Handlery Union Square Hotel — Hotel in San Francisco

While location and cleanliness were fine, we had a far less than desirable experience with the front desk staff and the climate control in the room. Upon initially checking at around 4 pm, the “night manager” took my credit card and had me sign a paper about the hotel rules and deposit. I then went to have my car parked using their (required) valet service. This requires a return to the front desk to obtain a stamp on the parking permit issued by the garage staff. Leaving the garage, I then returned to the lobby and got back in line. Upon reaching the desk clerk, he mumbled something about there being a problem. He then disappeared into the back room and came out to say someone else would have to help me. I stood waiting. The night manager came out a couple minutes later and started saying I didn’t pay the deposit. It took me a couple minutes of asking him questions for him to finally acknowledge he messed up my original check in. He took my credit card now for a second time and typed away at his computer. Then he said I was all good, gave me the card back and sent me on my way.

Now, skip ahead another 24 hours… upon our return to the room following a long set of intense meetings in town, we discovered we had been locked out of the room. What? Going back to the registration desk from the 8th floor, we were told we were locked out as we had not paid the deposit!! This would be the THIRD TIME they took my credit card. Instead of calling me with the number they had on file to explain their error, they punished us essentially by locking us out of the room. By this point, it was abundantly clear that we were dealing with an incompetent staff. And, they were completely unapologetic about it.

Our other frustration with this hotel had to do with the room temperature. After arriving in a room that was around 80 degrees F, we waited a couple hours before calling maintenance. The A/C was set on 68 and we gave it a couple hours to cool down. It never did. The maintenance person came to the room, looked at everything and said it was set at the lowest temperature possible. He said that it might just take a little while longer for the room to cool down. Unfortunately, most of the night went by and it only started cooling down around 4 or 5 AM. But, by later in the afternoon on our second day, the room was once again 77° and climbing. It was obvious that the air conditioner was not well equipped for cooling down that space even though the outside temperature was in the low 60° range at its peak. I can’t imagine what the place would be like on a hot day.

We cannot recommend this...

The Handlery is a good but somewhat dated hotel that's well-situated for exploring San Francisco and the greater Bay Area.

Located a stone's throw away from Union Square, the hotel is right in the heart of the city and within easy walking distance of numerous transit options including BART, cable cars, and multiple bus lines. Check-was straightforward and the staff were helpful but getting to the room revealed one of the issues the hotel has. It's divided into a “Historic Building” fronting the street and a “Premier Building” in the back. While the elevators to the former are right in the lobby, getting to the Premier Building means heading down a corridor and going up a flight of stairs, past the hotel pool, before getting to the elevators in the very back. Reverse that whole process if you're leaving the hotel. Not too bad on your own but a real hassle when navigating your luggage on arrival or departure.

The premier room I received was roomy and comfortable enough but the décor and overall feel was dated. The basics were good such as the comfortable bed, shower that was quick to heat up, and plenty of room to sit and store your things. Other amenities though were subpar. First, the wifi was so unreliable that I had to resort to using my phone's internet access instead for the daily video conferences I had to do. Second, the wiring in the building is definitely showing its age since anytime I used my high output USB-C charger for my laptop, tablet, or phone, the output was so unstable that the charging would stop and start repeatedly. Regular low-power USB was fine though. Third, the in-room safe was broken.

At least the hotel pool was heated decently although the relatively small size reduced its appeal for someone who prefers to do laps rather than just soak. A small but nicely-equipped fitness center was on the premises as an alternative exercise option.

Although the hotel itself lacks a restaurant numerous food options were in easy reach ranging from Jack In The Box to a great (supposed-to-be) 24 hour diner across the street to other more upscale choices. As for the immediate neighborhood it seemed to avoid the worst of SF's homeless and druggy situation but not entirely, so best not to just let your guard down.

Taking this all together made the Handlery an okay place to stay but just okay. Serviceable rather...

Arrived today for a 3 night stay. From the outside the hotel is not much to look at. Upon entry, lobby looks fine and clean. At check-in I was surprised with a free room upgrade from a single to a double bed on the top floor. Of course took the upgrade. As we got to our floor, there is a musty smell all over, the hallways are dark, with different hallways to rooms giving off a creepy vibe. Room was somewhat small, clean but with that funky smell. Went to check out our upgraded view in our room and all we got was a view of the windows of the other rooms. 🙄 See picture attached. No biggie, we will be out and about during the day. Room and common areas have been remodeled and updated. Property has a pool but have not checked it out. So far staff have been friendly. The best thing of this place so far is its location. Literally on the corner of Union Park and walking distance to the high-end designer stores, Chinatown and Powell Station. This hotel will make due for this trip but would not stay here again. Rather pay a bit more for a higher star hotel.

Update after trip: Forgot to mention, no breakfast offered or open restaurant on site. At check-in they do provide you a discount coupon for a cafe around the corner. There is a mini fridge and complimentary coffee maker in room. There are restaurants and fast foods nearby and a Starbucks and Cheesecake factory inside Macy's, five minute walk from hotel. Funky smell got better but still some traces of it in hallways and room. Beds were comfy. A/C fan was noisy but we slept through it no problem. Our last day the toilet would not flush, but maintenance was quick to come and fix issue. As mentioned before, the location of hotel is great. It is on bus line and cable car route and walking distance from Powell Station. I know I mentioned before not staying here again, but experience was not all that negative after all and would consider it as an option...