Canopy by Hilton San Francisco SoMa {US-CA}
Feb 16, 23, 4:46 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Programs: Mucci, BA Gold, TK Elite, PS, HHonors Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 7,587
Canopy by Hilton San Francisco SoMa {US-CA}
Canopy by Hilton San Francisco SoMa is a new hotel within the Hilton Honors portfolio. The building itself is not new. I believe it used to be a Virgin hotel, which closed during the Covid pandemic but has recently re-opened as a Canopy by Hilton.
I stayed here for one night earlier in the month and left with mixed feeling about this hotel. I stayed at all 3 proper Hiltons in SF in the last decade or so and when I saw that a new hotel opened I decided to give it a try, especially since, judging by Tripadvisor reviews, the 3 Hiltons are not in the greatest shape right now and desperately need a refresh.
I booked a 1 King Bed Corner Room City View. I did not receive an automatic upgrade e-mail 3 days before arrival, nor was I pre-upgraded on the day of check-in. When I landed at SFO and checked my reservation, I saw that I was pre-assigned a room in my category. I took BART from the airport, and the hotel is about a 10-minute walk from the Powell Street station. The check-in agent greeted me and explained my benefits (the F&B credit), as well as noted that there was a 'destination charge' that could be used at the hotel's outlets. I mentioned that I received no upgrade and asked the agent if she could find a better room for me. The agent initially started clicking on her computer but then also proceeded to convince me that the room I was pre-assigned was 'one of the best rooms in the house.' I mentioned that there were 1-bedroom studios available, but she cut me off with 'we are not allowed to give out those rooms.' I did not want to argue, especially since I needed a late checkout, so I told her that I was sure that I'd like the pre-assigned room and asked whether I could count on a late check-out. To my surprise, she said that I could have the room until 3pm.
The hotel is beautiful. All shiny and new and spotless. The room turned out to be rather small. You could basically walk around the bed and that's pretty much it. There was a small chair to one side of the bed, and a table to the other. There was no 'view' to speak of - my room was facing a residential building and I had to peek out of the window to something that was not worth seeing. I guess the fact that I was on the lower floor played a role. The bathroom arrangement was a bit weird. There was a sink in the corridor opposite the closet and a separate toilet and a shower on the sides of the sink. There were bathrobes and slippers, and a Nespresso machine. There was no bottled water, instead there was a pitcher to be filled with filtered water from the machine down the corridor. Despite its quirkiness I really liked the room. The bed was very comfortable, and the room was just very cozy. I had more than enough space just for myself, but I can see how it can be tight for 2 people.
It was just after 3pm when I checked and given that flew in from the East Coast and felt peckish I decided to grab a bite at the rooftop bar. The bar is on the 12th floor, and it is beautiful with the views to match. Surprisingly the prices were not sky-high.
I had breakfast at the Bean Bar and liked it as well. It was an a la carte menu of a few items. I ordered the egg white frittata, which was delicious. If I remember correctly the total came to about $40, so it was a little above the credit for 2 persons that I received (yes, my husband was 'travelling' with me
). I was glad that it was not a buffet with overfried greasy food. The quality of my meal was very good.
After breakfast I spoke to the Front Desk Supervisor, as I wanted to check if I could get an even later late-check out and also to ask him about the upgrades. He reluctantly agreed to the 4pm checkout but after I came back from lunch asked if I could vacate the room at 15:30. I believe this was due to the fact that their housekeepers have limited hours, and even though the hotel did not need that room for a new guest that day they wanted it cleaned. I left the room at the request hour but did not check-out and close my folio until 5pm. I just hung out at the bar with my niece and charged the drinks to the room.
When I asked the FD Supervisor whether they upgraded from the category that I booked to 1 BR Studios he at first seemed confused and kept saying that it was possible to upgrade for a fee. I clarified that I meant complimentary Hilton Honors upgrades and it seemed like he had no idea what I was talking about. He eventually confirmed that, yes, studios were in the complimentary upgrades pool (which meant that either the agent who checked me in was not honest with me or the FD Supervisor really had no idea about complimentary upgrades). I then asked him what a usual upgrade would be for someone who books a standard room, whether it'll be just a one category upgrade, and he said that it could be any room. Again, he seemed so confused about the programme that I got the impression that upgrades were processed by someone in some back office and they were just handing out the keys. He did mention that they fully opened a week ago and that they were in the soft opening regime for a few months, so maybe things will change over time.
As I mentioned at the start of my post, I left the hotel with mixed feelings. On the one hand, I absolutely loved the hotel, the room, and the bar. On the other, I felt that the rates did not really match what was on offer as the room was pretty small. I was also left with a bitter aftertaste regarding Hilton Honors perks. The woman who checked me in was a little bit militant about me asking about the better room saying that I could not have the studio and then she angrily asked me who approved the 4pm check-out for me (it was the FD Supervisor who was standing right next to her). I guess I can explain the latter if the FD Supervisor did not know about the housekeeping situation and gave me the 4pm checkout even though he should not have. I know I was lucky even with the 15:30 checkout, so it was really not a big deal...just a strange way to handle it.
Would I come back? Absolutely, yes, if the price is right. It is hard not to fall in love with this hotel.
Outside the hotel
Reception
Hallway
Room (view from the entrance)
View from the bedroom
Rooftop bar food and wine
View from the rooftop bar
Bean Bar
Beverage menu
Breakfast menu
Egg white frittata (delicious)
I stayed here for one night earlier in the month and left with mixed feeling about this hotel. I stayed at all 3 proper Hiltons in SF in the last decade or so and when I saw that a new hotel opened I decided to give it a try, especially since, judging by Tripadvisor reviews, the 3 Hiltons are not in the greatest shape right now and desperately need a refresh.
I booked a 1 King Bed Corner Room City View. I did not receive an automatic upgrade e-mail 3 days before arrival, nor was I pre-upgraded on the day of check-in. When I landed at SFO and checked my reservation, I saw that I was pre-assigned a room in my category. I took BART from the airport, and the hotel is about a 10-minute walk from the Powell Street station. The check-in agent greeted me and explained my benefits (the F&B credit), as well as noted that there was a 'destination charge' that could be used at the hotel's outlets. I mentioned that I received no upgrade and asked the agent if she could find a better room for me. The agent initially started clicking on her computer but then also proceeded to convince me that the room I was pre-assigned was 'one of the best rooms in the house.' I mentioned that there were 1-bedroom studios available, but she cut me off with 'we are not allowed to give out those rooms.' I did not want to argue, especially since I needed a late checkout, so I told her that I was sure that I'd like the pre-assigned room and asked whether I could count on a late check-out. To my surprise, she said that I could have the room until 3pm.
The hotel is beautiful. All shiny and new and spotless. The room turned out to be rather small. You could basically walk around the bed and that's pretty much it. There was a small chair to one side of the bed, and a table to the other. There was no 'view' to speak of - my room was facing a residential building and I had to peek out of the window to something that was not worth seeing. I guess the fact that I was on the lower floor played a role. The bathroom arrangement was a bit weird. There was a sink in the corridor opposite the closet and a separate toilet and a shower on the sides of the sink. There were bathrobes and slippers, and a Nespresso machine. There was no bottled water, instead there was a pitcher to be filled with filtered water from the machine down the corridor. Despite its quirkiness I really liked the room. The bed was very comfortable, and the room was just very cozy. I had more than enough space just for myself, but I can see how it can be tight for 2 people.
It was just after 3pm when I checked and given that flew in from the East Coast and felt peckish I decided to grab a bite at the rooftop bar. The bar is on the 12th floor, and it is beautiful with the views to match. Surprisingly the prices were not sky-high.
I had breakfast at the Bean Bar and liked it as well. It was an a la carte menu of a few items. I ordered the egg white frittata, which was delicious. If I remember correctly the total came to about $40, so it was a little above the credit for 2 persons that I received (yes, my husband was 'travelling' with me
). I was glad that it was not a buffet with overfried greasy food. The quality of my meal was very good.After breakfast I spoke to the Front Desk Supervisor, as I wanted to check if I could get an even later late-check out and also to ask him about the upgrades. He reluctantly agreed to the 4pm checkout but after I came back from lunch asked if I could vacate the room at 15:30. I believe this was due to the fact that their housekeepers have limited hours, and even though the hotel did not need that room for a new guest that day they wanted it cleaned. I left the room at the request hour but did not check-out and close my folio until 5pm. I just hung out at the bar with my niece and charged the drinks to the room.
When I asked the FD Supervisor whether they upgraded from the category that I booked to 1 BR Studios he at first seemed confused and kept saying that it was possible to upgrade for a fee. I clarified that I meant complimentary Hilton Honors upgrades and it seemed like he had no idea what I was talking about. He eventually confirmed that, yes, studios were in the complimentary upgrades pool (which meant that either the agent who checked me in was not honest with me or the FD Supervisor really had no idea about complimentary upgrades). I then asked him what a usual upgrade would be for someone who books a standard room, whether it'll be just a one category upgrade, and he said that it could be any room. Again, he seemed so confused about the programme that I got the impression that upgrades were processed by someone in some back office and they were just handing out the keys. He did mention that they fully opened a week ago and that they were in the soft opening regime for a few months, so maybe things will change over time.
As I mentioned at the start of my post, I left the hotel with mixed feelings. On the one hand, I absolutely loved the hotel, the room, and the bar. On the other, I felt that the rates did not really match what was on offer as the room was pretty small. I was also left with a bitter aftertaste regarding Hilton Honors perks. The woman who checked me in was a little bit militant about me asking about the better room saying that I could not have the studio and then she angrily asked me who approved the 4pm check-out for me (it was the FD Supervisor who was standing right next to her). I guess I can explain the latter if the FD Supervisor did not know about the housekeeping situation and gave me the 4pm checkout even though he should not have. I know I was lucky even with the 15:30 checkout, so it was really not a big deal...just a strange way to handle it.
Would I come back? Absolutely, yes, if the price is right. It is hard not to fall in love with this hotel.
Outside the hotel
Reception
Hallway
Room (view from the entrance)
View from the bedroom
Rooftop bar food and wine
View from the rooftop bar
Bean Bar
Beverage menu
Breakfast menu
Egg white frittata (delicious)
Feb 16, 23, 8:08 am
#2
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 4,705
If you received a 4pm (or even in reality, 3:30pm) checkout, you really don’t have much to complain about IMO. That is highly unusual at HH properties and shouldn’t be expected. And I’d give the property a break re their upgrade policy…it just opened and and stuff like that hasn’t been fully sorted yet.
Feb 16, 23, 8:58 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Programs: Mucci, BA Gold, TK Elite, PS, HHonors Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 7,587
If you received a 4pm (or even in reality, 3:30pm) checkout, you really don’t have much to complain about IMO. That is highly unusual at HH properties and shouldn’t be expected. And I’d give the property a break re their upgrade policy…it just opened and and stuff like that hasn’t been fully sorted yet.
Feb 16, 23, 11:46 am
#4
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Boston, MA
Programs: DL Diamond, HHonors Diamond, National Executive Elite
Posts: 2,317
I understand that this property was reflagged rather than purpose-built, but it's amusing that Hilton is already straying from the Canopy brand standard of bed having... a canopy.
There's really no excuse for staff to be unfamiliar with such a fundamental benefit of the loyalty program.
There's really no excuse for staff to be unfamiliar with such a fundamental benefit of the loyalty program.
Feb 16, 23, 1:53 pm
#5
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: NYC/LA
Programs: AA Plat Pro, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, IHG Diamond Amb
Posts: 6,608
Yes, it looks like they changed the sign out front and didn’t do much else. (Though I will note that the pitcher to be filled at a water station is a Canopy brand standard).
Feb 17, 23, 11:18 am
#6
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Boston, MA
Programs: DL Diamond, HHonors Diamond, National Executive Elite
Posts: 2,317
Feb 17, 23, 9:42 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
Programs: Mucci, BA Gold, TK Elite, PS, HHonors Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 7,587
I had never noticed before, but sure enough, Canopy is not included in the list of brands where Hilton Honors elites are promised bottled water.
We are always traveling with our flasks (even within the city), and actually the flasks were a gift from a wonderful bartender and a friend since long ago at one of the Hilton hotels.
He hand made them for us.
Mar 21, 23, 6:20 pm
#8
Join Date: Oct 2022
Location: nyc/l.a.
Programs: all of 'em.
Posts: 164
Considering this property for an upcoming SF stay. Really enjoyed Andryko's review. Anyone else with a recent stay?
Wondering if anyone can suggest some other, similarly-priced HH properties in SF that i can accrue points with on this upcoming 5-night stay?
Really enjoyed the Canopy in Minneapolis, think it represented a tremendous value vs a lot of its local competition (HH and otherwise).
Mar 24, 23, 8:02 pm
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2008
Location: San Francisco
Programs: GM on VX, UA, AA, HA, AS, SY; Budget Fastbreak
Posts: 24,807
This is a great location. I live in San Francisco and enjoy dining at casual eateries near this hotel. That said, I’ve also driven in this area and even during the day I’ve seen people injecting something (heroin? Insulin?) into their legs. It’s still a better location compared to the union square Hilton. For sure the views are in upper floors where you can see the San Francisco skyline. Glad you could enjoy the rooftop bar area.
there is a robot ramen machine in the nearby metreon that’s decent for mall food and about $3 less than most mall restaurant ramen. Probably $5 less than most ramen.
there is a robot ramen machine in the nearby metreon that’s decent for mall food and about $3 less than most mall restaurant ramen. Probably $5 less than most ramen.
Mar 25, 23, 2:18 pm
#10
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1K 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott Ti, LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 54,650
In SF, you don't even need filtered water. The water comes from Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in the Sierra Nevada and is some of the best drinking water in the world. There's basically zero reason to get bottled water in SF.
All three of the other full service Hilton properties are pretty mediocre, certainly nothing shiny and new like the Canopy. I'd probably take the Parc 55 for decent sized rooms with nice views and a convenient (if somewhat edgy) location.
All three of the other full service Hilton properties are pretty mediocre, certainly nothing shiny and new like the Canopy. I'd probably take the Parc 55 for decent sized rooms with nice views and a convenient (if somewhat edgy) location.
Mar 27, 23, 12:50 am
#11
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Window Seat
Programs: National Executive, HHonors Gold, IHG Platinum, Hyatt Visitor
Posts: 2,454
I do not like the idea of walking between where Canopy is and Union Square at night (in the dark). I walked around that area one time a number of years ago when staying at IC, in the dark. I did not feel comfortable, but nothing went wrong. Just sort of dead from a foot traffic perspective, and needed better lighting. Area is certainly cleaner than Union Square.
However if you are planning to just go out and about during daylight I think Canopy would be a great location. You have the option to get to less busy/less touristy areas for food and exploring. It is a bit of a walk to get to BART but it is all flat and pretty straight shot. Plus there is a MUNI station basically right next to Canopy, which may or may not be of much use (probably not much use). There is also an Avis station around the corner from where Canopy is, which may be useful if you want a car for a limited time period.
With Hilton Union Square (at all times when walking) you just need to avoid two sides of the blocks that surround it, but even at night if you walk on the less scary two sides of the building it is a pretty active area late into the evening and a lot of people coming and going. There is more going on in the area.
However if you are planning to just go out and about during daylight I think Canopy would be a great location. You have the option to get to less busy/less touristy areas for food and exploring. It is a bit of a walk to get to BART but it is all flat and pretty straight shot. Plus there is a MUNI station basically right next to Canopy, which may or may not be of much use (probably not much use). There is also an Avis station around the corner from where Canopy is, which may be useful if you want a car for a limited time period.
With Hilton Union Square (at all times when walking) you just need to avoid two sides of the blocks that surround it, but even at night if you walk on the less scary two sides of the building it is a pretty active area late into the evening and a lot of people coming and going. There is more going on in the area.
Mar 27, 23, 8:12 am
#12
Join Date: Oct 2022
Location: nyc/l.a.
Programs: all of 'em.
Posts: 164
Totally love FT and tge folks within it.
Huge thanks for all this info.
Don't plan to mosey about much 'round the hotel.
Will be working inside. And an uber or two to Russian Hill.
Going to book Canopy. Combo of newest, (hopefully) quietest and best rate.
Came down to Canopy, Marquis, Palace.
Thanks again for the help.
Huge thanks for all this info.
Don't plan to mosey about much 'round the hotel.
Will be working inside. And an uber or two to Russian Hill.
Going to book Canopy. Combo of newest, (hopefully) quietest and best rate.
Came down to Canopy, Marquis, Palace.
Thanks again for the help.
Mar 27, 23, 8:22 am
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 37,347
In SF, you don't even need filtered water. The water comes from Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in the Sierra Nevada and is some of the best drinking water in the world. There's basically zero reason to get bottled water in SF.
.
All three of the other full service Hilton properties are pretty mediocre, certainly nothing shiny and new like the Canopy. I'd probably take the Parc 55 for decent sized rooms with nice views and a convenient (if somewhat edgy) location.
.
All three of the other full service Hilton properties are pretty mediocre, certainly nothing shiny and new like the Canopy. I'd probably take the Parc 55 for decent sized rooms with nice views and a convenient (if somewhat edgy) location.
Apr 19, 23, 4:24 pm
#14
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: BUR / LAX
Programs: UA MM/Gold; WN A-list
Posts: 1,438
Am thinking about staying here with my wife soon. Diamond. Wondering how this works -- the hotel says there is a$30 destination fee (sigh) but you get a $30+ credit to use on food. But then, as Diamond, should we also get some amount per person for daily "breakfast" credit? In other words, would we get both? Thanks.
Apr 19, 23, 7:09 pm
#15
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 4,705
Am thinking about staying here with my wife soon. Diamond. Wondering how this works -- the hotel says there is a$30 destination fee (sigh) but you get a $30+ credit to use on food. But then, as Diamond, should we also get some amount per person for daily "breakfast" credit? In other words, would we get both? Thanks.
