Cornell Hotel

We had a 24-hour stay in San Francisco, and this worked out perfectly for our group of seven with four rooms. The rate was very reasonable, and the complimentary breakfast added nice value. The location is central, two blocks from Chinatown, with excellent restaurants within walking distance. The Cornell Hotel De France has a lot of history and charm. Rooms are smaller, as you'd expect in Europe, but they were clean and comfortable. Staff were professional, welcoming, and very accommodating throughout our stay.

We stayed at Cornell for a three-day weekend with my husband, and the location made getting around on public transit easy. At the price we paid, and since we spent most of our trip out exploring, the cozy room was enough for resting and showering. Unless you're paying $175+ a night in SF, older buildings, smaller rooms, and imperfect amenities are to be expected. There was no AC, but the ceiling fan did the job. The bathroom had body soap, hand soap, conditioner, a hairdryer, shower cap, makeup wipes, towels, and plastic cups. It was sanitary, though not squeaky clean, which was fine with us. Breakfast was served on time in the basement, with freshly made bacon and eggs, cereal, yoghurt, fruit, and coffee. The waffle line was long, so we skipped it. Most staff were bilingual, and we heard them speaking Spanish and French with other guests who didn't speak English. They were helpful. Bags are kept beside the front desk, but there's an efficient ticket system for checking them, and anyone entering the building has to buzz in.

A horrible first impression of the USA, and I wouldn't give this hotel even one star if I could. We only made it through the first night of a planned three-night vacation. In the first room there was mold in the bathroom and stains on the curtains beside the bed, so we moved rooms. In the second one, I found a blood stain on the duvet in the wardrobe when I pulled it out for warmth, and there was a hair in the bed. Then the toilet had regurgitated its contents, an awful surprise when we went into the bathroom. We also got stuck in the elevator, and the hotel worker just shrugged and said, “yeah this happens sometimes.” We left, and the remaining two nights were refunded, but we still paid for a truly unpleasant experience.

The room's carpet, walls, and even the air felt dirty and musty. The toilet was full of pee, and the paintings were creepy. Downstairs, the dining area felt dirty and dingy. I was so uncomfortable that I changed my noon return flight to 5 a.m. just to get out and go home sooner. I booked this place for a quick work trip, but was appalled by its condition for a 3-4 star hotel. It felt worse than a much cheaper chain. I arrived around 12:45 a.m. and felt uneasy in the area, especially as a woman traveling alone. I couldn't open the door, and a man inside clearly saw me but sat waiting for me to figure it out while I had two large bags. When he finally got up, he seemed irritated and told me I should have figured it out. Possibly the worst hotel I've stayed in over the last 10 years.