SFO El Rancho Inn, SureStay Collection by Best Western — Attraction in Millbrae

I recently had the unfortunate experience of staying here, and I must say that it was one of the worst trips I've encountered in my over thirty years of traveling. As an Area Manager responsible for four resorts myself, I was appalled by the lack of professionalism and basic security measures displayed by this establishment.

To begin with, my initial encounter at the Guest Service Desk set the tone for the entire stay. Shockingly, I was allowed entry into my brother's unit without any associate bothering to check my ID. This blatant disregard for security and guest verification is not only concerning but also completely unacceptable. A hotel's primary responsibility should be ensuring the safety and comfort of its guests, and this incident was a glaring failure in that regard.

Unfortunately, the issues didn't stop there. On another occasion, my key card mysteriously stopped working, leaving me locked out of my own room. Once again the associate insisted he did not need to see my ID.

Upon check out I asked for the General Manager to contact me, instead of being promptly assisted by the Manager, the responsibility was passed onto a "line associate" to address the matter. This lack of accountability and the apparent absence of a proper escalation process is deeply concerning for a hotel that claims to provide quality service.

In an attempt to address these problems, I took the matter to BW Corporate. However, their response was equally disappointing. Despite their assurance that someone would contact me, no such communication ever took place. Upon my follow-up, I was essentially told that the hotel's policy allows them to hand out room keys to anyone who knows the registered guest's name. This flimsy excuse for a security measure is not only illogical but also undermines the trust that guests should be able to place in the establishment.

Furthermore, the delayed response from the General Manager, who finally reached out almost a month after our checkout, only added insult to injury. Such disregard for timely communication reflects poorly on the hotel's commitment to guest satisfaction.

Regrettably, my negative experience wasn't isolated. During my stay, my neighbors fell victim to a crime – their vehicle's windows were smashed, and their belongings were stolen. This unfortunate incident highlights the inadequate security measures in place at the hotel, exposing guests to unnecessary risks and vulnerabilities.

To make matters worse, the behavior of some guests was shockingly inappropriate. One neighbor unabashedly indulged in smoking both cigarettes and marijuana on their patio throughout their stay, creating an unpleasant and uncomfortable environment for other guests.

In conclusion, my stay at SFO El Rancho Inn was a complete disaster. The lack of proper security protocols, the dismissive attitude of staff members, and the overall disregard for guest safety and comfort have left an indelible mark on my perception of this establishment. As an experienced Area Manager in the hospitality industry, I am appalled by the numerous shortcomings that I encountered during my stay. I strongly advise prospective guests to exercise caution and consider alternative accommodations that prioritize guest well-being and uphold the standards of excellence that should be synonymous with the hospitality industry.

DO NOT STAY HERE, it...

This is not a 3 Diamond Signature property. The website says the bar and restaurant closures and suspension of airport shuttle are temporary but they're not. Virtually everything closed for pandemic purposes is reopen in California. Masks are worn at about a 30% rate. Nothing is mandatorily closed anymore. I spoke with management and they said the airport shuttle has been discontinued for 2 years and that it would cost them $100,000 to restart it. What happened to the old shuttle? Why can't they just use that again? They said they were talking with another nearby property about starting a shared shuttle, but who knows when or even if that will happen.

As for the bar and restaurant, despite saying the closures are temporary, from speaking with the management it appears these closures are permanent. I was supposed to get several perks and upgrades from being an Expedia VIP member. As part of thus, Expedia sends questionnaires asking if things went as promised. I told them I got a welcome gift, a bottle of cheap white wine we never opened, but none of the other perks came to pass, including a room upgrade. I also mentioned the closed bar and restaurant.

I got a response from management that they were fully booked so no upgrade was available. I doubt every suite was booked, but no biggie, we didn't spend much time at the place. They also said that reopening the bar and restaurant would require significant upgrades, leading me to believe they have no intention of doing so.

So with no bar, restaurant or airport shuttle, this place is noting more than a cheap motel. As for the rest of the property, it is a large, sprawling place, reminiscent of a 1970's motor lodge. Our room was clean and comfortable. No issues there. And the staff was friendly and helpful. No issues there either. But there is a commuter transit line that runs directly adjacent to the property. It sounds its horn loud and often from early in the morning until late at night. The hot tub is tiny. fits maybe 4 people comfortably. The pool isn't that big either, and it's not heated, so swimming, even on an 80 degree day, was out of the question.

Also, some of the people staying or living there appear to be Eastern Europe migrants who stand outside their rooms talking at shouting levels despite standing right next to each other. And they like to honk their car horns for extended periods. There's also creepy construction guys who sit outside their rooms in the afternoon drinking and leering at young girls.

Upon departure we had an early morning flight. Since there's no shuttle the plan was to go to the lobby and get an Uber. As we were making the long walk from our room to the lobby we were approached by more Eastern European guys lurking in the parking lot at 4am trolling for cab fares.

In its heyday this was undoubtedly a nice place. Maybe even as recently as 2 or 3 years ago, pre-pandemic. But now there's nothing Signature about it. It's just a motel. There are numerous other nearby options I would explore.

UPDATE

After doing a little research, it became evident why they are not investing in the property. It sounds like there is a plan to demolish the place and build housing. There's just too many options in the area to stay here. This place is circling the drain. Do them a favor and help speed the process by not...

If you travel in 2021 - read this!

Me and my wife visited this hotel in our trip in USA last week. When we looked for an hotel, we chose El Rancho specifically because of few things:

1. It’s close to the airport SFO
2. It has a gym
3. It has a pool
4. The ad explicitly mentioned wonderful breakfast

But when we arrived - we discovered that the gym and the pool are close, supposedly due to COVID-19. Instead of a wonderful breakfast, they just give you a bag with bottle of water, an apple and some small pie.

Keep in mind that in our trip we visited 5 different cities, so also 5 different hotels and this one is the only one that closes gym, pool and daily cleaning with an excuse of COVID-19

Also it’s important to mention that before we book it, we have seen 3 more hotels without breakfast, gym or pool which cost 50-80$ less, that are literally located on the same street - meaning, they are as close to the airport, but unfortunately we chose this one because of all these things.

So eventually we just payed more and got less

Above all that, there are two more annoying issues that I want to warn about:

1. There is no daily cleaning, again supposedly due to COVID-19
2. They have an ice machine located outside, that is accessible to anyone literally (not just hotel guests), that can come at day or night and take ice, which maybe wouldn’t bother me, but one night - some car with a dark windows and really loud music (that we heard through closed windows), came in. Some man got out of the car filled a bag of ice and then ride out. Well in a city that is known for its high crime level - it was definitely unpleasant experience for hotel guests. And since he got in directly to the machine and then hot out, shows that it’s not a first time and it’s...