Oaktown Roost

Joanna Ma 6 months ago

My family and I stayed at Oaktown Roost for three nights while visiting Oakland and had a wonderful experience! I really appreciated how the decor felt urban and comfy - exactly how you would expect to feel if you had a home in the city. The room was clean and well-maintained. The staff was kind, responsive, and made us feel welcome from the moment we arrived. The location was very convenient for getting around the city. It is right by BART and has a parking lot on site that is directly across the street, which felt protected but also accessible. I would happily stay here again and recommend it to anybody looking to stay in Oakland.

Erica 4 months ago

My partner and I stayed at Oaktown Roost on vacation over a long weekend. While the location is fantastic and the price low, I would not visit again due to a variety of issues we had. These issues boil down to poor communication on the part of the hotel, which at times felt like it was nearing outright dishonesty and misrepresentation. Let’s start with the good. We stayed in one of the “Hallway King” rooms. We had no issue with the neighborhood in general or noise from neighbors or the road, though I will say that we live in a busy city so we are used to cities and their sounds. Slept just fine. The AC/heat worked fine. Didn’t mind the no elevator situation. The TV was great with all the app options you could want and tons of channels. The common areas were lovely and a nice perk, price was very good, and the location can’t be beat. You’re close to good coffee and restaurants, corner stores, and 2 blocks from the BART. Onto the aspects of our stay that were disappointing, in my opinion. First of all, all rooms at Oaktown Roost have a “wardrobe/closet” according to their website. There was technically a closet in our room, but it was the smallest closet I had ever seen in a hotel. It fit our two light coats and a sweatshirt, snugly. It did not have a dedicated door as it had a barn door, so the door slid between keeping the bathroom closed and keeping the closet closed. I really dislike barn doors for bathrooms as they aren’t air-proof at all, so that was not ideal either. There were no pieces of furniture that I would call a “wardrobe,” meaning something with pull out drawers or maybe stationary shelving at eye level. There was a TV stand with shelving practically on the ground, and I expect this is what they call a “wardrobe.” To me, this is not an accurate description and very inaccessible. This became an issue quickly because we realized there was nowhere to put our stuff away and no luggage racks in the room. I even requested a luggage rack at the front desk and was told they didn’t have any, which I found kind of wild for a hotel. So we used the couch for one suitcase to sit open on (taking up most of couch so we couldn’t use it to sit on) and put the other suitcase on the floor, which was a pain in the neck to access and in the way. It ended up feeling very cramped. I realize not everyone is like me and uses the drawers/closet in hotels, but I thought based on the website description that I would have what I needed. That was not at all the case. There was also no full length mirror in our room. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a hotel room without a full length mirror, even at the most budget of hotels, so that was pretty surprising. I found the decor to be pretty hideous as well and they by default put the strongest smelling diffuser in your room. Oaktown Roost also doesn’t provide housekeeping service by default. You have to request it ahead of time and it sounded like there was not a guarantee that it could always happen when you request it. This was not in the website anywhere, which I find to be problematic. I don’t have a problem with this being a policy, but it should absolutely be on the website up front so you know what you’re getting and can make decisions accordingly. The last thing I want to speak to is the drug policy. Oaktown Roost has a VERY strict, zero controlled substances allowed on site including (legal in California) marijuana policy. A few days prior to your stay, you are required to sign multiple pages of paperwork acquiescing to their drug policy. As someone who occasionally enjoys partaking in weed on vacation, I was perplexed by this as well. There was no mention that I recall on the website, in the booking process, or anywhere online that this would be the hotel policy. And at the point that I received this information, it was so close to the arrival date that I didn’t feel there was enough time to change plans and I doubted that I could cancel without being gouged. Once again, I am left feeling like I signed up for one thing and got another.

Koete O 2 weeks ago

A hidden gem in Oakland. Clean, stylish rooms, friendly staff, and a great location. My go-to home away from home. Has all the charm of a boutique hotel at a very reasonable price. Highly recommend!

Jessica Siu 4 months ago

I had a great stay at Oaktown Roost. The rooms were spacious, stylish, and were freshly updated from renovations. The building is full of charm and location is very convenient for exploring Oakland and getting around the Bay Area (close to public transportation). The staff were friendly, which made the stay even better. I’d definitely stay here again! ⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Grace Robles a month ago

Loved my stay at Boutique Hotel Oaktown Roots! Such a beautiful hotel with an amazing courtyard and a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Ayanna and Jenny were absolutely wonderful and made our stay extra special with their kindness and outstanding service. Highly recommend this hidden gem and can't wait to return!