enjoying the room for a while, we walked a few blocks to a great bar/restaurant called Bank (it's in an old bank building) and then returned to the Berkeley hotel for dinner. I didn't know what to expect--the place was far from full -- but we ended up having one of the best meals we've ever had. We went with the chef's tasting menu, and they happily adapted it for us since we're vegetarians. The oyster stew was amazing, the salmon and sea bass were outstanding, and the dessert was so good that we somehow managed to make room for it. The wines served with each course were very well chosen and complemented the food nicely. Ken, the manager, greeted us and made sure that everything was to our liking.
All in all, I think it would be hard to beat the location, I highly recommend the restaurant, and both the room and service were great. We'll definitely go back!
My ratings for this hotel are:
5.0 Check in / front desk
4.0 Value
4.0 Service
4.0 Rooms
5.0 Location
5.0 Cleanliness