I had to work in downtown San Francisco a while back for about 6 weeks. My hotel accommodations were fully reimbursed and the cost of each hotel was roughly the same on special negotiated rates, so I took the opportunity to sample the many SPG properties that are in the area. I plan to review the hotels I stayed at in this series.
- The Palace Hotel San Francisco Review – Suites
- The St. Regis San Francisco Review – The Astor Suite
- The Westin San Francisco Market Street Review – Traditional Room
- W San Francisco Review
- The St. Regis San Francisco Review – Deluxe Room
- The Westin San Francisco Market Street Review – Corner Deluxe Room
- Le Meridien San Francisco Review – Suites
I reviewed the Astor Suite at this same hotel a few days back, and to cut straight to the chase I can say that a suite didn’t make much of a difference for me at this hotel. If you’re traveling with a group or plan to have friends over then yes, I can see how a larger room would help. Otherwise, I actually liked the Deluxe Room better.
The service from the hotel staff, however, was still below par for a St. Regis. I explained in my previous post on this hotel that the staff just seemed uninterested and unapologetic for everything, and that was true with my multiple stays at this hotel. At check-in I asked for a suite upgrade due to my Platinum status and was told that nothing was available. I didn’t bother to check and I was fine with a smaller room anyway. Still, I was told that I was upgraded to a Deluxe Room. I was handed my key and up I went.
If you ask me, this room looks a whole lot better than the Astor Suite that I had previously. I think it was the wood floors that I wasn’t a fan of in the suite – they seemed a bit beat up and the dark color darkened the whole room (and my mood with it). The bedroom in the suite was also small and every room felt cramped. This room, on the other hand, is fully carpeted and was very airy and felt extremely spacious. A big part of that is the way the bathroom is connected to the bedroom – there are sliding doors that enable you to see the bathtub and sink if left open.
The room itself is well appointed with similar furnishings as the Astor Suite. There was a desk with plenty of goodies (letterhead, paper clips, etc) and a view of the downtown area right next to it. The TV was on the wall in front of the TV, and also built into that wall was the closet. In front of the bed was a seat, which I presume many people use simply to take off and put on their shoes.
The room also had the same type of bedroom remote my last room had. It controls all the lighting, the window shades, the “Do Not Disturb” sign, can set up your wake up call, order room service, or contact hotel services. Pretty nifty, but also very bulky. It’ll be nice when these things are reduced to tablet-sized controls in a few years!
I love the bathroom. Decked out in marble, the large soaking tub gives you an optional view out the windows if you want, or complete privacy if you close the doors. Alternatively, drop the shades to the windows and just watch TV on the big screen in the bedroom. You have options! There’s also a menu with ridiculously priced champagne and other items, so don’t even bother. Bath salts and the loofa are good enough!
The sink has all the standards, plus a ton of towels. I feel like luxury hotels often provide twice the number of towels of other hotels do. I guess nothing says luxury like excess, right? The shower and toilet were behind frosted glass doors to the side.
I’m guessing you don’t need more detail on the toilet area – just know that there’s a phone in there. The shower is awesome, at least from my point of view, because it includes two shower features that are in my top-3 of shower feature-awesomeness list: A bench to sit on and a rain fall shower head. I get some of my best thinking done in the shower, so not having to waste the energy standing is quite the luxury :P. The rain fall shower head is just plain awesome. The other item in my top 3? Body spray nozzles that run simultaneously with the shower head – they exist, and they’re fantastic! Yes, I take my showers seriously! 🙂
This room is simply awesome, and much better than the Astor Suite which felt confined and dark. This room feels the opposite, despite it’s smaller square footage.
The one thing that still wasn’t up to par was the service. Check-in and check-out agents never smiled, created conversation, asked how the stay was, or even seemed interested in being there. Quite a shame, really, especially for a hotel that costs $500+ a night normally.
Other small items – the St. Regis pens at this hotel are amazing. I grabbed several of them and still use them at home and have one in my laptop bag. This is also one of the very rare hotels where your key will still work after 12pm when you request late checkout. Anyone that’s dealt with the frustration of going back downstairs, waiting in line, then having your key re-done will know how big of a deal that is. It saves time and headache.
I do recommend this hotel, but interestingly only for Deluxe rooms. The service stinks, but beyond check-in/check-out I didn’t have to deal with the front desk. I didn’t try the butler for anything but I would hope he/she was more service-oriented than the rest of the staff I came in contact with. I personally won’t be staying here again unless it’s paid for once more, because the price is simply too high for me. Otherwise, it’s a good location and worth a visit if it’s within your range.
We all see what we want to see, but saying that “the service stinks” simply because check-in and check-out agents didn’t smile or “seem” friendly enough to you is a fairly broad and seemingly overly severe criticism. The fact that you give such a damning service report based on such a minor level of contact makes me wonder if you had a chip on your shoulder going in–because the price is too high for you–and/or were so aloof that you didn’t give them a chance. I’ve stayed here a number of times, both on paid and award stays, and I’ve had friendly and efficient front desk experiences. I’ve also had tremendously good service experiences with their restaurant, room service, and concierge–making my level of service interaction far more significant (and far more positive) than yours.
To be fair, I also like the deluxe room here…but I also love the Astor Suite. I didn’t find my Astors to be so dark or to mind the dark hardwood floors as you did. But I agree that the deluxe room here is a great option.
Reviews like this often are self-serving, justifying that higher priced hotels are not measuring up so that less higher priced hotels are the better deal. That may be true, but that isn’t always true for all people or in all cases. Your service comments belittle your entire review.
Bill – I stayed at this hotel several times, and I’ve stayed at plenty of other hotels around the world as I’m sure you have as well. My review is completely unbiased as my employer was paying for the stay. I simply think that the service was not up to par compared to other St Regis hotels, and yes the price of the hotel has something to do with it. I expect more from higher priced hotels, and I think that’s perfectly appropriate. If your experience was different and better, that’s great. I simply report on what I personally experienced.
In response to Bill’s comment, I have stayed at the St. Regis San Francisco several times.
I have found the service to be wanting for most of my stays. Several times the staff had attitude with me. I have stayed in the Deluxe room and the Metropolitan Suite. Seeing a tear in the painting on the wall of the Metropolitan Suite had me wondering if I was going to be hit with a $1,000+ bill. I was not charged, but I was disappointed that a $1,000+ per night room had a large painting with an obvious tear in the canvas. My wife and I joked about how the coffee table looked like it was well-worn and the dining room table was so unstable that a wine glass could tip over.
I don’t like to write negative hotel reviews, particularly if it is a one-time stay. I think the St. Regis San Francisco is the only hotel I have given another try after a bad stay and I have posted more than one negative review of this hotel on my Loyalty Traveler blog.
The room amenities are some of the best in San Francisco. In my experience, the staff interactions have been some of the worst hotel experiences I have had in San Francisco.