da Vinci Villa

At core, the da Vinci Villa is a simple and straightforward hotel that's well-located for seeing many of San Francisco's sights. The hotel's lobby won't win any style awards, and is a simple affair with light tiled floors and wood paneling, plus a few areas to sit and enjoy the hotel's modern touches, like iPads for guests to use and a large media lounge with wall-mounted flat screen TV. There's a table with fresh fruit, water, and coffee always available for guests. The hotel has a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, and there's a humble and classically decorated Chinese restaurant on site. The outdoor pool is a major draw for many, and it tends to be the place where most people gather to soak up some sun when they're not exploring the city. Most guests are on vacation, although some business travelers stay occasionally. 

The da Vinci Villa is located in the Russian Hill neighborhood of San Francisco. It’s a convenient location for tourists as it’s easy to see the city's main sights on foot -- just be prepared for hills (this is San Francisco, after all!). Russian Hill is a chic residential neighborhood with many great cafes, restaurants, antique shops, and boutiques. It’s a 10-minute walk to the boutiques at Ghirardelli Square, though it's a bit further to Fisherman’s Wharf and the Marina (20 minutes on foot, or just over five minutes by taxi). Famous, photo-worthy Lombard Street is within a 10-minute walk of the hotel. The Palace of Fine Arts Theatre and The Exploratorium are a five-minute taxi ride away, and for a tour of San Francisco's famous prison, guests can take an eight-minute cab ride to Alcatraz Cruises. The Golden Gate Bridge is within 10-minutes away by taxi as well. There is also a Muni Metro/Golden Gate Transit bus stop a minute from the hotel on foot. San Francisco International Airport is a 25-minute drive from the hotel.

Rooms at the da Vinci Villa are spacious and modern, if rather simple. Decor is uniform across all room categories, with light sage accent walls, dark wood veneer furniture and headboards with clean lines, and blue-and-green patterned carpets. Some rooms have bright bauble-inspired wall art that mirrors the carpet's patterning. Standard Rooms have a king-size bed, or two double or queen beds. Views are of the city or the hotel’s courtyard, though Golden Gate Rooms offer a king-size or two queen beds with views of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. Suites are also available with a large sitting and dining area, and an extra bed. Some of these also have Golden Gate Bridge views as well. A two-bedroom suite, the Florentine, is located on the fifth floor, which has a private patio. It can sleep up to seven people, making it ideal for groups or families. All rooms have air-conditioning, bathrobes, Keurig coffeemakers, free Wi-Fi, and large work desks with ergonomic chairs. A mini-fridge can be provided on request. Neutral tile bathrooms do not have bath tubs, but there is a large walk-in shower cubicle and pump toiletries -- counterspace is limited. Some guests have reported noise from Van Ness Avenue reaching their rooms, and travelers may want to request a room on the back of the building.

The hotel has an outdoor heated swimming pool with a sun deck and plenty of lounge chairs. A sauna and fitness center are located on the first floor as well. The fitness center has a treadmill, weights, and exercise bikes. A free continental breakfast is available daily and offers a basic selection of fruit juice, tea, coffee, eggs, toast, and waffles -- it isn't the best or most diverse. The on-site Dim Sum Club Restaurant serves authentic Chinese cuisine in the evenings. The hotel has a large media lounge with lots of leather sofas, a large flat-screen TV on the wall, and a library. Guests can also use the laundry room where there is a vending machine too. Free Wi-Fi is provided throughout the property and iPads are available for guests to use in the lobby. For a daily fee, limited on-site parking is available on a first come, first served basis. For business guests there’s also conference space and two meeting rooms, as well as a computer station with printing and photocopying facilities.