The hotel is a grand place and quite beautiful. It is busy, busy, and set in the middle of a busy district-- but to see the City, the location is good. The room was quiet and adequate. The service was hit and miss. We had to request a bathrobe and that the burned out lightbulbs be replaced. The minibar continued to lock itself and we had to ask repeatedly for assistance (they can only unlock it technologically-- there is no key). The elevators are overused and clearly need some maintenance-- they worked sporadically. We were charged extra for internet connection and water, as well as $45/day for parking!! Overall fine, but the hotel is very old and needs some maintenance.

It is really a shame that this hotel carries the "Westin" name. While I understand that it has a "historic" block/building - I really don't expect that "histroic" means complete "run down". The size of the room is ok - actually quite big (especially when it does not have much furnitures apart from a king-bed and small table). But this is about the only positive thing I could say. The photos on their website (particular about the historic block) are complete joke. We have paid over $230 for a room and felt completely ripped off. VERY DISAPPOINTED ! My advice is to avoid until it has completely renovated all the rooms. It just ruined its name and it should stop renting out those terrible rooms !

Let me first say that because I have traveled all over the world and stayed in every conceivable accommodation from hostels and pensiones to some of the best hotels that the world has to offer, that I feel well "qualified" to offer my thoughts on this hotel. I will also state that I tend to take many negative hotel and travel reviews with a grain of salt as I believe that my expectations aren't unreasonable. Upon arriving, I checked in and politely asked if it was possible to receive a complimentary room upgrade to a view room in their tower building. My request was met with a question that I have never been asked before when requesting an upgrade which was "what is your reason for requesting an upgrade?" I stated that I just always ask. I was told that the hotel was at 100% occupancy (which I'm skeptical about since this is downtown S.F. on a weekend, the economy is in the tank and the high number of rooms and hotels in S.F.). After checking with the manager, the person at reception said that it couldn’t be done since the hotel was full. Now, I know many of you are probably thinking, this guy didn’t get an upgrade and is upset so thus, is writing a negative review. I have no problems with not getting the upgrade; I just found that being asked why I was asking (as though if I had the right answer it would have been possible) seemed rather odd. The reception person noted that I have a child and attempted to locate one of the gifts that the St. Francis gives to children travelers. He was unable to locate said gift (after he offered it...it was unsolicited) and stated that housekeeping would find one and deliver it to the room. It never arrived. I could live with this in addition to not getting the upgrade but it gets better... Arrive at the room which is very, make that incredibly small. I had read the other reviews on here indicating this and what others say is true. Now, I totally get that this is S.F. and that many of the rooms are more "European" style making them much smaller than the average American room but had I not booked this room through Priceline (as I always do when booking rooms in S.F. or L.A.) and paid less than half of the Westin's advertised rate, I would have been VERY disappointed. Not only was the room tiny, it did not appear to be well maintained or very clean. I should note that I find it interesting that the person at reception stated that the hotel was at 100% occupancy yet I was able to get a room through Priceline (which works off of excess inventory) just days before our trip. Another issue that we had was that my wife phoned down to the front desk and requested a crib for our daughter. She was told that "one would be sent up right away." After waiting for well over an hour and due to the fact that we were exhausted, we gave up and the three of us slept in the one bed. Overall, I just cannot give this property very high marks especially after having stayed at others within close range of the St. Francis such as the Nikko, Parc 55 and Grand Hyatt all of which in my opinion are better hotels. I’ve stayed in the regular rooms at all of the properties and there is just no comparison in size and quality over the St. Francis. I must admit that I feel that for the first time that using Priceline perhaps was held against me however I certainly don’t feel bad or apologize for being a “savvy” traveler and one who likes get a good deal. One obvious question is that why would the check in person even check with the manager if we could upgrade if it weren’t possible? He seemed to waiver between 100% capacity and a possibility. That just seemed odd to me. I suppose my answer to the check in persons question would be that I travel a great deal and because of this, there is a very good chance that I/we may be back (although not to the St. Francis). In fact, S.F. is a city that we do frequent. I am also a person who because of the amount of traveling I do, is often asked for hotel recommendations. Lastly, I must admit that for the first time since using it, I feel as though booking through Priceline may have been held against me. I have no trouble paying full price for a room but as I’ve said, I like to get a good deal when I know they’re out there. In fact, I have three rooms reserved at the Wynn in Las Vegas next week. I look forward to being at the Wynn and at a property that unlike the St. Francis truly sets the bar very high.

I stayed at this hotel for one weekend night as I cashed in some Starwood points after a business trip to the city. The hotel itself is a grand hotel. The location is great if you want to be close to shops and restaurants. If you like old hotels where there are tens… and at times close to a hundred people walking around in the lobby, this hotel is for you. The lobby is busy with people walking here and there… congregating on the seats by the doors. The man who checked me into the hotel was quick and friendly. The room I received had a view of a sidestreet… not something you wish for on a long stay, but I was only there one night. However, the room was very quiet. The room was large and the accommodations were nice. The bathroom is the one spot I encountered some problems. The space was very crowded considering the size of the bedroom. The sink must have measured eight inches by four inches. I can only imagine a woman trying to use that bathroom with all her makeup… not good. However, the room was quiet and comfortable. I would not mind staying here again; I just would not go out of my way to stay at this hotel once more. I rated it above average as it has many positive attributes.

As you've previously read this is a great location with the trolley running right by the hotel, taxis lined up and ready for you, Union Square right in front. We had a nice corner room on the 25th floor with 180 degree views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Coit Tower, Union Square and the Bay. The glass elevators are wonderful providing great views on the way to and from your room and they are speedy. We had a great stay in San Francisco and enjoyed this location but there were few things not up to par. The Oak Room was just ok - actually the food was pretty good but the service was substandard. Most of the staff was cordial, friendly, and wanted to help in any way they could. However the expectation of a tip was obvious every time something was done for you. Our biggest complaint would be about the mini bar (refreshment center in the room). Each item you consume is charged a 20% service charge (tip) plus sales tax - this adds up! There was also a discrepancy in the amount we were charged and the amount of things we agreed that we consumed. Beware!