User Reviews for Sir Francis Drake Hotel

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Aug 9, 2005 by SUMMERANN (See all reviews by SUMMERANN)
Overall Rating: 6
Cleanliness:[7] • Staff:[9] • Location:[9]

• Lobby, Staff, Location
• Rooms/Bathrooms need remodeling

“This hotel is great on the outside but the rooms are older and dated. They made an attempt to make them appear to be newer but they need some remodeling, especially the bathrooms. Staff was great and the lobby and front of this hotel are neat. Rooms were roomy. ”

Aug 8, 2005 by Eric from Saint James, NY
Overall Rating: 2
Cleanliness:[2] • Staff:[7] • Location:[8]

• Location, nice lobby, friendly staff
• Tiny room -- REALLY tiny. Paint peeling. Poor lighting. Street noise even on 7th floor -- tells me not well insulated.

“Location is fine. Quirky, old style hotel which would be nice, except... probably the smallest room I have ever stayed in, and poor upkeep: Paint peeling, there was an unpainted plywood patch on the wall over the bathroom light. Also smelled of smoke despite being a non-smoking room -- I suspect the ventilation systems are interconected floor-to-floor in a way that moves smoke rather than venting it outside.”

Aug 5, 2005 by Erin from College Station, TX
Overall Rating: 10
Cleanliness:[9] • Staff:[10] • Location:[10]

“I enjoyed the hotel though we weren't there much. The staff did everything they could to make our stay enjoyable. It was very clean and comfortable, a great deal with the price we got. It was a beautiful building with historic value. We didn't try out the Starlight Room, the hotel's night club, but heard it was a fun place to go.”

Aug 5, 2005 by Susan from Daphne, AL
Overall Rating: 5
Cleanliness:[10] • Staff:[2] • Location:[10]

• Location near the Cable Car and Shopping and walking distance to ChinaTown.
• Front desk, valet did not follow thru on requests and were rude for no apparent reason.

“Love this hotel for convenience and charm.”

Aug 5, 2005 by John from Sanger, CA
Overall Rating: 8
Cleanliness:[10] • Staff:[10] • Location:[10]

• Very clean and inviting
• The bathroom was very old and in some disrepair

“Overall the hotel is very clean, inviting, and pleasant in a great location. The bathroom needs updating and remodeling.”

Aug 4, 2005 by Sandy from Monterey Park, CA
Overall Rating: 5
Cleanliness:[6] • Staff:[6] • Location:[10]

• Good location near shopping and restaurants.
• The room smelled horrible and the windows did not open. The r ooms are very small and beds are uncomfortable.

“Other than the great location of this hotel, there was nothing great about the room. It had a horrible smell and the room was uncomfortable.”

Aug 4, 2005 by Joe from Mesa, AZ
Overall Rating: 9
Cleanliness:[8] • Staff:[8] • Location:[7]

• Beautiful lobby, free internet access, downtown next to Union Square.
• Parking downtown can be a frustrating and expensive experience.

“In keeping with the older San Francisco traditions, smallish rooms, tiny bathrooms, older fixtures, expensive valet or hoof it up the street with your stuff to the (high end) downtown parking garages. The lavish entryway suggests a palace! Cool place with a great location but don't expect the star treatment in the room!”

Aug 3, 2005 by Jennifer from Castaic, CA
Overall Rating: 10
Cleanliness:[8] • Staff:[9] • Location:[10]

• The hotel was within walking distance to a variety of San Francisco attractions
• Parking at this hotel is very expensive

“The hotel is an older, "historic" hotel. It is kept up well, and has most modern conveniences including wireless internet service throughout the hotel. It is in a prime San Francisco location, just off of Union Square, and is within easy walking distance of the Moscone Center, and also the cable car route. We would stay here again.”

Aug 3, 2005 by Warren from Charlotte, NC
Overall Rating: 10
Cleanliness:[9] • Staff:[9] • Location:[10]

• the location was nice, and staff helpful
• would have appreciated coffee in lobby

“The decor was attractive and interesting, and the location provided access to union square. The overall flavor was of a historic hotel.”

Jul 29, 2005 by Vanessa from New York, NY
Overall Rating: 6
Cleanliness:[6] • Staff:[8] • Location:[10]

• Excellent location, efficient check-in/out, impressive lobby
• Room furnishings were a little worn and space had an odor upon entering.

“The Sir Francis Drake is a 2.5 -- not 3 -- star hotel in an excellent location. The vintage nature of the hotel did show through in several places: particuarly, the dark, somewhat musty hallways, and the worn furnishings in at least my room. The room itself was on the small side and could have been cleaner: my tub was old and stained in some areas, and my ironing board was spotted and dirty. Also, there was a noticeable odor upon entering the room, which was only somewhat helped by running the air conditioner at all hours. The lobby was quite impressive and well-kept, if not an accurate representation of the rooms above. Still, the staff (particularly the doorman and concierge) were helpful in making suggestions for outings, and check-in/out was smooth and snag-free. The top floor lounge is a destination in itself for the views.”

Jul 29, 2005 by Liaquat from Hagerstown, MD
Overall Rating: 10
Cleanliness:[8] • Staff:[8] • Location:[8]

• excellent location for shopping and sightseeing
• the bathroom was small with no counter space

“good location with friendly staff”

Jul 27, 2005 by Christine from Granada Hills, CA
Overall Rating: 2
Cleanliness:[6] • Staff:[6] • Location:[10]

• Convenience
• The bathroom was horrible. paint was chipped. The windows were dirty and had barbed wire on them. Not what I expected

“The location was good but the rooms were crappy.”

Jul 27, 2005 by Marc from Sacramento, CA
Overall Rating: 10
Cleanliness:[9] • Staff:[10] • Location:[9]

• Very nice room, Outstanding front desk clercks, Great looby
• Not enough elevators to cope with crowds

“Outstanding older hotel 1/2 block from Union Square. Would stay there again and a great value for the money.”

Jul 24, 2005 by Larry from Harwood Heights, IL
Overall Rating: 8
Cleanliness:[7] • Staff:[6] • Location:[8]

• Need to know parking costs

“Nice hotel. Very good location. Hotel parking is $42.18 a night! ”

Jul 20, 2005 by Linda from Saint Louis, MO
Overall Rating: 5
Cleanliness:[5] • Staff:[9] • Location:[8]

• Friendly, courteous staff and closeness to sites, shops and restaurants.
• Decor seriously needs updating. One of our rooms had paint/plaster hanging from the ceiling room 1103.

“The overall service was great. The staff was excellent. But the room decor was in serious need of updating. The carpet was old in need of replacing. The bath tub (room 928) was old and needed reglazing. The hardware also needed updating. The window in the bathroom was cracked and displayed rust spots. My kids room (1103) had paint/plaster hanging down from the ceiling.I will give the hotel a plus for its proximity to favorite San Francisco tourist sites.”

Jul 19, 2005 by Mary from Oakton, VA
Overall Rating: 6
Cleanliness:[7] • Staff:[7] • Location:[10]

• Location
• Hotel needs to be refurbished

“I found out that this hotel has been bought and will be refurbished starting in September. The hotel really needs it and it is apparent that the hotel staff, etc. is waiting for the refurbish.”

Jul 7, 2005 by Steven from Costa Mesa, CA
Overall Rating: 8
Cleanliness:[8] • Staff:[9] • Location:[10]

• nice location
• none

“Nice bed,location, and friendly staff”

Jul 6, 2005 by Cali from Pismo Beach, CA
Overall Rating: 9
Cleanliness:[10] • Staff:[8] • Location:[10]

• Great location, nice comfortable bed, clean room, neat vintage bathroom.
• Hotel staff is hard to find when /if you need them.

“I would recomend this hotel to anyone traveling to San Francisco and wanting to stay near Union Square. It has a great location and quiet rooms. Good value overall.”

Jul 6, 2005 by Keith from San Luis Obispo, CA
Overall Rating: 1
Cleanliness:[7] • Staff:[7] • Location:[10]

• Maid was very nice and friendly. Room was clean.
• Hotel desperately needs updating! Furnishing are old and worn. Plumbing bad.

“I would not recommend this hotel. While I found the staff helpful and nice, my room was in need of serious refurbishing. The furnishings all looked as though they were second hand. The blanket and bed spread needed to be replaced. My room was next to an elevator shaft that shook the room as it passed up and down. The windows were covered in soot and dirt. It had the feel of an worn down SRO hotel rather than a 3-star hotel.”

Jun 30, 2005 by Dennis from Roseville, CA
Overall Rating: 4
Cleanliness:[7] • Staff:[3] • Location:[10]

• Location
• Internet Service (wireless) is bad

“Wouldn't NEVER pay hotel rate at this property. Overrated in my opinion.”

Jun 30, 2005 by Nathan from Scottsdale, AZ
Overall Rating: 7
Cleanliness:[8] • Staff:[9] • Location:[10]

• Harry Denton's Startlight Lounge
• Rooms very small & could use some updating - tattered carpet, walls, etc.

“The location of the Sir Francis Drake cannot be beat. The staff was friendly and the rooms were clean.”

Jun 23, 2005 by Jean from Ma, MA
Overall Rating: 10
Cleanliness:[10] • Staff:[10] • Location:[10]

• The location was perfect, right in the heart of the city. Within walking distance to Chinatown, Union Square, North Beach etc. On cable car line.
• Our room was small, but where we did nothing but sleep there it wasn't a big problem. More space would have been nicer

“I certainly would go back to this hotel and have already recommended it to friends. It was clean, perfectly located and the staff was courtious, and helpful. The housekeeping staff was exceptional and extremely polite. The only negative experience was one experience with the concierge. I had lost a credit card and asked her to call the store where I believed I had left it as would would be gone for the day. When I got back to the hotel there was no message and we were leaving early the next morning. When I got home I called the store and found out it was indeed left there so my guess is that call had not taken place. They were helpful in all other ways, directions, booking side trips etc. I would not let that one experience keep me from returning to a great hotel in a perfect location.”

Jun 14, 2005 by Gary from Pismo Beach, CA
Overall Rating: 6
Cleanliness:[7] • Staff:[8] • Location:[6]

• The staff was nice and the rooms are clean.
• Parking at 42.00 per day is crazy.

“The rooms are small, but very clean and the staff was friendly and attentive. Due to the location, parking a vehicle @42.00 per day outweighs the benifit of a cheaper price. Would recommend trying to stay in another part of the city if you have a vehicle.”

Jun 12, 2005 by Jt from Los Angeles, CA
Overall Rating: 6
Cleanliness:[6] • Staff:[9] • Location:[10]

• Aveda bath productions, great location and bath friendly.
• Rooms were too small.

“The hotel is pet friendly and has a great location, which is in the center of Union Square. The staff was friendly and extremely helpful when needed. My only problem is the rooms were too small, even for one person. There was barely enough room to walk, but I guess the service and location makes up for it.”

Jun 6, 2005 by Suzanne from San Francisco, CA
Overall Rating: 8
Cleanliness:[10] • Staff:[10] • Location:[10]

• Excellent location. Very friendly staff. Loved the Wi-Fi in the hotel.
• Older hotel therefore small room/bathroom

“Nice lobby and ambiance. I really liked that the hotel had wireless access throughout the hotel. This is a very convenient factor for business travellers.”

Jun 2, 2005 by Chenier from Los Angeles, CA
Overall Rating: 10
Cleanliness:[10] • Staff:[9] • Location:[10]

• The Starlight room on the 21st Floor is fantastic!
• Horrible shower pressure and the hotel did not provide enough towels

“The Sir Francis Drake is a quaint hotel with friendly staff service and great location. I would recommend friends to stay there. The only major drawback was parking prices--$37 a night is not reasonable.”

Jun 2, 2005 by Sandy from Sacramento, CA
Overall Rating: 5
Cleanliness:[10] • Staff:[8] • Location:[8]

• The web page mentioned free coffee and wine and cheese in the afternoon. There was neither - nor was there exercise facilities as the web site said.

“Room was very small but pleasant. No coffee or tea in the rooms and no exercise facilities as promised. The location was also very noisy, both from street noise and insdie the hotel noise.”

May 12, 2005 by Wade from Richfield, MN
Overall Rating: 7
Cleanliness:[8] • Staff:[9] • Location:[10]

• concierge and lobby were nice
• rooms not very updated

“for 80 a night in San Fran, we couldn't go wrong.”

May 9, 2005 by Sharath from San Ramon, CA
Overall Rating: 9
Cleanliness:[8] • Staff:[5] • Location:[9]

• Reception staff not helpful.

“Perfect location. Small but clean rooms. Lobby is grand and well appointed. Reception staff dull and unhelpful. ”

May 8, 2005 by Jason from Provo, UT
Overall Rating: 9
Cleanliness:[7] • Staff:[10] • Location:[9]

• The hotel staff was the most friendly and knowledgeable I've encountered
• The room size was very tiny, even for San Fran, NYC had larger rooms in a 2.5 star room

“I enjoyed our brief stay there, but would likely pay the $10-15 dollar difference to bid on a 4-star room instead.”

Apr 27, 2005 by Carolyn from Spring Valley, CA
Overall Rating: 2
Cleanliness:[1] • Staff:[7] • Location:[8]

• It had character
• the rooms were small and it wasn't clean

“The hotel has very small rooms and wasn't clean. I'm not even sure the sheets were clean once I thought about it. We had to get them to come in a and vacuum and stock everything. Even the mini bar hadn't been restocked and they tried charging that to us. I had called and let them know that as well.”

Apr 26, 2005 by Jean from Antioch, CA
Overall Rating: 9
Cleanliness:[9] • Staff:[8] • Location:[8]

• it's smack dab in union square. close to everything! staff was helpful and considerate even thought they were extremely busy.
• parking is sooo expensive in the area.

“the lobby was very grand looking...beautiful. everything was clean.

when I checked in, it took a long time because there was only one person at the front desk checking everyone in. He did a good job multitasking considering he was the only person at the front desk.

The concierge did assign me a room that did not exist at the hotel. there was a 1707...then a 1709 but apparently room number 1708 on the 17th floor was skipped. I thought I was going insane until I had someone else look for that room number with me. I had to go back down to the concierge and I guess he wrote down the wrong number and he meant to write 708...not 1708. very strange.

overall a pleasant experience.”

Apr 25, 2005 by Bruce from Olympia, WA
Overall Rating: 1
Cleanliness:[8] • Staff:[8] • Location:[9]

• Location
• Walls were so thin I could not get sleep

“This hotel has a great location. But the rooms are very small and the walls were so thin I could hear everything going on in every room around us. I have never stayed in a hotel that had this noise problem so bad!”

Apr 19, 2005 by Shannon from Ogden, UT
Overall Rating: 10
Cleanliness:[9] • Staff:[8] • Location:[9]

• The decor and location were perfect!

“For being close to the action on Union Square, the Sir Francis Drake is an excellent choice. Their lobby has been remodeled in an exquisite French/Italian look. Their in-house restaurant, Scalia's, is a winner; and they're located just across the street from Sears, noted internationally for their pancakes. Other meals are pretty terrific there as well. The cable car to the wharf stops directly in front of the hotel, which is an additional benefit!”

Mar 15, 2005 by Bob from Richardson, TX
Overall Rating: 1
Cleanliness:[6] • Staff:[3] • Location:[8]

• Nothing
• Dirty, Smal rooms, bad food,

“ I will not use for SFO area again! It was not worth even $20 a night!!! What a flea bag! ”

Mar 14, 2005 by Ryan from Wauseon, OH
Overall Rating: 8
Cleanliness:[8] • Staff:[9] • Location:[10]

• great location, friendly staff
• the rooms were small, but being a old hotel, it was what I expected.

“Overall I was pleased. Again good location, friendly staff, small rooms (although I was comfortable).”

Feb 24, 2005 by Sue K. from Irvine
Overall Rating: 6
Cleanliness:[8] • Staff:[3] • Location:[9]

• Location, location, cleanliness, 2 queen beds available in rooms
• What staff? Bravo to the doorman (he very nicely offered to take our pictures)

“Pretty hotel, doorman was the most helpful staff member, we took our sons for our annual trip (2 rooms) and my thought is that our teenage sons may have bothered the staff for some unknown reason, therefore avoiding us. Other years we have stayed at Triton, Chinatown Holiday Inn, Hyatt Wharf & all staff were friendly to the kids. We also had to wait way too long for someone to help us get our luggage that we had stored until our trip to airport in afternoon (after checkout). The bistro connected to hotel is wonderful; we were very disappointed that it was closed July 4th.”

Feb 12, 2005 by Steve from Fiddletown, CA
Overall Rating: 2
Cleanliness:[3] • Staff:[6] • Location:[8]

• The location.
• The filthy unkempt room.

“For one of San Francisco's oldest and most well known hotels, it was a shame to see that the ownership has apparently set aside the ambiance, comfort and beauty which was so much a part of this one-time best of the city. I don't ever want to stay there again. Not even for free.”

Sep 18, 2004 by Edmund B. from Inverness, CA
Overall Rating: 1

“Parking charge with tip $45.00. It was a rare warm evening in San Francisco and the room was stuffy so turned on the air-conditioning. Bad idea - kept us up all night. Kept cycling on and off on the lowest setting. Went to take a shower the next morning only to find that the bottom of the tub had probably backed up from a clog in the drains. Had to ask the front desk for another room to take a shower in.”

Sep 7, 2004 by James M. from Nipomo
Overall Rating: 8

“Small room but very courteous staff. Clean and well located.”