Union Hotel - Benicia, California

Steve Hable

If I could give the Union hotel a negative one star, I would. We made reservations thinking it would be great to stay in the same room as where Bogart had stayed. Man was I wrong.

The hotel is run down, tired and not maintained. The room had peeling paint all over, many loose tiles in the bathroom floor and cobwebs hanging everywhere. After checking in, I immediately went down to get my money back to move to another hotel. I was repeatedly told that their policy is no refunds within 48 hours of check in.

Also, we were waiting to check in during their extremely short hours of a manned desk while standing in the very hot direct sunshine for over 10 minutes. I had to finally call to get someone to open the door since they "forgot" to open it. As we were checking in, two staff members were having conversations about them not paying some bill. Extremely unprofessional staff...

I know this is supposed to be a historic and rustic hotel, but not maintained and dilapidated is not rustic.

If you are seeking a possible ghost sighting and are used to 1 star accommodations, then this might be a place for you. For all others, you should book somewhere else.

Almira Tanner

Benecia is a destination itself. Make this your place to stay, eat and drink. Great staff. Great food. Great spot. Owner and his daughter are super nice. We will come back again and again and again.

(Our room) Great view. Vintage in a good way. Love it here!

kirsten orszag

Great place if your goal is to stay in a lovely old historic hotel with a fabulous view, but if you want nearby parking, heat, quiet, sleep (its over a very fun, but loud, bar) breakfast or TV, this is not your place. Farmers market was right out the front door which was also great.

Janet M

What we liked, this trip and one previous (11/2022) about our stay at the union hotel:||1) Friendliness & ‘workable solution’ of management & staff. Arrived with one night’s booking (Saturday/ Sunday they were full) and was allowed to choose a room where air conditioner was temporarily not working for a second night at a discounted rate appx. $26 higher than where we had planned to stay in Martinez and $80 LESS than the least expensive of Benicia’s 3 other (over priced) options!?!||2) Continental breakfast: find it hard to believe comments that disparage the fine Continental breakfast the Union hotel puts out. There’s not much chance that Union MIGHT have let it’s game slip between when we stayed here, November ‘22 and this weekend; it was great BOTH times. I feel it is more likely that people are really hooked on the plasticity of what is offered by chains? Do they not realize they are being ($80!?) over-charged for a breakfast they could get built into the Union hotel’s more reasonable rates? Selection was creative, had variety, and most of all allowed us to go through till lunch without hunger.||3) Charm, functionality, and simplicity of furnishings while providing a comfortably firm bed and good pillows. Especially appreciated 2 chairs and a couch.| |4) Price: clearly still a stay-in-Benicia section. Rates were 1/3 less than all others.

Rob Zitsman

This is an unfortunate situation; an historic hotel (bed and breakfast) in desperate need of TLC.
I have no idea who or what company owns the Union. I just observed a clear lack of ownership and standards.
Money needs to be invested to make the Union a competitive option; everything from lighting that works, electrical outlets that aren’t worn out, more outlets, more technology… USB ports, new TVs, better quality towels and washcloths. And… a real, freshly prepared breakfast.
In summary, the location is great and the rooms are just adequate.

Al G

We had the delightful experience of staying at the Union Hotel in Downtown Benicia. However a disclaimer: we do seek out 'Historical Hotels' and for us this one was a classic. Modernized some years ago but still retains an 'Old Feeling' of something special. Great location (heart of downtown / shops and restaurants / bars). Rooms were large and nicely appointed. Clean baths and linen. Very nice adjoining bar and restaurant.||This place may not be for everyone, don't expect a lot of the amenities of the large corporate chains (concierge or bell captain service, a pool or underground parking). The hotel is privately owned and locally managed & staffed with everyone being friendly, courteous, helpful and great tour guides. ||If you are looking for that classic historical hotel that is so prevalent in our California small towns - this is a wonderful find! Looking forward to our next visit.

Cyrus Bazeghi

I attended a memorial service here and it was lovely. The hotel is very quaint, old, but charming. I did not stay at the hotel overnight. The food they provided was very good; salmon, chicken, mashed potatoes, and veggies. It was buffet style. The staff were friendly and the outside patio area was very nice. There was sidewalk sitting as well as an old style saloon bar area and there was a good amount of business. The other items I saw being served looked good. The location is great, near the water and lots of cute shops. I would certainly consider staying here some time.

Wendy M

I love this place! We needed a dog friendly place and didn’t want a chain. This hotel is adorable great location and friendly staff. I’m not fussy and prefer to stay in a place with character and history vs a generic chain. The area and hotel gave John Steinbeck East of Eden vibes.