Passenger Trains > Hotels near the Emeryville, CA Amtrak station

I'll be traveling in early November to Emeryville, CA via the California Zephyr train #5. The next morning I plan on boarding #6 and heading back east!  I would appreciate all suggestions as to hotel/motels in the area of the train station. Thanks in advance

There's a Hyatt and a Sheraton nearby and they're not cheap.  Check out Google Maps.  

If you want to save money, look at the Travelodge in Berkeley and use an Uber/Lyft/Taxi from/to the Emeryville Amtrak station.  In November, with some discounts, it can be as low as $125 a night, a far cry from the $300+ of the hotels right around the station.  The Travelodge is about 3 miles from Amtrak.

Or get off at Emeryville and take Amtrak back to Berkeley stop -- there is a direct bus link from that station to the motel, 7 minute travel time. 

 

“Railfan rooms” at the Hyatt House are the best!  Full view of the station and tracks in both directions from the upper floor balconies.  They call the “Mountain View” rooms....but we all know what they’re really for 😀

Dave

This question has been asked and answered multiple times in this forum.  Here's the result of a search 'Emeryville Hotels' Click Here Trainorders.com Emeryville Hotels

It is OK with me to ask again on TO: sometimes things change.

It's a good subject for me- planning an upcoming EB trip on Number 6 to Illinois later this year.
Thanks for all who have posted the latest hotel info, etc. We all know things change fast these days.

Of course it’s ok to ask again, because things do change, and perhaps people who weren’t part of the archived discussions a million years ago might have something to say.

But I will admit to rolling my eyes when I saw this topic, and thought “oh my, this question again.”

I’ll second the recommendation for the Hyatt.

Here is a link to a time-lapse video I made from my balcony at the Hyatt a few years back. It will give you an idea of what to expect:

https://youtu.be/lBOoZerLUT8

Posted from iPhone

 The prices of the hotels in the area tend to fluctuate wildly. You may wish to try hotel booking websites as well. The Sheraton prices vary quite a bit in regards to how soon or late you make the reservation. Sometimes if you call them directly, they can give you better pricing. If you are spending any time in San Francisco, pay attention to your surroundings. The number one crime location in San Francisco is MUNI. Keep displays of wealth to a minimum and dont display your cell phone on transit, including BART. Dont buy transit tickets or passes from "street vendors". If you rent a car, do not leave personal belongings in it, including the trunk, while it is parked 

Thanks everyone! Really appreciate all your help and suggestions!

Z hotel in Oakland, Jack London Square area.  A little further away, but less expensive.  It is across the street from the Western Pacific station, which is the original Cal Zephyr terminal.  The building is a Private office building now, but the outside looks great.   Buttercup restaurant very close to hotel has excellent meals, especially breakfast.
Tony

Zephyr doesn't serve Oakland so I'd keep that in mind.


tonymarchiando Wrote:
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> Z hotel in Oakland, Jack London Square area.  A
> little further away, but less expensive.  It is
> across the street from the Western Pacific
> station, which is the original Cal Zephyr
> terminal.  The building is a Private office
> building now, but the outside looks great.  
> Buttercup restaurant very close to hotel has
> excellent meals, especially breakfast.
> Tony

Posted from Android

tonymarchiando Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Z hotel in Oakland, Jack London Square area.  A
> little further away, but less expensive.  It is
> across the street from the Western Pacific
> station, which is the original Cal Zephyr
> terminal.  The building is a Private office
> building now, but the outside looks great.  
> Buttercup restaurant very close to hotel has
> excellent meals, especially breakfast.
> Tony

We got rooms there (single or double) for about $165 a night in July.  Of course you then have to add on the $30 in taxes per night, which made it about $195.  About a $15 Uber/Lyft ride from Emeryville.  We did a group of eight rooms but the reservation person just based it on the lowest Hotels.com, etc rates.  If you go to the hotel's website they will be about $240 a night, at least they were then.  Nice place.

Enjoy your trip! Jack London Square is very nice but in general, Oakland has a bad reputation for crime. Keep aware of your surroundings at all times. If you choose to railfan in the East Bay, many of the neighborhoods that the tracks go through are questionable, especially Richmond and a lot of Oakland.

JAmtrak Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
 If you
> are spending any time in San Francisco, pay
> attention to your surroundings. The number one
> crime location in San Francisco is MUNI.

Can you point me to a data source backing up your claim?

I've traveled to The City numerous times since 1993 for professional meetings and for personal reasons.  My most recent trip was in December last year.  For everyone one of these trips, I always got around on MUNI and only once (many years ago) had a problem with anyone.  No, I didn't just ride the cable cars or F-line streetcars and through the popular tourist spots.  I also rode diesel and electric trolley buses as well as on light rail vehicles to places away from where most tourists visit.  Until my last trip, I always bought multi-day passes.  For the most recent trip, I bought Clipper Cards for myself and the two people who traveled with me.

MUNI is a good way to get from one place to another and a great way to see The City.

Hyatt House right next to the Emeryville station is an absolute railfan's dream. I've stayed there 7 nights on a few trips over the years, wouldn't imagine staying anywhere else in the bay area. Always a lot of action, 2-4 passenger trains per hour plus some freight. Not a lot of trains at night so it's very quiet for sleep. Make sure to request a room on the trackside at check in, as high up as possible. The higher floors provide the best views with unobstructed views north and south on the balcony.

Only downside is it's pretty expensive, but totally worth it in my opinion. Plus there are lots of restaurants and shopping nearby. And if you have any extra time, the Amtrak connecting bus into San Francisco departs directly from the Emeryville station and is one of the best ways to get to the city from there. BART's MacArthur station isn't too far from here either and I believe there's a free shuttle from the Emeryville Amtrak station if you wanted to go that way - though I have heard the BART station has been a target for crime so be aware of that. The Oakland stops I hear are even worse.

RutledgeRadio Wrote:
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> Not a lot of trains at
> night so it's very quiet for sleep. Make sure to
> request a room on the trackside at check in, as
> high up as possible. 

You must wake up early as I disliked the 5am Amtraks that woke me up each morning. I consider 5am still night.

Todd Clark
Canyon Country, CA
Trainorders.com

Yes, there is free mini bus service that includes the Amtrak station. It runs to the MacArthur BART station, as well as many other locations in the area.  More  here.

norm1153 Wrote:
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> Yes, there is free mini bus service that includes
> the Amtrak station. It runs to the MacArthur BART
> station, as well as many other locations in the
> area.  More  here.

Yup. The Emery Go Round bus is really convenient. It is more frequent across the railroad tracks by the Hyatt House than it is at the Amtrak station.

My absolute favorite hotel there is the Hyatt House, but it may be a challenge getting a good rate there. There are several other chain hotels a little further on beyond the Hyatt House, but all within reasonable walking distance of the station.

The pedestrian overpass across the tracks to get to the hotels has elevators at both ends, so is no problem even if you have luggage of the rolling kind.

RuleG Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> JAmtrak Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>  If you
> > are spending any time in San Francisco, pay
> > attention to your surroundings. The number one
> > crime location in San Francisco is MUNI.
>
> Can you point me to a data source backing up your
> claim?
>
> I've traveled to The City numerous times since
> 1993 for professional meetings and for personal
> reasons.  My most recent trip was in December
> last year.  For everyone one of these trips, I
> always got around on MUNI and only once (many
> years ago) had a problem with anyone.  No, I
> didn't just ride the cable cars or F-line
> streetcars and through the popular tourist
> spots.  I also rode diesel and electric trolley
> buses as well as on light rail vehicles to places
> away from where most tourists visit.  Until my
> last trip, I always bought multi-day passes.  For
> the most recent trip, I bought Clipper Cards for
> myself and the two people who traveled with me.
>
> MUNI is a good way to get from one place to
> another and a great way to see The City.

does ANY type of data inform people of drug offenders shooting "smack" on public transit or in their stations (which is a crime) where numerous used syringes are in plain sight?

does ANY type of data inform public transit riders of people "intimidating" riders by their actions or physical presence that would make people feel like they could be a possible victim?

you want data?  maybe we should solicit data/opinions/fears from the riders of ALL public transit whose tax dollars pay for these systems.............

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