chinmoylad

Disclaimer: I was hosted on a complimentary basis at Campton Place, Ritz Carlton and Mandarin Oriental. I paid the full rate at Fairmont.

Was in San Francisco for just over a week. I didn't have much time to spend at the hotels (any of them really) and didn't get to try their respective restaurants/spas, but here's what I garnered from my short stays in those respective hotels:

Taj Campton Place - deluxe king

Positives:
Service. It's top notch and spot on, and what I expect from the top-tier Taj hotels (e.g. the Falaknuma, Rambagh, Umaid Bhawan, Lake Palace etc). I was most surprised.
The boutique nature of the hotel is rather welcoming, marking the hotel much more like a residence/home than a check-in/check-out hotel. It was the hotel at which I felt most at a home.
The outdoor/terraced gym, which is probably one of the most stunning gyms anywhere. I do feel this could be better utilised as something else though - perhaps a bar or lounge.
Molton Brown amenities in-room. Lovely.
In-room breakfast
Something resembling a view - not the best view, but very 'urban'.

Negatives:
Room layout, design, decor and upkeep are very dated and due a refurbish (very urgently, in fact)
This applies to most of the rest of the hotel as well, with the hotel (not the rooms) feeling rather 'cramped' rather than spacious.

Note: Wifi is still charged to guests at ridiculous rates, but starting November 15th, it will be made complimentary. I also hear there are plans to refurbish the hotel, and they expect it to be done early 2015.

Ritz Carlton - club level guest room

Positives:
Beautiful, beautiful exterior, entrance and lobby.
Rooms are a good size, starting at 400 sq ft. They are well decorated (classic, but without feeling tired) and well maintained/kept.
That's one of the nicer club levels I've been to
Spacious gym
Service was very much up to standard
Asprey amenities

Negatives:
No separate shower - only a bathtub/shower
Breakfast was good, but I was expecting better. That orange juice was good though - I think I had about 4 refills. Also, a good choice of teas available.
No view to speak of - I wasn't expecting the same view as at the MO, but I can see why the curtains were generally kept drawn! Very awkward view.

Mandarin Oriental - Premier Bay to Bay Room

Positives:
The pick of the bunch for everything. Equal with Taj for service, and ahead of all for everything else.
Admittedly, while I was also in a higher room category, this was a gorgeous room - clean, modern decor with a neutral colour palette
That view
Room size (again, relates to the above regarding room category) - however, it's worth noting that although its only 50 sq ft more than the room at the Ritz Carlton, this one felt far more spacious/bigger.
The service, as mentioned above. Fantastic, very pleased.

Negatives:
The bathroom design/tone/colours - apparently a remnant of the old design. In itself, not the worst, but it just doesn't fit into the rest of the room.

Notes: I'd loved to have checked out the spa. It looks lovely.

Fairmont - Fairmont room

Positives:
The exterior and lobby
Upkeep of the hotel (excluding the lifts, which look like they're still stuck in the 1980s). For an old property, the upkeep is surprisingly good
Room decor - yes, very much a classic look, but much like the Ritz Carlton, not dated or tired, and actually was surprised by how refreshing the rooms felt despite the classic look of the whole place.

Negatives:
Room size - The brochure says 325 sq ft, but it's cardboard box-like.
Service - let me preface this by saying that on the whole, the service was very good 90% of the time. Very, very good in fact. However, comparing it to the Taj, MO and Ritz, it was one level below, more due to the mistakes made rather than anything they failed to do. On the 2nd night I was staying there, I arrived late with some baggage and went to the front desk to inquire regarding something. The staff at the front desk (who had checked me in the previous night) asked me if I wanted to check in! A forgiveable sin I suppose considering the Fairmont has close to 600 rooms and it must be hard to keep track of all the ins and outs just by face.
However, what was rather more galling was that housekeeping knocked on my door and tried to enter the room (before I screamed "I'M STILL IN HERE AND SLEEPING!") at 8AM on the day of check out. That's very disturbing. I much prefer the Aman way of never having to SEE housekeeping (and I never did at any of the other hotels, but then I also didn't spend THAT much time in them), but if I am going to see you, then you bloody well make sure it's not at 8AM. I raised this with the front office who gave me the rather lame excuse that they knock on doors of those who are checking out that day, and that I would most certainly not be disturbed if I put on the "do not disturb" sign. While that sounds worse in writing (it was neither made as an 'excuse' or as a rude suggestion), I would still much prefer not to see housekeeping and them not having to knock on my door at 8AM.



Unfortunately, due to extremely high occupancy (close to 100% on almost all nights I was there), I was unable to see any of the other room categories at all the hotels I stayed at and visited (including Intercontinental Mark Hopkins).


Fire away any questions and I'll do my best to answer! As mentioned, I really did not spend much time at all in the hotels this time around so I'll try my best.