Few Bay Area landmarks carry the mythological weight of the Claremont's founding story: the original structure was reportedly built straddling the Berkeley-Oakland city line so that alcohol could be served on whichever side local ordinance permitted. That pragmatic ingenuity aside, the white-painted Victorian castle rising from the eucalyptus-covered Oakland Hills is a genuinely commanding piece of early California resort architecture, its steeply pitched gabled rooflines, dormers, and central clock tower assembled in a Free Classic style that architect Charles Dickey completed in 1915. The Claremont Resort & Club has grown considerably since — today it holds 276 rooms across multiple wings — but the original building's silhouette, seen glowing against a lavender East Bay dusk, remains one of the more romantically improbable sights in American hospitality. Interior renovations over the years have brought the guestrooms to a palette of lavender, warm taupe, and gold, with trellis-patterned carpets, dark-stained wood furniture inlaid with brass geometric motifs, and floral draperies that keep the tone garden-fresh without veering into chintz overload. The bar at Limewood maintains a more grounded register — a curved cherry-wood counter topped in honed concrete, white subway tile behind the back bar, pressed-tin ceiling panels overhead, and hexagonal stone floor tile underfoot, the whole composition landing somewhere between a grand hotel bar and a well-appointed neighborhood institution. The outdoor pool deck, framed by the white clapboard spa pavilion and the hillside building above, makes the resort's scale feel surprisingly intimate under California light.

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Claremont Resort & Club is a California landmark and one of America’s iconic hotels. Just 12 miles from San Francisco, we are located between Berkeley and Oakland, two cities full of character and vitality. Our newly restored urban resort is uniquely positioned to offer the best of the Bay Area. Claremont Resort & Club sets new heights in service, amenities, and accommodations. We offer three distinct restaurants, a world-renowned spa, and three heated, outdoor saline pools at The Club, which was awarded Best Hotel Gym by Shape Magazine. Our 276 beautifully appointed rooms offer a mix of old-world charm and California comfort, many boasting breathtaking views of San Francisco.