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Ideal accommodations for guests seeking quiet, meditative, aesthetically pleasing lodging in a charming neighborhood; a perfect base for Bay Area explorations, and a place to be that will lift your spirit.
Looking into the living area with morning sun coming in through the east-side windows, highlighting the central post-and-beam detail. Shoji screens, above the windows in their stowed positions, swing down to soften the light. Recessed fixtures in the window wells create glowing Japanese lanterns in the evening.
An exotic, private garden level apartment in North Berkeley, California. Spruce Canyon is our name for this Santa Fe/Zen space, undivided and spacious, like a loft at ground level.
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Travelers are always looking for memorable and relaxing experiences. Let’s discover more through the words of our innkeepers. Many thanks to Carol Vertel for sharing her own secrets with BBOnline.com! Why do most travelers stay at your inn? Visiting friends/relatives or attending UC Berkeley to learn or to teach something.
What are you best known for? What makes your inn unique? What do you love most about your inn? Spruce Canyon is definitely unique, a fully-furnished beautiful private and super-quiet apartment (not just a room) that has a gas fireplace, a full kitchen and a bath with a Japanese style tub, amazing collections of art, music, books and DVDs, an unusual garden and a neighborhood that is one of the most interesting in America...if you have time to walk around, you will be delighted!
If someone has never been to your city, what is the #1 reason to come visit? Come to Berkeley because it is a totally captivating city with people who think deeply and who value art, creativity and individuality.
What’s the best compliment you have ever received about the inn? There have been so many! People feel comfortably at home here, some have requested my services as an acupuncturist/massage therapist and absolutely loved their treatments feeling either very relaxed or highly energized afterward. One guest said it was nicer than the Ritz Carlton!
What’s the best kept secret about the area? Take the time to investigate various neighborhoods by walking...you can see so much beauty that way! AND you will get some exercise (always good).
If a traveler is staying at your inn for 4 nights, what should he/she do in the area? What to do in the area depends on your interests, of course. If you love nature, you can rock climb locally or play tennis nearby, spend time in the beautiful parks, stroll across the UCBerkeley campus to the outstanding art museum or go down to the water with a view across the bay from the Golden Gate. If you love to shop, you will have too many great choices.
Is there anything within walking distance of your inn? This is the heart of gourmet ghetto, so if you enjoy eating, you will be in heaven! This is where the healthy and delicious food revolution all began. The home of Alice Water's Chez Panisse, a mecca for food lovers and we are only a few blocks away. If you love coffee, Peet's original coffee shop is even closer and you can walk down for your morning wake up. We are also close to beautiful parks, some with views of the Golden Gate Bridge, downtown Berkeley and other great shopping streets, UCBerkeley campus with its outstanding art museum, as well as local necessary services like laundromats, banks and a post office.
What is your favorite restaurant/food in the area? We have many favorite restaurants and food places and will happily share our secrets with you. Just tell us what kind of food you enjoy or would like to try and we'll point you in the right direction.
Any good area guides/websites that travelers could reference? How many rooms does your inn have? Spruce Canyon isn't so easy to describe in terms of rooms....since our place is like a loft...just one very large open space, divided into separate areas.
Do you accept pets? No pets are allowed as we maintain an environment that is as allergy free as possible and we use only non-toxic cleaning products.