The studio is everything you would want from an urban efficiency studio -- and perfect for a solo traveler. The building and studio were both spotless, and it offered exactly the right amount of amenities for an affordable and basic, no frills stay. And, oh my god -- the bed pillows were the best I've ever had. My neck has never been so happy upon waking!
I've made many trips to the Bay Area over my life, but this was my first time staying in Oakland's Chinatown (I didn't even know Oakland had a Chinatown). I absolutely loved being a short walk away from dim sum, bubble tea, and Asian restaurants galore (Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Nepalese)--not to mention the used bookstore run by the Oakland Public Library, and a few good second hand shops. While the area is gentrifying, this part of Oakland still feels like a real urban neighborhood... and not a sanitized, stage set designed by startup founders. The hipster/old school ratio is just about right (one avocado toast/latte shop for every 50+ ethnic mom-and-pop shops. It's everything that San Francisco isn't. I will certainly book again!