Fairmont San Francisco

This is an iconic San Francisco hotel located on beautiful Nob Hill. During the holiday season it is popular, too popular, for its massive Gingerbread house and seasonal decor. It was impossible to pull into the port cochere which was jammed with cars. Valet parking runs $90 per night so perhaps arrange other transportation. Service was friendly and the room, a tower room with city view, was quite spacious but shabby and dated. The single panel windows were dirty. The tablet with hotel services and room service did not work. The fruit plate from room service was sad even for a neighborhood coffee shop. The event room on the other hand, was elegant and the food and service, very good. All in all, it should be a jewel of the city but this gem needs a serious polishing.

Pretty old hotel. Historic? Yes. Gotta stay there once? Yes. Will come back? Nope. Rooms are old. Staff is slow. Crowded during holiday time. Just stay somewhere else.

TL;DR: Long lines everywhere. Wait to check-in, wait to have breakfast. No food at a breakfast buffet. This was a fiasco. This was meant to be a small staycation to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We arrived at the hotel around 3 pm to check-in and it was madness! There was a long line of people waiting to check-in and only 1 receptionist available. After several minutes, other receptionists showed up and the line started moving, so after approximately 30 minutes we were checked in. Our room was recently renovated, but the building is old and makes a lot of loud noises (between the AC and the street noise, it was not the most relaxing stay). But, the next morning, I was excited to have breakfast, as they advertise there is a brunch on weekends. Our breakfast was included in the room rate, but if not included, it costs $45+tax/pp. We went to the restaurant around 9:30am. We waiting in line for about 10 min to be told there is an hour wait for breakfast (I really never had to wait this long for a hotel breakfast, but there was no other option so we waited). After 30 minutes or so, they asked if we wanted to be seated at the bar, which we agreed. After sitting down, I went to the buffet but to my surprise they were out of all bread, all pastries, all fruits, all granola. I was very lucky to get a small portion of yogurt. I could have gotten an omelette but I didn't wait in line (again!). After several minutes and lots of people complaining, a staff member showed up with more pastries (some croissants and apple turnover I think). I asked this staff member if they had more sourdough bread and I heard a very rude "no". Maybe he was tired of everyone being so upset with the lack of food at a $45 breakfast buffet. The breakfast fiasco gave us "Fyre Festival" vibes.

I recently stayed at the Fairmont San Francisco for a business trip, and unfortunately, the experience fell well short of expectations. While my room on the 19th floor offered a very nice view, it was located directly adjacent to the elevator. The noise from the elevator going up and down went on throughout the night and made it extremely difficult to get any rest. Beyond the noise issue, the property itself felt surprisingly shabby. Many areas—including my room—are in clear need of fresh paint and basic upgrades. For a hotel at this price point, the level of upkeep was disappointing, and the overall value simply wasn’t there. I also dined at the Lobby Lounge, and the food and service were, at best, mediocre. Combined with the already exorbitant cost of the stay, this made the experience even more underwhelming. In the end, the Fairmont San Francisco did not live up to its reputation or its price. I hope management invests in meaningful updates soon, but based on this stay, I can’t recommend it—especially for business travelers who need a quiet and comfortable night’s rest.

Room was missing one side of an entire curtain. Both USB were broken (on their bedside lamps) . Concierge and front desk could not help us obtain distilled water for a medical device. (The Ritz keeps distilled water on site) Staff seemed aloof, rude and unhelpful. I will never stay at this hotel again.