Fairmont San Francisco

I've been taking my children to the Fairmont San Francisco for a staycation during the holiday season for years. It's one of our most cherished holiday activities. This year, I messed up our booking, but the manager swooped in to save the day, providing excellent customer service. Even during the busy holiday season, there was care and concern and the problem was resolved. In addition to this, the hotel is beautiful, the decor is festive, and the views are stunning. It's the perfect place to celebrate the season. I hope to continue our annual tradition for years and years and return with my future grandchildren someday.

For a luxury hotel, the experience fell far short of its name and reputation. The restaurant was especially disappointing, offering food closer to cafeteria-grade than the upscale dining promised, with bland flavors and portions that left much to be desired. It’s clear this isn’t the fault of the hardworking staff, who are doing their best with limited equipment and resources, likely a result of corporate cost-cutting. Service, while polite, lacked the polish expected from a high-end establishment, adding to the frustration. For the price and branding, guests deserve far better than what feels like a budget experience disguised in luxury packaging. This hotel needs to seriously rethink its priorities if it wants to justify its premium status.

Staff repeatedly walked into room seconds after nocking. Caught in bathroom several times. Overpriced and below par breakfasts. We didn't finish them. Dirty silverware. 5+ min before shower got hot. Room is obviously not cleaned well from layer of dust.

It lives by its reputation but really nothing else. It’s well past its prime. Fairly old fashioned room. Difficult finding charging possibilities. AC like an old locomotive making noise throughout the night. Charging for internet - true to stile, since that’s what hotels did a couple of decades age. If you like it - make it into a museum!

The view from our suite was extraordinary. That made our stay worthwhile. But the hotel needs some love. The paint is chipping, and the service is subpar. We checked in Thursday, our room was not ready. The hotel clerk took our info and said she would text us … we explored the city, came back and found two chairs in a hallway. No word. Finally, I stood in a long line at the desk, only to find our room had been ready for quite a while. They forgot to text. That same day, an older concierge bordered on rude as he responded to a question about cable car tickets. Turns out, he gave us incorrect information, including the wrong price. What kind of a SF hotel concierge doesn’t know about cable cars? Next morning, our breakfast room service order was lost. After more than an hour wait, they comped one order of toast, $8 on a $100 order. We tried the dining room the next morning. They were only offering a buffet, which was not worth the $50 per person. Limited choices, only unripe melon for fruit. The Thanksgiving dinner was ok, except for the desserts. They tasted like they were from Costco. Again, the room was lovely and the suite incredible. But I think I will return to my much loved Marriotts next trip to the city by the Bay. They always take care of me.