TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

This hotel has gotten so bad it’s almost funny. The St Francis was once my favorite hotel in SF, but their total lack of decency and respect for both employees and guests is insulting. They have closed the restaurants and bar for years, done away with room service, and only provide basic budget-level housekeeping. Employees are right to strike for this pointless lack of proper staffing levels. And the picketers pound drums outside the front door at all hours. I wonder how long Westin will keep their name on the building; even the front desk staff are constantly apologetic for the third-world conditions. Stay elsewhere.

The hotel is in a great location, which is a relative statement in San Fran, what with all the homelessness and public defecation (which I witnessed). The room was large and clean. The lobby bar and restaurant were above average. I'd say it's time for an updating of the decor. The price was right. A worthwhile stay.

This used to be the premiere hotel. What we found was anything but that. I hate writing bad reviews but this was a frustrating experience. We booked an ADA wheelchair compliant room. I called ahead. I asked if everything was ok since we would be landing at sfo after a hospital stint. They assured us it was a good room. We arrived and there was no bellhop. I carried medical equipment and suitcases by myself. The hotel didn’t mention there was loud picketing downstairs. For someone who is recovering, this should have been mentioned when I explained our situation on the phone the day before. Our room was 17 floors up and we could hear all of it. The wheelchair room is at the end of a long hallway - with thick carpet. So hard for someone to roll all that way to get to. The door to open was very heavy- and the long hallway to get from the bathroom to the bedroom was difficult for a wheelchair to maneuver. Nothing about this room was functional. Lastly, the box spring appeared to be on the floor w the mattress on top. What kind of dignified experience is this? All of the other hotels have figured out how to make an accessible room but in this instance, it felt like a sloppy after thought. We cancelled our reservation and went elsewhere. Pluses: the staff was very kind and as helpful as they could be

This is a fine hotel. My room was excellent. The bed was comfortable and the room was spacious and well appointed. There was a snack bar on the main floor that was convenient, but way too pricey. I had to use the business center one afternoon and it was virtually impossible to find, and the fee for the computer and printing was way too high. But the location is extremely convenient (Union Square), and lots of good restaurants and shops around. Valet parking. My only complaint is that there was a union strike going on at this, and several other hotels in the area. From 9am - 10pm without pause, the picket line was banging drums and cymbols, and screaming, constantly. I was on the 19th floor. I pity the people on lower floors. But, if the hotel had informed me beforehand about the strike, I would not have stayed there - not because of the noise, but in sympathy with the union. As it was, I was alone, and I didn't have the energy to go looking for alternative accommodations once I was ensconced for the four days I was there.

This is a hard review to write because I’ve loved this hotel since I was a little girl—we used to come here every Christmas and have returned periodically as an adult. I’d say it will be wonderful again but right now I’d tell people to pick somewhere else (and I wish I’d known!). Here’s why: the main grand lobby is closed (blocking direct street access from inside the hotel to union square, doorman, taxi line and removing a great deal of the ambiance), no room service (this was super disappointing, I had imagined ordering dinner and breakfast for the tight timeline we had and to enjoy our view), and there’s a huge Westin employee protest outside the valet with an extremely loud drummer. The drumming made our arrival feel stressful and made me feel really bad for the parking staff. I hope Westin resolves this issue with its employees soon. The gentleman at the front desk had been flown in from somewhere else to cover the strike and was very kind but said the drumming goes until 10PM every night and it was still audible/annoying in the lobby. With a tiny bottle of water $7 downstairs and a $500+ room you’d think Westin could pay its employees well enough to get the drumming to stop. To top it all off we were “upgraded” to a room that wasn’t in the tower we’d reserved—didn’t feel like an upgrade but by the time I realized we’d be on a lower floor and not in the tower we were already in our room and I didn’t feel like going back down to sort it out. I’d say don’t stay here until the lobby is finished, the strike is over and they have room service again. Two stars for kind staff and a nice room, even if it wasn’t on the floor I desired. More than anything, I’m compelled to write this review in hopes that the regular employees receive fair enough pay to return to work soon. We heard they will likely be very short staffed during the holidays.