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    SW Hotel

    3.8 (76 reviews)
    ModerateHotels
    Open Open 24 hours

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    Elizabeth G.

    Clean, reasonable price, friendly staff. EXCELLENT LOCATION near Chinatown and Little Italy! We had Italian coffee and treats in the morning followed by Chinese food for lunch. What more could you want?

    Very small rooms with mini fridge, small tables and sometimes a little musty Each room is really a small  bedroom with a regular key lock.
    Neil H.

    So what can I write about the SW Hotel? Bring plenty of cash. We booked the hotel based mostly on positive reviews we had read on Tripadvisor and on other travel sites. However, our three nights there was not nearly as glowing. We arrived at the hotel early after a long trip from Minneapolis. My girlfriend was nervous that our room would not be available until 3 pm. Fortunately, our king bed was available, though they had not fulfilled my request to have a quiet room. Originally we were put in a room with a street view. We immediately asked to be moved. Also, when we arrived I asked for our keys and to my amazement we received only one key (traditional -not electronic). I was curtly told that if I lost that key I would have to pay $5.00 for a replacement. When I later explained that there were two guests, I was given a second key. So things did not get off to a very good start. We immediately went up to our room. As I mentioned, our original request was not fulfilled. I had to go back down and request to change rooms, as the guest phone did not appear to work. Subsequently we found out that the instructions to reach the front desk were out of date. But nobody told us. A simple # was needed in front of the 0. There room instructions had not been updated. In going back to the elevator (we were on the third floor) there was an uneven step which I tripped and fell sideways on. It was not marked clearly. Fortunately it was near a window on the side of the floor. I should also mention that the floor plans are not clear except for the exit signs. Each floor has a dull and felt a little creepy, though we did get used to the floors in the end. The new room we were sent to was cold, musty and had not been aired. Everything about their rooms has an old style feel about it. You get a sense that at one time this may have been some kind of boarding house or cheap hotel. My girlfriend initially felt claustrophobia, and we were seriously thinking about changing hotels, but we decided to stay given how tired we were that day.After our time in Minneapolis we found the rooms very small. Our room had two small tables, two chairs, a TV and mini-fridge. The closet was very small and not designed to hold clothes for two guests. Subsequently, we discovered that there was more storage under the bed. Regarding staffing:- Except for Jessica, their staff needed training and especially sensitivity and customer service skills. Getting accurate information was like pulling teeth.Jessica was their only employee who was on top of her game. A couple of staff members preferred to stay in the back office. At times I felt I was dealing with amateurs. Another problem was that reaching the front desk from the bedroom was a pain. They did not tell us that there a # was needed and when I called the main number, I found out that I was being charged for a local call. This was removed upon checking out. Breakfast is complimentary and basic. Eggs, cereal, pastries, coffee and fruit are offered. Breakfast is served at the rear of the hotel where ther are tables and chairs, which are adequate. In fact this was the best part of our experience in the hotel. There are no dining facilities. If our friends had not been living in San Francisco, we would have not had as easy a time at getting around. The hotel is on the border between Chinatown, North Beach and Little Italy. Except for Chinatown, we felt very safe. The streets along Broadway are a little confusing and I got lost when I walked to Chinatown. Getting directions from the hotel staff was frustrating, and again except for Jessica, I would have been totally lost, particularly getting groceries and supplies from the nearby Walgreens. Getting around, meaning booking tours; don't book anything through them. When booking a tour cash has to be paid for a commission. Later I found out that this is a normal practice in San Francisco. And if you book a room directly with the hotel, there is a convention fee on top of all the other taxes. In this case to avoid all the hidden fees, book through a travel website that tells you up front what fees and taxes are charged. PROS: Conveniently located Decent complimentary breakfast -limited hours Free wi-fi Clean bathrooms and vanities. CONS Rooms are small and in our case were musty. Hotel instructions may be out of date when you arrive Local calls are NOT free -and are tacked on to your bill. Most of the staff need customer service training, and we did not always feel we were getting the best and most accurate information In booking trips through them, they want cash and a deposit/commission. For example, we booked a Big Bus tour. I paid for three tickets, but were not told that the tickets were not valid after 5 pm. So what is my overall rating? I'm going to be generous and give them 3 stars, though 2.5 is probably more accurate. I am unlikely to return..

    SW Lobby
    Lawrence C.

    SIMPLY WONDERFUL I can't rave enough about the SW! It is clean, stylish, and the staff is excellent!! The rooms are on the small side, but by no means are they cramped. Quite a bargin for the price. I had read reviews and was worried it was going to be noisy. IT WAS NOT NOISY AT ALL ! The parking garage is conveniently located right at the Hotel, and the $30.00 fee is competitive. We couldn't have been in a better location. The SW straddles the borders of North Beach and China Town. We left our car in the garage and walked everywhere. To Fisherman's Warf, to the Financial District, and all around China Town and North Beach! The SW staff was very friendly. They offered restaurant suggestion and gave good directions to where we wanted to go! Honestly, I had second thought about writing this review! They are the kind of place one hopes to keep their little secret !!!

    Bethany K.

    The location was perfect. So many restaurants within walking distance! Sam's and the Vietnamese place across the street were great! Easy walk to BART, Embarcadero, Lombard Street, the financial district, etc. The rooms were extremely clean and comfortable. Very simple, but the rooms were bright and cheery. The one issue is that the walls are extremely thin. Not an issue for us, but the first night, someone complained about us being loud, and we were talking at a normal volume at 1015pm. Which leads me to the next part...the staff. Every single person we encountered were helpful, friendly, and professional, but one person stood out. Annie works at night. It was about 1130pm on our first night and as we were coming back in after a short walk, we mentioned the complaint to the front desk. Annie switched our room to one where we wouldn't have neighbors that we would bother. She explained that a lot of guests are international, and their sleep is important after a long flight. She also stressed how important it was for us to enjoy ourselves. She also recommended restaurants that were spot on. So helpful and kind. SW should give her a raise for making us feel so at home. We will definitely be back!

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    Review Highlights - SW Hotel

    This hotel is truly in the heart of Chinatown and very close to Little Italy.

    Mentioned in 7 reviews

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    Omni San Francisco Hotel - Entrance

    Omni San Francisco Hotel

    (804 reviews)

    $$$

    Financial District

    Four Diamond Star Rated Hotel built in 1927, downtown on the historic California cable car line,…read morenear Union Square, professional and friendly valet team, in/out $98 daily parking rate during my August 2026 stay. My room was on the 17th floor with the most unique 3 styled windows I've seen. All were shoulder height with a deep set cubby depth large enough for a teen or child to fit inside. There was also a transom pole in the room to open the windows. A grand lobby, with accessible entry, hotel restaurant, daily fruit and water set up on lobby stand, hotel elevator room key to access floors, and quiet noise level during my stay.

    This hotel has charm, older but still nice. I liked that it…read morewas walkable to China town, north Beach, and Ghirardelli. The hotel has two restaurants, one for breakfast and one for bar and dinner. But there are so many good restaurants nearby as well. Convenient. I checked in late in the evening during a holiday weekend, and it was busy. The front lobby had two people checking in guests. When it was my turn at the counter, we were checked in pretty quickly and given a run down of the layout and weekend activities. Fresh water is provided right by the elevators so you can fill water bottles before heading to your rooms. And in the morning, hot coffee is provided right before you head out for the day. Pretty thoughtful. My stay was two nights, and the first night the street music and sounds came thru loud and clear. But the second night, it was quiet outside. So it's unpredictable if my stay would be relaxing or nerve racking. The room for 3 was a good size with a large bathroom, large windows of street view, and sizable writing desk, and arm chair. I got to use the gym once and it had all the general equipment and fairly large room. Upon check out, we received the kid welcome gift which was supposed to be at check in, but check in was chaotic so it was better late than never. And the staff were all very nice and friendly during our stay. We would come back to this location if we get the chance again.

    Hyatt Place San Francisco / Downtown - Health Club

    Hyatt Place San Francisco / Downtown

    (145 reviews)

    $$$

    South Beach

    This is my hotel home away from home. I've been staying here 5 to 6 weeks out of the year over the…read morepast 3 plus years. One of the most special things about this hotel is that The Staff! They are always so friendly and accommodating. And It has been the same staff over the 3 years. I see the same friendly, familiar faces when I arrive and they greet me by name. They always remember that I love to have a tea kettle for my evening hot tea, So they have it sent to my room as soon as I arrive. I always get a king room and I've stayed on so many floors, The rooms are consistently clean and well maintained. I've never had a bad room experience in all of my stays. That has a lot to do with the amazing housekeeping crew. They come in daily to refresh and reset the room, So when I come in, the bed is made, the bathroom is refreshed everything is in place and reset. Not once have I ever had to ask for anything to be sent up to my room. It's all already taken care of. And let's talk about the breakfast setup! Because this is one of the best hotel breakfast I've ever had in my life. There's a hot bar with bacon, sausage and potatoes and eggs and it rotates daily. There's a yogurt bar with fresh fruit and even hard boiled eggs, there's always oatmeal with toppings. There's a center island filled with all of the carbs you can think of even tortillas. The bananas are always just ripe and that's rare. And there are two coffee stations one by the breakfast area and one by the front entry. I love the coffee! I really like the walkability of this hotel too! It's only a block from my office and very close to Oracle stadium as well as being close to the embarcadero walkway. I cannot say enough great things about this hotel and the crew. I love staying here and will always highly recommend this location. Tell them that I sent you! I want to say kudos to the leadership team because whatever you're doing, It's working and it should be duplicated in other hotels. See y'all next month!

    Great location (especially for an event at the Chase Center), but if you don't book direct, you get…read morecharged for breakfast. Lots of noise throughout the hotel, and customer service wasn't there. Room was big but it's not just the size of the room, it's the whole experience - and there are plenty of other hotels in the area that I'd try next time instead of returning here.

    Hayes Valley Inn

    Hayes Valley Inn

    (206 reviews)

    $

    Hayes Valley

    This is probably my favorite place to stay as it may be somewhat older (classic old school - rooms…read morewith washstand but toilets and shower/bath in the hall) but it right in the middle of Hayes Valley and everything is right there and there are good restaurants, coffee shops, great ice cream places, a nice park to sit by and read and of course a beer garden by the park that opens in the afternoon. You can also easily walk or do mass transit to other places - I did a walk up to the Painted Ladies and then hung out a bit in the lower Haight and then easily walked back down to this area. The establishment also has a kitchen area so you can go pick up sundry and supplies at the local Trader Joe's (just 2 or 3 blocks away) if you want to limit how much you spend eating out (something I plan to do next time) and the kitchen has free tea and instant coffee so the basics if you want to ease into your day. If you want the full "bathroom in my room" sort of thing there are other places but this is my 2nd time here and it is still great - there are stairs and no elevator so keep that in mind but the price versus location is wonderful - if noise bothers you, then bring ear plugs for the weekend - not super loud but if you are not used to noise, it might keep you up a bit - but I've found it to be a super safe area - you can catch the Bart most of the way (to the civic center) and then you catch the 21 3 stops to this location. Do note, you don't have someone on staff there but available by text and you use a key app, that they notify the day you are checking in - which I think works well - it is nice to have an affordable way to get out of the heat in Phoenix, especially in the summer, and I'm not looking for a resort experience but a place to lay my head and keep my stuff while I go enjoy the sights and sounds, and amazing food and drink, of the local area.

    I had been staying at Hayes Valley Inn since 2018 after I moved away from SF. It was a cute B&B…read moreoverlooking Gough & Hayes. COVID completely ruined this place and it seems like they're under new management because they have been completely unaccommodating. I booked under non-refundable and needed to change my dates of stay. When I rebooked, they charged me way more than the advertised price when I checked that same hour. When I asked about this price discrepancy, they just replied with "the prices change everyday". It's not even worth staying here anymore. The bathrooms aren't kept up as well, there's no front desk, and no breakfast spread. $535 for 3 nights vs the 410 that it was listed for? They're trying to take advantage of the fact that I booked non-refundable! I've been trying to get in contact with management and all I'm told is that management doesn't work at hours so I'd be unable to call the line. "Email them" is what I was told to do. It seems like they don't email back either. The Inn holds a lot of special memories for me but I will never go back.

    The St. Regis San Francisco

    The St. Regis San Francisco

    (540 reviews)

    $$$$

    SoMa, Financial District

    My wife and I chose The St. Regis San Francisco to celebrate my birthday, and we had a wonderful…read moreexperience from start to finish. We were pleasantly surprised with a complimentary upgrade to the Astor Suite, and the butler service made the stay feel even more special. Robson Boscarioli welcomed us to the suite, gave us a thoughtful introduction to its features, and arranged complimentary pressing. Later that evening, butler Arjun Saud surprised us with macarons, fresh fruit, and a personalized birthday message waiting in our room. One of our favorite touches was returning from dinner to find the room beautifully prepared for the evening. The turndown service, relaxing music, and pillow spray created such a welcoming atmosphere. I'd also like to thank Chief Concierge Daniel Rey, whose communication before our arrival helped make the celebration feel special from the very beginning. The hotel is beautiful, but what really stood out was the hospitality. Every interaction, from the concierge team and butlers to the front desk staff, felt warm, genuine, and attentive. Thank you to everyone at The St. Regis San Francisco for helping make my birthday celebration so memorable. We truly appreciated all of the thoughtful touches and look forward to returning.

    The service (minus the food/catering/restaurant) is great. The only thing that annoyed me during my…read morestay was how long the food/restaurant takes to be served here. It took almost 1.5 hours for room service to get to my room on a Friday night. Same for breakfast the next two days...20 minute wait to be seated, 15 minute wait to get order taken, and a 20 minute wait for food to be served. It gets boring quick having to wait so long. I was considering lowering my rating to 3 starts because of this. Other than that, the facilities are nice and the rooms are modern. The location is also convenient and walkable to most things on Market Street.

    Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco at Embarcadero - Restaurant at the lobby

    Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco at Embarcadero

    (47 reviews)

    Financial District

    Impeccable. Truly impeccable at every turn. Attention to detail knows no bounds at this Four…read moreSeasons property. Not sure who the GM is, but they need to take a bow for creating and maintaining a culture of pride and excellence. The staff is happy to be here and it shows in every small detail. The staff made an ordinary stay an extraordinary guest experience. If you are trying to determine where to stay in SFO, look no further!

    I have a problem with this being a Four Seasons, because it's really not that type of experience…read moreand I wouldn't think they would just throw their brand around. The hotel used to be quite a few other properties, so while they may have decorated it, it's not the luxurious experience we've had at other hotels. The views are to die for, we had a room that spanned windows from Golden Gate to Bay Bridge, it was amazing being on the 45th floor and seeing the night sky and morning sunrise. The property doesn't really have a real lobby, spa, and the restaurant is average, as in the quality of the food was just not top notch, and they have access to the best ingredients. They only have two elevators and are quite slow, at a busy time this can be quite annoying. The room itself was small, no real furniture, would have been nice to have a sofa and table with two chairs. There was no dresser. The bathroom was great for one, but small for two. The shower didn't have a bench, no his or her's sinks. The bed when we got into it was super soft and not supportive, when we called they did something really odd and put a board on the mattress and then a topper. I guess they have a guest that asks for this. Why didn't the service people know they have a firm version of the mattress topper they could have switched for us. We didn't have the best sleep. Again, usually the Four Seasons beds are amazing. While this property doesn't charge regular Four Seasons prices, it also doesn't deliver the experience and it would be a shame if the brand started doing this.

    JW Marriott San Francisco Union Square - Our downtown San Francisco hotel is ideally located near Union Square, Market Street, and Moscone Convention Center.

    JW Marriott San Francisco Union Square

    (539 reviews)

    $$$

    Union Square, Lower Nob Hill

    For those used to staying at JW Marriotts or similar level of luxury or higher, this property will…read morelikely feel underwhelming to you. Those that a hotel of this level is an infrequent splurge, or stay here with tempered expectations, may find it satisfying depending on the rate/perks you got. We paid a little over $300 a night including all fees/taxes but as AMEX Platinum members got extra credit and perks so our total credits/perks were worth about $300 total for the two nights including an $80/day breakfast credit. So it was about like staying for $150/night with no credits/perks. Given location/amenities, I think up to around $200/night would be a fair discount rate (as of Summer 2026) Location: is good for tourists and the area in general feels safe and clean as the city has cleaned this area up a bit from previous years. Parking: $94 a day for valet (no self park.) Yep, welcome to Downtown San Francisco. You could valet park in the small garage across the street for $32 but no in/out privileges. Lobby/Check-in: It's an atrium style hotel with lobby on the 3rd floor. Check-in was easy. Lobby is nice with a bar and lots of seating with a whole other seating area to the side and behind the bar. They have their climate control too cold though in the Lobby. Dining: There's only one restaurant at lobby level with just a view of the building next door. Prices are very high but short of outrageous considering you are in a JW in the middle of San Francisco. We thought it would be hard for 2 people to use the $80 credit for breakfast. Not so when average breakfast entrees are in the $33-$38 range. We also ate dinner in the restaurant. The food for both breakfast and dinner was excellent. Not Michelin Star level of course, and overpriced, but actually pretty quite good for a hotel restaurant. Note there is a setup for a Buffet Breakfast (were told it is $52/person when open) but they didn't run it on Saturday or Sunday so there was a bit of a wait to get a seat in the restaurant for breakfast. Rooms: Rooms are decent size and well-furnished in good condition but although they don't feel outdated, they feel a little 'tired around the edges' so to speak. If you want that freshly renovated feel, you won't get it here. Bathroom size is going to vary as our large corner room with a sitting area with table had a very small bathroom and our neighbors had a smaller room but with a decent size bathroom. Street noise was minimal on the 12th floor but if you are sensitive to the noise, I wouldn't go any lower than floor 10. Views will vary but likely will be of the side of another building through what I call 'prison windows' which is a smaller than average window opening inset within a concrete looking surround. Bed was comfortable, mattress was good but felt slightly stiff/tired as though it was probably getting near then end of its lifespan but still quite comfortable. Linens very good. So overall good beds but nothing to write home about. I had read the reviews and although I typically stay in this level of a hotel I had tempered my expectations and so the stay was satisfying and served its purpose with no unpleasant surprises. If you want to be less prone to having an overcharged feeling: a) Use valet across the street or SpotHero app to find cheaper in/out parking nearby (if you have a car) and b) don't bother eating/drinking in the hotel -- go elsewhere to non-hotel restaurants to eat and drink.

    To all Marriott members from Silver, Gold, Platinum, Titanium, etc…read more Do not stay at this Marriott, find another one, for the following reasons. - They do not have a concierge - They do not have a pool - They will charge full price for breakfast, I paid $240.00 for breakfast (please see attached) These are all facts, I am also a "Lifetime Titanium" Member, And they treated me like crap. I asked for reimbursement regarding my breakfast. They refused. Obviously, I love Marriotts, stay away from this place!!! When they respond, revert to my invoice and remember I'm a "Lifetime Titanium" member. Arnie

    SW Hotel - hotels - Updated September 2026

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