Graduate by Hilton Berkeley - Berkeley, California

Sophie J.

We were visiting UC Berkeley, and the location is perfect for campus. The lobby area is beautiful, with lots of comfortable seating. The reception team was friendly, helpful and welcoming. But once you are out of the lobby, the decor is very dated...|Our king room was clean and had a very comfortable bed and bedding, but the bathroom was poor. The basin was tiny, and the shower was awful; poor water pressure and switching between very hot and very cold every 30 seconds. This isn't a budget hotel, so the overall feeling was a bit disappointing for the cost.

Mandi S.

Then THIS is the hotel for you! The hot water never did come on this morning. The front desk didn't seem to concerned. I guess they had a hot shower this morning. They over did it with charm (who doesn't love a bong-shaped lamp?) but left a lot to be desired in all other areas. It's an old hotel, I get it. Parking is teeny tiny, as is the bathroom. I never could get the casting right to the tv, but at least the wifi was strong. The cafe is awful - out of most items and what they could make was greasy. Walk over to Strata instead.

Dj S.

A difficult property to rate as the intangibles are mostly present, however if you’d like a good sleep or a nice shower for your money you’ll be regretting your choice of staying here.

Common areas are decorated neatly with nostalgia. Service was excellent at all times.

You’ll be let down upon entrance to the elevators and beyond. Everything after the lobby is too far out of date to justify anything more than 2 stars.

Elevators are tiny, and only one is ADA accessible.

Hallways smell of an old home, as do the rooms.

The shower is unusable. Water pressure is non-existent, it quite literally took minutes to get my hair fully wet. Additionally, expect that the water will go from glacial cold to surface of the sun hot, in cycles, throughout.

The rest of the room, including the bathroom, is tiny, old, uncomfortable, and not particularly clean. Of note, there is a kettle in the room, which is a quirky addition for America, however there is no tea. Hope you enjoy instant coffee…

Finally, the gym is tiny and only built for one, although the equipment was in good shape.

Bottom line, for staying in town you’ve got a nice location with lovely employees but that’s the end of it. Until there is a full remodel of the upper floors, including all utilities, I’d not stay here again and suggest you stop considering it.

Relax30654734748

Retro, movie themed hotel. Attention to details was impressive. Old school kettle and phone, down to the coffee and water cans.|Cynthia, the manager was a gem. Courteous and a problem solver.|Parking was a problem. Other than that, good experience.

Shahzad K.

The hotel is supposed to have a "vintage" feel, but honestly it's just run-down. The elevator smells very weird, the bright green hallways hurt my eyes, the rooms are pretty small, the bathroom was kinda dirty looking, and the hotel restaurant's fish was pretty horrible. However, all the workers were very kind. This place needs a renovation for sure.

Adam T.

The location is great, and picking a room at the back of the hotel made street noise reasonably quiet. Our room is a decent size. The bathroom is OK. There is a fair amount of noise coming from the floor above us. The heater takes its time getting out of “standby” mode.

Moma M.

Wifi only in lobby. Poor noise insulation in the room, which also had no safe. The shower was broken, with the tap not fully switching between bath mode and shower mode. Hotel fees are weird. Need to pay 25 a night, and that can be used in the hotel bar and cafe, but deducted only for first purchase per day - not aggregated and not told in advance. Would not stay again

K L.

The Graduate Hotel at Berkeley is not a four-star hotel as advertised and certainly does not live up to the Hilton name. As someone who spends 100+ nights per year traveling, I specifically book 4-5 star hotels to avoid the issues that come with lower-rated accommodations. I recently switched my company’s travel to Hiltons for 2025, and needless to say, this was not a great start.

Parking Issues
Upon arrival, I found out there was no hotel parking. I ended up parking in a public garage two blocks away for $27, only to later realize it didn’t allow overnight parking. At 10 PM, after a full day of travel, I had to move my car again, which was far from the relaxing evening I had anticipated.

Room & Cleanliness Concerns
Check-in was simple, but the disappointment continued upon entering the room. I understand the challenges of converting an older building into a hotel, but this property lacks proper maintenance, housekeeping, and general upkeep.

The first thing I noticed? Hair. Everywhere. A long brown hair in the sink was just the beginning—I found more in the shower walls, on the desk, and even on the walls. It was clear the room was not cleaned properly.

Beyond cleanliness, the condition of the room was poor:
- Rusted towel rack – I got a rust sliver under my nail just grabbing a towel.
- Soap dispensers bolted to the wall – Covered in mold. Not a 4 star hotel accessory.
- Shower temperature fluctuated wildly– Freezing cold to scalding hot within seconds.

Noise & Safety Concerns
Sleep was nearly impossible. Each night was filled with yelling, screaming, fights, and police sirens from the surrounding area. To make matters worse, I could hear every footstep from the room above me.

On my second night, I was confronted by a homeless individual in the parking lot, aggressively trying to access parked cars. I rushed back to my hair-infested room as quickly as possible.

WiFi Issues & Working Conditions
As a business traveler, reliable WiFi is crucial. Unfortunately, my room’s WiFi did not work at all. After calling the front desk, I was told they’d "call me back"—which never happened.

From 7 AM to 10 AM, I relied on my phone’s hotspot for work meetings until I maxed out my data. When I called again, I was given a ticket number and told to call the internet provider myself. I then spent 47 minutes on the phone with a technician troubleshooting the hotel’s WiFi.

To top it off, construction next door filled my room with the constant sound of heavy machinery, making work even more challenging.

Final Thoughts
This hotel is at best a 3-star, if not a 2-star property. The lack of cleanliness, maintenance, reliable internet, security, and basic amenities make it completely undeserving of its advertised 4-star rating.

The only positive? The bed was comfortable—but that alone does not justify the price or the Hilton name. I do not recommend this hotel.