Escape The Bay Area Fog At California's Castle-Turned-Hotel With Restaurants, A Spa, And A Pool Club

About 25 minutes from the Oakland International Airport, one of America's least crowded airports, is the Claremont Resort & Club. This magnificent historic hotel is on the edge of Oakland and Berkeley, an energetic college city. So that can mean when it's foggy and cool down in San Francisco, it's still sunny up at the resort, making it the perfect getaway. Along with great views over the city, it has easy access to fantastic recreation and some delightful dining.

The resort has a deep history. The site was first a private manor-style home built near the turn of the century by Bill Thornburg with gold rush money. The house was lost in a fire in 1901, and construction started on the grand hotel in 1905, but the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 brought things to a halt. The Tudor Revival-style hotel finally opened in 1915. In the 1930s, the entire place was painted white, and it became known as the "White Castle on the Hill." Architect Frank Lloyd Wright called it "one of the few hotels in the world with warmth, character and charm," according to Manteca Bulletin.

Part of "Mrs. Doubtfire" was filmed here; the Claremont pool was where Robin Williams' character threw a lime at Pierce Brosnan in a "run-by fruiting." Famous people have performed here over the years, including Louis Armstrong and Tommy Dorsey. And celebrities such as Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie (when they were still married), Michelle Obama, and Joe Biden have all stayed here. Some guests have reportedly never left. It has the reputation of being one of the haunted hotels in the U.S. to stay in, if you dare. One ghost is said to be Thornburg's wife.

The Claremont Resort & Club has 276 guest rooms, including some impressive suites, and many of the rooms have views of San Francisco Bay. The palatial hotel lobby with soaring ceilings has an impressive collection of art, and every day at 5 p.m. in the lobby, you can watch the champagne sabering and get a complimentary glass.

A major highlight of the hotel is the club amenities. The Club is available to guests as well as members, and it features three heated outdoor pools. So whether you're looking to get in a workout or you're traveling with kids who want to splash around, there's a pool here for you. The Club also has eight tennis courts and four pickleball courts; call ahead to reserve. And in the fitness center, guests can take classes and sign up for personal training. There are also guided hikes for guests, or you can explore the area on your own. Claremont Canyon Regional Preserve is about a 15-minute walk from the resort; it's nearly 210 acres of open space with miles of trails, including the very steep, but very scenic, Stonewall-Panoramic Trail.

Then there's the spa. After a workout or a day of travel, what's better than treating yourself to a visit to the spa? It features seasonal treatments, including a lavender aromatherapy massage, along with year-round services such as a salt scrub, deep tissue massage, and custom facial treatments. You can also relax in the hot tubs or saunas. Even if you're not a guest, you can enjoy the amenities with ResortPass, which gets you a room for the day and club access.

When the Claremont Resort & Club was first built, it was within one mile of the University of California, Berkeley, which meant that it wasn't allowed to serve alcohol, even before and after Prohibition. However, some UC Berkeley students decided to see if the hotel was really inside the mile mark, and they determined that it was just over a mile away, allowing the hotel to open a bar. The students who discovered this were reportedly given a lifetime of free drinks for their discovery.

Thanks in part to those students, the resort is the perfect place for a drink. Enjoy one with a view in the Lobby Lounge & Bar, which also serves snacks. For a quick bite, East Bay Provisions has coffee, pastries, and sandwiches, along with local wines and beer. And for poolside dining, there's Bayview Terrace.

The main restaurant is Limewood Bar & Restaurant. You can dine out on the deck for the best views of the city or sit inside and see the chefs at work in the open kitchen. It's got yummy craft cocktails and has a dinner menu with dishes such as crispy rockfish, a steak slider, and fried chicken. It's open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner throughout the week, with a special brunch menu on Saturday and Sunday. It's open for hotel guests and non-guests alike, and it's a popular place for special occasion dining, especially at sunset, so make sure to make a reservation.