Central Chinatown location
Air-conditioned rooms with mini-fridges, plus suites with sitting areas
Mezzanine features a comfy, simple lounge and casual dining area
Business corner with a PC and printer available to guests
Secured underground parking (for a fee)
Three conference rooms and optional catering service
Concierge service with tours and restaurant reservations
Free continental breakfast plus tea and coffee
Free Wi-Fi throughout
Some rooms have tube TVs
Rooms can be loud due to street noise and other guests
Coffeemakers are only available in suites
In a seedy area, near strip clubs
Few on-site amenities; no gym
The SW Hotel is an 81-room, mid-range hotel in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Rooms and suites have Asian decor and come with mini-fridges and air-conditioning, but some have dated features such as tube TVs. The hotel offers concierge services, luggage storage, free breakfast and Wi-Fi, a mezzanine with patio furniture, three meeting rooms, a business corner, and an underground parking garage. Visitors may want to compare rates at the Hotel Kabuki, located in Japantown.
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Scene
Mid-range Chinatown with Asian decor, a breakfast room, and a mezzanine lounge
The SW Hotel is a small four-story building that offers a reasonably priced stay -- with rooms to match -- in the heart of Chinatown. The building was constructed in 1913 and opened as a hotel in 1999. The lobby and other common areas feature Asian furniture and paintings, as well as Chinese wooden carved details and tile floors. There are also two elevators. There's a lounge area on the mezzanine level with comfy sofas and Asian furnishings as well as a cafe with light-wood tables and chairs. Hallways have dark carpeting and white walls. Toward the back of the hotel is a large, tile-floored breakfast room with simple wooden tables and chairs.
Location
In San Francisco’s Chinatown, close to City Lights Books
The SW Hotel is located in Chinatown, within walking distance of Grant Avenue and Old Saint Mary’s Church. It's just around the corner ffom City Lights Books and there's a gift store, an optician, and a frozen yogurt shop just below the hotel. The immediate area has plenty of shops, Chinese restaurants, bars, and markets -- as well as strip clubs, and the area can feel seedy at night. The Mason Street and Broadway Street cable car stop is three blocks away. It’s a five-minute drive to both the Financial District and Fisherman’s Wharf. Lombard Street is 15 minutes away by cable car. The San Francisco International Airport is 45 minutes by car.
Rooms
Bright rooms with Chinese furnishings, flat-screen TVs (not in all), and mini-fridges -- plus suites with wet bars
The hotel offers Double, Two Double, King, ADA Queen, and Queen Rooms, as well as Suites with separate bedrooms. Units are carpeted and have Asian-style wooden furniture and pops of green and purple decor. Rooms are air-conditioned and most come with writing desks and ironing boards. Some rooms have dated furnishings, such as tube TVs, while others come with flat-screen models. Adjoining rooms are available and rollaway beds and cribs can be requested. Suites have wet bars with coffeemakers and sitting areas. Bathrooms are small, but come with granite countertops, hairdryers, and either shower/tub combos or walk-in showers.
Features
Three meeting rooms, a business corner, free breakfast, and an on-site parking garage (for a fee)
The SW Hotel offers a free daily continental breakfast along with tea/coffee throughout the day. The lobby has a business center with a writing desk, a PC, and a printer, and Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel. For guests with cars, there’s an underground parking garage available for a fee. Three conference rooms -- the Broadway, the Columbus, and the Grant -- fit up to 120 people. The mezzanine can also be rented out for private functions. Catering is available on request.
