Considering all the rave reviews listed here I was expecting more than your average hotel.
We stayed for 5 nights at the Holiday Inn Downtown and Spa (Sept 5 - 10, 2004).
The hotel staff wasn't overly friendly. Not rude but they didn't go out of their way. Upon checkout the customer service agent didn't even ask how our stay was. I guess it is too hard to ask guest where they are from, why they are in town, how they like San Francisco, please come again, etc.
The room was small but clean. Nothing fancy. No internet access/computers for guest. I was told there was a "Business Centre" in the works but if I wanted to check my e-mail I had to walk 7 blocks to Kinkos.
For the price we paid I expected more hospitality. However, it seems we paid for the location. Some extra things to mention.
What we liked:
The hotel is located on the corner of China Town, the Financial district, and North Beach. Easy access to great food!
There is a cool rooftop pool. Bring your swim suits and spend a day enjoying the views from here (Coit Tower, TranAmerica, Bay/Ocean). We didn't bring our swimsuits but wished we had.
What we didn't like:
3 -4 blocks to the nearest Cable Car stop. Most of the main attractions are along the Cable Car routes. The morning walk to the cable car stop was fine. However at night I couldn't walk fast enough to the hotel! Too many shady/homeless people around hotel - especially on Kearny street.
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