Hotel des Arts

There's an odd staircase that's seriously tall, your key comes through an app, and there seems to be a secret passage to a bar. That's part of the fun of this place. It's an old building, nothing fancy, but they've done a great job with it. Funky and good value for the price. You're close to everything in the financial district, with Chinatown just a block away, plus the SFMOMA and plenty more within walking distance. On the same block you'll find the Irish Bank, Harlan Records Bar, and the Posh Bagel. You don't really need much else.

The art in my room was uncomfortable to look at, a cartoon woman in a bikini top with very little on. The walls are paper thin, and with the bed right beside the door I felt exposed. The hotel is cheap, but the sheets were scratchy, there's no coffee in the room, and the bathroom needs renovating. Loud music was coming from what may have been a nearby bar. Kenneth at the front desk was extremely helpful and found me another room. He gets five stars from me, but the hotel stays at three. There are better options in the neighborhood at the same price.

Chinatown is the main draw here, with lots of good places to eat and some nice bars. The area seemed safe, and I didn't feel worried walking around at night. Parking is another matter: there's no free option, and the lot is a block away, so loading and unloading quickly becomes a drawn-out chore. The hallway smelled strongly of cigarettes, though fortunately my room didn't. It was clean but felt damp, and opening the window was the only real way to get fresh air. That also meant hearing nightlife just behind the building. I didn't have a bad stay, but wasn't particularly impressed either. I'd probably only return if I were out of options.

We chose this hotel because I had a meeting nearby the next morning, and I brought my teenagers. The elevator wasn't working, so we carried our light bags up to the fifth floor. The room looked cute and small but seemed to have what we needed. After leaving our bags and going to dinner, we came back and my daughter found bugs in the bathroom. There was black hair and two cockroaches, and the toilet still had pee stains from a previous guest. We called and were offered a refund or another room. The replacement had just one bed instead of the two in our room. My daughter thought she could use the couch, but when we checked it, a huge cockroach was crawling on it. Management again offered a full refund. It was 9 PM in San Francisco with two teenagers, so we spent about 15 minutes making calls and searching intensely for another, more expensive room, then walked to that hotel. I have pictures and can add them if requested.