We stayed here for the San Francisco Salsa Congress (right next door at the Oakland Convention Center). Great location and clean. Staff friendly. Breakfast in the morning is fair. Nothing special, but gets some food in your stomach. The computer in the lobby is free, but the wireless internet is way too slow. It needs an update. Another dropback is the cable reception. There's HBO, but the channels come in very "snowy."

Otherwise, a good clean, place to stay in the heart of downtown Oakland.

I read many reviews before settling on the Washington Inn. I decided that I would probably love if for some of the very reasons others didn't care for it. The price was excellent, the location was perfect for me to walk to a concert at the Fox theatre, and the hotel is one and a half blocks to a BART station. My first night I arrived close to midnight, they were full and had upgraded me to a king suite thank you very much. I asked where I could get a drink and he reached around the bar and grabbed me a bottle of pinot noir and took me up to my room. (Yes the swipe machine was broken.) I was pleased with my suite. I opened the windows and slept in the breeze. .the streets were empty. in the morning the street was shut down for a farmers market which was very pleasant. Bed was great, WiFi worked well. The staff was charming; I wouldn't hessitate to stay here again.

Upon check-in, I was informed that the key coder machine was broken. Therefore, I would not get a key at all during my three-day stay. Instead, any time I wanted in my room, I had to come find someone at the front desk who would escort me to my room and open the door for me. Of course, this was true for everyone in the hotel. Needless to say, sometimes it took a half-hour before I could get into my room. We had a meeting at the hotel, and when it broke for the evening, dozens of people would wait in line for an escort to their room. There were two (very polite) gentlemen available for escorting us. However, one of them was also the sole attendent for the desk, the other worked the bar, the restaurant, and room service, in addition to his duties as room escort. The rooms were tiny, like a jail cell. The vanity sink was near the bed--not in the bathroom. WiFi was free but often not working. The air conditioning also was broken. So was the only computer in the lobby. I was unable to get my boarding pass. I watched bums from my window, one after the one, dive into a dumpster behind the adjacent grocery store, looking for food. There is no shortage of bums in downtown Oakland. The bums were harmless if not stinky. I did not feel safe, however, in this town, as it is crawling with gangs. During our meeting we could hardly hear our speakers over all of the loud activity on the streets just outside the hotel. I will not return to Oakland anytime soon, and if I have to, I certainly would not stay at the Washington Inn. There is a Marriott across the street. Perhaps that one is better. I'd bet they have room keys.

This is a refurbished hotel, from a long-ago era, which makes it very quaint and welcoming! Like stepping back to the 20s or 30s! I've stayed in both a King suite or a standard Queen, and I slept comfortably in both. The rate was very nice and affordable, given the hotel rates nearby.

My most recent stay of this week (Queen Standard) proved the room nice and comfortable, with great air conditioning, lighting, etc. Wireless internet was quick and easy, as well. However, the television offered few channels, most mislabled, and a remote that required severe pressure to operate effectively. No CNN Headline news, so this may preclude me from staying again. The restaurant was closed the evening of my check-in, which was disappointing as I arrived in the evening and had to make the effort to find dinner in the area. The gentleman who checked me in was extremely nice, which was a great change from my previous visit.

The previous stay, in the King suite, showed the staff to be short and too busy to help, with no restaurant service available. The room with the bed and bath were nicely done; however, the living area was poorly supplied and decorated.

A nice place to stay if you are on a business trip; especially with the BART station less than a block away.