I just completed a four night stay, and I was very satisfied in my first visit to the hotel. I had actually always dismissed Japantown as underwhelming and out of the way, based on one quick visit years ago. Somehow, I managed to miss the large indoor mall, despite passing through the courtyard in the center of it. I finally discovered this gem of a mall on my last trip to town, and decided that I needed to check this hotel out, in lieu of my usual fall trip to Japan. The location was actually perfect for me, as it is centrally located to where I spent my days (parks along the coast) and where I spent my nights (tiki bars close to Market St). The frequent 38/38R bus on Geary makes for very easy and cheap trips in either direction, but I also had my car on this trip. I received an upgrade (Explorist) to a balcony room on the 15th floor from a standard king, which offered a peekaboo view of the Golden Gate bridge, as well just about everything else to the north of Post St. The room was quite comfortable and the entire hotel definitely has a good blend of modern/Japanese design. Parking in the shopping mall lot was not a big deal, as $29/night is cheap for SF standards. I was able to move my car to a free spot in front of the hotel for the last 26 hours of my stay, which saved me over $30 in parking fees (hooray for no valet!).

The breakfast bag (apple, yogurt, granola) is definitely lacking, but I was not expecting any breakfast at all, so I will not complain. The coffee/tea station available 24 hours a day in the lobby is also quite convenient, in addition to the K-cup provided in the room. My only minor complaint is that I could not charge the bar or the parking to the room, but that is hardly a deal-breaker. Another annoyance is the lack of a keycard entry for the hotel entrance in the parking garage. You need to buzz the front desk, which failed to respond one day in the early evening, requiring a walk around the mall. In addition to the myriad of wonderful Japanese and Korean restaurants within 2-3 blocks, there is also a Japanese grocery store right outside the mall and a bakery inside, which is a great option for breakfast, sandwiches, and snacks. I definitely plan on returning to this hotel on my next visit to town.