Fairmont San Francisco

The Fairmont is a world know brand that brings expectations of excellence. In regards to this hotel leave your expectations at home. For instance the fitness Center is open only on Saturday and Sunday from 7 am to 4 pm. Further the hotels famed bar, The Tonga Room , is...

The Fairmont is a world know brand that brings expectations of excellence. In regards to this hotel leave your expectations at home. For instance the fitness Center is open only on Saturday and Sunday from 7 am to 4 pm. Further the hotels famed bar, The Tonga Room , is closed sunday, monday and tuesdays! As other reviews noted the add ons are ridiculous. To access the wifi there is a charge of $12!!! Even a two star hotel will offer complimentary wifi. However if you are prepared to give away your privacy and join the fairmont club that fee is waived. What’s not waived is the over $100 fee to park at the hotel once you include the various taxes. As others noted the hotel rooms are in need of renovation. At the prices they are charging I would look elsewhere

Overall we had a disappointing stay here. We’ve stayed in other Fairmounts and the quality of amenities here and value for money as disappointing. Centrally located which was a positive and the staff at check on were fine but our room was teeny and very basic. The temperature of our...

Overall we had a disappointing stay here. We’ve stayed in other Fairmounts and the quality of amenities here and value for money as disappointing. Centrally located which was a positive and the staff at check on were fine but our room was teeny and very basic. The temperature of our shower was also like warm and upon complaining and they looked at it they said it was the max it could go. Wouldn’t return but still loved SF

Visited SF for a lovely birthday getaway. We splurged on a suite at the Fairmont. It was worth every penny. We thoroughly enjoyed our corner Suite. We couldn’t stop looking at the west, north and east views. We lucked out on the blue sky filled weather. The spacious living room...

Visited SF for a lovely birthday getaway. We splurged on a suite at the Fairmont. It was worth every penny. We thoroughly enjoyed our corner Suite. We couldn’t stop looking at the west, north and east views. We lucked out on the blue sky filled weather. The spacious living room was great to relax in. Suite had a nice big bathroom with amazing water pressure. Appreciated the comfy robes. Enjoyed breakfast to the room twice. The omelettes, pastries and fruits were exceptional. Loved having quality coffee/Nespresso in the room. Housekeeping kept us refreshed, fluffed and folded every day. Room service staff were also exceptional. Enjoyed the Tonga room too. Fairly crowded and not super “traditional” tiki like in previous decades, but still fun. The Wiki Wiki drink was delicious.

Perfectly located at the top of Nob Hill, this hotel is iconic. The room was very comfortable and had great views of the Bay (when the sun broke through the fog) We enjoyed a beautiful dinner there and watched the moon rise from the very quiet outdoor gardens with our...

Perfectly located at the top of Nob Hill, this hotel is iconic. The room was very comfortable and had great views of the Bay (when the sun broke through the fog) We enjoyed a beautiful dinner there and watched the moon rise from the very quiet outdoor gardens with our own bottle of wine. A lovely hotel experience in San Francisco!

Fabulous hotel!! We loved everything about it. We had a tower corner suite with a lovely big bathroom. Very spacious and comfy. AND THE VIEWS!!!!! My goodness, absolutely outstanding. Its in a nice safe neighbourhood too and walking distance to the Alcatraz ferry, through China town. We ate in the...

Fabulous hotel!! We loved everything about it. We had a tower corner suite with a lovely big bathroom. Very spacious and comfy. AND THE VIEWS!!!!! My goodness, absolutely outstanding. Its in a nice safe neighbourhood too and walking distance to the Alcatraz ferry, through China town. We ate in the restaurant for breakfast and it was all very nice. Just book this place, you won't be disappointed. One teeny tiny gripe, was that it was a long trek to actually get to our room from reception, so if that kind of thing is important to you ask for a room nearer reception.

We did an overnight stay at the Fairmont for NYE 2024. We used the AMEX Platinum benefits . Pros: The building is very historical and beautiful. We loved the hallway with all the framed photos of past presidents, movies filmed onsite and other history. The courtyard/garden is great. It has...

We did an overnight stay at the Fairmont for NYE 2024. We used the AMEX Platinum benefits . Pros: The building is very historical and beautiful. We loved the hallway with all the framed photos of past presidents, movies filmed onsite and other history. The courtyard/garden is great. It has incredible views of the Trolley cars and the SF Bay The entrance is so grand. There was a huge xmas tree and ginger bread house in the lobby Some of the staff are quite helpful and nice (the front desk and concierge) In-room breakfast food was pretty good (better than the Laurel court restaurant dinner). We had an egg white omelette and brioche french toast. AMEX platinum benefits were nice: $100 restaurant credit, $90 breakfast credit, early check in, late checkout (we didn’t get room upgrade due to hotel being fully booked for NYE, and free wifi was much slower than our cell phone carriers) Cons The rooms are abit dated and not well maintained. So you get peeling paint, lots air drafts in winter time. The bathrooms are very outdated with tiny sinks, very old shower heads and low water pressure. The shower + sink are the equivalent an old beat up but clean motel. Service: this isn’t housekeeping’s fault, but despite a privacy hanger we put on the doorknob and late checkout noted with the front desk, we had our door knocked on (and sometimes opened) about 5 times in the am while attempting to sleep in after NYE. after the 5th interruption I asked the housekeeper why they persisted and learned 1) management or front desk did not inform them of our late checkout, 2) housekeeping removed the privacy hanger for some reason; along these lines, our room keys stopped working mid morning (likely a result of the late checkout oversight) which was an annoying inconvenience to have to go to lobby and wait in line for the key to get reactivated Restaurant (Laurel Court): it’s also abit dated, food not that great, and servers / hosts seem quite indifferent to helping customers. We ate dinner on NYE at the restaurant and it was average although quite pricey (that’s fine - we expected that) We attempted to eat breakfast there, but the restaurant wasn’t doing menu ordering (only buffet) and when we showed up (1030am, 1 hour before closing), the buffet was quite bare and they weren’t refilling much of it. When we initially asked for a table at breakfast, the host told us it was an hour wait or longer and mentioned we might not get seated at before breakfast ended, although the dining room was about ⅔ full and there were a large number of empty tables already cleaned/cleared. Then 5 minutes later he offered us a table. Overall service just wasn’t quite what you would expect for the level of hotel the Fairmont is, regardless of the date / time of year. Overall it was a nice stay, but not quite what one would expect for a 5 star hotel. Probably won’t visit again, but it’s definitely a unique property worth seeing once if you appreciate SF history.

We visited for one night, New Year’s Eve. We were a bit disappointed at the experience. First of all, the valet parking was absolute chaos. There seemed to be only two guys on it. The road outside the hotel became blocked in both directions and there was much driver hooting!...

We visited for one night, New Year’s Eve. We were a bit disappointed at the experience. First of all, the valet parking was absolute chaos. There seemed to be only two guys on it. The road outside the hotel became blocked in both directions and there was much driver hooting! We were surprised the cops didn’t turn up. It costs $89 for one night in advance. If you want to take your car out again during the stay, that’s an extra $10. We were also surprised at the general nickel and dime-ing by this “luxury” hotel. Not so much as a free bottle of water in the room. $14 or $25 per day for WiFi (really? In 2024?). The room did not come with robes, which was also a surprise for a fancy hotel. The hot water in the shower takes ages to arrive and isn’t very hot anyway. At least we were given three bath towels. The bed was comfortable and the room was quiet, soundproofing was pretty good. The holiday decorations in the lobby were lovely. Would I stay again? No.

The Fairmont absolutely blew me away from the minute. I walked into the lobby with the most amazing gingerbread house and Christmas tree. Even though it was December 29th, I felt like Christmas all over again was fantastic. The room had the most amazing view of the Golden gate bridge...

The Fairmont absolutely blew me away from the minute. I walked into the lobby with the most amazing gingerbread house and Christmas tree. Even though it was December 29th, I felt like Christmas all over again was fantastic. The room had the most amazing view of the Golden gate bridge and the bay. The breakfast in room dining was just delicious and fantastic. I don't recommend the buffet. Other than that everything was superb. There was a lovely manager named Bailey who was extremely helpful at the front desk. I highly recommend the location super Central. There is a lot of talk about San Francisco. Being scary. Every city has bad neighborhoods. I tend to stay out of them. The neighborhoods we were in North Beach the marina Fillmore japantown Chinatown all were fantastic!!! I missed San Francisco as I lived here many years ago and I will be back again every year. Love love love the hotel

Room was missing one side of an entire curtain. Both USB were broken (on their bedside lamps) . Concierge and front desk could not help us obtain distilled water for a medical device. (The Ritz keeps distilled water on site) Staff seemed aloof, rude and unhelpful. I will never stay...

Room was missing one side of an entire curtain. Both USB were broken (on their bedside lamps) . Concierge and front desk could not help us obtain distilled water for a medical device. (The Ritz keeps distilled water on site) Staff seemed aloof, rude and unhelpful. I will never stay at this hotel again.

Writing a bad review for a Fairmont hotel comes as a shock for me as a Diamond member and a supporter of the brand. However this stay at the San Francisco Fairmont felt like I was staying in badly managed MOTEL not a 5 star Hotel.... The number of let-downs...

Writing a bad review for a Fairmont hotel comes as a shock for me as a Diamond member and a supporter of the brand. However this stay at the San Francisco Fairmont felt like I was staying in badly managed MOTEL not a 5 star Hotel.... The number of let-downs from poor service to rudeness of staff is incalculable. Never again will I stay at this hotel which is a shame as the building and its history deserve better.

My husband and I went for our 20 year anniversary. We got a deal, so at least we didn't pay the usual $500 but I was astounded at how bad the room was. The mattress had both our backs in pain the next day. There was only the most basic...

My husband and I went for our 20 year anniversary. We got a deal, so at least we didn't pay the usual $500 but I was astounded at how bad the room was. The mattress had both our backs in pain the next day. There was only the most basic of cable stations. There was no wireless charging, and they didn't have a service or a way to charge phones other than an outlet anywhere in the hotel. The shower was a low-pressure disappointment fest. Then, the worst: the pillows. The pillows ALL had these bizarre hard lumps throughout. I ordered more pillows to be sent to our room but they never arrived. So we had to sleep (poorly) on this hard mattress with lumpy pillows that woke both of us up all night. I get that we received a good deal for the night, but this is NOT the service I would expect from a standard room at a place like the Fairmont. Will never be staying there again.

Overall, it was not as special a wedding hotel experience as we would have hoped for at SF City Hall and Fairmont. Young couples go elsewhere, they will judge based on appearance. Everything emailed as promises did not really happen.

We gave the more negative reviews a wide berth and jumped into booking this hotel, wanting to experience history and 5* hospitality. Sadly, we were disappointed. To me, service is a big thing and it was not cohesive here. I described it like parents taking a hotel and leaving the...

We gave the more negative reviews a wide berth and jumped into booking this hotel, wanting to experience history and 5* hospitality. Sadly, we were disappointed. To me, service is a big thing and it was not cohesive here. I described it like parents taking a hotel and leaving the kids in charge. Check in took a long time with one long queue. Once at the front it was fairly speedy but we were directed to a lift which was broken and then ended up in the wrong part of the hotel before finally arriving back to reception in a sweaty mess! We eventually found our room but it opened on to an open bathroom door which had a large scuff on it. To be fair, the overall room was in a good state with just a few scuffs but it was the first thing we saw. The WiFi access wasn't explained which caused issues too and we just felt stressed. The login was confusing and the free access was not obvious. My husband went to reception and the person he spoke with was really lovely and resolved the issues. The next evening we went to the lobby bar for cocktails and the waiter cursorily threw down the napkins which was a little rude. He did seem better as the time went on but it just didn't feel like I was in a good hotel. I do travel a lot due to my job and stay in all sorts of hotels from basic up to the very best, so I have a good feel for reasonable expectations and I was disappointed. Our standard king room was a good size with a nice large window with a view of the bay to the right. The bed was comfortable but be mindful there are interconnecting rooms and you can hear everything!! The glass is also single glazed and we were woken up early every morning with what sounded like banging crates. The shower was brilliant and there was shampoo, conditioner, body wash and body lotion. The body lotion was empty on arrival and we had to ask this to be refilled on day two at reception as it still hadn't been checked. They sent someone up with body wash and they were not happy when they realised it wasn't what we asked for. It was then sorted. Our blind also failed to operate on night one (the curtains are only for show). Luckily, Jerry the maintenance guy, fixed it quickly but again, it perhaps should have been spotted before we checked in. There was a good hair dryer, a great steamer and an iron and ironing board. We had a huge dressing room with a safe, two long mirrors, slippers and dressing gowns. There was an ice machine nearby which was handy. There is a resort fee of $35 per room per day but you do get some inclusions. There is a $10 credit per room per day in the coffee shop. A drip coffee starts at $6, an orange juice starts from $8 and a large pastry is $10. So it's not bad value. The area could do with a spruce up and I did strangely find a drill bit by my chair. You also get $10 per room per day for the mini bar. A cola is about $6 and then you have tax on top plus a restocking fee of 22%. I didn't use the gym but they have one. We didn't dine here but drinks in the lobby bar and Tonga Bar were brilliant. The Tonga bar is worth a visit. They had a great live band on and a fantastic atmosphere. The Porters at the front of the hotel were brilliant and always said hello and were professional and helpful. The Porters inside the hotel were a mixed bag and I had an item damaged on check out day having specifically pointed out it was fragile. The reception team was largely good especially Ashley on check out who tried her best to deal with this issue. The hotel seems very set up for business guests and there was a large conference on when we were leaving. The lobby was totally changed and we felt like we were in a conference, not a hotel. From various conversations, I get the impression this is not a hotel for leisure guests. The area itself is lovely. It's very hilly and it takes about 30 minutes to walk down to the Bay area. We walked most places, only getting a taxi to the Palace of Fine Arts, and it felt safe. If I were to return to the city, I would not stay here again sadly. Upon returning I did complete a survey sent by the hotel and I did receive a prompt apology and suggested resolution. The hotel and brand are excellent at resolutions but I really with they didn't have to work so hard on this. Get the small details right and good things follow.

Overall a beautiful property, a fantastic location and lots to see and do besides just sleeping. We only had 1 night here but will definitely consider the Fairmont San Fran for future stays. The property has history at every corner you turn, and the elegance is enduring. We spent a...

Overall a beautiful property, a fantastic location and lots to see and do besides just sleeping. We only had 1 night here but will definitely consider the Fairmont San Fran for future stays. The property has history at every corner you turn, and the elegance is enduring. We spent a lot of time wandering the long halls, looking at all the historical pictures, and even peeking our heads into a 300+ person wedding in the ballroom. The staff here are great, as expected at such a fine property. Shout out to Susan in housekeeping who was a fantastic spokeperson for the hotel, giving us a quick glimpse at the view on the Golden Gate Bridge side as we walked past her cleaning the room. She had so much excitement and friendliness that we would come back to stay just to see her again. Our room was perfect and quiet. Very spacious including the massive bathroom, comfortable beds and clean. No issues at all with the rooms. Parking is a bit of a nightmare, particularly at busy times. The road in front can be an absolute circus with buses, cars, waymos etc all going every direction. Valet was something like $90 a night so I found a local garage to park at on SpotHero ... I assume space is limited so the high price is to dissuade people from bringing vehicles. The Tonga Room oozes history and is a great place to get a tiki drink, albeit quite an expensive one but sometimes you pay for the experience also, and the band they had playing was amazing. Breakfast was limited to a buffet when we visited and was pitiful. I feel bad for anyone paying the $45 per person, as it was at a level of a basic hotel buffet. Eggs, sausage, bacon, some basic pastries, fruit, yogurt etc. Thankfully our breakfast was included in our stay, otherwise I would have been livid. Our comped bill came to $112 including taxes and auto gratuity and I am not exaggerating when I say the food was of a Hampton Inn buffet quality. Steer clear and find a local cafe if you get sticker shock easily. The location of the hotel is one of the standouts I believe. It is in a very historical neighborhood, high atop a hill with fantastic views in all directions. The area is clean, right next to a cable car route and easy to navigate. If you have time, the free Cable Car museum is only 2 blocks away and is a fantastic insight into all the history of this famous attraction. Overall, the Fairmont San Francisco is on our list to stay again on a future visit. We felt very relaxed staying here and in a busy city like San Francisco, this is an important factor.

Love the location and the history and tradition that is so apparent throughout the hotel's premises, from its grand lobby to its corridors with pictures of historical people and events to its statue and large part portrait of Tony Bennet ("I left my hear in San Francisco"). The first room...

Love the location and the history and tradition that is so apparent throughout the hotel's premises, from its grand lobby to its corridors with pictures of historical people and events to its statue and large part portrait of Tony Bennet ("I left my hear in San Francisco"). The first room I was given had an ordinary view of the Grace Cathedral square, but the second one (after a transfer due to heater problems) displayed a lovely view of the bay featuring Fisherman's wharf and Alcatraz Island in the background. The shortcomings were evident too. Housekeeping that didn't replace the coffee mugs and glasses used (they took them away but no replacement), so I had to call to request them. The aforementioned non-working heater (some defect in the hot water pipes in that part of the hotel). I was also told that I had a $50 credit that I can use, but didn't realize until I clarified (after spending a bit in the gift shop) that it only applied to the main restaurant. I was also informed too in the middle of my stay that I had a $10/day credit at the coffee shop. Some bath towels that were freshly put in our room one day turned out to have a few dirty stains in them. Then when I requested for an email to send the housekeeping feedback, the front desk gave me an email address that didn't work. And when I sent an email to the customer relations desk that welcomed me, I received no confirmation or acknowledgement of the email feedback. I would like to commend Ms Mai from the front office who was extremely helpful in arranging my transfer to another room late at night when I had heater problems. While problems like the heater could be expected from a hotel as old as The Fairmont, the issues I had were not related to its age but to its overall management, something that can and should be improved upon so that one can thoroughly enjoy their stay at such an iconic hotel as this.

This hotel is beautiful. I can’t believe people putting negative reviews. Our room in the tower on the 21st floor had the most amazing view. Probably the nicest room we’ve ever had. Bathroom had a separate shower and a bath. All staff very friendly and attentive. Breakfast was very nice...

This hotel is beautiful. I can’t believe people putting negative reviews. Our room in the tower on the 21st floor had the most amazing view. Probably the nicest room we’ve ever had. Bathroom had a separate shower and a bath. All staff very friendly and attentive. Breakfast was very nice and not overpriced. We either caught the tram outside or used uber to get around.

The location and ambience of the Fairmont are remarkable and the rooftop garden was delightful. Comfortable, quiet room. Prices for drinks were ridiculous - $50 for two drinks served at the bar. Our experience with the front desk staff and valets was excellent. Courteous, professional and friendly. We will be...

The location and ambience of the Fairmont are remarkable and the rooftop garden was delightful. Comfortable, quiet room. Prices for drinks were ridiculous - $50 for two drinks served at the bar. Our experience with the front desk staff and valets was excellent. Courteous, professional and friendly. We will be back again.

Dirty windows, dusty rooms, overpriced, no wifi included, terrible restaurants and location that makes it really impossible to walk anywhere. Best to avoid. Stay somewhere more charming like by the water or in Japantown. Fairmont is grumpy old garbage heap of a hotel with bad service.

Too many added expenses so be aware. It is a beautiful hotel in a very clean area. It is expensive. I used the gym which is only free if you are a member.