Excellent option for overnight SFO layovers; highly recommend.

Check In

This hotel generally goes out of its way, and lives up to the Marriott brand, by recognizing its elite members. Granted, being an Ambassador may bias my opinion, and the form of recognition is inconsistant, but it's always there. (I've received a variety of welcome gifts, ranging from Danish cookies, to Ghirardelli chocolates, to $10/$20 (sometimes double stacked to $40) food credits as a welcome gift. They are very consistent about this.

The staff are phenominal; after my first three stays, I was recognized on a first name basis before even checking in. The folks at the front desk go out of their way to upgrade your room within reason -- often asking whether you care for a view of the airport (my personal preference) or a "bay" view (which is hit or miss -- sometimes you do see the bay, othertimes its essentially a view of a parking lot). The fact that they ask and try to accomodate goes a long way, in my opinion.

Room

With only one exception, I've always been upgraded to a suite. The suites are not amazing, but for an airport hotel, they are solid. Anyone looking for a lavish suite at an airport hotel probably has their priorities mixed up. To the extent that the suites I've stayed in, combined with late checkout, have allowed me to conduct business at the hotel, I have never been disappointed. The portion of the suite dedicated to suite is sufficiently separate, or hidden, from the portion of the suite dedicated to lounging/doing work/collaborating with colleagues. No complaints in this area.

As for the "ordinary rooms", they too are modern, clean, and serve the purpose of staying in close proximity to SFO for a planned -- or unplanned -- overnight layover. I don't think this hotel has a "bad" room -- just varying degrees of greatness.

I particularly like the airport-themed decor which is evident in both the suites and throughout the entire airport.

Service

Service has always been above and beyond; a request for X has been met with an offer of X+more. The staff are extremely cordial, friendly, and attentive. Any in-room requests are met with surprising speed given the size of the hotel.

Particular shout out to an instance in which I left one of my phones in the room (which had not yet been cleaned). I went to the front desk and notified them, they said they'd send security to help me get it, and somehow security was at the room approximately 30 seconds after I, myself, got there. (Yes, they did throughly vet my identification prior to letting me just grab a phone from the room - which may annoy some but gives me confidence in their operation).

Dining

Dining here is reflective of your typical Marriott, with a few SF-oriented twists, and a signifiant upcharge (relative to other Marriotts, even Airport Marriotts). I attribute the cost to the region, but have never once complained about quality.

The bar (above) has somewhat limited hours based on my typical schedule; opens late (like sometime in the late afternoon) and closes around 11/12pm IIRC, typically when I just want to sleep. The few occasions that I've been to it, however, have been good. The bartenders know how to make a great drink based on minimal direction (e.g., I like whisky, nothing sweet, with a unique twist - not just a Manhatten or Old Fashioned) and I've never been disappointed. It can get very busy at times - especially at night and on weekends.

Location

Perfectly located and close to SFO with shuttles that can bring you from Hotel to Airport in ~15 minutes.