Waterfront Hotel

***NOTE: If you have a dog, there is no better hotel. They are a very nice hotel that is dog accommodating. i.e. they are not a dog boutique hotel, but a very nice hotel that's perfect for travelers with dogs. ***

This was a great hotel. My girlfriend and I were passing through Oakland/San Fran on our move from L.A. to Seattle. We stopped in Oakland for the night and popped into the city for a romantic dinner.

Originally I chose this location because I was towing a Uhaul trailer and wanted to avoid driving into San Fran. This could not have worked out better.

The Valet staff was the best I've ever experienced. As mentioned before, I arrived at the hotel pulling a Uhaul trailer behind my truck. The valet manager was super cool and attentive to my vehicles. They even went out of the way to park my truck/trailer in the front of the hotel entrance/turn-about so it would be safe at night. He totally could have just parked it in the garage or their parking lot, but he went out of the way to park it somewhere safe.

The room was ridiculously nice for what we paid. I booked the room online on the property's website. I booked the lowest fare for a room with a deck (usually street facing), and in the notes section of the reservation, kindly requested a water view. Normally it would cost more for a water view, but when I checked in the front desk upgraded us for free!

The hotel's original construction is old, but has been updated in the last ten years or so. So the motif is retro and cool, but the amenities are modern and up to date.

Our room was AWESOME! As I said, they upgraded us to a water view room for free, and the view was amazing. You are literally on the water. And the deck was gi'normous!

A few above and beyond things from the hotel:
-The valets are great. They looked after my U-haul all night without request
-Valets hooked it up with a shuttle to the BART station for free! Saved us a cab fare (The Bay Bridge was out that weekend so we had to take BART)
-Valet manager recommended an awesome after-hours place to catch a drink (Harry's First and Last Chance - check it out)
- Front desk sent up a complimentary dog bed and water bowl without request
- There's a doggy yard right outside the front door. Perfect for pet owners

I enjoyed my stay here this past weekend! I highly recommend this place. So peaceful and clean. Impeccable customer service from the valet personnel to the front desk personnel. Aside from "Karen" coming to my door because I laughed a little loud and was enjoying a phone conversation, everything was perfect and even she couldn't steal my Joy. When I go back to Oakland I'm definitely staying here! Thank you all for everything. Blessings~

Under new management, the staff at the cafe are rude and underage without any understanding of hospitality or customer service. The prices have skyrocketed which I don't have a problem with they have implemented an 11th drink free reward card to display the illusion of affordability. Everything seems to be 5$ more than I remember and they won't accept cash but accept tips.

The pastries are from a new bakery specializing in oversized atrocities the staff mentioned they had not actually tried many of them so I asked for a plate and if they could cut in quarters for a sample to share with them and customers. Sharing my breakfast with them, something that the previous management implemented and I appreciate. They didn't seem to appreciate this gesture even though I had already paid for it?

As im processing their complete rejection to courtesy they told me my coffee was ready I ordered a 6oz Americano "short". I wanted to be able to taste the espresso shot... I asked if the order was correct they rushed me and told me it was, there were no customers around me so I thought I would double-check.

Taking off the cap they gave me 12oz of dirty/milky water. It wasn't actually coffee. I asked if they could fix it as I have already paid for everything. At any other cafe I would have gotten an apology and a the drink made properly with option for either refund or pastry. I kid you not these kids asked me to order a larger 16oz drink if I wanted a double-shot espresso.

All that being said I humbly took my small quarter of a pastry and left the rest to the staff, I left the passive-agressive hot water on the counter because I couldn't drink that. As I left the cafe and tried the pastry I almost died choking from the greasy muffin that was worse than a slice of pound cake. I couldnt breathe and choked on the cake I went back into the cafe to ask for a cup of water to gulp down the cake which was still going down stuck in my throat wheezing for my life....

They told me that the cafe that was attached to the restaurant kitchen was not able to provide a cup of water to a customer who spent or rather wasted 13$ ... 13$ which I technically didn't use...on what has been the worst cafe experience in all of Jack London. It took all of my courage to thank them for their service and to enjoy their day as they stared me down as though I were a criminal.

Mind you this is a cafe & restaurant and the service was simply lacking I would have had a better experience with a vending machine. I look back fondly at my previous years here as a regular with the previous staff and I appreciate the love, service, banter that made me feel welcome to return to the waterfront community at Jack London

**Extremely Disappointed with Hyatt River View Oakland - Unprofessional and Unhelpful Service**

I recently stayed at the Hyatt River View Oakland and had an exceptionally disappointing experience that I feel compelled to share.

Firstly, I was assured by the front desk that my credit card would only be charged for incidentals, as someone else's card was attached to the reservation. However, I was shocked to find a $337 charge on my card after my stay. This is completely unacceptable, especially since I was explicitly told that my card would not be charged.

To make matters worse, I have been unable to obtain a receipt for this charge. The accounting team, specifically Patricia Mascote, was beyond unhelpful and unprofessional in addressing my concerns. When I reached out for assistance, I was met with dismissive and uncooperative responses.

This situation has caused me significant inconvenience and frustration. The lack of accountability and transparency from the staff is appalling. I demand that a manager contact me immediately to resolve this issue. This is not the level of service I expect from a property, and I am deeply disappointed.

If this matter is not resolved promptly, I will be forced to escalate my complaint through other channels.

Got the second floor balcony suite. The view and location did it for me. It doesn't get better than being able to watch the boats from your room or being able to walk a few feet to the nearest restaurants.

The hotel itself is a little dated. Towels are thin, balcony dividers ripped, carpet stained. But truly if you're here for the location then all that doesn't matter -- the hotel is clean enough. But if you find yourself a little snobby when it comes to rooms, not too sure if this is for you.

Where to begin... Well I must say time hasn't been kind to this hotel.

Things we loved...

The location of this hotel is amazing! Less than 100 steps to great restaurants and entertainment, and the pier.
The views are breathtaking, and any boat tours, or party boats board right in this area.
The hotel entrance and lobby area is small but beautiful.
The hotel bedroom was beautiful, the views were spectacular, and the double sliding glass doors were amazing at blocking out sound.

Things we did not like; (ppl should know before they go)

The service at the front desk was lacking.
The bathroom/room entryway is so outdated for the hotel price point. The bathroom reminded me of a motel 6/super 8 vibe. I was shocked seriously. This bathroom and separate sink and closet area looked so horrible I skipped the shower .

The boat dock is right off the hotel balconies, so if your curtains are open and people are sitting in their boats they can see you in your room.

I will include pictures so people can make an informed decision before booking this place.
This place needs some renovations done badly. We will not be returning to this hotel.

Do you want to know what sucks about the Waterfront Hotel by Hyatt; we didn't get to spend more time here!!!

We arrived late, dropped off our luggage and then drove to drop off our rental car. After taking Bart to SF Pier 39 for some Boudin clam chowder we got back to the Waterfront and realized what a beautiful location this hotel is in. So many offerings in the area.

We stayed here because tomorrow we start the last leg of our trip when we take Amtrak home from Jack London Square which is only about 4-5 blocks from this hotel. I hope to come back as a destination and enjoy all the restaurants and breweries around here.

The service was amazing right from the start. We came in to friendly faces and smiles and we were given a free drink: beer, wine or soft drink. The bartender was friendly too.

We took a quick walk around and the area is so nice. I wish we had more time here but we promised ourselves to come back!!!!

While I would have liked to give a 5 star review for how clean the hotel room was, and for how stunning my view was from the balcony, I had quite the stressful financial experience staying with the Waterfront. This is a longer review, but please read!

During my check in, I was told that the total charges on my account included a $99 "incidental" fee that would be removed from my account upon check out. This is totally reasonable, and something I have experienced before.

However, on the 3rd day of my stay, I noticed that another (separate) $99 charge was added to my account. I called down to the front desk to have that reviewed and was told that "the system used by the Hyatt runs additional incidental charges to ensure guests can afford their stay" after the 3rd day.
This was extremely strange, and I explained that I already paid for the room. I was again told that the second charge would be removed.

On the 4th day, an "incidental" charge of $190 dollars was added to my card. I was given the same information: the credit company used by the Hyatt runs a check on accounts to ensure that the trip can be covered on the guests card. I again stated that my room was already paid for.

On the 5th stay of my trip, a THIRD incidental charge of $200+ was added. I was given the same information.

It took more than a week for those charges to be removed from my card after multiple calls.

To my surprise, more than a week after I left the hotel, I was charged $1008 dollars for a room at the Hyatt, when I had already left Oakland. I immediately called, and was told that "the credit company that is used by the Hyatt thought that your room wasn't paid for because you paid on the last day of the credit cycle". I had absolutely no idea what they were talking about, and this explanation did not make sense. I explained that the room had already been paid for, and I checked out over a week prior.

Overall, I do NOT like the idea of having the hotel run my card for an entire room after I had left. This was a very difficult process to have the charges reversed, and the staff did not give an answer that made me feel secure.
Aside from this, I would like to thank the staff for making my stay enjoyable, and for maintaining a very clean place to stay. The financial issues associated with this trip were too significant to avoid. Frankly, this has made me feel uncomfortable staying there again. I travel a lot for work, and would have spent approximately $17,000 in one year for work trips with them had this not happened. While I may seem like a "Karen", I do not write this with hateful tone: this was something that I cannot ignore. I can't stay with a place that charges me for a room when I'm not even there!

You can hear the neighbors speaking at a normal volume and forget the TV noise from the other rooms. Also I didn't sign up to sleeping at a train stop. Enjoy being woken up ALL night with the horrendous train noise. Stained carpets and $4 water in the rooms. Do NOT stay here. #WorstHotelEVER

In celebration of our anniversary we decided to stay at the Waterfront hotel. It's located semi close to San Francisco and to Muir Woods.

When we checked in the front desk was efficient and acknowledged our anniversary by giving us a bottle of bubbly! And our room was upgraded to ocean view.

The hotel is older, but kept well. Could it be updated a bit more, yes. The room was comfortable, clean and large enough.

My only concern is if you walk more than 2 bock, the area is seedy. Since we drove everywhere, it really didn't affect us.

We had another pleasant visit recently end of June 2023.

Excellent customer service! Let me explain..

When we checked in around 10:30am, the generous staff told us we can make our way to the on-site restaurant to enjoy the complimentary breakfast and we gladly obliged and rushed over. (The breakfast ends at 11am.) There was a communication issue though.

Since last time we stayed here, the Hyatt Globalist breakfast perks wasn't very clear to us. I made sure to ask the front desk again what is the daily amount for breakfast per person and I clearly heard $25 for 2 adults and 2 kids. I even replied oh wow that is very generous. ($100 total, right?)

Turned out, on the next morning, we got a bill for the overage we spent on the breakfast. The statement showed only $25 was waived. More to that later...

The food was delicious and staff friendly. When the bill came, the waitress asked if we are staying at the hotel as she will offer 20% off discount to the hotel guests, we said Yes, but declined the discount telling her our breakfast will be comp-ed.

Long story short, so the next morning after getting the preliminary statement, we decided to simply order 2 sandwiches from the small cafe attached to the restaurant and will get craft coffee from other coffee shops nearby. (Ended up going to Scorpio.) When we checked out that afternoon and waiting for the valet to get the car, hubby found out they mistakenly charged us for the parking (it should be comp-ed for point redemption.) and when hubby went to the front desk to correct it, the staff pointed out hey your breakfast should be comp-ed too, so she removed the overage charge. Wonderful customer service, eh? (clerical error?)

We were upgraded to a huge room but it was very rustic (again not surprised.) My only complaint is the dining area was very dark with no light fixture above it or nearby. We had leftover from the breakfast and lunch and decided to just finish the food w/o venturing out. (Thanks to the front desk staff for heating up for us!) It would've been better if there was proper lighting in the room...

Will we be back? Absolutely. Continue w/ low expectations is the best way to enjoy this place :))

There was a Sunday farmer's market in the Sq but even though the sign says open 11-4, they actually opened much earlier like 9am.