San Francisco Proper Hotel — Hotel in San Francisco

My husband and I tour the world performing with great symphony orchestras in major cities across the globe, and we spend at least half of any given year in high-end hotels. The San Francisco Proper was one of the greatest hotels we have ever stayed in, in many, many years. We loved this exceptional hotel, and its equally exceptional staff. We really did not want to leave. And every single aspect of our stay at The Proper was "Properly Perfect!"||Starting out with the arrival: First there is the building itself, a striking Gilded Age throwback, a smaller version of NYC's iconic Flatiron Building, built around the same era in San Francisco. The valets outside the hotel were very friendly, helpful, and extremely welcoming, especially Connor, who was great throughout our entire stay. Inside at the reception desk, Katrina and Archie welcomed us with a glass of cold bubbly, and our two Golden Retrievers received an equally-warm welcome (although no champagne for them!) -- in fact, over the ensuing few days, Charley and Buddy became the unofficial "lobby dogs" at The Proper, saying hello to so many other guests. The wonderful Katrina made check-in effortless, and before we knew it we were in our gorgeous suite.||Our one-bedroom suite's design was unique, retro chic, stylish, filled with color and patterns, accessories, and amenities reflecting the hotel's era but with a contemporary edge. (See photos.) The William Morris-inspired Gilded Age/Victorian wallpaper (but with a modern twist) was fabulous -- and truly, how often does one even see wallpaper these days!!! In the living room, A clever and well-stocked butler's pantry and fridge had everything one could possibly want when the hunger pangs hit late at night, and was ingeniously designed. A perfect (but perhaps accidental) touch was the red neon "P" from the hotel's exterior sign, warmly illuminating through the window, like a fragment from an Elmore Leonard novel. It added to the literary ambience -- reportedly Ernest Hemingway had once stayed in this hotel many decades earlier, early in its life and a previous evocation. (And if one wanted it dark in the suite when the sun came up, that was easily accomplished with stylish blackout blinds.) Our suite was 511. The "11" block of suites (311, 411, 511, etc.) are in the "tip" of the "flatiron," and wonderfully interesting in layout, with a straight-on view right down Market Street. ||In the bedroom, the king bed was one of the most comfy, luxe, and cushy I have encountered in a long, long time, the sheets and linens sublimely smooth, ironed, crisp, and enveloping. That bed was heaven, after a 10-hour trip to get to San Francisco, Both living room and bedroom had large TV monitors (the large living room TV on an artist's easel which added to the Bohemian vibe.) The bathroom, with its authentic black and white "subway tile," was equally stylish, the shower was strong with lots of hot water, bath amenities were lovely. Towels were large, fluffy, and abundant. Because of the design of the historic building, the bathroom wasn't huge, but through smart design, did not feel the least bit cramped. ||Since we arrived somewhat late in the evening, the signature restaurant Villon was already closed (we would experience it later in the stay) so we went up to the stunning rooftop bar Charmaine's, which has a spectacular view of The City, and a nice menu of elevated bar food, burgers, and other delectables. Each of the outside tables had it's own firepit, so despite a chilly SF night, we were toasty warm. (And if not, the serving staff offered fantastically soft and lush cashmere blankets which did the trick!) Our server Diana was wonderful, and both food and drinks were top of the line. (One of the best burgers ever!!) The inside tables, near a roaring fireplace, are equally appealing and comfortable, and the crowd, even on a Tuesday night, was friendly and engaging.||On the weekends, when Charmaine's can get crowded, hotel guests are given priority, and getting to the roof in the private Charmaine's elevator is quick, effortless, and easy -- and when you arrive at the top, you are greeted by name by the host who is awaiting you, having been signed in before you got in the elevator. Even though Charmaine's is trendy and very popular with non-hotel guests, when you ARE a hotel guest the staff makes you feel extra-valued and welcomed, which is lovely. (Everybody likes to feel like an "insider!") We went back to Charmaine's several times, and it always provided a perfect end to a perfect day. ||Over our stay we ate several times at Villon, the hotel's signature restaurant, and it was excellent, with fantastically-curated and perfectly-prepared menu items, a wonderful bar and wine list, and once again, an amazing staff. David and Theresa were especially welcoming and friendly, always remembered our names, and provided superlative service. Outside Villon is a lovely, comfortable. and stylish lobby lounge. It can handle overflow from Villon during busy times, and a really gorgeous afternoon high tea is served there on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, complete with all the traditional pastries and delicate tea sandwiches, prepared delectably. ||The public spaces are beautifully appointed and wonderfully functional, and really work well. There are lots of lovely spaces just to sit and relax and enjoy the coming and going of people.||This hotel, like most high-end hotels these day, charges a destination fee (a/k/a a "resort fee" in some hotels.) However, this is offset by the hotel with a $100 credit toward food and bar, which is a great gesture. Be sure to use it!||Besides the hotel itself, what really makes San Francisco Proper a standout is the absolutely world-class staff, one of the nicest, most helpful, friendly, and genuinely engaging I have ever encountered in any hotel anywhere. In addition to the team members I have already mentioned above, there was the incredibly engaging front desk manager Peter Komorowski, and his wonderful colleagues Andrew and Mariel, who could not have been more accommodating and congenial. Peter was absolutely exceptional in every way. While dining at Villon, we met and chatted with one of the hotel's executive staff, the wonderful and cordial Patricia Gonalez, who was a total delight. (And so, when you meet a hotel's staff ranging from the executives to the parking valets and all points in between, and they are all so consistently fantastic, you really appreciate the entire organization's management style!!) Any time we entered or left the hotel, we were always greeted warmly by name by all the staff members . . . and they even greeted our two golden retrievers by name. All staff members at The Proper really take the "hospitality " aspect of their professions seriously, and honestly, guests really feel so well taken care of. To add to this, though, the staff was never, ever snobby or erudite (which happens at too many hotels, especially some boutique hotels) -- they interacted with guests with a fantastically congenial and open style which was so appreciated, but at the same time, was fabulously efficient and professional. This hotel may be called the "Proper," but there is nothing stiff about the service, which is just perfect.||To address one aspect that has been mentioned in other reviews . . . the neighborhood. Yes, this San Francisco Market Street neighborhood is "in transition," and yes, if you walk in certain directions, there are homeless people on the sidewalks, etc. However, when one knows San Francisco (as we do -- we lived there for 20+ years), this is realistically part of the urban landscape of this city . . . a city which has the highest of highs, the richest of riches, but sometimes the lowest of the lows too. This is SF's urban environment. Union Square hotels have the same issues. So this neighborhood was never an issue. First of all, the hotel has the entire block outside the hotel main entrance reserved for guests and hotel use, there are abundant staff members and security out there 24/7, the sidewalks are constantly cleaned. There are a lot of positive things happening in the neighborhood, and The Proper is one of the leaders in bringing this neighborhood back from the abyss. For that reason alone, I want to applaud and support them. But they are not alone. Theaters are nearby, as is the Civic Center, SF War Memorial Opera House, Davies Symphony Hall, museums. Best yet, right around the corner from the main entrance of the hotel is Arsicault Bakery, probably the most genuinely incredible patisseries and boulangeries outside of Paris. Ariscault is a must-visit, the chocolate croissants will bring tears to your eyes,and the almond croissants are like a trip to France!! So yes, the neighborhood is in transition, and no, I would not take long walks late at night in the neighborhood. (But I wouldn't do that in any city.) But the hotel really circumvents the location gorgeously -- and even offers complimentary and luxurious car service that takes guests, upon request, anywhere within a three mile radius of the hotel. So you don't even have to bother with Uber!||So . . . THANK YOU San Francisco Proper, and especially to all the incredible staff members we met. When you stay in this hotel, you realize that so much thought has gone into every single aspect of the guest experience, from the big things to the smallest touches. And what an experience it was! We left The Proper with the feeling that all hoteliers hope their guests will have upon departure . . . and that is, we can't wait to come back!! See you soon!!! George Daugherty...

This hotel is gorgeous - it's super well decorated, the rooms are comfortable, and the lobby has tons of cute vignettes. I have to really hand it to Kelly Wearstler and the team at Restoration Hardware, this is a beautiful property.||But with that caliber of a hard product, I expect a modicum of service, and I got worse service than I do at the average Courtyard.||The front desk repeatedly ignored guests waiting for service, or was just unstaffed for 10-15 minutes at a time. When I checked in there was someone in line in front of me, and the front desk staff person was on the phone for about 10 minutes, and they didn't even acknowledge that there were two of us waiting - not even a "just a moment" wave or index finger, they were practically ducked under the desk, phone in hand, to avoid us hearing the conversation, which seemed to be with an especially unhappy guest.||A friend was staying with me and arrived a day later than I - upon arrival, he came in to the lobby with luggage, wandered around for a bit, and finally sat down after no staff commented on his presence or ask if he might like to check in.||I stayed here in June as well, and the check in experience also felt weird, the desk is unmarked and sleek, but it actually took me a few minutes of wandering the lobby (also with no greeting from staff) to figure out that that was in fact the registration desk. Even the actual mechanical process of check-in felt foreign - they have a "fancy" iPad based PMS, which while sleek, felt weird as someone who checks into a hotel 2-3 times a month with an otherwise consistent check-in experience. They seem to have consistently chosen "sleek" over practical in a lot of ways here.||Even mid-stay needs like reservations and requesting late checkout felt like pulling teeth, if there was even anyone at the desk to help us.||The Valet Staff, who are contractors, have been consistently good, and the saving grace for the property is the F&B program - Charmaine's is a gorgeous bar, with really nice cocktails, and the lobby restaurant Villon has a very solid breakfast - the "Proper Breakfast is a really excellent choice. A special shout out to Jay at the bar who went out of his way to ensure my Room Service order was perfect, and who made me an excellent cocktail for delivery, and another shout out to the new manager at Villon, who had just moved from Austin, who went out of his way to connect with us at the restaurant and cheerfully help us adjust some reservations that the front desk had made for us.||A note - this is not at all the hotel's fault, but the hotel is in a pretty rough area, and at night there is a tremendously large unhoused population who host a "night market" directly in front of the hotel. It's quite lively, and not the kind of place most hotel guests would want to do their holiday shopping, so a word of caution, especially to solo travelers, you may want to limit your comings and goings at night.||To be sure, in my two stays, I never felt personally unsafe, this crowd was decidedly occupied with their own activities, but you basically have to walk through this market to get to or from the hotel, and it may be unsettling to folks who are not used to the unhoused population in SF. I'm a 6' tall man, so I wasn't particularly worried, but if you're smaller, or a woman, you might not feel comfortable walking alone to and from the hotel after dark. The hotel does have a complimentary car service, and TNC and Taxi services are plentiful in the area, so I'd recommend planning to call a car if you're coming or...

READ THIS BEFORE BOOKING EVENTS OR ROOMS WITH THIS HOTEL

My husband and I celebrated our wedding reception in this hotel. The staff were lovely and gave us the best service. The bartender was phenomenal and the chef was amazing. However, we wanted to let express several concerns that impacted our overall experience:

We were promised two microphones but one of them did not work, which negatively impacted our evening, and was duly noticed as my two dear friends who flew all the way from Hong Kong to sing the song they prepared for me on our first dance. On a night so important and special to us, we would hope that they all would ensure that all the components of the evening flowed smoothly.

We were also promised reservations at Charmaine’s after the event but upon arrival, the whole place was not available. The lights and the noises for the night were constantly remarked on by guests, negatively coloring their experience of one of the most important nights of our lives. I even gave Dean a follow up email on that matter but he never replied back.

On Friday night, the day after the wedding, me and my family encountered a deeply disappointing situation with the hotel front desk. The key card my mother in law was using for her room stopped working, a regular fixture in the hospitality industry, and she went to the front desk staff to have it fixed. The hotel staff immediately began harassing and questioning her. After a hard day of traveling, this not only stressed out my mother in law who was suffering from a health condition, in severe pain, and needed her medication from her room but was unable to retrieve it. The concierge caused her even further harm by stating that her medicine and bags were removed from her room, implying she would have to replace the over $8000 in goods and products she had with her.  If this were not enough, my husband and I had to change our plans and leave our post-wedding celebration just to go back to the hotel and confirm our reservation, an inane and needless action, considering if the concierge used the means available to them to properly conduct their job instead of inappropriately profiling my loved ones.

These issues caused considerable frustration during what should have been the happiest days of our lives. I reached out to the head of front Louie, head of sales Patti, and head of events Dean and received no word, apology, or even responses from some of them. I have been trying to reach out for the past few weeks on the issue, seeking some sort of resolution, but I was just being gaslit to think that the whole situation was our own to blame, that we went to the hotel and had to abandon our plans because we were the ones who decided to leave despite the front desk requiring physical ID even after check in, that our mother in law overreacted to the whole situation despite her medical condition, that somehow the keycard demagnetizing was due to our mother in law’s devices despite the design of the technology being an oversight on their part.

It is truly unfortunate that all of this had to happen on our special day, and it is even more disappointing that instead of receiving reassurance or even respect from the staff, our concerns were simply dismissed and forever colored our memories of what was supposed to be a beautiful wedding weekend filled love...