HotelTonight – Downtown Oakland Hotels
There are certain cities in the United States that tend to get a bit of a bad rap. In some cases, those negative reputations are warranted while in others they are not. In still other places, that negative reputation stems from troubled pasts. When I traveled to Oakland for work recently, I wasn't sure which one of those contexts applied to the city. I wanted to find out though, and I was very excited when I got a text message on the morning of my last day of meetings that those meetings were canceled. I suddenly had 24 hours to myself, and I wanted to spend those 24 hours in the downtown area so I could form my own opinion. The only catch with not having my employer change my flight was that I would have to find my own downtown Oakland hotel room for the night, as they were not going to pay for me to stay an extra day. I wasn't concerned in the least, though, as I travel with HotelTonight. My favorite travel app would find me a downtown Oakland hotel room in a matter of seconds as soon as I was ready.
The Turnaround
It didn't take long into my day of exploration to conclude definitively that downtown Oakland was a place that may have struggled through some tough times in the past, but that it was now most definitely on the comeback trail. There were very old buildings everywhere, and many of them were either in the process of being refurbished or it was obvious that they had been recently. There were Victorian facades, Art Deco buildings and a lot of other variety. The entire place had the feel of one where things were happening fast and furious. It was an exciting vibe.
The City Center
One of the most obvious ways that a portion of a city can make a comeback is because of booming commerce, and that's what's happening in downtown Oakland. The City Center alone is about 10-12 blocks of hotels, restaurants, workout clubs and, of course, office buildings as far as the eye can see. I walked around and took note of all of the professionals hustling and bustling through their days, and I even spoke to a few that said that downtown was a very pleasurable place to work. Once again, the vibe was palpable.
The Dining
As one would expect in a portion of a city that's on the upswing, there are a lot of new restaurants downtown. A nice lady told me about a place in one of those beautiful Art Deco buildings that served really nice comfort food and had good drinks and beer. I felt like a cheeseburger, and that's what I ordered when I got there along with a nice local brew. The beer was extremely tasty. It had a hop-leaning flavor without being too heavy. The cheeseburger was divine. The meat was cooked perfectly and the cheese covered the entire patty.
HotelTonight – Downtown Oakland Hotels Near You
After such a big meal and a full day of walking, I decided to find a downtown Oakland hotel room. I opened HotelTonight and booked a place in seconds. I was ready to get some sleep, but I felt good knowing that this was a place that's moving in the right direction.
