The Serrano is overrated and overpriced. The exterior and interior of the building are old, dingy and overall unimpressive. When I first saw the hotel, I was actually a bit shocked at its nondescript, old looking exterior. In addition, the room was nothing special and the bathroom had problems.
On the phone when I was confirming my online reservation, I specifically requested a room on the highest level possible with the best view possible and I received the exact opposite--a room on the 5th floor with the worst view possible of the fire escape and ugly building walls. Hotel staff claimed they never received my telephonic request. What poor service! To compensate, staff subsequently offered to give me a suite for the price of a regular room on my next visit. However, I do not care to stay at the Serrano again. So, that compensation is meaningless.
The bathroom was very small and a lot of water leaked from the shower whenever we used it. The bathroom was very old and reminded me of the bathroom in my grandmother's 100+ year-old house in L.A.
The location is central and good for walking to Union Square. But, so what! Better hotels can be had in that general area for the same or lower price. For example, I stayed at GROSVENOR SUITES on Nob Hill for a lower price than at the Serrano and was much, much happier with the spacious room, extremely generous closet space and great customer service.
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