Overall sentiment across the reviews is strongly positive with consistent praise focused on the quality of caregiving, cleanliness, and the welcoming culture at Oakmont of Burlingame. The dominant theme is that staff are compassionate, attentive, and personally engaged with residents and families. Multiple reviews single out specific employees (most often Desirée/Desiree Vigil at the front desk/concierge) and named caregivers (Rocky, Lisette, Maria, Marvin) as providing exceptional personal attention. Leadership and clinical oversight are also highlighted: Annie is repeatedly credited for exceptional leadership, and Nurse Su and the nursing team earn praise for clear medical communication and attentive care. Many families describe smooth transitions from hospitals to the community, frequent communication (texts, photos, FaceTime), and a real sense that staff go above and beyond to create safety, comfort, and joy for residents.
Facility and apartment-related feedback is uniformly favorable: reviewers describe an immaculate, well-updated property with recent carpet and paint, spacious one-bedroom layouts, wide aisles, and attractive common areas including a pleasant courtyard. Practical amenities such as faultless laundry service, a professional business office, helpful move-in assistance, and therapeutic bathing options are noted. Transportation and outings are strengths: a robust van program brings residents on scenic rides, excursions (including San Francisco and Redwood City trips), and to local medical appointments. Memory-care programming receives repeated commendation for compassionate, engaging interactions (examples include staff reading the newspaper aloud and strong reminiscence support), and multiple reviewers emphasize that memory-care residents are treated with dignity and warmth.
Dining and activities are an important mixed theme. Many reviewers laud the meals, calling them restaurant-quality or gourmet and praising a talented chef and well-planned menus. Conversely, a notable subset of reviews reports that low-sodium meals can be bland or lack seasoning and that menu variety or flavor could improve. Operationally, a few families noted slow dining-room service or instances of food served cold — sometimes attributed to kitchen distance or an isolated power outage/heat loss incident. The activities calendar is robust — bingo, musical performances, chair exercise, walking clubs, wine socials, hair braiding, photos, and frequent off-site trips are regularly cited — but some residents or families would like more mentally stimulating or themed programming (requests for more country/western outdoor activities and higher-engagement options). Participation in some offerings (walking club, wine socials) is described as limited.
Operational and management patterns are largely positive but not without concerns. Many reviews praise a professional business office and concierge team that eases appointment coordination and logistics. Families appreciate frequent updates and the ‘whole-person’ approach to care. However, a minority of accounts report issues: occasional slow responses to care calls, isolated billing or service-plan follow-through problems, some staff turnover after management changes, and reports of an uncoordinated staff on occasion. The front desk is mostly celebrated but also described in some reviews as chaotic at times. A few specific facility incidents were mentioned (underlit apartments initially, a power outage/heat loss), suggesting room for continued attention to facilities resilience and response protocols.
Cost and fit: Oakmont of Burlingame is described by many as a premium, five-star retirement option—clean, professionally run, and comfortable—but several reviewers explicitly note high pricing and recommend weighing value relative to cost. The community is best suited for residents who benefit from attentive daily support, a warm family-like environment, and reliable medical oversight. Families seeking highly stimulating, vigorous programming for very active residents may find some activities too low-key, although the community does offer a wide range of social and wellness options. For memory-care families, the consensus is very positive; Oakmont shows strong ability to support late-stage Alzheimer's and other memory needs with empathy and capable staff.
Bottom line: The reviews present Oakmont of Burlingame as a clean, well-maintained, and professionally run community with standout staff and leadership, excellent family communication, strong memory-care capabilities, and meaningful social and transportation programming. Prospective residents and families should expect high-quality, personalized caregiving in an attractive environment but should also account for higher costs, discuss dietary preferences and seasoning (especially low-sodium needs), clarify service-plan details and billing, and verify any accessibility or unit-level concerns (floor placement, initial apartment lighting). Addressing occasional operational issues (dining logistics, response times, continuity after management changes) would further strengthen an otherwise highly regarded community.
