My husband and I travelled to San Francisco and stayed at Sir Francis Drake, a hotel which we have visited before and find to be quite lovely. On Saturday evening, we entered the lobby around 10:00pm to find a very long line of aproximately 75 guests waiting to get on the elevators to head upstair to their room or the popular Starlight Room. We asked the from desk if any of the elevators were broken and why the line was so long. We were told that all elevators were working and that a wedding reception was the cause for the long lines to the elevator. With that knowledge, my husband and I stepped into the line and waited to take an elevator up to our room on the 18th floor. We patiently waited around 30 minutes before being able to get on an elevator. When we reached the front of the line we were told by a Kimpton employee that, in fact, one elevator was not working which further explained the delays. This employee was managing the elevators in the main lobby - letting people off the elevator, then counting people and loading the elevators. My husband and I were guided to get on the elevator, then the Kimpton employee loaded the elevator with 12 people! The fire code sign in our elevator stated no more than 10 people were allowed on the elevator. We were told by the employee 12 people would be fine. The elevator doors closed and proceeded to the Lower Lobby, which had as many people trying to get on as the main Lobby. I did not see a Kimpton employee managing those guests to get on the elevators. The elevator the proceeded to the Lobby again, then stopped on the 2nd floor where there were seven people trying to get on our elevator. We told them there was no room. No Kimpton employee was on the 2nd floor to guide the guests to the Lobby. The elevator then stopped on the 3rd floor and two guests heading up to the Starlight Room SHOVED their way into the elevator after NUMEROUS PROTESTS from all of us on the elevator. Again, no Kimpton employee was on the 3rd floor to guide the guests to the main Lobby. Slowly our elevator started to move up then near the ninth floor the elevator jerked, dropped about five feet before stopping! The elevator did not move for approximately one minute, and we were unable to open the elevator doors or engage the buttons to stop at a nearby floor. Finally, the elevator began to proceed up two floors, jerked, dropped five feet, and then stopped AGAIN! This time the elevator lights flashed and seemed to power down! Again we were unable to open the doors or engage the buttons to stop at a nearby floor. After another minute or two the elevator slowly began to move upward and then a button for floor 12 was engaged and the elevator doors opened. My husband, the two guests who shoved their way on the elevator, and I stepped off the elevator. Then my husband and I climbed the next six floors to our room.
Our experience in the elevator was terrifying! When the elevator jerked, dropped five feet, and we were unable to engage any buttons to get out, we felt our lives were in danger! Most troubling is that this event could have been avoided. We understand that The Sir Francis Drake is 85 year olds and the elevators are not high capacity. We understand that the wedding reception and the weekend activity of the Starlight Room added to the large number of guests needing to use the elevators. Our concern is that the Kimpton employee placing guests on the elevator knowingly overloaded the elevator by 2 guests! I believe this is a violation of the SFO fire code, and contributed to the jerking and dropping of the elevator. Also, by not staffing the Lower Lobby, the 2nd floor and the 3rd floor with a Kimpton employee guiding EVERY guest (except those with physical limitations) to the main Lobby for loading onto an elevator, those guests who followed protocol were put in danger. Placing a Kimpton staff member at the elevators on floors surrounding the Lobby would have helped to alleviate the "jumpers" who felt they didn't need to wait in line.
Sadly, the terrifying event with the elevator clouds our whole visit to Sir Francis Drake. It's what we remember and tell people who ask about our stay in San Francisco. We won't stay at this hotel again and will consider other hotel chains for future travel.
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