The good: the room was small but that was expected in San Francisco. I had looked at several B&Bs and more exciting hotels in this area for my trip which was a combo Gay Pride / visit relative trip in June, and naturally, all the places I was attracted to were full. So Hotel Whitcomb was a second tier choice for me but I was very happy with it.
First of all, location was marvelous. There is a Bart Station right outside, so you could get anywhere in the city from there. My daughter lived 2 stations away and so when it was time to leave for the airport and we couldn't get a taxi (because of Gay Pride) we hoofed it with my suitcase easily on the Bart. The Orpheum theater is right across the street and it was very close to the Civic Center for Pride. However, it is very near to a bad neighborhood so be careful if you are walking around outside of a planned area. My daughter told me to not walk around at night.
The room was comfy, the bed was excellant, the curtains made my daughter swoon, and I loved that they had historical pictures of the hotel on the walls. It was pretty quiet although being as it was Pride weekend, folks were carrying on in the halls pretty late, but I expected that. I had walked in the Dyke March on Saturday anyway, so I was tired enough to get good sleep!
The room service staff and the housekeeping staff were very friendly. The front desk staff was a little touchy. I wonder if they were stressed by the event. The guy who checked me in was sneering at me; I wasn't sure why. I thought it might've been because I was from Arizona which has unpopular laws right now. It's not my fault. it made me a little nervous but later the rest of the staff was super nice. Except, the woman who checked me out snapped at me for getting in the wrong line, but then relented later and was pleasant after I got into the right line. I was a little stressed at that moment as my daughter was waiting outside for me to jump on the Bart. I did have to call twice to get blankets for my daughter Saturday night and the rollaway bed was an extra charge.
I also took advantage of the fitness center. The exercise bike didn't seem to work. It had two treadmills, one step machine, and the non-working exercise bike, so I used the treadmill. Not the best one in the history of manking, but it got the job done. There is also a bit of a weight lifting machine with four stations but I didn't try it. They offer free water in the room and the times it is open are adequate. it is a bit shabby but I liked that it had a window open on the street so I could watch the fascinating characters of San Franciso shamble, stroll, and meander by on the ground floor. It had a great huge mirror if you like to watch your form when you are stretching.
I like a hotel with a little history to it, and this one had served as San Francisco's town hall from 1915-1925. There is a little history hall with photos for those of us who like that sort of thing. The Starbucks in the lobby was very convenient for me and the Room Service breakfast I had was yummy. The Starbucks staff was very kind, friendly and competent and adequately staffed for the busy Pride weekend.
So I actually liked the place and would stay there again.
I think it woudl be fun for a solo trip even if my daughter wasn't there to hang out with. There is so much to do in San Francisco and this is conveniently located to all that. The small flaws of my stay did not dissuade me from liking this hotel very much.
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