Desmond Hotel

The location is convenient for getting around, but it's in a bad neighborhood, so be very mindful. There were lots of homeless people and shady individuals. The taxi driver was worried about my safety and waited until I was inside. The room was small, and the washrooms and showers are shared. I only stayed one night, so luckily I could skip the showers. The washroom on my floor was dingy and smelled moldy. It was noisy at night, with a woman yelling outside for hours. You get what you pay for.

We paid in full, but after seeing the rooms we left anyway and were refused a refund. Don't book here, it's a dump. We only needed somewhere for one quick night. The first room hadn't been cleaned: the bed was dirty and unmade, used towels were left there, there was a garbage bag with needles in it, and dried vomit on the floor. The receptionist didn't believe us until she went to check for herself. She moved us to another room that was just as dirty, maybe worse, with a disastrous bed and booze and food everywhere. When she offered a third room, we said no. Do yourself a favor and avoid this place like the plague.

Only good points were that it was near the center and the price was "reasonable." Still, it costs too much for what you get. The street had lots of homeless and drunk people, and didn't feel safe. Bathrooms are shared, the staff weren't good, and the Wi-Fi barely had internet most of the time. I could hear the neighbors having sex. The carpet was awful, making it harder to roll my suitcase than on the street. The old elevator was dirty and useless from the ground floor, so you have to carry luggage up 25 steps to reach reception. Horrible experience.

This was a two-part nightmare: a bad neighborhood and a refusal to refund me. I was warned by a friend that the Tenderloin in SF was a bad area and I should stay elsewhere. After driving around on the day, I saw they were right. Drug addicts, gang affiliates, and hobos everywhere, and the place smelled like human waste. Disgusting. My booking policy said I'd only be charged one night for a no-show, but they took the full amount and won't return it. The travel agency kindly managed to recover half the cost. Just book somewhere better or commute from Berkeley or something, especially if you're traveling alone.