BEI Hotel San Francisco

Modern amenities and decor attract guests to the Holiday Inn San Francisco-Civic Center. The location leaves much to be desired as the area feels a bit seedy with a large homeless population. However, the property has been well maintained and the decor is contemporary -- albeit a bit generic and unmemorable -- and was last renovated in 2010 when the rooms received new carpet, bedding, furniture, and flat-screen TVs. The lobby is clean and sleek with glossy white-tiled floors and a modern sitting area with wooden floors and contemporary leather armchairs near a glass-wall fireplace. The restaurant is similarly modern with brown carpet, wooden chairs and tables with white tablecloths, and orange decorative elements like napkins and window shades. Guests run the gambit from couples to business travelers working in the area. There are fewer families here than in a typical Holiday Inn, but it still has a family-friendly policies such as kids under 19 staying for free.

Located half a block south of Market Street, the hotel sits between the Asian Art Museum, the Orpheum Theatre, and the Bill Graham Auditorium in the Civic Center area (to the north) and the numerous clubs and restaurants in SoMa (to the south). The immediate area around the hotel can feel seedy, and there’s limited dining options nearby. Guests find themselves far removed from most of the city's top tourist attractions. It's a 30-minute walk to the great dining at the Ferry Building and the picturesque promenade at the Embarcadero, while the touristy shops and sea lions along the waterfront of Fisherman's Wharf is a 15-minute cab ride away. Union Square is a 20-minute walk away. Luckily, there's a BART subway station and the MUNI line half a block away, so escaping the area is as easy as hopping a train. It’s a 30-minute drive to San Francisco International Airport. 

Holiday Inn San Francisco-Civic Center features contemporary rooms with a generic, chain-hotel look. While the pinstriped brown carpets, ebony wood furniture, cream walls, and framed black-and-white photographs aren't exactly memorable, they do make a tidy, even handsome, impression. As most guests are business travelers, most rooms have desks and office chairs, plus comfy (if not dated) leaf-print armchairs. Suites come with separate living rooms and sofa beds. All rooms are equipped with flat-screen TVs, coffeemakers, free Wi-Fi, safes, and small balconies with sweeping city views. Mini-fridges can be requested for a fee. There’s been some cleanliness complaints about the rooms, though for the most part, guests notice a lack of upkeep in the hallways with room service trays not attended to by housekeeping for days. Reports of bothersome noise from the area and next-door rooms have been made so it’s no surprise the hotel offers ear plugs in rooms. The beige bathrooms are clean and modern with shower/tub combos, toiletries, and hairdryers. 

In terms of features, the hotel’s highlight is definitely the outdoor heated pool that has a deck with loungers, a big perk for a mid-range property in the middle of San Francisco. There’s also a modest fitness center with seven cardio machines, though no free weights or weight machines. With few dining options in the area, the hotel offers a breakfast buffet (for a fee), which includes some Asian influences. The on-site restaurant, 50onEight Restaurant, has a limited international dinner menu and room service with certain hours. Business travelers can take advantage of three fully-equipped meeting rooms, free Wi-Fi, and a business center with two desktops and a printer. The hotel welcomes pets (with a deposit), and offers on-site parking for a costly nightly fee.