We stayed for one night at this 100-year-old hotel and we would give it better marks if it were located in a better area. The hotel is located just across the street from the Tenderloin district in San Francisco and venturing outside is like entering the bar scene in Star Wars. We are in our 60's and we simply couldn't imagine how so many hopeless and mentally ill people could find each other and still survive. We weren't ever threatened, but we were constantly asked for "spare change" as we walked from the hotel in the morning to find someplace nice for breakfast. It was a long, long walk!
The hotel itself, built just after the turn of the last century, served as San Francisco's city hall for three years before being turned into a hotel in 1912. The lobby is fairly ornate and the physical property is pretty well maintained. The rooms are large and pretty typical for hotels of this age. There are a paucity of electrical outlets and old fashioned plumbing in the bath, but the closets were large and the bed was fine. Heating/air conditioning is by means of a unit set in the window. The shower, although old, was fine, and the water pressure was perfectly adequate. We stayed on the seventh floor and we had a hard time getting to sleep, as there was a very noisy salsa festival taking place just off the lobby.
If you can get a good deal on the room rental and don't mind having to deal with the surrounding area, you might give it a try. We didn't try the restaurant, but it looked nice. If you eat there, just be sure you are facing AWAY from the front windows. The sidewalk scene in unappetizing.
hotel reviews