If you plan a trip to Oakland, look closer at the Waterfront Hotel in historic Jack London Square. Not only is this an exceptional Joie de Vivre-branded boutique hotel, but it’s also TripAdvisor’s best-valued Oakland hotel. Coupled with magnificent views and excellent service and hospitality, you can’t go wrong with the Waterfront. Moreover, Jack London Square offers plenty of fun things to do during your stay.
About The Waterfront Hotel
Waterfront Hotel
10 Washington St.
Oakland, CA 94607
(510) 836-3800
www.facebook.com/oaklandwaterfronthotel
The flagship hotel in Oakland’s Jack London Square, this nautical-themed Waterfront Hotel is an integral part of Joie de Vivre. As the only shoreline hotel in Jack London Square, the Waterfront Hotel is easily accessible by car, right off Highway 880. What’s more, an Amtrak station and ferry service to San Francisco are minutes away. With its proximity to transportation, nightlife, and attractions, the Waterfront is an excellent place to stay in the East Bay. Of course, the waterfront also has a beautiful restaurant in Lungomare.
About Joie de Vivre
Established in San Francisco by Chip Conley in 1987, Joie de Vivre holds California’s most extensive collection of lifestyle properties. It’s also the second-largest boutique operator in the country. More recently, Joie de Vivre expanded outside of California and has properties in Chicago, Baltimore, and New York. Notable hotels under the JdV name include Hotel Vitale and Hotel Kabuki in San Francisco. The Ambassador Chicago and Park South Hotel in New York City are outside the Bay Area.
Rooms
The Waterfront Hotel has 145 completely remodeled guestrooms and suites. Each room has a nice view of the Oakland Estuary or Jack London Square. Rooms categories include a 200 sq. ft. queen bedroom and a 312 sq. ft. king bedroom with balcony. In addition, there are 640-square-foot waterfront suites with king beds. That’s not to mention rooms with accessible features like ADA-compatible showers. Each room and suite comes equipped with several impressive amenities. For instance, fine furnishings, flat-screen TVs, and laptops are safe. Other amenities include complimentary Wi-Fi, bath products, and a coffeemaker. In the lobby, there is a nightly fireside wine and cheese hour.
Dog Friendly
The Waterfront Hotel Oakland is dog-friendly, with one dog permitted. Furry friends must register at the front desk upon check-in and not be left unattended. A modest cleaning fee of $25 every three nights is added to the guest’s charges. Not only is the hotel dog-friendly, but Jack London Square is dog-friendly. In this case, several great walking spots are along the Oakland Estuary.
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Specials
The Waterfront Hotel Oakland offers special hotel packages on an ongoing basis. Among the current specials are “Seize the Stay,” with World of Hyatt members receiving a discount of up to 30 percent on stays, and “Hassle-Free Parking Package.” Other specials are a “Party Plank Package” for two or more nights and a “San Francisco Bay Ferry Package,” with a one-trip ferry ticket per registered adult. You should check with the hotel for any additional specials.
Dining
You can enjoy a sumptuous meal from Chef Chris Seyersdahl at Lungomare during your stay. As the name suggests, it specializes in Italian cuisine. Continental fare, like salads, sandwiches, rib eye, and lamb chops, are also available. By all means, you will like the Smoked Salmon Panini and Bucatini alla Bolognese. Of course, there are additional Italian favorites like Ligurian Seafood Stew and much more. Reservations are also available for private dining for up to 40 seated guests.
Breakfast
For breakfast, guests can order gourmet coffee and treats on the go at the Café at Lungomare. Seating is available indoors, outdoors, and at the bar counter. Lungomare also has a nice weekend brunch menu, with popular dishes like Egg Florentine and Crab Cake Benedict, in addition to soups, salads, antipasti, and gourmet pizza. If you’re a coffee lover, try Red Bay Coffee, the top-rated coffee business in Oakland.
Bar/Evening Dining
Guests can enjoy an extensive bar menu with premium cocktails, fine wine, and craft beers in the bar. Some current cocktail selections are Tuscan Sun with Osocalis brandy and Carpano Antica and That’s Amaro! with Mount Gay Black Barrel Rum and Carpano Antica.
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Fine Wines
Wines served by glass or bottle are primarily from Italy, such as Le Colline pinot noir, Vigna del Cristo Lambrusco, and Livio Felluga sauvignon blanc. However, the list includes California wines from Acacia in Carneros, Seghesio in Healdsburg, and Joel Gott in St. Helena. The highly rated restaurant/bar also offers a collection of non-alcoholic drinks like iced tea, soft drinks, and exceptionally house-made sodas like Mandarin Cream and Basil Ginger Beer.
Services/Amenities
Valet parking, weekday wine and cheese hour, and a complimentary weekday shuttle service to downtown Oakland are among the many services and amenities the Waterfront Hotel offers. Parking is just $32, a bargain compared to San Francisco hotels that charge $75 or more. Additional services include concierge, luggage storage, business center, complimentary newspapers, and room service. A very competitive amenity fee of $15 plus tax per night will be added to the reservation.
Jack London Square Activities
The Waterfront Hotel is close to many popular attractions in Jack London Square. For instance, you could go canoeing or kayaking with California Canoe and Kayak. If you want to stay closer to the hotel, you’d like to go bowling or play video games at Plank. In addition, Jack London Square offers wine tasting at Rosenblum Cellars. If that’s not enough, stop by Heinold’s First and Last Chance Saloon. Heinold’s is the oldest drinking establishment in Oakland.
More Things to Do
Ferry Service to San Francisco
With the Oakland Ferry Terminal steps away, you can take a ferry to San Francisco. You can ferry to Oracle Park for Giants games or Chase Center.
Additional Dining and Nightlife
Jack London Square has several dining options to enhance your stay further further. For instance, there are seafood restaurants, a pizza joint, and a ramen shop. That’s not to mention affordable bites at places like the Plank, Ben & Jerry’s and Heinold’s. There is a movie complex for nightlife, and Yoshi’s is one of the Bay Area’s leading jazz establishments. In like manner are boutique shops, public art, and additional attractions like the USS Potomac. If you still need more ideas on what to do, stop by the Visit Oakland office, just footsteps from the entrance to the Waterfront Hotel.
Conference/Meeting Facilities
The Waterfront Hotel Oakland offers 8,000 square feet of conference and meeting space for special events, wedding receptions, and more. Of the 13 meeting and event spaces, the 2,500-square-foot Spinnaker is the largest and can accommodate up to 300 guests. Catering services are available through Lungomare. You can contact the hotel directly for complete details for special events, meetings, and weddings.
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About The Author:
Randy Yagi is an award-winning freelance writer who served as the National Travel Writer for CBS from 2012 to 2019. More than 900 of his stories still appear in syndication across 23 CBS websites, including CBS New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco. During his peak years with CBS, Randy had a reported digital audience reach of 489 million and 5.5 million monthly visitors. Additionally, his stories have appeared in the Daily Meal, CBS News, CBS Radio, Engadget and Radio.com. He earned a Media Fellowship from Stanford University in 2012.