Stayed at the Halcyon on the recommendation of a friend who knew the hotel by a previous name. If you are a city mouse - accustomed to a rough area, noisy neighbors because of thin walls and squeaky ceilings, sirens and yelling from the streets at all hours, thumpa-thumpa from a nearby club's music - then the Halcyon can be a bargain. It is tidy and "quaint" - with all that suggests.
The family room was small with a double and a twin bed, small table with two chairs, TV on dresser and side tables. Mattresses were squeaky-firm, and seemed clean. The kitchenette included bar sink, microwave, toaster, and coffee maker (coffee supplied) plus enough dishes to get by. Bathroom had an old-fashioned elongated tub with plenty of hotel-hot water. Windows opened onto an alley. Steam radiator had trouble keeping up with a cold night. Some attention had been given to decor with matching bedspreads, decorative pillows, and pictures.
The neighborhood is threatening - beware night-time strolls - but also home to an eclectic range of eateries and grocers, and nearby to many attractions and other small hotels. Parking is an additional $15/day at a valet garage about a block downhill from the hotel. A city bus stops a few yards from the front door.
If you're a country mouse and not equipped with the street smarts for coping with a seedy urban area (and San Francisco has a lot of them), then pick somewhere more business-friendly and secure. However, if "adventure" and inexpensive lodgings are your thing, then the Halcyon might just suit your city mouse nature.
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