Fairmont San Francisco

The Fairmont San Francisco is one of the city’s most iconic hotels. Sitting at the top of Nob Hill, the building has incredible views and a long history of hosting travelers from around the world. Even if you’re not staying overnight, the lobby alone is worth visiting. It’s grand, elegant, and filled with old-school charm. The hotel is also home to the legendary Tonga Room tiki bar, which is a fun experience all on its own. A few of us from the staff at The Green Cross have visited over the years and it always feels like a piece of San Francisco history. Definitely worth seeing while exploring Nob Hill.

I've tried this hotel twice in the last few months and I REALY want to like it. It's obviously a beautiful historic property and the location is unbeatable. We booked both times through American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts, which includes breakfast at the Laurel Restaurant. The first time we stayed, we were told at check in that we could not make a reservation because it was the busy holiday season, so we came down early and were quoted a 45-minute wait! (But at least we knew there would be a wait). The second time, we inquired at check in about a reservation and was assured by the front desk that we could just walk in. We came down at 10 a.m. and were told they might not be able to accommodate us at all, even though breakfast was INCLUDED IN OUR RATE! So then we were told that we could go order room service, but we were two couples and didn't want to sit in one room and wait for breakfast. We finally were seated at 11, at the very end of breakfast hours and it took AN HOUR to deliver our food. They were already seating people for lunch when our food finally came. There were only about a dozen tables seated at that time, so I can only speculate that they were switching the kitchen over to lunch and devoting fewer resources. It should not be that difficult to provide breakfast for your guests. I GIVE UP! Will try another hotel next time we are in the city.

I stayed here for 5 nights in January 2026 and I found this hotel generally excellent. The room was a little dated however the extremely spacious size meant that it was still very clean and comfortable, I had a suite on the top floor and the views were exceptional. There was very little outside noise at this level too which was great. The history of the hotel is so intersting and it is seen throughout the hotel, it is worthwhile taking the time to look at the pictures on the wall and explore the hotel to understand the history. The lobby and bar/restaurant are very grand which is nice. The only criticism I had was that there were a couple of large conferences on whilst I was there and at times that meant the restaurant and bar were completely overwhelmed and service was slow. Also room service breakfast one morning took far too long to arrive again due to the same reason. Location wise this hotel is up a hill but excellently located to get off the cable car so don't be put off by it being up a hill as you can easily reach it without walking. Overall I'd definitely recommend this hotel and I would absolutely return.

My absolute go-to hotel in SFO - it's at the top of the hill for a reason, and that's because there's literally no better hotel in the city. The architecture is gorgeous, the food is consistently wonderful, the service is efficient and professional, and let's talk about the Tiki Bar! I've forced many friends and co-workers to come "all the way up" just for the Tiki Bar and it never disappoints. I've stayed at many Fairmonts around the world, and this one is probably my top.

My reservation was made by AmEx and was prepaid. Had an early check-in and wasn’t told there was no hot water and no heat. My room is freezing. Can’t take a shower. Staff is all lovely. Had lunch, kept my jacket on thinking they had the air conditioning on. My room is nice, all staff is lovely I’m just freezing to death.