The Fairmont San Francisco
#91
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC (Primarily EWR)
Programs: UA 1K / *G, Marriott Bonvoy Gold; Avis PC
Posts: 9,011
Obama staying here on his current visit. (Instead of his usual, the Intercontinental)
Disruptive, as you would imagine.
"Obama’s stay at Fairmont idles cable cars, to tourists’ dismay"
http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/m...to-6080833.php
Disruptive, as you would imagine.
"Obama’s stay at Fairmont idles cable cars, to tourists’ dismay"
http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/m...to-6080833.php
I'm a member of PC but just to accrue nights I book through hotels.com (so far the only chain I have encountered that does me the favor of crediting nights booked externally to my account). Stayed here with a view of the interior courtyard (facing east - I could barely make out the Bay Bridge) and found the accommodations decent - a few worn details here and there. The lobby itself is magnificent and befitting of a city of SF. Yes, being on top of Nob Hill can be a pain, but the exercise ain't all bad! And for my wife, the upside was that if you go a little northeast, you find Chinatown at the bottom
#92
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: GVA (Greater Vancouver Area)
Programs: DREAD Gold; UA 1.035MM; Bonvoy Au-197; PCC Elite+; CCC Elite+; MSC C-12; CWC Au-197; WoH Dis
Posts: 52,140
http://blog.sfgate.com/matierandross...his-s-f-hotel/
#93
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: YYZ
Programs: Aeroplan, SPG Gold, FPC Plat
Posts: 42
Excellent stay
My wife and I just returned from an excellent stay at the Fairmont San Fran. The service was top notch and we felt spoiled throughout our time there.
We used a suite upgrade and based on advice this thread, called in to inquire about bumping up to a main building balcony suite. No problem at all (called in the week of our arrival) and really loved waking up with a cup of coffee on the balcony with fresh air. The suite is nicely renovated and spacious. Ours was on the 5th floor and offered nice city and peek-a-boo water views. As others have commented, the bathrooms are on the small side in the main building suites. We had a red-eye flight out and late checkout was granted for 5pm which was greatly appreciated after a pretty full day of sight-seeing.
We checked out happy hour at the Tonga Room and had breakfast in Laurel Court. We also took the complimentary bikes out for a day and ventured over the Golden Gate bridge to Sausalito (bucket list: check). These don’t seem to be used all that often as there was some confusion from the bell desk on where to find the liability forms. For anyone in San Fran, it’s a great (free) way to see the city!
The only slight hiccup came at check-out time when I was informed that my platinum dining certificates could not be applied to the Laurel Court breakfast. This took me off guard as the primary reason to eat there was to use the certificates. Given the great experience we had I didn’t kick up much of a fuss but it did leave a bit of a bad taste. Lo and behold, after returning home I found the following sentence buried in the FPC terms and conditions:
"The Certificate entitles the Holder to $25 USD credit towards lunch, dinner or a Willow Stream Spa treatment.”
Clearly breakfast is not listed. Has this tripped up anyone else before? I had no problems claiming for breakfast at the Royal York earlier in the year so this added to my surprise this time around.
Anyways, this was a minor inconvenience at the end of a wonderful visit to San Fran.
We used a suite upgrade and based on advice this thread, called in to inquire about bumping up to a main building balcony suite. No problem at all (called in the week of our arrival) and really loved waking up with a cup of coffee on the balcony with fresh air. The suite is nicely renovated and spacious. Ours was on the 5th floor and offered nice city and peek-a-boo water views. As others have commented, the bathrooms are on the small side in the main building suites. We had a red-eye flight out and late checkout was granted for 5pm which was greatly appreciated after a pretty full day of sight-seeing.
We checked out happy hour at the Tonga Room and had breakfast in Laurel Court. We also took the complimentary bikes out for a day and ventured over the Golden Gate bridge to Sausalito (bucket list: check). These don’t seem to be used all that often as there was some confusion from the bell desk on where to find the liability forms. For anyone in San Fran, it’s a great (free) way to see the city!
The only slight hiccup came at check-out time when I was informed that my platinum dining certificates could not be applied to the Laurel Court breakfast. This took me off guard as the primary reason to eat there was to use the certificates. Given the great experience we had I didn’t kick up much of a fuss but it did leave a bit of a bad taste. Lo and behold, after returning home I found the following sentence buried in the FPC terms and conditions:
"The Certificate entitles the Holder to $25 USD credit towards lunch, dinner or a Willow Stream Spa treatment.”
Clearly breakfast is not listed. Has this tripped up anyone else before? I had no problems claiming for breakfast at the Royal York earlier in the year so this added to my surprise this time around.
Anyways, this was a minor inconvenience at the end of a wonderful visit to San Fran.
#94
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: GVA (Greater Vancouver Area)
Programs: DREAD Gold; UA 1.035MM; Bonvoy Au-197; PCC Elite+; CCC Elite+; MSC C-12; CWC Au-197; WoH Dis
Posts: 52,140
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/fairm...breakfast.html
Some properties exceed the terms, some don't, and some are inconsistent (note that thread has someone who was successful at the Fairmont SF).
Some properties exceed the terms, some don't, and some are inconsistent (note that thread has someone who was successful at the Fairmont SF).
#96
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 3,727
So I'm booked into the main building Fairmont Exterior Room. I can use room upgrade cert to upgrade to a Tower Deluxe room. From my reading, it sounds like that is a good idea, the best benefit being the superior view from the room (though room size is actually smaller than Exterior Room). Anyone disagree and think I should stick to the Exterior Room?
Last edited by italdesign; Jun 12, 2015 at 5:25 am
#97
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 595
I'd like to use my annual free night certificate and FPC points to redeem for a two night stay at the Fairmont San Francisco. Since collection B's require 35K points for a standard room I was wondering if I should pay another 5K points to upgrade to a junior suite or if I can just apply my complementary room and suite upgrade certificates for an upgrade on both nights?
Last edited by mrstraveler; Jul 26, 2015 at 11:30 pm
#98
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2009
Location: FRA / YEG
Programs: AC Super Elite, Radisson Platinum, Accor Platinum
Posts: 11,874
I'd like to use my annual free night certificate and FPC points to redeem for a two night stay at the Fairmont San Francisco. Since collection C's require 45K points for a standard room I was wondering if I should pay another 5K points to upgrade to a junior suite or if I can just apply my complementary room and suite upgrade certificates for an upgrade on both nights?
Last edited by Jasper2009; Jul 26, 2015 at 11:26 pm
#100
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2009
Location: FRA / YEG
Programs: AC Super Elite, Radisson Platinum, Accor Platinum
Posts: 11,874
Btw, the designated suite upgrade category at the Fairmont SFO is the "Main Building Suite".
#101
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Madison, WI
Programs: Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 973
You can even switch between which upgrade you're using - I have a stay booked over Labor Day and initially they didn't have the "Main Building Suite" available, so I used a room upgrade to get to a Tower Deluxe room. Then when the suite opened up for both days of my reservation, I changes from the room upgrade to the suite upgrade.
I'm definitely looking forward to my stay at the Fairmont SFO - I'm hoping I'll get an upgrade at the hotel from the main building suite to a tower suite (a little smaller, but a better view), but since my confirmed reservation is already a $800/nt suite, I certainly won't complain if all I get is the main building suite.
#102
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Madison, WI
Programs: Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 973
To answer my own question: yes, you can.
So I'm booked into the main building Fairmont Exterior Room. I can use room upgrade cert to upgrade to a Tower Deluxe room. From my reading, it sounds like that is a good idea, the best benefit being the superior view from the room (though room size is actually smaller than Exterior Room). Anyone disagree and think I should stick to the Exterior Room?
So I'm booked into the main building Fairmont Exterior Room. I can use room upgrade cert to upgrade to a Tower Deluxe room. From my reading, it sounds like that is a good idea, the best benefit being the superior view from the room (though room size is actually smaller than Exterior Room). Anyone disagree and think I should stick to the Exterior Room?
#103
Join Date: Nov 2012
Posts: 595
Thank you! We are looking forward to kicking off our holiday with a four night stay at the Fairmont SFO in the Main Building Suite...the countdown begins
#104
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG (mind in YYZ)
Programs: MPC Green, AC Tangerine :)
Posts: 1,102
the FPC check-in desk gentlemen was apologetic about it and suggested they should really move that room out of the category for upgrades due to the obstructed views (you see the exterior wall when u look out the window)
various alternatives were offered (the only suites they had left was i believe the cambridge/buckingham that i could pay to upgrade to) or use a room upgrade and switch to a signature room, at the end i stayed in that suite for the first night but was able to switch to a different suite for my other 3 nights (it was on the 3rd floor facing Mason street so most of Grace Cathedral was obstructed by the Pacific Union Club opposite the hotel) and another downside was since this suite has the ability to form a 2 bedroom suite with adjacent rooms, you may be woken up/kept up by your neighbors or also hear the other end while in the living room
i'd recommend calling the property ahead of time to see if the know which suite you might be in if you haven't already stayed
apart from the small snafus everything was top notch there, would love to return there and maybe calling ahead to find out more beforehand
#105
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Posts: 5,825
The Tonga Room: Looking good at the age of 70
http://insidescoopsf.sfgate.com/blog...the-age-of-70/
"In 1945, just a month after VJ Day, 70 years, the Fairmont Hotel turned a former swimming pool room into a bar with Polynesian flair. Believe it or not, the Tonga Room wasn’t always ultra-Tiki: It used to be more reminiscent of a cruise ship, though from the beginning the tables were arranged around an indoor sea beset by hourly rainstorms. In 1967, designer Howard Hirsch turned it into the jaw-dropping spectacle we know today."
"In 1945, just a month after VJ Day, 70 years, the Fairmont Hotel turned a former swimming pool room into a bar with Polynesian flair. Believe it or not, the Tonga Room wasn’t always ultra-Tiki: It used to be more reminiscent of a cruise ship, though from the beginning the tables were arranged around an indoor sea beset by hourly rainstorms. In 1967, designer Howard Hirsch turned it into the jaw-dropping spectacle we know today."