Not worth the money & time! First we came with 2 young children and they said the room we booked was too small for all four of us and that it woud cost another $20 a NIGHT to get a room for the four of us to fit. The walls are so thin that you can here EVERYTHING that was happen upstairs and next to. I mean EVERYTHING! We had to call the manager to get them to quite down because the kids even woke up. Next we requested that we don't have our room cleaned. We came back from breakfast and the room was cleaned and everything on the bed was moved. The worst part was we had family come to pick us up for dinner and the manager called us to see if they we going to spend the night with us so he can charge us for all the additional people. SERIOUSLY! I have never been so disrespected in my life!

Folks, this is a low-budget motel in a not-particularly-special part of Berkeley. If you're looking for charming, memorable lodging for your next family vacation, it isn't for you. If your company is paying the bill, don't book this place in a misguided attempt to save them money (unless you're really, really worried about your company's state of financial health). If you're even slightly finicky about your accomodations, then at the very least pay 20-30% more and stay at one of the national chains - they're adequately represented here in Berkeley. As are a number of much nicer (and even more expensive) places.

If, however, you're traveling on your own dime and you consider a motel simply a place to sleep, shower, and drop your stuff, and you don't want to spend a cent more than necessary, Berkeley Inn is a great deal. On my latest Berkeley trip, it was the cheapest motel available - the next step up was at least $20 more. My room was small but in reasonably good shape -- a little shabby, sure, but not dirty by any means. Linens, towels, etc. were all perfectly clean. The bed was surprisingly comfortable and I slept like a baby. Shower was actually quite nice: attractive tiles, plenty of nice warm water at good pressure. There was a fridge, a microwave, a TV, and a phone, none of which I used. There were plenty of electric outlets to charge my gadgets, and free WiFi with reasonable speed to use them. San Pablo Ave. isn't exactly a sightseeing destination, but (as a former Berkeley resident) I can say with confidence that it's not a particularly dangerous area. (I arrived on foot quite late at night.) The Berkeley Inn is within a reasonably short walk of the North Berkeley BART station, AC transit bus stops, etc. so Berkeley, and the entire Bay Area, are convenient even if you don't have a car. You can walk up to Cal / downtown Berkeley in maybe half an hour.

It is what it is. If saving money is important to you and you want to get in late, hit the sack, sleep well, get up early, shower, and go out refreshed and relaxed to have a great day in Berkeley the next morning, this is definitely the place for you. If the style of your lodgings is an important part of your traveling pleasure, look somewhere else. That simple. Personally, I'll have no hesitation about staying here again next time I need a cheap room in Berkeley.

BI rooms are very small but clean. Each room is furnished differently and all are strangely eclectic. Parking in the hotel lot or on the street is an adventure due to size of the spaces and fact that meter ticketing starts at 9 am. Interesting note: outdoor hallways have surveillance cams, which you may either find reassuring or odd depending on your urban background. Also the WiFi is variable and requires repeated logins. The manager and his wife are cautious but run a tight ship.
Berkeley Inn is on San Pablo in the heart of the Berkeley urban mix. Lots of Indian stores but also Caribbean, Middle Eastern, and Spanish (as in from Spain). There are shops and restaurants from all over and unusual cuisine available at modest cost. AC Transit runs on both University and San Pablo to Cal campus and Oakland, also BART.

The room was not vaccuummed and when we went to go to bed the sheets were very dirty. I went to the front desk and he said all the sheets were being washed, finally he managed to get me a set but i needed two and he was not very friendly, but finally got me 2 more sheets. The shower was so gross i put a towel inside while i showered and i slept with a tshirt on my pillowcase. The phone and refrigerator did not work, and there was miminal parking. I would never recommend this to anyone.