Hotel Fiona

As someone who lived in SF for a long time, I’m delighted I found this hidden gem. The place has loads of charm, my room was stunning, and the location made it easy to get around to where I needed to go. I also appreciated the parking, the heated pool across the street, the 24-hour help desk, and the morning pastries and coffee. It’s a clean, distinctive place in a central spot at a great price. I want to tell everyone and keep it secret at the same time. I’m booking again.

The people at the front desk were very good, but that was the only bright spot. We paid for parking and got a spot on a hill blocked by a gate, which we had to move whenever we left or came back. Breakfast was stale pastries. It was January, and our room was cold; the engineering team came to “fix” the heater, but it still didn’t work. The floor was so dirty our feet turned black when we walked barefoot. We covered the creepy paintings with towels, and there was a strange drilling noise behind one of them. People knocked on our door late at night. On another night, a group partied in the hallway outside our door and left an open beer can there. Ours was the only room in that hallway. The hidden amenity fee is for the gym and pool across the street at SoMa House. The worst part was the bed: the springs were audible and easy to feel, and it sloped so badly we felt like we might roll off. We didn’t get a good night’s sleep at any point during our three-night stay.

The room was roomy and clean, and the morning coffee and pastries were better quality than I expected. The front desk team was friendly and efficient. They seem to take real pride in helping guests feel comfortable. I’d recommend this as an affordable place to stay in SF.

I used to like this hotel, but the rising prices have made it not worth the hassle. SF residents are charged a higher security deposit, and the front desk clerk made a point of noting that I don’t live in San Francisco despite my having a 415 number. An area code doesn’t tell you where someone lives.