The Claremont Hotel Club & Spa

Claremont Hotel Club & Spa wishes everyone a Safe & Happy 4th of July!

Happy Independence Day!

Claremont Hotel Club & Spa, an official Cal Alumni Association partner, offering CAA members special discounts!

The Claremont Hotel Club & Spa,  an official partner of the Cal Alumni Association, is pleased to offer special discounts to CAA members. Make the us your home away from home while enjoying the excitement of the games, concerts and performances!

CAA Members receive 10% off *:

    * Room rates, Sunday through Thursday, use code GOBEARS
    * Spa services and retail, except on Saturday
    * Banquet menu prices for social catering events

Wednesday Cal Alumni Happy Hour 6-10pm
    * 15% off Paragon Bar & Café Bar menu
    * Drink Specials: $4 draft beers $5 wine $6 well drinks

Athletics at Memorial Stadium - Only a mile from Memorial Stadium and with accomodations, choice of 2 restaurants, retail shop stocked with Cal Gear and a shuttle to the stadium, The Claremont Hotel, Club & Spa is perfect for those pre and post game celebrations! Don't forget the Cal Football Post-game Radio Show at the Paragon Bar & Café this Fall! The Claremont Hotel, Club & Spa is a proud Corporate Sponsor of ISP Sports and Cal Athletics. Click to view upcoming Football and Basketball schedules.

Greek Theatre - Two miles from the Claremont Hotel Club & Spa,  the William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre is located on the UC Berkeley Campus in the foothills overlooking the San Francisco Bay. The Greek Theatre is an outdoor, very intimate venue with events scheduled May through October. Click here to view upcoming concerts.

Cal Performances - Cal Performances is the UC Berkeley-based presenting, commissioning and producing organization for world-class music, dance and theater events. The Claremont is the perfect place to dine before a show, just over a mile away; you have enough time to wine and dine before enjoying the fine arts! Click here to view upcoming performances.

Whether it's sports, concerts or performances, enjoy the priviledges of a CAA discount here at the Claremont Hotel Club & Spa. Click here to book a Cal Alumni Special rates*.

*You must present your Cal Alumni Association card to receive these specials offer.

Chef Josh Thomsen pairs with Tres Sabores Winery for an exquisite culinary & wine event - North American Tour 2010 - Outstanding in the Field!

Our own Chef Josh Thomsen will be part of the North American Tour 2010 - Outstanding in the Field event on July 3. The host will be the unique Napa Valley Tres Sabores Winery, a small artisan operation by proprietor and winemaker, Julie Johnson.

Meritage at the Claremont's Chef Josh Thomsen will be cooking up first class culinary creations to pair with any of Tres Sabores' five classic blend. His menus reflect his deep passion for fresh food and his skill at pairing each dish perfectly with the wines. It is not surprise that he was recently named a “Rising Star Chef” award winner for 2010 by StarChefs.

But if you haven't already purchased tickets for this wonderful event, you can still indulge in the exquisite cuisine of Chef Thomsen at the Meritage at Claremont in Berkeley anytime!

Wedding Reception Trends

When planning your wedding reception, you may be thinking of an early evening dinner followed by dancing, cake, and more dancing.  There is a reason why so many weddings follow this pattern…it works!  Guests are served a delicious meal and they get to dance all night with the bride and groom.  It is certainly not a bad way to spend an evening.  But like many of today’s brides and grooms, you may be seeking a reception that better reflects you as a couple, one that is unique.  The food you serve sets the tone for your reception and can serve as the focal point for your individual wedding style.  Here are a few trends we have been seeing with our own Claremont Weddings couples:

The Brunch Reception – For many couples brunch is the best meal of the week.  It is a comforting meal, while also being lighthearted.  Guests are often pleasantly surprised when they get a chance to build their own omelette or feast on waffles and french toast at a wedding.  And brunch offers the same flexibility as dinner.  You are free to choose a buffet presentation with action stations, or you can present a more formal plated meal.  One thing you may assured of, your wedding will be memorable.

The Cocktail Reception – Cocktail receptions are very hip and offer you the ultimate blank slate for setting the theme and style of your wedding.  Brides and grooms can choose a casual, intimate affair that bridges the time between lunch and dinner beautifully, or they can go for a classic, black-tie event late in the evening.  Our gourmet couples love having the ability to serve a variety of amazing hors d’oeuvres and small plates.

The Family Style Reception – Nothing brings people together like food.  Serving your guests their food Family Style gives them a chance to get to know each other as the plates are passed, and it can create a warm and intimate atmosphere.  And do not feel limited to large bowls of pasta or platters of baked chicken for your menu.  Braised short ribs passed with roasted vegetables is a wonderful option, or a platter of perfectly seared scallops served with a fresh, crisp salad would be an impeccable choice for a spring wedding.

The key to your reception is to find the style that suits you and then communicate that to the coordinator at your venue.  We at the Claremont Hotel know that each wedding is unique and we will work with you to ensure your day reflects you!

 

Create the day of your dreams at the Claremont!

July 4th Fireworks at Berkeley Marina - A full day & evening of fun activities then enjoy a peaceful rest at the Claremont Hotel Club & Spa!

Only in Berkeley can you enjoy all these activities with free admission!

Come enjoy the biggest party on the South Shore of the Berkeley Marina from noon-10PM.

Then enjoy a peaceful rest at the Claremont Hotel Club & Spa. Celebrate the Red, White and Blue Berkeley style!

• Music, dancers, jugglers
• Live entertainment Noon - 9 pm
• Arts & Crafts booth
• International Food booths
• Face painting
• Giant slide
• Beautiful Beach
• Kids Adventure Playground 11 am - 8 pm
• Arts & Craft booths
• Free Sailboat rides 1 pm - 4 pm
• Dragon Boat rides 2 pm - 6 pm
• Grand Fireworks Display - starting 9:30 pm at the end of the Berkeley Pier

Free admission. Alcohol-free event. For more information, click here.

What are your Father's Day Plans?

No matter how you plan to celebrate Dad on Father’s Day, one thing that you can do as a family is start his day with a celebratory brunch at Meritage!  On Sunday, June 20th, Meritage will present our always spectacular brunch buffet.  And just to spice things up for Dad, we will offer him a Boiler Maker cocktail as an alternative to sparkling wine.  It will be a fun, festive morning for everyone, and your father will certainly feel appreciated and loved.

To make your reservation for brunch, click here, or call (510) 549-8510.  Cost is $56 per adult, $25 per child (ages 5-12), and children under 5 are free.  Brunch is served from 10am through 1:30pm.

 

Dim Sum

 

Multi-Grain Waffles

 

Prime Rib

Memorial Day Weekend at the Claremont Hotel!

Memorial Day weekend marks the symbolic start of summer: the weather warms up, schools are winding down and families everywhere are taking their first trip of the season.  All cause for celebration here at the Claremont Hotel!  And celebrate we do with special offers and events.

The Claremont Hotel will host a poolside Memorial Day barbeque at our Bayview Café on Monday.  This event is a special treat for our Hotel guests and members of the Club at the Claremont.  We will have music, drinks and amazing food prepared by Executive Chef Josh Thomsen and his team.  The grill is ready to be fired up after a winter of hibernation.

If you haven’t yet made plans for your three-day weekend, we would be happy to welcome you!  We have a few rooms left and we are offering our popular Beat the Heat package over this holiday weekend.  The Beat the Heat package is remarkably affordable, and this weekend the rates start at $219 per night.  The package includes room, tax, facilities charge (regularly $24 per night), overnight parking (regularly $24 per night), and a $20 per day credit at any of our restaurants, including Meritage.

As our guest you will be able to enjoy two heated pools, plus our Kids’ Activity pool, take a turn on our tennis courts, prepare your body, mind, and spirit for summer in one of the fitness classes or at Spa Claremont, or simply relax on the deck at Paragon.  Spa Claremont has extended its hours on Sunday and Monday so you can schedule a treatment at your convenience.

We love summer here at the Claremont.  The outdoors calls us to leave our computers and spend time with friends and family rediscovering all that the Bay Area has to offer.  So get out there and explore.  Just know we have a comfortable bed and a cozy room ready for you when you come back from your day of adventure.

Berkeley Traveling Facts brought to you by the Claremont Hotel Club & Spa!

This week we thought we'd give you some traveling info and facts about Berkeley!

All travelers coming to the East Bay, will find Berkeley's central location in the San Francisco Bay area a convenience and an asset with 3 major airports serving the area (Oakland International, San Francisco International and San Jose International) and 3 BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) stations!

We have the convenience of location and we have the Mediterranean-like weather too! Here is a look at the average seasonal temperatures as a guide.

                           MAX      MIN    MEAN     RAINFALL

Spring                  63        48         56           2.50"
Summer              70        54         62             .38"
Fall                       70        53         61           8.22"
Winter                  56        43         50         12.06"

Driving:

You need a driver's license! You can make a right turn on red lights, unless otherwise noted. Seat belts are the law! You can't use a cell phone when driving unless you have a hands-free system. Remember no texting either!

A good number to keep handy if you're driving to learn 24 hour road conditions is 800-427-7623, the California Department of Transportation. For local and regional traffic info, dial "511" or visit www.511.org. Non-emergency highway patrol call (707) 551-4100, emergency call "911".


Parking:

Colored Curb Markings: Painted curbs mean that parking is controlled.  Curb color rules:
Yellow Curb: Reserved for commercial use for loading and unloading merchandise or materials.
Red Curb: Designated “no stopping, standing or parking” under any circumstances.
Green Curb: Short term, restricted or limited time parking.
White Curb: Passenger loading zones.
Blue Curb: Designated for vehicles displaying valid Disabled placards or Disabled Person license plates from any state.

Sales tax is 9.75%
Legal drinking age is 21. Bars are open until 2 am. Liquor stores are open seven days a week.

A fun fact:

If you see the giant sundial at the foot of the Berkeley Pier, it was donated by Sakai, Japan in 1974, our oldest sister city! Berkeley became a sister city to Sakai, Japan on March 15, 1966!

So fly into Berkeley, drive around, park your car, enjoy the weather while seeing our giant sundial and enjoy the splendors of this great city while the Claremont Hotel Club & Spa indulges you!

Ready for a visit yet?

 

Berkeley Wine Festival Comes to a Close

Tonight we celebrate the successful conclusion of the first annual Berkeley Wine Festival here at the Claremont Hotel!  The Closing Reception will be a chance to taste wines from this year's participating wineries, get a sneak peek at what might be on the schedule for the 2011 Berkeley Wine Festival, and share stories of this year's highlights.

First we want to extend a huge thank you and congratulations for this year's participating vintners: Larry Maguire from Far Niente, Chris Benziger from Benziger Family Winery, John Williams from Frog's Leap, Jack Bittner from Cliff Lede Vineyards, Dan Duckhorn from Duckhorn Wine Company, Daniel Baron from Silver Oak Cellars, Dennis Cakebread from Cakebread Cellars, and Damien Parker from Joseph Phelps Vineyards, plus all the wineries who poured at both the Opening and Closing Receptions.  Each of you went above and beyond to bring your passion for wine to all the dinner attendees.  You also brought some outstanding wines!  The lucky folks who attended the dinners were delighted by the quality of the wines you provided, as well as the generosity of your hospitality.  Again, thank you!

We also cannot reflect on this year's festival without giving credit where it is due.  Executive Chef Josh Thomsen did a phenomenal job of creating and preparing amazing food for each winemaker dinner.  His menus reflected his deep passion for fresh food and his skill at pairing each dish perfectly with the wines brought in by the vintners.  Simply put, guests at every dinner were blown away by Chef Thomsen's food.  It is no wonder that Star Chefs named him a Rising Star Chef for 2010!

Tonight we will look back at what this year’s Berkeley Wine Festival has meant, but we also will be looking at how we can make the 2011 Berkeley Wine Festival even more successful.  We look forward to partnering with new vintners and to bringing more of our local community into the Festival.  It is exciting to consider that we are at the beginning of what can become the wine festival of the East Bay!

Tickets are still available for tonight’s reception at www.berkeleywinefestival.com.

Chef Thomsen at the Opening Reception

Berkeley Arts Festival - Full month of May Celebration - "in Berkeley every day is an arts festival"

Celebrating all month long, the Berkeley Arts Festival is another exciting reason to visit Berkeley in the Springtime! The first month long Berkeley Arts Festival began in 1997 and is going strong!

As they wrote on their website "in Berkeley every day is an arts festival", we couldn't agree more! May scheduled events below. Also click the link to see other events held through out the year in Berkeley.

May Schedule

5, 6,  7 — Return of John Schott's Typical Orchestra with Steve Adams, John Hanes, & Dan Seamans
7 — Pianist Jerry Kuderna lunch concert, noon
9 — India Cooke-Bill Crossman Duo, improv and compositions for violin and piano
12 — Poetry reading Peter Dale Scott, Chana Bloch, Diana O'Hehir, Sandra Gilbert, 7:30pm
13 — Luciano Chessa
14 — Kuderna lunch concert, noon
14 — Berkeley CO and War Resisters Film Night, 7:30pm
15 — Jerry Kuderna, piano and Anna Carole Dudley
19 — Dean Santomieri, multimedia with Julie Oxendale
21 — Kuderna lunch concert, noon
21 — Steve Adams-John Hanes ambient duo with video projections
25 — Graham Connah's "Ted 'Lachrymose' Brinkley's Horrnblower Cruise" big band and glee club
26 — Sarah Wilson Quintet with John Schott, Sheldon Brown, Jordan Glenn and Lisa Mezzacappa
27 — The D'Armous Boone Experience
28 — Kuderna lunch concert, noon
28 — Phillip Greenlief's Citti di vitti with John Hanes and Lisa Mezzacappa
30 — Dan Ploney's Daniel Popsickle, 7pm
31 — Arnie Passman's Take Back Gandhi's 9/11

All events at 8 pm unless noted otherwise.
Location: Judah L. Magnes Museum, 2121 Allston Way, Berkeley CA

Visit the Claremont Hotel Club & Spa and experience all that Berkeley has to offer!