Who knew that I’d return so quickly after my first stay, but my third night at this hotel had some interesting pro’s and cons that are worth discussing.
Let’s start though by talking about the first visit.
The Waterfront Hotel is a JDV by Hyatt property located in Jack London Square, near Oakland, California. It’s a Category 4 property.
I pulled up to the valet in the mid-evening and handed off the keys to them. They promptly took my car 10 seconds down the alley to a parking spot. I then went into the lobby to check-in. The front desk was surprisingly warm in their welcome. It actually felt like they wanted me there.
I had already seen in the app that my standard room had been upgraded to a Jack London Suite, so I got my keys and went back outside and around the corner to where most of the rooms were.
I got up to room 356 and found a spacious but somewhat dated suite overlooking some of the restaurants and the estuary. There was a dining and living space with an electric fireplace, a bathroom with a second sink outside in the hall, a shower/tub combo, and a relatively small TV on the wall. The room could’ve used more lighting, as it felt a bit dark, but it was overall decent enough.
I decided to try my hand at the hotel restaurant for dinner, and was disappointed by a small menu and overcooked fish and chips. It wasn’t a complete bust, but there are blatantly better options nearby. On the other hand, the mocktail they served me was fantastic.
Back at the room, I found the bed to be plenty comfortable, but my rest was disturbed until past 10 by the near constant blasting of train horns as they passed through. The convenience of a train station and a ferry terminal within walking distance is a bit marred by this noisy reality. Bringing earplugs and a noisemaking app would probably alleviate most of this.
The first morning I had to leave too early for breakfast. I returned in the afternoon to meet my wife and get her situated in the room, before heading out again for work.
The next morning I returned and got some additional shut eye before breakfast. At the restaurant, we dined on eggs benedict and French toast with caramelized bananas. These were plenty decent, and put my dinner to shame.
With the caveat that earplugs and a noisemaker are a must, I concluded that this hotel was one I could recommend.
That conclusion stuck after my return, despite some unexpected ups and downs.
I checked in early afternoon, noticing that I hadn’t received a suite upgrade on this visit. Instead I found I had been put in room 550, a King Water View room with a Balcony. This felt much more light and airy than the Jack London suite, and my first impression was positive. The view of the bay was lovely, though a large ship blocked the view of the San Francisco skyline. The balcony was great, and I stepped outside to take in the afternoon air.
Inside, a King bed faced towards the water, and a small TV hung on the wall. The bathroom had a tub and shower combo, and a single sink.
Shortly after settling in, there was a knock at the door. The hotel had sent up a small bottle of Chardonnay, some bottled water, and a charcuterie platter. I was becoming more impressed by the moment.
I set up my tablet on a desk under a glass awning, and was starting to really appreciate the space, when the noise from next door interrupted.
Our room at the top floor was immediately next door to the hotel’s Penthouse, and it was occupied by a family. This would’ve posed less an issue, but our room served as a connecting bedroom. Worse, while many hotels feature connecting bedrooms that each have doors (meaning a door in each room must be open in order to connect), our rooms were connected by a single locked door, and it sounded like it could’ve been hollow-core.
So while the train noise was less bothersome than our first visit, since the room faced the direction of the water and not the train tracks, the noise from the family was similarly brutal. Earplugs and a noisemaking app alleviated the issue a bit for my wife, who I again met at the train station and brought to the room.
We dined next door at Scott’s seafood that evening, a better (but more expensive) experience than the hotel restaurant.
I again had to work overnight, but in the morning, the noise had died down and I slept for 2 or 3 hours before breakfast. I had an eggs benedict, which was plenty decent, though on this morning the single waitress seemed overworked.
My only other complaint at this property would be the valet. At a cost of $35 a night, the valet takes cars 15 seconds away to park, and in fact in some cases, I opted just to take the keys from them and pick the car up myself. It would seem a cheaper self-parking option should be in order.
Ultimately
For its convenience, service, and condition, I’d be inclined to return here again at some point. I will still stick with my assertion that Kissell Oakland is the best East Bay Hyatt property.