Clarion Hotel Bakersfield North

“A safe oasis in a dangerous desert”

Like a tropical paradise in the middle of the desert, in numerous ways this hotel stands above any of the Bakersfield hotels where I have stayed. I'm sure most of the people hurrying by every day have no idea what they are missing. (Note: Most of the old reviews posted by others here are obsolete… more

Like a tropical paradise in the middle of the desert, in numerous ways this hotel stands above any of the Bakersfield hotels where I have stayed. I'm sure most of the people hurrying by every day have no idea what they are missing. (Note: Most of the old reviews posted by others here are obsolete, because in 2026 this hotel changed ownership and became SureStay by Best Western.) Before you even enter the hotel, you can see one of this hotel's treasures: hidden in plain sight is the koi pond below the waterfall at the main entrance. (I'm embarrassed to admit that I had stayed here numerous times before I noticed the koi fish, even though I once had my own koi pond.) But the biggest secret this hotel hides is their beautiful tropical gardens, featuring a pool which (as far as I know) is Bakersfield's deepest, along with a jacuzzi with unrivaled late-night access hours. Many of the rooms share these tropical gardens, with patios providing easy access and featuring unique scenes of tropical beauty (the picturesque bridge on our patio door made our room easy to find after a romantic stroll through the gardens one night). All of the rooms we have enjoyed (during our various stays) have been beautiful, with some unique features I had never seen before. Even the beds seem much larger and more comfortable than similar beds in other hotels. We prefer the rooms near the restaurant. All rooms seem to have refrigerators, but I haven't noticed any microwaves. That typically doesn't matter, because usually when we stay here we dine at their own "BuckCafe" restaurant (and of course that's something else most Bakersfield hotels don't have). The hotel's free breakfast is at this cafe, and my wife insisted that I mention the fact that she was amazed by the service Megan provided, and that Megan works so hard and remains friendly under pressure! (Unfortunately, I miss most of the breakfasts due to my work schedule.) Sometimes when I've found a special place, I don't want to tell anybody, because I want to keep the treasure to myself. Selfishly, I know the prices may not stay this low if this secret gets out. But this is too good not to share. (But I do know of other Kern County treasures I'm still keeping secret.) The location couldn't be more central, adjacent to one of Bakersfield's main tourist spots (the historic Buck Owens Crystal Palace, where Buck Owens himself used to perform, along with many other celebrities). Unfortunately, staying at Bakersfield hotels can be problematic, as from my experience there are some serious security problems at most Bakersfield hotels. Our vehicles have suffered break-ins at other Bakersfield hotels, with various thefts including my wife's suitcase which contained her clothes! But the security at the SureStay is better than any other hotel I know of in Bakersfield, as they have a large (locked) lot which is reserved for hotel guests (hotel guests do need to wait for the staff to open the gates, but that is a very valuable inconvenience). And how could I fail to mention the friendly staff? Again, from my experience, they're the best in Bakersfield. Best location, rooms, pool, jacuzzi, security, lobby, staff. And even with all of that, I'm sure I failed to mention something really special (especially names of some of the staff, but I don't remember all of their names at the moment). Perhaps a name like Best Western Tropical Gardens would be more appropriate. When we are there, we feel a little bit like we are reliving precious memories of our trip to Hawaii.

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