Sonesta ES Suites San Francisco Airport San Bruno — Hotel in San Bruno

Unfortunately had a poor stay at the Sonesta ES Suite recently.

I was looking for a place that was close to the airport as well as in-between SF City and San Jose, and the location itself was solid. The area also is basically like a re-made condo area. Instead of interconnected hallways, there is a large outdoor courtyard surrounded by separated buildings.

Staff was super nice when they welcomed me in - being able to take my bags and keeping me posted on when my room would be ready.

The part that I had a really rough time was an odd smell that was super pungent and nauseating. I couldn't quite put my finger on it but basically smelled like a really strong perfume-like cleaning agent, strongest in the living room area and wafted towards the bedroom as well. I went up to the front the first time and asked if anything could be done and was told to leave the AC/Heater fan running and that it would go away on its own. That wasn't the case and after about 8 hours, I went again to the front office and told them of the issue. They would send a deodorizer fan over to the room after about 4 hours. Although the smell would be a little less worse, I still had a nauseating feeling every time I stepped into the hotel room and would leave my room door open for a while to try and help a bit.

On top of this, the room itself wasn't all in the best of shape. A door stop was loose on the ground. Painted walls were chipped. The conditioner had some weird brownish goo.

The room itself is large though! With a large living room area / stove / big fridge / big bed / functioning shower / a large bathroom and closet area.

The best part about Sonesta here is that it's fairly close to the airport (about a 10-minute drive) and that it is across the street from a mall that includes some food options and a Starbucks as well as a nearby cafe that was nice. Do note that the mall nearby is unfortunately pretty desolate and the sidewalks are not in the best of shape either.

Families looking for a bigger suite area with a swimming pool / basketball court will also find something to like here as well. Noting here too in case people like to work out - the fitness room is tiny with three cardio machines (bike / treadmill and one other item I'm not remembering) with a tiny bit of room behind the machines to do other body...

I am writing a review of the Sonesta ES Suites in San Bruno, just next to SFO. I originally booked this stay for my family of 5 through Orbitz and got what I thought was a competitive rate for all that comes with this two bedroom suite/apartment. My plan was to stay just a few days before moving my family to China. Upon landing, the hotel shuttle driver was unbelievably helpful. We had a tremendous amount of luggage (more than 20 pieces in fact) and he assured me that I shouldn’t worry as he would help me bring all of it to my room. He actually helped me check in and then drove to the shuttle right to the stairway closest to my room and proceeded to carry up these large suitcases up the stairs with me. My first impression was indeed a good one! Unfortunately my plans changed as I had to delay my trip to China indefinitely and the hotel staff immediately accommodated me and even gave me a better rate than what I had gotten from orbitz. The manager, Lisa, was the most attentive and understanding hotel manager I have ever encountered. I didn’t know how long we would be delayed. Could be a week could be a month. But she said the hotel would let me stay as long as we needed to. Of course we were devastated at our change of plans but having a hotel understand our challenging situation and work with us (and even give us a room that was more comfortable for our needs) was something that made us feel very appreciated. The hotel has a lovely breakfast, what seemed to be a heated pool (kids loved it), a basket ball court (hotel supplies the bball!) and a grilling area. What more could you want! And the staff is super friendly. Shout outs to Sam and his team as well, outside of Lisa the manager. They all went above and beyond to make a tough situation much better for our NJ family. Eventually we left for China and once we got to Shanghai one of my children commented that they will really miss the Sonesta. I will too. Bravo Sonesta. ...

We stayed for five nights, in two rooms on the second and third floor. First of all, there is no elevator. So if you can’t carry your stuff upstairs, then ensure you get a room on the ground floor. ||Check-in was smooth. Unfortunately our two rooms weren’t really close to each other. But still within walking distance. ||The suite was awesome. We had two very large bedrooms, with two bathrooms. The kitchen had everything you could possibly need, including a dishwasher. Living room had a desk, sectional couch, and footstools. Some of the living room furniture has seen better days, but nothing terrible. They cleaned our suite only once during the five days. ||The pool area is in the center of the suites, and great for relaxing. Unfortunately the hot tub was not working while we were there. You have to ask for pool towels at the front desk. There is a nice small basketball court next to the pool, which we used quite a bit. Just ask for basketballs at the front desk. Laundry room is close to the pool and has “FREE” laundry! Three washing machines and four dryers. Sometimes you have to wait for others to retrieve their clothes. ||Breakfast was grab-and-go. They give you a sheet of paper, you check what you want, and they get it for you. Usually some kind of pre-packaged breakfast sandwich. Fruit. Juice. Milk, but only if you got it with cereal. We found it so odd that they never had butter. ||Parking spots were always available. Even though we were about a half hour from San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf, the location was fine for getting to everything. The area around the hotel is kind of desolate. There is a Target, attached to a mall that has a lot of closed stores. And a nearby BART. Some fast food restaurants. But easy access to the freeway. And planes, flying low and loud all the time. You get used to it after a while. ||Overall I would recommend this place, if you’re staying a few nights, and don’t want to be crammed into...