Fairmont San Francisco

The only pro... the building is beautiful. That is where it ends. This hotel is tired and in desperate need of an upgrade. They charge you for breathing, and the constant feeling that you are being ripped off emanates throughout the stay. The room is huge, but oh so drab. Haven't stepped over a tub to enter a shower since the early 2000s. Had a nice view, but the window was filthy. The decor and restaurant are misses. San Francisco is filled with so many great hotels - don't waste your time on this one.

Fairmont is always the top. Location was fantastic, rooms large and spacious, clean, very comfortable beds and pillows. The staff were all very warm and welcoming. Restaurant was also very good. We arrived after 9pm and the restaurant was no longer open for dining. We ordered room service and the food was amazing too. I had to return my rental car the morning after we arrived. The hotel's parking is very expensive, so they recommended I find street parking and they helped to reserve a spot directly across from the hotel driveway. This was very appreciated.

I recently stayed at the Fairmont San Francisco, expecting a luxury experience consistent with the Fairmont brand and the Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts program. Instead, my stay was defined by poor management, outdated accommodations, and a disappointing experience that felt like a relentless money grab due to numerous frivolous fees. Upon arrival, my room was underwhelming and severely outdated. Shockingly, I found hairs that clearly didn’t belong to me both in the bathroom and on the bed (photos attached), raising immediate concerns about cleanliness standards. The toilet paper provided was incredibly thin; almost see-through (a very strange and ridiculous way to cut costs), and hot water was temperamental, adding further discomfort to my stay. In-room dining was a particular disappointment. The menu lacked any authentic local options, and the food quality was subpar. The Amex FHR “welcome amenity” felt like an afterthought: just bagged chocolate-covered raisins and a few tiny cookies. It was a missed opportunity to introduce guests to any of the exceptional local bakeries/chocolatiers in San Francisco. The parking fee was absurd even by San Francisco standards; $115 to park my rental car for a single night. Unfortunately, this was just one of several frivolous junk fees that seemed designed purely to inflate my bill. To be fair, the mattress was comfortable, and the staff members I encountered were genuinely kind. However, these positives couldn’t outweigh the overwhelming impression that this hotel is coasting on its storied history, neglecting to uphold basic Fairmont standards. As others have echoed, management appears disengaged, failing even to respond to reviews on this platform. This property could be extraordinary, but currently, it feels more like a museum charging five-star prices without providing five-star service.

I asked for the A/C to be fixed and engineering came right away. They told me that did a bypass and my room should cool down in a little bit. I was appreciative and excited as the room felt like a sauna. It did not cool down. The next day I called again and asked for them to look at it and give leave me a message on the room phone that it was fixed and if not what they were going to do to help me. Never received any correspondence from the hotel and it still was not fixed. Highly disappointed with the situation. Three days of a warm room did not make me happy.

The pillows were soft, the beds comfortable and the black out shades really worked. and of course, the lobby was as regal and as impressive as ever. The highlight was the Tonga Room for sure- a five-star tiki bar. I was disappointed the bathroom shower had mold and the room was pretty dated though.