I've been staying at the Courtyard by Marriott downtown San Francisco for a few weeks now on business. As any Marriott Rewards member knows, these mid-tier Courtyard hotels are a dime a dozen. They are built by the book and that book is an uninspiring corporate dictum of blandness and economic savings.
First, the positives: the entrance floor is excellent. There's a connected Starbucks. The lobby area has an abundance of comfortable seating. It's huge. There are 2 restaurants on this ground floor. The elevator banks that take you up to your room react fairly quick so the wait is usually short.
Second, the negatives: if you were blindfonded and entered your room, you wouldn't know that you were in a great city like San Francisco because the Courtyard makes no effort to imbue personality or character to their rooms. It's the height of dumbed down conformity. The bed is fine but it's pretty much the same bed from anywhere else in the country at a Courtyard. It does the trick but I'd want better if I could. The pillows are small for a king-size bed. The duvet/blanket is thin and has no sumptuous thickness factor. Starwood hotels have much better beds. The bathroom area has the sink separated from the toilet and bathtub. I personally dislike that setup because you feel no privacy when doing your morning routine at the sink. The bath towels are horrendously thin. It's also the same bath towels that you'll find anywhere else in the country at a Courtyard.
WiFi is free throughout the hotel and the connection speed is very good.
This hotel seems to be very popular with tourists because it's always crowded in the lobby area. I feel sorry for the tourists: they should head a few blocks up to the Palace hotel and experience great San Francisco character and history.
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