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A Gem in the San Francisco Bay

Holiday home with kitchen, near Berkeley Marina

Photo gallery for A Gem in the San Francisco Bay

Bathroom
Exterior
Living area
Dining
Private kitchen

Reviews

9.2 out of 10
Wonderful
1 bedroom1 bathroomSleeps 2

Popular amenities

  • Parking available
  • Kitchen
  • Outdoor space

Explore the area

View map
Emeryville, CA
  • Place, Berkeley Marina
    ‪2 min drive‬
  • Place, University of California, Berkeley
    ‪5 min drive‬
  • Place, Jack London Square
    ‪7 min drive‬
  • Airport, Oakland, CA (OAK-Oakland Intl.)
    ‪19 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

1 bedroom (sleeps 2)

Spacious Bedroom

1 King Bed

1 bathroom

Bathroom 1

Bathtub or shower · Toilet · Shower only · Jetted bathtub

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen

About this property

A Gem in the San Francisco Bay

This charming older home with a plush backyard space is just 5 minutes from the San Francisco Bay Bridge, a few miles from the University of California, and near public transportation. Located in a hip and vibrant area with tones parking and restaurants that reflect the diversity of the Bay Area it is in close proximity to starting points to some of the Bay Areas most popular attractions. The home is located in a quaint established neighborhoods with friendly people. The home has two in-law units that the owner and her adult daughter occupy. The big house is where you will reside. Our family has lived here for 42 years and we are excited to open our home to folks visiting our beautiful city.

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Amenities

Kitchen
Outdoor space
Parking available

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House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 25
Check out before 11:00 AM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

No pets allowed
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property

About the area

Emeryville

Golden Gate, a neighbourhood in Emeryville, is home to this holiday home. The area's natural beauty can be seen at San Francisco Bay and Alcatraz Island, while Greek Theater and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art are cultural highlights. Looking to enjoy an event or a game? See what's going on at Oracle Park or Chase Center.
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Map
Emeryville, CA

What's nearby

  • Berkeley Marina - 2 min drive - 1.5 km
  • University of California, Berkeley - 5 min drive - 3.3 km
  • Fox Theater - 6 min drive - 6.8 km
  • Jack London Square - 7 min drive - 9.3 km
  • Greek Theater - 8 min drive - 5.1 km

Getting around

  • Ashby Station - 4 min drive
  • Emeryville Station - 12 min walk
  • Oakland, CA (OAK-Oakland Intl.) - 26 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪McDonald's - ‬5 min walk
  • ‪Cafe Colucci - ‬8 min walk
  • ‪Paradise Park Cafe - ‬3 min walk
  • ‪Good To Eat - ‬6 min walk
  • ‪Prizefighter - ‬11 min walk

Frequently asked questions

Is A Gem in the San Francisco Bay pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at A Gem in the San Francisco Bay?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at A Gem in the San Francisco Bay?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is A Gem in the San Francisco Bay located?

Located in Golden Gate, this holiday home is 1 mi (1.6 km) from Bay Street and within 3 miles (5 km) of Children's Hospital Oakland and Berkeley Marina. Alta Bates Summit Medical Center and University of California, Berkeley are also within 3 miles (5 km). Ashby Station is 24 minutes by foot and Emeryville Station is 12 minutes.

Reviews

9.2

Wonderful

9.2/10

Cleanliness

5.4/10

Amenities

5.8/10

Property conditions & facilities

6.0/10

Eco-friendliness

9.6/10

Check-in

8.8/10

Communication

9.6/10

Location

9.8/10

Listing accuracy
Rating 10 - Excellent. 50 out of 64 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 7 out of 64 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 3 out of 64 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 2 out of 64 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 2 out of 64 reviews

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Dennis W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great location

Just where I needed to be - short walk to work, transport, shops
Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Monica L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Awesome listing

The space exceeded my expectations Would definitely love to stay here again
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Matthew R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at this property. In addition to having a spacious upstairs flat at my disposal I needed a full kitchen to be able to do some cooking while I was there. The interior decor was tasteful and there was a good selection of books to expand my reading options. Location was super convenient for visiting Berkeley and Oakland and I-80 is right there for easy access to SF / West Bay or anywhere else in the Bay Area. The local neighborhood was low key and relatively quiet. I would definitely be happy to stay here again on a future visit.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Bartley B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

good enough

for a nice visiting week end
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2023

10/10 Excellent

Tuti B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Comfortable and homey

I needed a place that was convenient to friends in Berkley and Oakland. Bus was easy and convenient. It was also a place where I could get some work done. Quiet and well appointed. Amber is also excellent host.
Stayed 7 nights in Mar 2025

2/10 Terrible

nancy

Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, communication
No one was there to let us in the property and your team was not able to locate owner We went to a nearby hotel
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Jay L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, listing accuracy
Beautiful home. Very clean. Very nicely decorated. Extremely peaceful environment. Good vibes.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Nicholas S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Home was clean, nicely decorated, charming, and very spacious. Everything was as pictured. Perfect place to relax during my trip. Thanks again for a great stay!
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2025

8/10 Good

Pamela W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, listing accuracy

Neat, quaint apt.

It was a cool place to stay. Lots of room nice decorating touches. I would recommend bottled drinking water and pads under the area rugs to make them less slippery. Parking should state, "on street parking" as the driveway is very small and tight. The host, Amber, was quite nice once we reached her.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025

8/10 Good

Helen J.

Liked: Cleanliness, location, listing accuracy
Separate, spacious and clean main floor suite in an attractive older house, which has been graciously updated and nicely decorated. The bed and living room furniture was comfortable. It's a quiet and walkable neighborhood, yet close to transportation and easy to find. Street parking was available.There are two other suites in the house, so expect a bit a noise from their TVs, etc. The best way to contact our host was by using the telephone number given; messaging through the app was not effective.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2025

6/10 Okay

Tina K.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Disliked: Cleanliness

Not sure what happened???

Pros: it's an actual apartment as listed (not just an efficiency). Close proximity to everything we were there for. Ample on street parking. Hostess was gracious enough to let our adult daughter spend one night with us without charging us extra. When we discovered we needed coffee cups and forks, the hostess left a "care package" on the porch the same day with the missing items. The bed is very comfortable. Cons: the apartment was not clean. There was a used coffee filter and with with grounds in the coffee pot. I wanted to put a pizza in the oven, but there was a puddle of burnt on food in the bottom. There was cobwebs hanging from the ceiling and walls in the living and dining room. The fireplace had leftovers from another guest. There was a coating of grime on the front windowsills. The pillows are not visibly soiled, but they have the odor of being well used and do not have protective covers on them. There is a visible coat of dust on everything that is not commonly used- ie, the bookshelves, the plant corners.I chose my VRBO's based on reviews, and this one had great reviews. So I'm not sure what happened here??Side note: this is a beautiful old home with hardwood floors. And as such, like other guests noted, sounds and cooking smells carry thru the house from the other units.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Randall

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, communication
It was very nice. Check-in and check-out was easy. Host was very nice. Everything was in good condition. All went well.
Stayed 4 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Kathleen R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Truly a hidden gem

Very comfortable bed and unique decor. Great location, Uber friendly. Close to the train station. Nice neighborhood. Amber was very friendly.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Laurie C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, location, listing accuracy

Happy in Emeryville

My adult son and I enjoyed our stay. There was lots of space for the money. Living room, dining room, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. Also, the hostess was very nice.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Chris R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Had a great stay

We enjoyed our stay and the location is really awesome!
Stayed 3 nights in Jan 2025

10/10 Excellent

James S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Exactly what we needed

Nice, homey stay. We were visiting to attend a family member’s 60th in Oakland. The property was comfortable and quiet. We were able to reach Amber quickly when we needed to check on something with her. We will stay here again when we visit the area again.
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Pam H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Comfortable home in convenient location

We got a whole house!!! Have rented before, and gotten postage stamps. Loved the jacuzi tub. Interesting decorations. We were there for a weekend retreat, and stayed before and after. Was easy to walk to restaurants. Close by to Uber to events.
Stayed 8 nights in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Denise M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great place to stay for our needs. Convenient to everything very quiet at night.

This was the second time we have stayed there and it was just as enjoyable this time.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2024

6/10 Okay

Dom M.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Disliked: Cleanliness

Great for the price in the Bay Area

Good location, but not that well stocked (e.g. no coffee maker). Needs a good deep cleaning.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Harold L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Happy Stay

Met all My Expectations
Stayed 14 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Braeden M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, location, listing accuracy

Always a pleasure!

Always my choice when going to the bay.
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

Antoine W.

Liked: Check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Convenient

Place was great for our travels.
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Fox F.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely and comfortable place to stay

Clean, well decorated, nice location, great communication. Minor note; could use some noise cancellation in the kitchen. There's a locked door that I am guessing leads to a stairway that connects the apartment to the lower floor where the owner stays. It's a bit loud at times (tv noise), but this issue doesn't really extend past the kitchen. Could probably hang a moving blanket over it and defeat that issue pretty easily.
Stayed 7 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Brenda D., Arnold

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Quiet area

Clean and comfortable.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Reese H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great spot!

The home is lovely and very conveniently located near restaurants, cafes, and several bus stops. Easy to get to campus and BART. Amber was very easy to get in touch with!
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2023

About the host

Hosted by amber blackwell

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