The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco

I booked the hotel to round off a trip with my wife that started in Toronto and included Niagara, Banff, Vancouver, Cruise to Alaska, Seattle, Los Angeles and then San Francisco. This is the best hotel of the trip including the cruise on Regent Seven Seas Explorer and any if the other 5 star hotels we stayed in along the way. We stayed on the club floor and we have never experienced such exceptional service having travelled in Europe, Middle & Far East and North America. You can have breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper in the lounge. Wine is available pretty much all day with spirits between 5 & 8 and then cocktails i think. TBH no one really takes the mickey because it is so relaxed. You can take your drinks and food to the room, order takeaway if you want or basically just enjoy yourself. OK the club floor is not cheap but it is absolutely the best value for money hotel experience we have ever had. Just a special mention for Leo, the concierge in the lounge who is absolutely the best but all of the staff in the lounge are terrific. San Francisco is not an easy stop from the UK but if we can we will most certainly return and would highly recommend this hotel.

Very mixed and not worth it - the 4th floor rooms are on the ground floor and dark - the whole place lacks natural light and outdoor spaces. No dinner service after 11pm and pre 630am and restaurant does not open until 7am - it’s a huge issue for anyone arriving with a jet lag - it’s not like you can go out to grab a burger at 1am easily either. Staff are usually great at other hotels but in SFO, it’s just not the same level.

The exterior and lobby area are both beautiful and appear luxurious. However, the room was a bit dated, especially the restroom. There was a constant strange odor in the restroom. The tub drain was very slow so water was constantly pooling at my feet while I was showering. There was no fan in the bathroom so none of the towels dried. While the hotel is in a busy location, you do not actually hear a lot of the noise from outside. Unfortunately, the walls are thin and you can hear neighboring guests. But this is understandable since this is an older building. My husband called the restaurant to ask if dogs were allowed. He was told we could bring our dog but the dog had to sit on the floor. We said that’s fine since he is an animal. Once we got downstairs we were turned away because only service animals were allowed in the restaurant. Valet and front desk staff were wonderful! However service was a bit slow. We waited an hour just to get two sets of utensils sent to our room and had to call twice. But each staff member who came to our room was so sweet and so kind. We were gifted a complimentary bottle of prosecco and strawberries upon check in. This was a sweet gift from the hotel for our anniversary! Overall, I do not think the experience of our stay was worth the cost. I am a bit disappointed since this is a luxury hotel and I really wanted to like our experience since the staff was so kind. But I will likely not return.

I cannot say enough about this hotel. The staff are wonderful. The concierge helped advise on best walking trips and with cable car tickets. In room dining was very good. The room was impeccably clean and well maintained. We also loved the location - just a block from Chinatown and an easy walk to little Italy and fisherman’s wharf. We slept the best we have in ages - perfect temp and dark room, super comfy bed, no street or hotel noise. Ten of ten experience.

We had a wonderful stop for 5 days at the Ritz Carleton SF last week, August 3-8, 2026. Notable employees were RYAN at the front desk, Scott at the bell desk, and Zach at front desk as well. They made us feel very welcome and at home. Ryan accommodated us for an early check in and did an excellent job. Zach corrected a billing issue, and Scott was warm and friendly. ALL the bell service was outstanding. The hotel is older and imperfect, but classic and located in a perfect area to explore. We recommend it mostly for staff and location. We had a wonderful time.