Inside the Claremont Hotel, an Ode to Being Black-and-Boujee in the Town of Black Joy
The accommodations, the food, the events, and the glamour of it all
TL;DR
New publication alert! I’m in Well+Good (again)
I’m currently in Oaxaca so if you need me, I’m drinking OG mezcal
Inside the Claremont Spa & Hotel
Black owned Business questionnaires (deadlines approaching)
New publication alert! I’m in Well+Good (again)
Earlier this week a piece I wrote for Well+Good a few months ago got published! It’s about my obsession with Trader Joe’s and some gluten free snacks that I will forever be obsessed with, even though I’m no longer in a country with my dearest Joe 💔
I’m currently in Oaxaca so if you need me, I’m drinking OG mezcal
I mean…that’s pretty much the entire post. I’m here for a story with Wine Enthusiast about the Indigenous women in the mezcal industry. I’ll be hopping and bopping around for a few days, and I’ll share some of the details of my trip when I get back because safety first!
Also, for all the travel influencers/bloggers/writers out there that are newer to the game, please hear me when I say this:
DO NOT POST WHERE YOU ARE WHEN YOU ARE THERE
It’s incredibly easy for people to find you nowadays, and not everyone has the best intentions for you– especially if you are a woman. That’s all I’m going to say about that.
Before I start talking about the Claremont, I need you all to know that no one is paying me to say these things. Like these are my free thoughts on this place. If you have any additional questions, feel free to ask away.
Inside the Claremont Spa & Hotel
If you are planning on visiting Oakland, CA there are two places that I’d recommend you stay in. If you want “city vibes,” something closer to the hustle and bustle of downtown, and that drips with new money energy, then stay at The Kissel. If you want something quieter, something a little more old money, then stay at the Claremont. Did I have a choice of which one I stayed at? Nope. Was I given the best option for preference? Without a doubt.
Location
On the hillsides of Berkeley, California, about a 10-15 minute drive to the heart of Oakland.
Interior
The space is very grand and stately, in a Gone with the Wind mansion kind of way (minus the intense plantation aesthetic). The Limewood, the estate’s restaurant, is located in the front of the building and gets the most romantic views of the sunset overlooking the Golden Gate bridge. I’ll talk more about The Limewood later though. There are sitting rooms that turn into temporary art galleries for visiting artists right down the hallway and a culinary event space that I saw in full swing for a dedicated Black Vines dinner during my stay. Something to keep in mind is that the elevator system is a little antiquated, which just means that not every elevator goes to every floor. In my case, I had to go from the main level, down to the first floor, walk down a hallway to find another elevator that takes me up to the second floor then walk to my room. Could I have just taken the stairs from the lobby to the second floor? No. I tried and somehow got so lost I almost missed breakfast.
The room
I want you to look at this picture. Look at it. This is what my room was like.
Upon entering my room, I was greeted with a box of snacks that included macaroons, chocolates, and a bottle of lovely local Pinot Noir. There was a mini fridge, a coffee machine, a bathroom that could fit 4 people easily, and a king sized bed. One small thing that I really appreciated was that there were outlets everywhere. As someone who has to live on her electronics and doesn’t want to get out of bed for anything, it made my life so much easier.
The amenities
If I had one more day or a few more hours of downtime, I would’ve taken full advantage of their two amenities: the spa and the gym.
The spa is located right next to the wellness gift shop on the bottom level. While it’s downstairs, it’s still light, airy, and incredibly inviting. They had yoga mats, a rotating collection of health and wellness books, and a few other things that I couldn’t really pay attention to because I was so curious about the spa next door. I probably could have asked someone to let me walk around and see the facilities, but I never did, partially because of my mild case of imposter syndrome. If any of you visit the Claremont and go to the spa, please tell me about your experience! I’m so curious!!
The gym is a brief stroll off of the housing property to a separate building on the premises. Honestly, if my gym looked like this, I would want to exercise way more frequently.
The food
You better believe they have a Black executive chef!! There was no way I was going to have a newsletter and not promote at least one Black professional, you guys know me! Joseph L. Paire III is the Executive chef at the Claremont’s restaurant, The Limewood. I ate there twice while I was in Oakland: once for breakfast with my PR agent, Rene, and the founder of Black Vines, Fern Stroud. More than the amazing food, I love how the Black culinary community in Oakland go out of their way to support each other’s businesses. For example, I had one particularly important and fancy business dinner (that I was hilariously underprepared for) at The Limewood. At the same time as my dinner, Fern was hosting a private Black Vines event in the dedicated culinary event space. I got to pop in really quick, say hi, give and get a few hugs, and watch Chef Joseph and Fern chat it up before her event officially started.
My food recommendations
Get the steak and eggs for breakfast. Yes, the steak is cooked great but that chimichurri sauce needs to be in a bottle somewhere.
Get the Parker House Rolls with bone marrow butter for dinner. It’s just a starter so don’t fill up on it but, my god, what a way to start a meal. That being said, I’m very much a sucker for bone marrow butter.
Food bonus
The Limewood is actually a stop on Oakland’s cannabis trail because of their once-a-quarter cannabis inspired dinners! I talk more about that in my article for Food & Wine magazine though. It should be published sometime this week (woop woop!).
Black-owned Business questionnaires (deadlines approaching)
Here are two questionnaires for upcoming WOC owned business features for the month of March. Fill these out ASAP if you want some free press and to introduce yourself to me for potential editorial coverage. This is ideal for small business owners who don’t have PR reps to pitch them. It’s also great practice for you to pitch yourself to other writers and publications, whenever you’re ready for that step.
HERE for WOC in the beauty and skincare industry
HERE for WOC accessory makers and
HERE for WOC clothing brands
The deadline is fast approaching so hurry and fill it out. Also, you can share these surveys with your friends, family members, and coworkers who might not be subscribed to this newsletter (THOUGH THEY SHOULD BE) so they can get some free press 🙂
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More to come tomorrow!!