I am a hotel manager here in the Seattle area. Because of my position in the hospitality industry I view hotels a little differently than others.
Location:
The hotel is located on the wharf which is more of a touristy neighborhood. I was happy to see that the neighborhood had a ton of little shops and restaurants with-in walking distance. There is even a little beach area about two blocks away. Getting to the other neighborhoods isn't too hard - I walked to downtown a few times. From downtown you can use BART (public transit). The valet parking fee is really high $42 or $49 per night (I forget which). If you are out all day you can easily pay a couple of bucks and park on the city streets at night and then move your car before 8am in the morning - worked just fine. There is also a self park garage for $28 a block away.
The Hotel / Room:
I was worried that the design would be corny /campy. I'm not a huge fan of the nautical design. I think they did a great job making it work / not feel like a gimmick. The room itself was big (I had a deluxe) and clean. The hotel has a huge fitness room as well. Housekeepers did a great job cleaning the room. Older Tv's, but whatever. Comfortable beds, decent tub, Aveda bath products... I cannot complain! I did not hear one sound from another guest. There is a court yard that plays music until evening. If this would bother you, get a "street view". I didn't mind at all / it was kind of cool. (they have different musical artists just playing).
Service:
I found everyone I encountered to be friendly. I did notice there were a lot of times the valets / bellman would ignore us. I found myself greeting them out of habit (again i work at a hotel) only to get no response. There were only a few that did this as the others (you could tell) were professionals / took pride in their job. My requests were dealt with quickly. I'm pretty low key, so I didn't need much. Housekeepers did a great job and also said hello. Oxanna at the front desk was helpful. I asked to check out another room - the front desk easily and quickly handled my request.
Overall:
If you don't plan having a car and don't like walking and public transit, this is probably not the best neighborhood. If you are a first time San Fran visitor and want a nice quiet, clean place to stay, I would recommend this hotel.
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