dcrose

I can get a standard double bed room (one bed, not two) for 60,000 points while a king or two doubles are 95,000 or more. I definitely want a king or two doubles, but don’t want to use that many extra points. As a Gold member, would I likely be upgraded when I am booking using points? I wasn’t sure if using points made a difference, or if this property usually upgrades. This is a three night weekend stay in August. Thanks.

missamo80

Points vs. money makes no difference to upgrade, it's purely subject to availability. Hotels in SF are crazy popular and you're there for three nights. Don't expect an upgrade.

squeakr

mdbe

The internet is still the same almost after a year. I'm getting speeds of blazing 0.8mbps on the premium. If you need to get any work done, beware. I also agree that this is a 4 star hotel with 2 star service charging 5 star prices. From the bellman to the valet, they'd rather not deal with your bags, car or room keys or checkin.

mdbe

And the windows are filthy. You can almost not see out.

Kacee

Don't forget the crappy elevators

storewanderer

I think the hotel's ownership changed in early 2017 and maybe things have gone downhill a bit (not that they were ever exactly great, but they were always at least decent)...

The Internet speed issues are unacceptable but this is a problem with a lot of Hilton and related properties. Some have fixed it, others haven't... this one hasn't. I blame Hilton for what they did on the Internet service a few years ago.

Kacee

The internet at this property is especially bad. Top three worst of any full service property (any chain) I've stayed at in at least five years.

I stayed in late 2016 and it was obvious then the ownership just doesn't care.

mdbe

I do agree. I've never had a property go on my never stay list before. I stayed at the ritz here just last week, it wasn't the best service but it was acceptable. From the 60usd valet, to the bellman that just sit and even give you a hard time to bring your dry cleaning up, this is not up to hilton standards.

StuckinITH

I stayed in this hotel 3 times (2007, 2009, 2016). The reason: my meeting was in the other Hilton and I prefer to stay in a hotel where my meeting does not take place so I can relax in the evening and enjoy dinner with my wife without people we know interrupting us. And it needed to be a Hilton with a decent rate. Every time, they tried to dump us in the little room next to the elevator, so we have to go back downstairs and ask for another room. One time, after we went back downstairs they gave us an upgrade to a room with the most splendid view (and the window was reasonably clean that time). The person working the lounge was extremely nice.

One of the times, my wife was waiting in the room for me to come back from my meeting when she heard a dog yapping. After half an hour, she could not take it anymore so she went into the corridor. She saw a cleaning lady so she asked her if she could make the dog stop yapping. Cleaning lady says that there is no dog. My wife goes downstairs and asks the front desk to make the dog stop yapping. Front desk personnel says there's no dog in the hotel. Debate 5 minutes as my wife insists there is a yapping dog. Then they ask her what room is our room and what room the dog is in. My wife says the number of our room and what she thinks is the number next door. They click in their computer and say that there's no room with that number. Debate 5 more minutes as my wife insists that since we are in the middle of the corridor, there are rooms after ours and the computer would let them know the room number of the room next to ours. Debate 5 more minutes. Finally, they agree that the room next door is a suite occupied by a full time resident and that the full time resident has a dog. Yep, 15 minutes to accept something that they knew from the beginning. They sent the guard to move the dog from one room to the other one in the suite.

sbiddle

I'm looking at a 3 night stay in SF in October and was going to use points due to the high cost of rooms at this time of year. I was originally looking at Union Square but they only have mobility rooms for 60,000 points and all other rooms are at least double this. Financial District still has king rooms for 60,000 points.

I'm hesitant to book a mobility room at Union Square because there is always the chance they won't upgrade me and it's taking away space from people who do need one of those rooms, but it also seems crazy that regular rooms are 120,000 points at the same time!

I've read a few threads on here but don't seem to see any recent comparisons between both. Apart from the terrible internet and dirty windows at FD are there any other downsides? I'm not worried too much about the location.

StuckinITH

I think that if the hotel needs the mobility room for a customer who needs one they will give the room to that customer so you would not take it away from someone who needs it. When you book the room, there's one location where you can put a check that your preferred room type was not available. That would increase the odds that they give you another room.

I never stayed at the Hilton Union Square but from my readings I would not give 120,000 points for it. Specially if there are other hotels like the Hilton Financial District or room types where you only have to give 60,000 points. As a comparison, I made a reservation in a Conrad on the Executive Floor with a View (for which they want more points) for 129,000 points. Naturally if you have millions of points, then that part is not an issue.

FWIW, I like the location of the Hilton Financial District. It's close to some restaurants. And my wife likes to look at the stores in Chinatown.

FlyingKansan

Sam Woo's rice rolls across the street is more than enough reason to book this over Union Square.

sbiddle

I've just booked the FD for 3 nights for 60,000 points per night. Was looking at the Parc55 but when I went to book all their rates went up to over 200,000 points.

Apparently their internet is being upgraded so hopefully that'll be usable by the time I'm there in October!

evergrn

Wonder how often they order window cleaning. Maybe never. I stayed there twice last year, both times windows so filthy despite what otherwise would've been such lovely view of Coit Tower and the bay.