Historical “Little Castle” Located One Block from UC Berkeley

In 1929, renowned architect Julia Morgan designed the Berkeley Women’s City Club, the first social club and women’s residence of its kind in California. The building became known as Morgan's "Little Castle" because it was constructed at the same time and with many of the same materials used in her most famous creation, Hearst Castle in San Simeon. Today, Berkeley City Club stands as an enduring link to the city's past, a testament to its progressive values, and an elegant spot for an overnight stay. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Berkeley City Club gives guests the chance to step back to a time when socialites played Bechstein pianos and danced in glossy ballrooms.

Blending Romanesque, Moorish, and Spanish Mission styles, Morgan crafted elaborately carved archways and vaulted ceilings throughout the club. An indoor swimming pool ripples under an arched ceiling inlaid with tiny Craftsman tiles, and leaded-glass windows overlook a lush wraparound courtyard full of palm trees, ficus, and ferns. Each of the hotel's modest bedrooms has a private, Craftsman-tiled bathroom and is uniquely decorated with an embroidered bedspread and period furniture.

The hotel’s ample breakfast buffet includes hot dishes that rotate daily, such as eggs and fried potatoes, as well as fresh fruit, toast, yogurt, and juice. Guests can also participate in several Berkeley City Club events, from tai chi classes to masquerade balls.

Berkeley, California: Eclectic College Town Full of Art, History, and Culture

Located across the bay from San Francisco, Berkeley is best known for the campus of the University of California, Berkeley, home to some 36,000 students and a still-thriving activist spirit. Lined with cafés and smoke shops, colorful Telegraph Avenue bustles with scholars, bohemians, and vendors hawking tie-dyed graduation gowns. Plenty of bars and restaurants along Shattuck Avenue pour frothy microbrews and serve farm-to-table cuisine.

For a night out, witness world-class performers in opera, theater, jazz, classical music, and dance take the stage at Hertz and Zellerbach Halls. Those searching for Berkeley’s folk scene can drop by the Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse, a music venue that has hosted blues, bluegrass, and other Americana artists since 1968.

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