The Huntington Hotel

No mini bar in the room. No late night room service.

I stayed at Huntington for three days while working on a business project. So far my favorite hotel in San Francisco. Staff were very friendly and welcoming especially Mr. Gary King. The room was very comfortable, spacious and super clean. The housekeeping services were quick and on-time. This property has a nice bar and restaurant plus the famous Spa. Matthew at Spa was very nice and friendly as well. I appreciate the services and will go back there again for sure.

The loc as ruin is great and easy to get in and out. The staff are all friendly and will try to accommodate your every need.

Very clean and the neighborhood felt safe. We were happy there was a clean park across the street

Terrific location...walking distance to many places. Iconic hotel with history. We upgraded the room to a suite that was huge. Room was quite nice but getting a little worn. Comfortable bed and linens. Easy check-in. Doormen must learn to greet everyone including those of us that use Uber-Lyft. We were ever greeted...never!

The picture of the pool in the listing is a bit deceptive as it's only available to those getting spa treatments.

The room was nice and warm and the view of the church and the spa was great

Classic, plush, older boutique hotel that still feels original, which is rare these days. I definitely enjoyed my stay here and would come back at the right price, but I do have a few quibbles to mention. First, the good news. This low-key landmark San Francisco hotel has a truly amazing location on Nob Hill with some stunning views. You are literally on top of the hill, which you share with the Fairmont and the Mark Hopkins hotels, but those places are full of tourists and feel super busy. Here, a half-block away, you are out of the fray of the city but Union Square is still close by (though it's an extremely steep walk down the hill). I got a very nice room from the friendly front desk clerk (I think it was an upgrade) and spent a really enjoyable night here. But it never felt like a true 5 star hotel. For instance, the doormen repeatedly went out of their way not to open the one small entrance door for me or even say hello. The hotel feels original... sure, it's been updated but it has never been gutted so when you walk down the hall, you can see the original door and baseboard trim that's been painted a thousand times. I kind of like that, but it's rare to see that in a hotel of this caliber. About 5 years ago a Singaporean hotel chain bought this place and redid it, calling it the Scarlet Huntington for awhile. It got a weird Vegas circa 2015 remodel as a result, which doesn't do the old bones of this place justice. It's actually nice furniture, just not a good fit and was an odd choice stylistically. Some of the furniture is already being let go... there is a sofa in the tiny lobby that had the upholstery rubbed right off it. I mean, it's the one sofa they have and it needs to be replaced. Anyway, when they get a new one I hope it's in a different, more elegant style. I believe they're deemphasizing/removing the "Scarlet" aspect of the hotel and that's a good thing. Overnight self-parking was easy and close by, right under the Grace Cathedral ($33, no in-and-out privileges but very secure), which is kitty-corner to the hotel. And another bonus... on the ground floor, there is the coolest restaurant/bar I've seen in San Francisco. It's called the Big 4 and is definitely worth a visit. I didn't have a chance to have a drink or meal there but it looks amazing... very atmospheric turn-of-last century kind of thing that's been there for decades but I've never heard of it. I would definitely return to the Huntington and am curious to see what changes are in store for this place. It's sitting on some extremely valuable hotel real estate, yet doesn't seem to be maximized for this very charming but expensive city. PS Dining choices are minimal and expensive. There isn't a Starbucks or coffee place within easy walking distance, which is unusual these days and was the only downside to the great location. You really have to walk quite a few blocks downhill... then hike back uphill and break a sweat or take the cable car.

Pros: this hotel is in a fantastic location in Nob Hill. Hotel has old charm to it and it smells great since the Nob Hill Spa is inside of there and the great smell carries! Nice having the Big 4 downstairs although it was tough getting a drink in there Saturday night. Cons: the room was SO HOT. I guess the hotel has no AC? There is a "fan" where there is an old dial to choose temperature and high, medium or low speed. Even at 50 degrees (lowest) it really is only blowing hot air. Luckily you can open windows but there are no screens and when it rained at night you could not only hear the rain but see it coming inside. It became just so stuffy and uncomfortable we could barely sleep. Also, the shower would not turn on. We finally called the front desk to ask if there was a trick to get it on and they sent up a bellman who came very quickly which was appreciated. He implied they are broken and people have been breaking them when trying to turn them on so appreciated us calling. He showed us how to pull the nozzle out to get water. You'd think they would just explain this at check in if they know it is an issue? Lastly, there were 3 fire trucks parked outside in the morning, which a bunch of them trying to hoist a ladder up to a window on the side of the hotel. Unnerving to say the least and never were informed what was happening with that. All in all it is a charming but old hotel. I would probably elect to stay in Financial District or a newer hotel next time but solely due to how hot the room was.

The bathroom was painted a horrible hospital Green and cheesy artwork/poster In it. The bar is great.