W San Francisco — Hotel in San Francisco

I waited a week for a post-stay survey to share this information and never received one, which is reflective of how much the hotel cares about its guests.||I booked a $170/night rate for two nights, and with LOTS of added fees (and nothing additional charged to the room), the bill came out to $880 for the two nights.||I’m an Ambassador Elite, which was never recognized during my stay. I certainly did not feel my business was appreciated regardless of status. This is a cheap, turn & burn hotel desperately in need of a deep cleaning and a renovation.||During check-in, I was asked for the purpose of my visit, and I said that I was evacuating from the fires in Los Angeles. The front desk agent informed me that my neighborhood was not affected by the fires. I told him that I live in an evacuation zone, and asked if he was familiar with Los Angeles. He was not, and perhaps he should not comment on things he’s not familiar with. There was zero compassion for my situation, and W should consider offering some to guests advising that they are staying at the property because they’ve been evacuated from their homes.||Aside from the lack of hospitality upon arrival, and the feeling of being completely ripped-off, the thing I will most remember about my stay is the EXTREMELY scented room. When I walked in, the room smelled as though an entire aerosol can of fragrance spray had exploded, along with strong smells of cleaning products. The windows do not open even an inch, and the HVAC system is tiny and ineffective at both ventilation and temperature regulation. There is maybe a 8” by 8” square vent near the minibar that did not seem to circulate air. When I brought the issue to the hotel, they were very unhelpful, mentioning that I should have booked a fragrance-free room, and that it’s the W’s “signature scent”. I requested to leave the hotel and stay at another Bonvoy property three times, each of which inquiry was ignored. Meanwhile, the rest of the hotel smelled much more reasonable. Unfortunately, the best remedy seemed to be airing out my room by keeping the door open for several hours each day. On the third day, the headache-inducing scent lessened, and a smell of strong mold took over - it was evident that so much scent spray was used to attempt to cover up the underlying problem of mold. One day while the door was open, a housekeeper walked by and asked if I needed something. I told her I was airing out the smell, and she told me that she did not like the smell either.||Additionally, there were a few flies in the room during my stay - perhaps they were drawn to the mold. The furniture reminded me of a cheesy nightclub and would look better in the dark - it showed some heavy wear.||During both arrival and departure, I had three large bags (two on wheels) and a 20lb dog. I was never once offered assistance with luggage, and I unloaded and loaded my vehicle while the hotel staff stared at me.||I booked this hotel in part because of the advertised “paw program” on the W Hotel’s website, advertising many dog amenities including “a welcome packet with toys, treats, a specialized W Hotels pet tag, clean-up bags, a custom pet bed, food and water bowls, and turndown treats just for the furry kind.” This hotel did not actually participate in this program, despite advertising it on their website, and only was able to deliver a very overstuffed square pillow after I requested twice. The pillow was so over-stuffed that it did not function as a dog bed, and it just took up space in the small room. The dog fee was a flat $100 plus a $25 “cleaning fee” for each night, a total of $150++. Strange that they charge a cleaning fee despite not cleaning the room anytime during the stay - where does that money go?||The gym is very dark and does not have a Peloton. The bike it does offer is broken without any kind of signage - the pedals were locked into place. I visited the fitness center fully intending to work out, and after observing the condition of it, left and went to Equinox.||When I attempted taking my dog out one morning, a bald security guard (?) in a branded W sweatsuit SCREAMED at me stating “YOU CAN’T BE HERE” - apparently hotel guests are not able to take a left out the exit door, only a right. There is no signage to this effect. He stared at me in an intimidating manner until I walked out to the sidewalk. Hospitality abounds.||In addition to pre-authorizing my card at check-in, the hotel took $300 each night ($600 total) without advising me of this amount. Both $300 charges are still pending on my card a week later.||Based on the terrible service from the other departments, I dined elsewhere.||The resort fee held no value aside from “free WiFi”. Apparently it formerly held food & beverage credit and tickets to cultural activities but no longer includes these things, it’s just an extra fee.||Positives - it was pretty quiet from the hallways & street. Perhaps there weren’t many guests there.||I would absolutely not consider staying here again. ||Better options are most other hotels in the city - my favorites are the St. Regis or Palace if you need to be in this immediate area or prefer Bonvoy, but the Fairmont is my preference in SF - I stayed there for the rest of the week and should have booked it to begin with. Don’t make the same...

We stayed five nights at the W San Francisco while on vacation in late July 2013. This hotel is conveniently located in SOMA, about two blocks south of Market Street. Access from the airport is easy by BART to the Montgomery Street station.

The W has a reputation for a busy lobby with loud music playing. This is well-deserved: the lobby was hopping most of the time we were there. It wasn’t disruptive to our stay, though: none of the music carried up to our floor (the 20th) and, in fact, the room was very quiet and we never heard sound from the hallway or the adjacent rooms.

Despite being an SPG Platinum member, the hotel offered only a one-level upgrade, from a “Wonderful” to a “Spectacular” room – this was still the most basic room at this hotel, but on a higher floor. The room was very cutely decorated, with little knick-nacks all over the place, including a light-up, colour-changing Buddha. In addition to a fully stocked minibar, there was a bottle of wine and several bottles of hard alcohol placed around the desk area. On a more practical note, there was a nifty device on the desk capable of charging numerous brands of cell phones, as well as five other plugs at desk level for computers or other devices. The ‘little things’ were done nicely, like a light in the closet that turns on automatically when you open the door. There was also a cozy window seat with a nice view of the Bay Bridge.

The bathroom was bright and clean. The “Bliss” bath amenities, especially the lemon-scented soap, face wash, and body butter cream, were delightful as always.

The best feature of the room, however, was the bed. We had a king-size pillow-top bed with just the right combination of support and softness. We slept soundly every night of our stay.

The room did not come equipped with a coffee maker, but the hotel will provide a Keurig machine at no charge upon request. However, the coffee and condiments are not refreshed daily by housekeeping; you need to call and ask. The Whatever/Whenever service is always attentive, though.

Unique among Starwood hotels, the W chain has an iPhone app that, among other things, allows guests to make requests, order room service, etc., without having to pick up the phone. Unfortunately at the W San Francisco the app didn’t work properly, and produced a ‘server error’ at the very final stage of ordering. No worries, though: the “Whatever/Whenever” service always picked up the phone immediately, addressed me by name, and were happy to meet any request. Overall, we found the level of service by hotel staff to be among the best we’d ever received in a hotel.

The fitness centre is located in a nice, bright area on the fourth floor. There is a shallow swimming pool and a hot tub, both located under a large skylight. The pool area is open until midnight, which is a major plus because it allows evening time in the hot tub after families and small children have gone to bed.

The fitness centre itself has a good number of up-to-date cardio machines, but is really lacking in the strength department. There is really no available floor space for stretching, and has only one rack of free weights and one multi-purpose weight/pulley machine. The biggest problem, however, surrounds the cardio equipment: the ceiling is too low, and as a 6’3” person I hit my head several times while using the elliptical and treadmill. This safety concern must be remedied as soon as possible.

We ate breakfast each morning in the hotel restaurant, Trace. There is no buffet but the menu offers a reasonable selection. The items were tasty with generous portion sizes. At this hotel, the SPG Platinum breakfast benefit is a $15 credit per person, which will cover about half the items on the menu. It does not cover the absurdly high $5.50 cost of coffee, however. In fact, the very same coffee is available for free each morning a few paces away in the bar.

A unique feature of W Hotels is the “Acura Experience” car service. Despite the text in the hotel’s guest directory, the service is in fact only available afternoons. We used it to go to an out-of-the-way museum, and both the car and driver were very pleasant; the driver even suggested other destinations in the same area. There is an on-board video touting the Acura’s features, but the sales pitch was low-key and a small price to pay for this complimentary service.

Overall, we were very impressed with our stay at the W San Francisco. Without exception, the staff were attentive and friendly. Even our basic room was quiet, comfortable, and restful. We will definitely stay here again.

Tip: take the time to explore your room. The nooks and crannies are packed with...

I’m a Bonvoy Titanium Elite and stay at the W SF roughly 30-35 nights per year for work and play so I have a solid feel of what is amazing and what could be improved. Overall the W SF is a great SF option for a fun, edgy stay with authentic guest service that really cares. ||Guest Service & Staff |This is where the hotel truly shines – the team will take great care of you. Memorable and personalized service is important to me, and over the years I’ve experienced the same talent who have gotten to know me so there is lower staff turnover than most hotels. Adrianna, Stella, and JP at the Welcome Desk consistently ensure that I have a wonderful upgrade and all of my preferences are seamlessly taken care of. Allan, Damien, and Jane at the Trace restaurant make my mornings great by keeping me in high spirits while meticulously remembering my order and tastes. They are a true delight. If something goes wrong, which inevitably will happen, the team quickly works to correct it and ensure proper recovery is done. I feel seen, heard, welcomed, and valued. ||Environment & Vibe|I have an allergy to big-box, boring, millennial gray hotels. I don’t want to spend my time in an environment that doesn’t inspire me. From the colorful accent lighting in the lobby to the hand-curated playlist that compliments the time of day, the playful environment of the W SF opens my perspective and enables me to think outside the box, boosting my productivity and mood. The “Living Room” aka lobby is moody and transports you to a place of wonder that is perfect for meeting a colleague or getting that final presentation done perched high above it all, which I do frequently. Staff are constantly cleaning and resetting pillows, rugs, etc., it feels very clean. ||Rooms & Suites|The W SF offers generous upgrades for Platinum and higher Elite Bonvoy members, typically via larger, high-floor “corner studio suites” that are surrounded with sweeping city views, corner sofas for relaxing, and enough space to make for a comfortable stay. While rooms were renovated in 2019, and their design includes cool, local touches like a “gold rush” theme, carpets and sofa surfaces are starting to become worn and I encourage the W SF to replace them to keep things fresh. Bathrooms are modern and bright with carrara-style tile and I like the dual head shower (rain and power wand) to get clean. The bath amenities, by Davines, lather nicely and have a fresh melon scent. Elevators are quick. Room windows and walls are mostly soundproof and the blackout shades keep the room very dark. Rooms are well cleaned, both upon check-in and also throughout your stay. Platinum Elites and higher get 4PM late checkout without fuss. ||Food, Beverages, & Amenities|The Trace restaurant offers a wonderful morning menu to start your day right. Platinum Elite and above members get up to two complimentary breakfast entrees off of a smaller menu rather than a breakfast credit. The Living Room Bar is a cool, energetic place to grab a drink, albeit at top end SF prices. Overall I would say the food is a must-try at least once during your stay, but I do recommend you check out local spots during your trip. The 24/7 gym is spacious, well-stocked, and has a skyglass with LED lighting that is visually stunning. Other than the gym, the hotel doesn’t really have any other amenities.||Things are never 100% perfect so… ||Opportunities for Improvement |1. The carpeting and sofa fabric in the rooms could be replaced to keep things feeling fresh|2. I encourage the Davines bath products to go back to being made in Italy vs. China for ultimate quality and smell|3. Towels should go through QC to make sure they are thick and voluminous with worn towels to be recycled|4. Switch up the menu at Trace… feature your staples while doing a monthly or quarterly special |5. Recycle the down pillows and get new ones, they go flat quickly and are uncomfortable for the neck ||Overall I truly enjoy the W SF and they treat...