Mayflower Hotel — Hotel in San Francisco

Found Mayflower after an extensive search--so glad I did. Quirky, comfortable, historic hotel in an amazing location for playing tourist. Walkable to Muni (bus), BART (metro) and even cable car. Neighborhood felt urban city "safe," even at night, and had everything we needed walking distance. Convenient bodega/store right next door (produce, dairy, sundries, liquor), restaurants and even a laundromat nearby.||Things we loved: incredible, friendly service; competitive price; whole place very, very clean; ability to store our luggage both pre and post check-in; very beautiful historic reception and mezzanine area with street views and vintage public restrooms, as well as public computer/printer and, surprisingly, an array of gorgeous orchids.||Things that you may not love (but we didn't find to be an issue): So-so continental breakfast; awkward/tiny elevators; urban street noise; adequate-but not always where you want them -electrical outlets (recommend bringing an extension cord or multi-plugin charger for small items--some outlets were behind furniture or kitchen appliances).|| Our "family room" contained a double and oversized twin bed, plus a twin trundle bed (mattresses very comfortable, bedding average) along with a kitchenette (dishes, glassware and silverware), microwave, fridge and --best of all--a huge walk-in closet. The closet meant all the luggage etc could be stored completely out of the way. If you have small child or an infant, honestly, you could put their bedding or travel crib in there and have a tiny, dark and quiet second bedroom. Also nice as a clothing change space for early riser if others still asleep. Full length mirror on closet door much appreciated.||Bathroom was small but did have fan and enough hot water and water pressure. Lighting was good and updated electrical outlet. Plush towels. Very clean.|| No room a/c but the windows open and there is a ceiling fan, so comfortable on all but the hottest afternoons, I presume. As others have mentioned, yes, there is street noise, including sirens, so a backside or interior room is best, especially in warmer months when you will open the windows. Our window opened to an airshaft (or space between buildings) and we could definitely hear noise, but no more than expected in a dense, urban area. The room was comfortable temp though late summer. ||The elevator is quirky and small--all part of the charm (there are stairs--lovely ones--, of course). Full disclosure, if you are less than able-bodied, the elevator doors are HEAVY and awkward, and this may not be the best place for you. ||Security and fire measures appeared adequate and maintained-- exit signs, route signage, fire escapes, and interior hoses were noted. Front desk is visual to front door and staffed 24/7. Security cameras noted though not sure if cover all areas of the building. Did not see any security staff, though there may be some.||Breakfast consisted of hard-boiled eggs, coffee/tea, oatmeal, cereal, juice, milk, toast, butter and single variety daily of fresh fruit. No other proteins, no peanut butter, yogurt etc. Could be improved, but adequate (you have a kitchenette, after all).||Best thing about the Mayflower--Every single staff person--over and over--without exception--was friendly, service-oriented and did everything they could to meet and exceed our needs. A wonderful stay at this historic property!...

We had a wonderful experience at the Hotel Mayflower! I was drawn to the place by its affordable prices (especially for downtown San Francisco, where hotels can easily range from $250 - $500+ per night), and its location. I read multiple reviews of the place cautioning me that the hotel does NOT take your credit card to reserve the room, which made me very nervous despite the multiple positive reviews. We did call to reserve several weeks before our trip, and I called twice within the week of our stay to ensure that they had us on the books (which they did). Upon arrival, we had no problems with our reservation. The hotel is located in the lower Nob Hill area (NOT in the Tenderloin!), which is just a few blocks from Union Square and a few more to Chinatown. At the end of the block on Bush street there is a Cable Car stop that takes you directly to Fisherman's Wharf, so convenient! It is also just a few blocks from the BART station and various bus stops. The concierge is incredibly helpful also, and no matter who was there, they were able to answer all of our questions and give us good tips for visiting the city. Do not go here expecting 4-5 star quality! The hotel is most definitely clean but not modern. I personally enjoyed the quaint charm of this hotel. Our room was a Queen with a kitchenette including a sink, mini-fridge, and microwave (also included silverware, plates, and two wine glasses). The bathroom is small and feels vintage in its decor, but everything worked just fine and was clean. Our room had two (yes, two!) walk-in closets, a flat screen, a bureau, and bedside tables. We had a nice view of the city from our room, which was on the top (6th) floor). Our room was rather stuffy and we had to open the windows to air it out, but that plus the ceiling fan did the trick just fine. There is NO AIR-CONDITIONING for whoever that may be really important too, but I doubt you would need it, even on the 6th floor where we were. Another cute feature: every room had it's own San Franciscan name (ours was the Cable Car). The hotel provided three computers (with internet) free for use by customers, as well as access to a printer (also free!). The hotel served a continental breakfast daily (scones, apples, bread, peanut butter, nutella, cheese, hard-boiled eggs, oatmeal, coffee, tea, juice). The elevators in the hotel were very vintage and cool. They might seem scary but the certificate in the elevator stated that it had been inspected just weeks prior, so it is regularly examined and perfectly safe! There is a market next door with fresh fruit, groceries, a deli, alcohol, etc. Also restaurants in the downtown area and Chinatown are just steps away. We had a wonderful experience here, it is truly a gem hidden amongst all of the overpriced "luxury" hotels that I had to sift through before I was able to find this place. We would DEFINITELY...

There was a lot of noise which prevented us from getting good sleep on both nights we were there.

The first night, we were in a room facing the street (room #401). Car and siren noises were very loud throughout the night. It was like the window was open. The windows were old single pane windows, which do not provide good noise insulation. The rooms that end on 01 - 05 are facing the street, so if you're at this hotel and get one of those, I suggest just asking the staff to give you a different room right away.

The second night we asked to be switched and we were moved to a room that's on the side of the building. There was almost no street noise in this room and the windows were double pane. However, we heard foot steps from the room above throughout the night and did not sleep well also. It's an old building without good noise insulation.

The toilets are tiny and everything is very old including the elevators. There was a hair from a prior guest in the bathroom and the blanket in the first room smelled like it wasn't clean.

The parking situation: small garage under the hotel with about 15 parking spots. The spots are not small but getting to them is difficult: there is a steep downward ramp with curbs on the sides (see pictures) which touched my tires every time I went up and down. You have to fold your mirrors. If you have a wider car you won't fit through the ramp. If you have large rims and thin tires, you will definitely scratch your rims and get curb rash - don't even try parking there unless you have cameras looking down at the wheels and want to risk it.

The staff were nice. The guy helped me with going down the parking ramp. The location is close to Union square and about 30 minute walk from pier 39.

So if noise is not an issue for you, and you're not too concerned with the parking situation, you might like it. For me, I regretted staying here and wish I had booked a hotel from a...