Pension San Francisco

The room was old, and neither the TV nor the air-conditioning worked. Noise in the corridor went on until midnight, with a group shouting and playing near my room. I suspected they might have been drinking and smoking, but I can’t say for sure. The owner seemed to have no policy for asking guests to keep things peaceful. I was alone and had a meeting the next day, and didn’t feel safe confronting them, so I tried to put up with it and get through the night. Sorry to say it, but this was the worst stay I’ve had anywhere in Europe. I never expected this in Vienna, Austria.

For one night it was manageable, and the price is low. It’s central, with the Metro nearby, and the bathroom was clean. But there’s no reception, the room smelled of smoke, and the building didn’t look like the pictures. The carpet was worn, and the WLAN had no signal. I wouldn’t stay there again.

We had no wifi in our room, which was tucked away at the far corner of the building, despite the website saying it works throughout. The mattresses also really need replacing. The room itself was small but sufficient, and the sanitary facilities were clean and nice. The location is excellent, right by the U-bahn 1 entrance and a lively shopping street.

It’s cheap and well placed near the subway, so I still think it’s a good place to stay despite a few drawbacks. The beds are hard, with about 20cm of foam over solid wood, and the hot water swings from freezing to scalding in seconds, so you have to keep adjusting it. Wifi doesn’t reach every room. There’s also an Asia imbis nearby, and you can smell and hear it when they head out for deliveries on two-stroke engines.