Originally established as a railroad saloon and boarding house in 1879, the Union Hotel is one of Sonoma County's truly iconic spots, where history surrounds you the moment you step inside. Sitting at the bar, I couldn't help but imagine the hardworking railroad crews resting their weary heads here long ago, alongside the glamorous, lively parties that once filled the space. Knowing it's recognized as part of the Occidental Historic District only adds to the magic. Very worth a stop to wet your whistle at the historic Union Hotel Saloon. The sweet bartender even gave us a complimentary tour of the public areas. read more

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Room: Beach Primrose, 3rd floor. (I wish more people identified their room.) I stayed here last year for a long weekend. I love this hotel, but it's not without its quirks. I gave it as many as four stars because everything was clean and I love the character, including the marginally-dilapidated atmosphere, the ancient "lift" (can't really call it an elevator). If you want a slick, polished experience, choose a different lodging. Maybe the "Inn at Benicia Bay" down the street; I had breakfast there one morning and it looked very posh. But if you want a piece of history, I am passionate about the Union Hotel. Things to note before you take it on: The management is notoriously hard to get in touch with before your stay. While you're here, there's someone at the desk during the day within limited hours. But don't expect any contact or action at night. Don't expect calls back. Their late-check-in process was a little nebulous in terms of explanation before the fact, but worked out really well. I came up with adult children and needed an extra bed, but never got any closure on my requests. Not to worry, there were a couple of rollaways in the corner of the hallway with the housekeeping materials so everything worked out well. We tried the jacuzzi tub, and although it started up OK, we immediately regretted it because it sounded like you were right next to a 747 taking off. Then we discovered it wouldn't shut off! I called the after-hours number but didn't get a response. Finally we found a GFI outlet opposite the sink and if we tripped it with the Test button, it shut off the Jacuzzi! That was the only real problem we had. The room was nice and roomy, and even though it was one of cheapest rooms, it had a nice couch and coffee table for meals and activities. Great view from the 3rd floor overlooking the side street and the bay over to the side. The bed is so plush in the Beach Primrose (as of 2025), they have a little stepstool at the foot for you to climb up. If you're marginally athletic you can hop up on it from the side. All in all, very comfy. The town is great. Lots of good food, including the bar/restaurant on the ground floor. Doordash and Ubers available in town, too. Very restful weekend. Read the history on a section of their web site and other accounts of Benicia and Vallejo. Amazing stories, including the fact that it was the site of the State Capitol for a year or so. Lots of ghosts in this town, including in this hotel. You can feel her in the walls and halls. I'm coming back soon to get to know it more. read more

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Do NOT stay here...ever!! This place is a rundown dump! Mold in the bathtub. Dirty grout between the bathroom floor tiles. The handle on the cold water side is ready to fall off at any moment. Little hairs in the bathtub jets. There is very weak water pressure in the shower. The showerhead itself is old and water-stained. The water temperature is very hard to regulate (it goes from too hot to too cold). Threadbare bath towels that look like rags. No drawer pulls on the dresser. Refrigerator land freezer do not work. Burnt-out light bulbs in the lamps, sconces, and chandelier. Moldy smell in the elevator. Door mat at bottom of back stairs has what looks like a vomit stain on it. FALSELY ADVERTISED a child-size futon as a pull-out sofa bed for an adult. We would have complained, but there was not anyone at the front desk, as we come back after they had left and no one was there when we checked out. Windows frames rotted out. Whole building is a dump, inside and out! DISGUSTING, DIRTY, RUNDOWN DUMP! And we paid close to $300/night!!! We will NEVER stay here again. read more

I dined in the bar restaurant area and the food is delicious every visit 10/10. Service with a smile. Ravioli with Lemon sauce is high on my list. read more

We were strolling down the street on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, and passed this place. We tried a couple of the drinks, which were fantastic and the service was really friendly and welcoming. The food that was being served looked really delicious, and we for sure will be back. read more

I love the long history of this place. And I like to investigate haunted hotels. The bartender told me she has seen several different ghosts over the years. The room on the top floor has a lovely view of the water. The horror movie elevator will definitely put you in the mood for ghost hunting. read more

I really wanted to like this little place but it was a letdown from the get go. I booked an ocean view room online via booking.com. The room was supposed to have a view and breakfast the next day before checkout. I got a call the day of the check in that the front desk would be closed after 6pm and late check in would follow. I tried to call back immediately but the phone was not answered. This was before 5pm too. We opted to just go to dinner first before coming back to do self-check in. When we arrived we got in easily enough but there were no instructions on how to find the room. The rooms have names, no numbers to identify a floor. Luckily it's small because we had to go to two different floors to try to find it. The room was clean and that was the only positive. There was no ocean view. Half the lights didn't work because they either were missing bulbs or were flickering on/off. The "spa" tub was non functional. There was no filtered water for the coffee pot. if you wanted coffee in the morning you had to fill it up in the bathroom which sounded ick. If you wanted ice you had to go down to the bar because there was no staff and no easy access to ice. We were already in PJs so we skipped it. The walls are thin. We could hear a guests barking dog and some guy above us walking around loudly all hours. The next morning we discovered "no breakfast" as promised. Everything was closed. Very disappointed for 200 bucks for a night. read more

What a little gem this place is! One of the women that lives in Venetia in the art class I was taking suggested that we try this versus where we were going to go for dinner. The owner is the chef and the waiter and the entertainer. It is a very old hotel that has lots and lots of Stainglass windows in character. The bar in the front you can have dinner, and it is loud and boisterous. If you go to the dining room in the back, it is much quieter and a little more refined. I wish I had taken some photos but I did not. My husband and I shared a spinach salad and it was perfect. The homemade ravioli with butternut squash, and two different types of sauce was absolutely delicious. You can have one type of sauce on one side and one type of sauce on the other. I don't usually order pasta dishes but I'm really glad I did. My husband had the salmon, and when I tasted them. It was absolute perfection. It's a very cute, friendly, wonderful place to go. You should try it. read more

We came here for our 10 year anniversary and it was wonderful! We had a beautiful room with an amazing view. Later we spent some time in the bar/restaurant. Very nice experience. The manager Anna was incredible!!! She was so welcoming and made the best drinks. The service was amazing as well as the food. We have decided to make this our yearly spot!! We are very happy with our stay and we are telling all our friends to go see for themselves. Thank you Union Hotel! And a very special Thank you to Anna! read more

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Decent happy hour! I went here recently with some friends and was impressed again by their happy hour. I feel like Union is one of those places people pass on 1st St all the time and never try. If you are looking yo save some money while getting some good grub I definitely recommend giving them a try sometime. The only thing I wish they would change is if they could make those wings buffalo style. Don't get me wrong, the parmesan cheese is different and is a nice touch but hotwings are so classic when it comes to Happy Hour! read more

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My wife and I have stayed here several times over the past nine years and watched it deteriorate with each passing year. As the pictures on the website show, this was once a nice place to stay. Conveniently located downtown on First Street, it is in easy walking distance to a number of fine restaurants. It even has a wonderful restaurant on its first floor. However, to say that the rooms and their furnishings were tired would be generous. Everywhere one looks, there are examples of poor maintenance and less than professional repairs. The breakfast offerings have continued to shrink over the years and are now just the bare minimum. During this our final stay, the weekend staff has been very pleasant but unaware of the published hours for breakfast. My wife and I have came down at 7:15 and 7:30 and found the doors to the small breakfast counter locked. Even when they were opened, we found that the yogurt selection had gone from a half a dozen on the first day to one container on the next day to none today. One might think this was because it was a three day weekend, but running a "hotel" means working weekends and holidays. Finally, the outside looks more rundown with each passing season. This place has the potential to be an historic jewel in downtown Benicia, but appears to be in another period of decline to add to its long history. Hopefully its ownership will change soon and someone will infuse it with the money and attention it so desperately needs. Until then, we cannot recommend anyone to stay here. read more

This quaint old hotel, furnished in large antiques, is just what the Dr. ordered. We stayed in the Coast Lotus room which has stunning views of the Benicia bay & Carquienez straight with a large picturesque window. It has a two person jacuzzi tub that I was looking forward to using but I got a little sceeved out when I saw dirt in the bottom. I rinsed it out & started to fill it when old pieces of soap started floating & I saw a clump of hair on one of the jets. Ok, change of plans, I can live without. Despite that, I still highly recommend this place. Covid has changed many things & there was no onsite staff, which I kind of liked. It was more like our getaway place than hotel. I had the personal phone number for the manager who lives right down the street if I had any problems. We had no idea what we were getting into with the surrounding area but what an adorable town!! There are lit tree lined streets the entire way leading down to a point. I absolutely cannot wait to come back to this little area & this hotel. read more

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We were shocked at how bad the place was; we didn't even sleep there even though we paid after seeing the condition of the room. We had to scramble to find a place nearby. This place is a glorified hostel; we returned the next day to drop off our key and explain why we didn't use the room. She said she would speak to her manager about a refund. We never heard back, and they charged our card. Union Hotel. Never again. read more

I had an amazing experience at The Union Hotel recently! The drink was strong yet refreshing! The salmon was the best I ever had! It was absolutely delicious. The waitress and chef were also extremely kind. I will definitely return and soon. read more

The Union Hotel - Raspberry Mojito - Hotels Near Me - Benicia, California

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The Union Hotel is such a wonderful, historic place, but I'd never had the pleasure of dining there. Spoiler alert: They're really, really fantastic. What was I waiting for?! I'm a Chicago area transplant, so I take pizza seriously- They have the best pizza in town. I ordered my daughter a plain cheese pizza, thinking nothing much of it. When she was full, I finished the rest of her slice...Then, I finished the rest of the pizza. Fantastic! Their salmon was also reeeeeally well cooked, just a really nice piece of fish. For those of you with a sweet tooth, try Gabby's Jolt. It's a super well crafted cocktail, and delicious! The real MVP of this place is clearly Gabby. This man should be teaching classes in regards to restaurant hospitality. It's a family business and his daughters are hard working, considerate and wonderful. He should be proud, and I think he knows it. Somehow, this place embodies Benicia itself- It's the perfect upscale restaurant in a beautiful, quiet little town. Check them out! read more

Dinner here is always on point. The food is great. Nice quaint place. The Owner is so kind, and we love that it's a family place where his daughters also work. Love coming here. read more

This hotel is historic and the rooms are very spacious. Rooms have period furniture and the tv is a 13 inch. Very comfortable beds. Great location in downtown. My low review only pertains to a security issue we had at this hotel. At 12 am Thanksgiving might we heard a key in the lock and our door was opened. My wife whispered to me that someone entered our room. A woman had entered our room with a key. After hearing my wife tell me someone is in our room they closed the door. My wife quickly got up and looked out the door and saw a woman walking away down the hall. There is NO bolt or latch on the inside of the door! This is our second stay at this hotel and we have enjoyed ourselves but there seems to be duplicate keys for this room and perhaps others. Door latches on the doors should be a requirement for all rooms. The management is having all the locks changed and has told me they are installing locks on the inside of the room doors. read more

The Restaurant is great, Gabby & his daughter are amazing people all around . Their food is always on point and never disappoints. They are great with my kiddos every time we go there. For it just being either both or just one of them working at once they are good with time management for food/drinks. I love them. I definitely recommend their food & hospitality to everyone. read more

The Union Hotel - Calamari Half pepperoni half cheese pizza Chicken Marsala Gabby lemon drop - Hotels Near Me - Benicia, California

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Where is the dining info? No information on the website? I'm scrolling on the website and see only general hours posted. I see photographs of food but nothing else. read more

I love historical hotels. And what could be better then a historical hotel in the middle of a town you want to walk around in and explore? And the rooms! Beautiful. Antiques and a step stool that was right at the bottom of the bed! Light coming in from big windows that you could actually open! What a novel idea! And real hardwood floors? So why am I giving this beautiful hotel only one star? 1). Several times I tried to call the front desk from the phone in the room, and not once was I able to get anyone. That has never happened to me before in ANY hotel I stayed at. What if there was an emergency? 2). There was HAMMERING all night that seemed to be coming both from outside, as well as hammering near my door. It also sounded as though someone was actually hammering my door! It was so crazy I actually recorded it at 2:30 am because I knew no one would believe me! I took a screenshot and you can see it for yourself. Look at the time!! 3). Earlier, I spoke to the manager, who very nicely said that she would make an exception and I would be able to use their laundry facilities. She would call me at 9:00 am when she arrived. I got a knock on my door between 7:30-8:00 am. After being up the night before with the hammering, I was not a happy camper. And I was a little surprised. Is it normal to knock on a hotel guest's door so early? 4). My reservation had been for 3 nights, but I decided not to stay. The manager said she would refund my money. I never got the confirmation of the refund. She said she sent it, and she sent it again. I never received it. I had no problem getting the original confirmation charging my card, why then did I have a problem getting the confirmation refunding my money? read more

The Union Hotel - Look at the time! - Hotels Near Me - Benicia, California

This is my go to bar. The food is not bad either! I usually get appetizers but have had pasta dishes as well. Thursday nights are the best time to go for their live music same time as farmers market. Pick up your fruits and veggies and then settle down with drinks. Service is great! Gabby the owner is fabulous. I'll always come back. read more

The Union Hotel - Jazz on the patio - Hotels Near Me - Benicia, California

I recommend this hotel because there's so much history here. Yes, it's old, but it's quite quaint. The nightly price is also extremely reasonable, especially for the location. Would stay here again. read more

this is the best restaurant down on 1st street the manager gabby & his employees are every nice & kind to everyone also the food is really good & awsome also the drinks & the dessert are the best read more

A group of us stayed at the hotel for the weekend! The owner was so extremely accommodating a large group. The rooms are all decorated with antique furniture..large sitting areas in some room. Big bathtubs in the rooms I visited. We had a dinner that the owner accommodating our large group and his daughters serving us were super sweet and great! The menu was incredible and the food was just sooo good. We had such a great time a d we will be coming back for another visit! Thank you to my friends who organized the weekend! We are hooked and ready for our next adventures! read more

I'm very surprised this place does not have more stars. This is why I think yelp is bogus sometimes. Reasons like this... Anyway, today was the first time I ate here. And I always see this place when I go to the Benicia farmers market on a Thursday summer night. This place has live music and is packed with patrons. Tonight was beautiful night. The food was good, the white Pinot Grigio was amazing, the live band was soothing, and the atmosphere was relaxing. What more can a gal ask for? I mean come on?! And the place has some history on top of that. The historic vibes were sprinkles/cherry/icing on the cake. Hubby and I had a great time! We for sure and back again. FYI we ordered calamari for appetizer (tomato sauce was yummers!), pear salad (refreshing!), and seafood linguini (which was okay, nothing to call home to Mom about). But hey, overall this place was superb! Customer service was great. Can't ask for more! read more

The Union Hotel - Hotels Near Me - Benicia, California

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Well my first below average review: I stood and waited to be seated for about 15 minutes by myself, folks who worked there just walked past me without eye contact. Seated for another 15 min, gave up and went to tell staff I was leaving. Response: "you cannot come in here, there's a sign", delivered with disdain. I was approximately one foot from the entrance in mask. I really feel for people in the restaurant, but am not sure why I was treated with such hostility. read more

The place charges to much money .it's a ok place , if you only have a small income, it's hard to afford.

Vast side patio and a few table to the front on 1st make the whole experience very pleasant. Hand sanitizer on each table in cute containers. Tables thoroughly cleaned between each customer. Arrive staff and I am sure you will find what you are looking for on their vast menu. It took a little while to actually get our food on the table - I want to believe that it is because it is frankly made to order and there is no microwave involved but I have not been in the kitchen. So your guess is as good as mine. So , verdict tasty food but luck-warm. I found a little expensive too for my 4 mushrooms (appetizers) $10. But hey ho maybe they have had to review their pricing to their loss during the pandemic. read more

The food and dessert were simply amazing !!! The atmosphere was relaxing and peaceful ! I will Most definitely come back ! The service was also the best service I've received in Benicia . The server was professional and made sure to keep My glass full and stomach satisfied read more

They were so kind and helpful with the menu. Seasonal foods with perfect seasoning. The red wine reduction was PERFECT! Like a proper 5 star restaurant. read more

The Union Hotel - Amazing location and perfect steak. - Hotels Near Me - Benicia, California

After seeing a video posted by the owner about the struggles to stay in business during the Covid shutdowns, I decided it was time to support the Union Hotel Restaurant. We've lived in Benicia for a year and haven't been there yet. It is now our favorite in town! Everything we tried was mouthwatering and the bartender made us an awesome Italian Sidecar while we waited. Gabriel Oviedo we will be regulars & spread the word to our friends. Can't wait to be able to dine inside or on the patio! You are doing it right! Merry Christmas! read more

This historical hotel is amazing. No, it's not your 5 star hotel, but it's the context of the hotel's history, location and the people of Benicia that make it worth staying there. This trip I was upgraded to a room with a great view of Carquinez Strait. I want to personally thank Erica for her friendliness and courteous nature. read more

The Union Hotel - Hotels Near Me - Benicia, California

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Oh Union Hotel you had such potential! We arrived to the restaurant on a cold and rainy night. The bar area was warm and cozy and we decided to have dinner there. Armed with our Restaurant.com $25 gift certificate, laying right on the table for everyone to see, we proceeded to look over the menu. The hostess was very nice and she brought us water and even answered questions about the menu. The chef/owner even came over and was very nice and answered my questions about the crab cakes. We started to get impatient as we hadn't seen a waiter/waitress in over 15 minutes and the front room was empty. Eventually, after we had two rounds of fresh bread and butter our waitress Joanne showed up... She was very friendly at first and then became as cold as the weather outside once she saw our Restaurant.com certificate. She blatantly said "We don't take those anymore". I was nice and explained that we just bought it on 11/15 and that I checked the Restaurant.com website today and they are listed. I even pulled it up and showed her on my iPhone that they are listed and they are selling certificates. She said that they stopped taking those at the end of November and that she will not accept them. I looked at her and said "Then we won't be eating here". She told us to wait and she will check with the owner. She scurried away to the back and I looked at my boyfriend perplexed. The waitress came back and said "Fine we will take it this one time but there is a mistake with the website". She was a complete witch with a B. She had major attitude and had a horrible personality from here on out. She did not check on us once to ask how our meals were, she did not refill our water once.. The poor hostess kept coming over and taking care of us as we watched the waitress socialize with other tables around us and refill their waters and take care of them. Foodwise.. I ordered the crab cakes ($11.00) and the Caesar Salad ($7.00). My boyfriend got the Fettuccine with Prawns, roasted bell peppers, spinach in a brand cream sauce ($16.00) and we had the Cheesecake ($6.50). Ugh even this review puts a bad taste in my mouth.. I'm done writing about this place. The food was decent, ambiance was nice, waitress was nasty. She ruined the experience for us and we won't be coming back. There are many other places in Benicia for us to try out and I am sure the waitresses/waiters will be a hell of a lot better! read more

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Happy hour menu options are great. Friendly service, delicious food and wine, and great prices! Will most definitely visit again. read more

The Union Hotel - BRUSCHETTA - Hotels Near Me - Benicia, California

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I went to the Union Hotel for lunch with my friend last week. We both ordered their BLTA SANDWICH. Our sandwiches were very good. I loved the fresh flowers on each table. We wanted their bread pudding for dessert but they didn't have any that day. At first we couldn't tell if they were opened for lunch and we almost didn't eat there because their front door was locked, but then we tried their door on the corner and it was unlocked. We had the whole dining room to ourselves. The service was great. As we were leaving we noticed that people were now sitting out front on First Street enjoying their drinks and the beautiful weather. When we were inside we also noticed that they have another more private outside place you can eat next to the dining room. read more

Had a great stay here! They were super accomodating and let us stay an hour later for check-out. Really friendly environment here. For Valentine's Day dinner my boyfriend and I enjoyed their outdoor dining under a heater at the downstairs of the bed & breakfast. Cheesecake & cocktails were great and our waitress definitely took care of us. The manager Gabriel was super kind as well. There were tons of cute boutiques and food on the little strip we stayed on. Would definitely come back & stay here! read more

I had the Anita pizza, amazing!!...like Italy :) Always amazed at the historic bar and a walk down the pier is perfect afterwards. Gabby the owner is the nicest. read more

Everything was great, we had lunch at the restaurant and Gabriel is always nice and very accommodating, we will be back for sure, I only wish the dining room was a bit cleaner, a bit dusty, other than that, great! read more

BTW-My rev is about the food as I didn't stay overnight in the Hotel, but I imagine it would be like stepping back in the Victorian era, charming with lots of crafted wood and lace all over the place! The service was prompt, pleasurable and proceeded to offer my guest and I, a choice of the informal wood floored bar where the World Cup was playing or the dinning room adorned with artful antique stained glass windows all around, a fireplace and overall genuine warm feel to it. This is a cloth napkin kind of place, though the menu is not too pricey. The water and fresh bread came out quickly and I ordered the grilled salmon, asparagus and garlic roasted potatoes, my guest ordered the linguini/e Alfredo. The portions were not small but more importantly the food was not overdone or over seasoned and was very tasty, fresh and memorable, as was the white wine ( which is surprising as I'm more of a red man). Though we were there for a long time, the service never rushed us despite the fact that they were closing down for the night! The Union Hotel really felt like old world service to fit the decor, a good thing indeed. It was a great place to talk, the acoustics were good and they played old blues in the background, nice. It's located on 2nd street and that is a sweet street to stroll on, down to the waterfront and see the city lights, two bridges and all the old buildings. Benecia's downtown has a certain charm! Bottom line, I would go back! I get the sense that the economy has not been good to Benecia, so they are eager and working hard to please their customers! So go Yelp it! read more

I haven't even stayed at this hotel yet but I had a medical issue related to surgery, which caused a flare up that left me in horrendous pain again for the length of a day. Of course I called the day before my reservation to advise them of this occurence. I could only reach a machine. I tried calling the restaurant since I have patronized it several times for the last several years but the restaurant manager or so he claimed, Gabriel told me to 'F*** off'. He hung up on me twice. He was disgusting, vulgar and rude. I thought this would be a charming place to stay to give myself a retreat from the horrendous month I experiences. But perhaps Gabriel speaks for the entire hotel in telling customers to 'F... off'. I will never eat here again much less stay. Your customer service is less than desired. read more