We always stay here when in Oakland. Our Christmas stay was just as great as all the others. The hotel was pretty empty (it is more of a business hotel) but the staff were warm and welcoming as always.
Because of my poor planning we ended up having Christmas Eve dinner at the hotel. But, it turned out great. We had a big table for eight in the bar. The food and service were excellent and it was more fun than a restaurant because we could all mingle around the table. Make sure you have the brie and cranberry appetizer, delicious!

July 2011. I had the opportunity to stay at the Marriott City Center when business required us to be in the area. The hotel is located right in the epicenter of downtown Oakland, close to Kaiser Health HQ and Clorox HQ. Big plus is their B.A.R.T. train station across the street. With makes a quick trip into the city, vs. staying at $$$ S.F. city properties. Downtown Oakland is typical of many inner city locales, but the plus it is a quick walk to Oakland's Chinatown which offers many Asian eating choices.

Check-in was quick and I received a larger corner room with a great view.

My room was very comfortable and nicely decorated. The bed was ultra comfortable and had Marriott’s Revive bedding. Both feather and foam pillows were available. Lighting in the room was very good with lamps on both sides of the bed, on the desk, and a floor lamp. The work desk was about standard and the office-style chair functional and comfortable. My room had a mini fridge and microwwave.

The LCD flat screen TV was had a lot of cable channels as well as a wide selection of pay-per-view movies. I looked at some previews and costs per movie seemed to be between $12 and $15. High-speed Internet service had a charge of $9.95 per day. I used the broadband connection on my phone instead.

The bathroom was small but clean. Lighting was good, the towels were plentiful, and the shower worked well – immediate hot water with plenty of pressure. Bath amenities include shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and mouthwash.

The cleaning crew did a great job during my job.

The hotel public areas were clean and well-kept, and were busy due to guests and folks conducting business in the property. This property was host to many activities going on and there were many out of town guests there. There is a moderate exercise room with some good platforms. The service at the onsite property restaurant was good. Food was average.

Chinatown was a few blocks away. Haircuts are all $8.00 in Chinatown! On the weekends, downtown get's quiet. But the plus to property was a quick B.A.R.T. train ride under the bay into the city. This is the 2nd to last stop before going into S.F. This makes this a less expensive alternate to S.F. property rates.

I did not have any problems with the valet parking despite this property hosting several events. The only hiccup during my stay was one of the guests pulled the fire alarm though I was able to find this out before exiting the property. For the rate I paid, I would stay at this property again!

Our company Holiday party was held at this Marriott. We were promised discount parking for using the parking garage. We all had a special sticker put on our parking tickets which was suppose to give us a discount. When we left 3 hours later we were charged full price! We tried to explain to the parking supervisor but he could not care less and even shrugged his shoulders and said we had to pay. He then told us we were discounted the cost of the full day ($35) even though we stayed three hours. Funny thing is, the cost of three hours posted on the entrance was the exact amount we were charged. We found these people very uncaring. We would not recommend this Marriott to any company for parties. Horrible service.

Rooms are adequate but expensive. Parking charges in the adjoining garage is outrageous. The hotel has been recently remodeled but still has an "industrial" look. Staff is very helpful and friendly which helps to offset some of the negatives. The windows don't open soothe rooms are often stuffy.