KENNECTED

Hey pacman777, just thought, you might also want to check the San Francisco and Traveling with Kids forums.

You'll probably get some good information from the locals

kevino

Yes, it's the F streetcars that will get you to Fisherman's Wharf. They are the old historic street cars. Take them headed towards the Ferry Building towards the end of Market street five blocks away. You will be able to see the Ferry Building from the street car stop.

hull22

Just stayed at various SPG properties during a week long stay in SF. Here are my thoughts:

Palace-so disappointing. The lobby and Garden Court is nice, but everything else was so dated. It was a PL reserved room, but cheap and old furnishing, old wooden door with a large gap at the bottom. The least comfortable stay during my entire week. I much prefer newer properties(the new IC SF was fantastic compared to this)

St.Regis-reserved a Astor Suite at the 540 AAA rate. Nice spacious suite. Best bathroom of any hotel I've stayed at. The decor in the bedroom was luxurious. Some of the furnishings did show signs of wear. The only negative was the 9th floor location, close to a neighboor club, noisy at night.

Westin Market St.-nice check-in area. Couldn't get a starpoints upgrade at check-in. Got a small, strangely laid out standard room on the 14th floor. LCD tv is to the right of the bedroom for some reason. Bed was comfortable enough. My wife kept wishing we were back at the IC SF.

incognism

Just wanted to give a belated thank you to all those who helped with providing info for my stay in SFO.

I ended up staying at the Westin Market St. as the prospect of 5000 bonus Starpoints (as well as a very decent rate of $149/night) was hard to pass up.

Arrived around 1:00pm but was advised that the room wasn't ready yet. Left our bags with the concierge and took the F tram down to the Ferry Building Marketplace. Came back at 3:30 and was checked in (after a 20 minute lineup).

We stayed in a Grand Deluxe room on the 25th floor. Nothing special to report about the room, it was a standard Westin room. The ceiling-to-floor windows were a nice touch, however it would have been nice if they were a bit...cleaner on the outside. Anyways, we utilized the valet service ($46/night + taxes) as opposed to the parking garage across the street because we needed to be in/out throughout the weekend. Valet was very quiet, they always had the car ready for me within 10 minutes of calling down.

All in all, a decent stay. I'd come back...especially if the Starpoints promo is still on.

GlobalTrotterette

While I was working in San Francisco, I spent about 50 days in SPG properties, and did a full tour with at least a week in each (minus the Regis, sadly). Here's my overall SF assessment, ranked from least favorite to most favorite:

I agree with hull22 on the Palace - it's an old hotel, so a lot of the rooms are small and can often be in non-standard shapes. It's nice to get a 12-foot ceiling, but that doesn't really make up for the internal hotel 'courtyard' view of the dirty ceiling of the restaurant. The restaurants are great, and overall there's a bit of the luxurious 'old world' feel, but sometimes that borders on just feeling old. My least favorite in the city.

Westin St. Francis. As many people have commented, rooms at this property are pretty old and tired, though a good location if you're feeling touristy (not so hot if you know the city well and want to get away from the tourists). Good shopping and some expensive restaurants nearby, but the neighborhood isn't that great for walks or any off-the-beaten-path exploration.

Westin SF Market Street. I tried this one right after it was converted from the Argent. Some have called it 'no frills', which is generally true - it's a pretty standard Westin, and a lot of the rooms have that generic (but still very comfortable) Westin look-and-feel. The gym is good, though, so it won some bonus points in my books.

Le Meridian. Fantastic rooms, with great touches like plasma screens; definitely felt very luxurious. The customers skew a bit older than most typical Westin properties, though, so the whole place can feel a bit sleepy if you spend any time in the common areas (restaurants, lobby, etc.). I also find the neighborhood to be very isolated compared to the other SPG properties - it's more in the financial district than anywhere residential, and at night the streets are pretty empty. It also tends to cost more than the other SPG properties within the same time period, so it gets a lower value-for-money rating from me (if you're paying, not expensing, of course ).

W Hotel is great if you're not concerned with a huge amount of space, and are looking for a great vibe. There aren't many good room upgrade options here, but if you need a fantastic gym with a nice pool and sundeck, this is the place - and it's the only SPG in SF with that relaxed and very west-coast feel. I really enjoyed going for a drink after work in the bar - after about 6pm, it's packed nearly every night of the week! I definitely echo a lot of posters' comments on the lack of front desk service, but did find the concierge desk to be consistently very knowledgeable. As an old hand in the city, I found they came up with fresh, new options that weren't just from a worn tourist book (e.g. they once sent me to a great hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant in the Mission, just the type of place I was looking for, rather than a tried-and-true overpriced tourist trap). They're also in a great area of SoMa with good restaurants (not just proximity to the convention center), and near a Whole Foods as well (for those of us who just want home cooking on the road sometimes). I loved this property the most of all SF SPG offerings (despite the lack of upgrades and relatively smaller rooms) and ended up living there for nearly 30 days straight at the end of my trip (in a Cool Corner, of course!).

CPRich

Simple questions - one night for a 6am flight at SFO - Westin or Sheraton at $38 cheaper?

(both cheaper than the 4P)

gabo02

i would go for the sheraton. just been renovated. club lounge excellent

hedoman

Another vote for Sheraton. It's not even a close call. Just don't expect your 500 point amenity to post.

CarNut

We have a reservation at the Westin St. Francis in early September using a Cash and Points rate (first time in SF, so location is most important and no Cash and Points available at other *wood hotels).

Just wondering if any other Platinums have had any recent experiences with this hotel lately?

From what I've read, I think we need to at a minimum request a room in the new tower. Correct?

thehowieee

I had a cash + points reservation but canceled it in favor of cash only $149. Too many bonus opps to pass up.

I check in tomorrow and will be there through Sunday; I'll post back my experience. Also staying at the Sheraton Petaluma, and then at PH in Vegas ... gotta get enough nights in to bump up the bonuses from the current promotions!

dmbfan222

When you say Sheraton I assume you are referring to Sheraton Fisherman's Wharf?

DesertRat

I went in June on a cheapo rate and they had already upgraded me to a high room in the new tower. My experience has been this is pretty standard for platinums.

BUT as I often do, I asked for a room in the old tower, which I believe has a ton more character and they accommodated me. Twice, I've gotten huge rooms there, too, one of which looked right out on Union Sq.

IMO, this hotel is the best Starwood in the city for first-timers. Cable car runs right in front, short walk to BART/Market Street, medium walk to Chinatown or SoMa. Good pancakes at Sears Fine Foods, too!

gabo02

sheraton gateway. the one in burlingame

cornellalum

I'm bringing my parents to UCSF (Mt. Zion near Geary/Divisadero) and am looking for an overnight hotel. I am a Gold member (through AA Exec Plat status) but have very little familiarity with the SPG hotels. 4pm late checkout is a must, and I'm looking for good value for my money. I've ruled out point redemption. Location must be in the city (i.e. no freeway driving) as we have an appointment at 8:45am and another one at 3:45pm.

The rates for my stay (9/3-9/4) are:

Sheraton Fisherman's Wharf $159
Westin Market Street $299
W San Francisco $329
Westin St. Francis $269
Le Meridian $319

So right now the top choice is Sheraton Fisherman's Wharf. Am I unaware of other promotions going on that would lower the rate at some of the nicer hotels? Any other suggestions and recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks!

BlissWorld

That's farrrr from the city