The Grove Inn — Hotel in San Francisco

We spent a week at The Grove Inn in a Deluxe Queen Room and my Mum had a week also in a Deluxe Queen Room with Bay Window. We all thoroughly enjoyed our stay. The staff were very friendly and helpful, the housekeeping staff did a wonderful job and the entire time we were there we heard no noise from other guests despite The Grove Inn being fully occupied, so everyone was very respectful of everyone else which was great! A helpful note: there is a luggage lift that the Reception staff can operate for you during their on-duty hours of 0900-1700 so that you don't have to lug bags up the stairs. The rooms are ingeniously laid out to ensure each has its own private bathroom facilities. Due to space constrictions, sometimes this means the basin is in the bedroom, however there is no inconvenience associated with this, rather it adds to the quirkiness of the property. Big tick for the shower, which, although had no screen door, did not leak like so many other walk-in showers. It was also lovely and clean and had two different showerheads. The hot/cold tap and the method of alternating between the two showerheads can also be a little challenging to figure out but perseverance pays off (note: the tapware also appears to differ from room to room as the one in the bathroom my Mum had was completely different and she had a shower door)! We loved the layout of our room (18), being a corner room there was plenty of light as there were windows on two sides and nice views. We had plenty of space for our suitcases and shopping (of which there was a great deal!), hanging space and room on the shelf, along with a sizable desk and chair, great tv with plenty of channels (once we figured out how to use it properly!) and a comfortable chair for sitting as well as a bench seat which we used for our purchases. The bed was extremely comfortable as were the pillows and the towels and face washers were good quality and a good size (also no trouble if extra were required). There is a bus stop right outside and others nearby (depending on where you are headed!). Shops are a short walk away so the fact that there is no breakfast included is not really an issue. We bought some provisions such as yogurt, fruit and milk which we could store in the mini-fridge (although it did have a tendency to freeze things that were on the upper shelf and space was limited) and we asked for spoons which were promptly provided. The location was terrific: a nice, quiet neighbourhood and seemingly little crime. We had a hire car which we were able to park every day on the street at no cost, however, be mindful of the signage and parking times as street cleaning restrictions differ depending on the day and side of the street you are parked - we did see cars with tickets on their windows! The only minimal negatives were the lack of in-room safes and that there were only one iron, ironing board and handheld steamer available for use. We would absolutely not hesitate to stay at The Grove Inn again and found it to be comfortable,...

UNACCEPTABLE. Very disappointed in my stay. BEWARE: THEY DO NOT HAVE ANYONE ON STAFF BETWEEN 5pm - 9am. Check-in is at 3pm so if you need anything (iron, cups, ice, towels, clean sheets, etc. you better be prepared to ask for it within the 2 hours staff is there to help). They do advertise an after hours line but they will not respond to situations that they deam “non-emergencies”. If you call for a status update, they conveniently do not pick up the phone. TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE which I’d expect at a low rank motel. This was unacceptable for the prices they charge. Our stay was the night before my brother’s wedding and instead of celebrating, we were running around San Francisco having to purchase basic amenities they advertised they had because bc the didn’t have staff onsite to open up the locked closet where everything was stored. I am a frequent traveler with realistic expectations and I have never written a poor review for a business. This experience was so infuriating and disappointing, I want others to be aware of the poor etiquette of the grove inn.

Reply to the Grove Inn: The owners may live on site but they are not accessible. I called the “after hours” phone number and the man who answered the phone said he was only taking calls but couldn’t answer any questions (odd). He told me to wait for someone else to call me back which they did the first time. It was then that I was told the closets were locked and no one would be able to help. When I pressed him on this explaining that at minimum we needed an iron for my brothers wedding, the man I spoke to on the phone said he’d make some phone calls to see if he could help. I never heard back from him and he wouldn’t pick up the phone when I tried to reach him (this was at 5:30pm so I wasn’t calling at unreasonable hours).

I made an update to my review above regarding check-in time.

Your prices are in line with hotels that offer 24 hour customer service. We had to purchase $80+ dollars worth of items that most hotels/inns offer (and you had this on site but it was all locked in a closet and no staff to help)

Your staff between the hours of 9-5 were nice. The issue is that there is no one to help outside of those hours and that is unacceptable.

While I appreciate you responding to my review, I think you’ve lost sight of the main point. You are running a 24 hour business, not a 9-5. A hotel should have someone responsive and on site at all times. (And saying that the owner is there or access to an after hours number to help is a...

Was very pleased with my stay at the Grove Inn. Communication was great; check-in was easy (I arrived while the front desk was staffed, but they seem well-prepared for those who check in after hours). ||My room was clean, with a nice modern bathroom and good bath products. The bed and pillows were very comfy. I appreciated the fan and the noise machine, as well as the mini-fridge, Keurig, and electric kettle (with coffee and tea provided). No evidence of a breakfast or snack basket, but I did have a couple of chocolates and small cookies awaiting my arrival.||The neighborhood seems clean, safe, and relatively quiet - and the building is secure, so I never felt uncomfortable about that.||A couple of things were less than ideal. The walls are pretty thin! I must not have had neighbors my first night, because I didn't notice it until the second night when I heard snoring from the room next to mine. (And then I realized why they provide earplugs in addition to the noise machine, ha!) My second night there was definitely noisier - not from the street, but from other rooms. One other thing I didn't love was that my room had no deadbolt, only the doorknob lock. The building felt secure; my room not so much. Finally (and I think this is common in a lot of older buildings), the room had minimal electrical outlets (at least ones that were easy to access). ||All in all, I quite enjoyed my stay at the Grove Inn and will definitely consider it again for my next...