114 Powell Street, San Francisco, California, United States | (251) 219-4428
Convenient, central location for sight-seeing, shopping, and dining
Cable car line directly in front of hotel, BART at end of street
Modern, cozy rooms with coffeemakers and flat-screen TVs
Afternoon happy hour with free wine and free morning coffee
Free use of nearby fitness center at sister hotel
On-site parking available
Free Wi-Fi
Rooms are on the small side
Weak soundproofing may be bothersome
Some rooms have interior-facing windows; some don’t have air-conditioning
The 131-room Hotel Union Square is a modern, streamlined hotel in a historic building in the heart of San Francisco's Union Square. Popular with guests seeking a central location, this property has cozy, sometimes small rooms with coffeemakers and flat-screen TVs. There is a cable car line directly in front of the hotel and perks include an afternoon happy hour with free wine and free morning coffee. Wi-Fi is free, but some guests have complained about weak soundproofing and dark, interior-facing rooms.
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Scene
Cozy, central hotel
While the exterior, wedged between small businesses, matches the slight grime of its downtown surroundings, the property does retain some of the glory of its early-20th-century days. It lists itself as a boutique hotel, and, while some of the amenities one would expect to be in house are lacking, it does retain a certain aesthetic flair in the common areas. The lobby, tiled in black, grey, and white, with the rounded edges characteristic of the Art Deco roots of the building, is small but comfortable. Rooms are set around a winding wood staircase that is filled with paintings.
Location
Steps from Powell Street, San Francisco’s theater district
A major plus of this hotel is its location, which is within walking distance of a variety of popular tourist attractions, including SF MoMA, Fisherman’s Wharf (with access to Alcatraz), and the Asian Art Museum. A large number of departments stores are within a couple of blocks; the Powell Street Bart is a block away (average time to airport: 30 minutes), and a cable car line stops across the street from the hotel.
Rooms
Small, cozy rooms with some quirks related to the age of the building
The rooms here are -- according even to guests who have enjoyed their stays -- pretty tight on space. A few elements characteristic of an older building introduce quirks, besides the rooms size, that may be bothersome to some: window air-conditioning units are the norm, and can be loud; they also may not exist in some rooms because of the presence of fire escapes. Soundproofing may be less than adequate, though most have commented that the noise is more likely to come from fellow guests than the street. Decor is pleasant and understated, with warm colors and slight nods to the Art Deco of the rest of the building in circular mirrors and chrome accents. All rooms have Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, coffeemakers, and iPod docks.
Features
Remote fitness and business centers; on-site parking for a fee
The hotel is part of a group of hotels that share amenities; Hotel Diva, the nearest one, is a few blocks away and has a fitness center and a business center that allows guests to visit for free. There is on-site parking for a fee slightly above the rates for adjacent lots, though the convenience likely makes up for the small hike in price. The property also hosts a free late-afternoon wine hour and offers free coffee in the mornings.
