Best Western Novato Oaks Inn
Written: Jul 22 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Convenient Location, clean, friendly staff.
Cons: None
The Bottom Line: A great place to stay that's convenient to anything you might want to do.
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| merlot's Full Review: Bw Novato Oaks Inn |
We recently went on an overnight trip to San Francisco. We knew that we would be bumming around the city all day but finding a hotel in San Francisco was not going to be easy. We planned to go to Stinson Beach the next day and thought finding a hotel out of San Francisco would be our best bet. We chose the Best Western Novato Oaks Inn.
The Novato Oaks Inn is conveniently located about 30 minutes North of San Francisco on Highway 101. It is also close to many other area attractions. From here you can go to Muir Woods, Stinson Beach, Vallejo (Six Flags Marine World) and of course the Napa Valley Wine Country. All of these locations are less than 1 hour from the hotel.
Check In
Our last experience at a Best Western was not a favorable one so when we pulled up and saw how clean and well maintained this location was, I let out a sigh of relief. I had booked our room on Bestwestern.com and had only seen a small picture of what the hotel looked like, sometimes these pictures can be quite deceiving.
We entered the large lobby with the check in counter to the right, a sitting area with couches to the left, and straight ahead. The back right corner had a small library area where you could check out books for your stay.
The clerk was very friendly and we had our room key within a matter of minutes. She also explained the the restaurant located in the same parking lot, provided room service. We could call and order or if we dined at the restaurant we could have them add bill our room.
The Room
The room we reserved was a non-smoking room with 2 Queen beds. I thought the room was fairly spacious for a Best Western property. There was a closet, armoire with TV, nightstand, and table with 2 chairs. There was also a balcony with 2 plastic patio chairs and a table.
The room was very clean and included a refrigerator. The bathroom was spacious with the toilet and tub/shower in one area while the vanity/sink was in the main entry area of the room.
Our room looked out at the parking lot but there were large trees which obstructed that view, thankfully, and blocked noise from the Highway. Rooms on the other side of the hotel look out at the hillside covered by Oak trees and the pool. They did not have a balcony.
Amenities
The hotel has a fitness center which was a small room with about 3-4 pieces of fitness equipment. There was a treadmill, weight station, and a stairclimber. We did not use the fitness center.
There are 3 meeting rooms which are available for rental and vary in size. You would need to check with the hotel if you are interested in this.
There was also a business center available to all guests that included free internet. We did not use the business center but did peek in. There was a fax machine, copier, and 2 internet terminals.
The brochure in the room stated that business class rooms are equiped with high speed internet access.
There is also a pool available to guests. It backs up to the hillside and has nice views of the trees. There are several tables and chairs so you can relax by the pool. There is also a hot tub. The pool is open from 8am-10pm.
Continental Breakfast
Continental breakfast is not exactly the way I like to start my day. The last Best Western offered danish and that was about it, which as you know keeps you full for about 5 minutes. It's not the way I like to start my, or my children's day.
This hotel had a much, much better Continental breakfast. Breakfast is served from 6am-10am. There are bagels, english muffins, bakery muffins, donuts, and danish. There is a toaster to toast your muffin or bagel and they offer butter, jam, and cream cheese.
In addition to fruit there are 2 cold cereals available. We could choose from Raisin Bran or Cheerios. Coffee, an assortment of teas, juice, hot cocoa, and hot apple cider are also available.
Room Service
Room service is available through the Wild Fox Mesquite Fried Kitchen, located in the parking lot of the hotel. We did not order room service, nor did we dine at this restuarant. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner and serves a variety of items from salads to steaks and chops. The prices ranged from $7 (Salads) to $26 (steaks and chops). For room service they charge $1.50 delivery fee and 18% gratuity automatically.
Final Thoughts
We enjoyed our short stay at the Best Western Novato Oaks Inn. It was about 30 mintues from the beach, close to downtown Novato (more shopping and dining selections if you choose). It was also convenient to a route home. About 5 minutes North on Highway 101 and we were headed home bypassing all the city traffic and toll bridges.
I recommend the Best Western Novato Oaks Inn if you are staying in the Bay area. It is centrally located to may attractions, clean, and offers a lot of amenities.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
merlot
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 - Top 500 |
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Location: Californina
Reviews written: 295
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