Aida Plaza Hotel

The front door stays barred and locked, and you have to wait for someone to let you in. The phone is never answered, so imagine standing outside in a bad neighborhood until someone decides to come open it. You're also expected to hand over your hotel key every time you leave and leave valuables at the front desk. I've never stayed in a hotel that does that. The camera system's main screen makes it look like they're watching everything in the building, so be aware of your surroundings. This place is shady! There's a health and safety code posting saying chemicals in the building are known to cause cancer. It's near the Tenderloin District too. If you want to hand over your belongings and be locked out of the hotel and room until they let you in, this is your place. Look at the pictures and tell me you'd want to stay here.

The rate is cheap and the old, rustic feel is appealing. It's right on Market, so the location is convenient. But it lacks a lot of things even cheaper hotels provide, as if they relied on the location and skipped basic hotel sense. The heating is poor: radiators, one of ours didn't work, and they only run from 6 pm-6 am. Winter was freezing. There's nowhere to hang a towel in the bathroom, so you come out wet into a cold room. The sinks are outside the bathroom, and the whole room is carpeted, which seems like a bad idea. The elevator doesn't seem safe, shaking when it reaches the ground floor before the door opens. It smelled awful when someone pooped or something in it lol. The front door is locked 24/7, so you can't enter until the host opens it. There's only one room key and you have to hand it in each time you leave, which can make things tricky if you're traveling with friends or a spouse. 4/10, okay for a night but not a vacation.

It's a big hotel with lots of rooms, and the guys who manage it are friendly and very helpful. The traditional old-school look gives the place a nice feel. The neighborhood isn't so good, but if you can overlook that, the rest of the stay feels good. It's very close to a Bart station and bus stops, so getting around is easy. I'll definitely come back.

The location is across from Civic Center Bart on Market, which probably explains the good price. If you mind your own business, the area isn't a problem. It was clean and quiet, the staff were nice, and my small room had plenty of soap and extra towels in the closet. The TV was analog with very limited channels, but I stayed just one night, so that wasn't as much of an issue as it could've been. Considering the rate and having my own bathroom, I guess it wasn't bad for SF.