1590 Sutter St, At Octavia Street, San Francisco, California, United States | (888) 708-2081
Located in an elegant neighborhood of Victorian houses next to Lower Pacific Heights
Elegant, individually decorated rooms with free Wi-Fi and flat-screen TVs
Some rooms have jetted tubs, fireplaces, microwaves, coffeemakers, and mini-fridges
Computer and microwave available in lobby for guests' use
Free breakfast with hot and cold items
Evening social reception with tea, sherry, and fresh-baked cookies
Morning weekday drop-off car service in the surrounding
area
Parking across the street (for a fee)
Not near major tourist sights
No swimming pool, fitness center, or restaurant
Some rooms could use a refresh and bathrooms are small
Charge for parking
Period details and ghost rumors may be too much for some
The three-pearl Queen Anne evokes San Francisco at the turn of the 20th century, and is one of the city's most charming small historic hotels. Housed in a four-story Victoria-era building erected in 1890 and
originally used as a girl's school, the Queen Anne was refurbished in 1998 but
still retains its period flavor. The 48 guest rooms feature Victorian antiques, but they have been updated with such modern amenities as free Wi-Fi and flat-screen TVs. Some have wood-burning fireplaces, microwaves, coffeemakers, and mini-fridges. Breakfast and an evening social hour with tea, sherry, and
cookies are included in the room rate. Located a bit far from tourist attractions, the hotel is for travelers seeking intimacy and historic charm.
Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.
Scene
Victorian-era charm evocative of old San Francisco
The late 19th-century feel is so pervasive, that staying at the Queen Anne is like stepping
back in time. The
hotel is even rumored to be haunted by the ghost of Miss Mary Lake,
the headmistress of the school that once occupied the building, making it a regular stop on an annual Halloween ghost tour. The hotel is filled with
beguiling period detail, which some might find a bit excessive. A rich red-and-gold color palette
predominates throughout the property, and the hotel includes many superb
architectural and decorative details, such as wood paneling, inlaid wood floors, red
velvet curtains, carved chairs, chandeliers, a vintage elevator, and grand
staircase with a stained-glass dome. Guests mix and mingle in the breakfast salon -- its floor-to-ceiling windows offer views of the city -- and at the free late-afternoon/early evening
social hour in the elegant parlor with winged settees, fringed lampshades, a
fireplace, bookshelves, and a piano. As in most small hotels, service is gracious and attentive.
Location
Quiet location in Japantown, a 10-minute walk from the California Street cable car
The Queen Anne Hotel is located in Japantown in a
quiet residential neighborhood filled with Victorian mansions, east of
Lower Pacific Heights. While not near the city's major tourist sights, it's a block from the bus to downtown, and restaurants, bars,
shops, and theaters are within walking distance. The Japan Center mall, which includes the Peace Plaza and Origami Fountains, is three blocks south. Three blocks east is Van Ness Avenue/Highway 101, the city's main thoroughfare
that connects the highway south of the city to the Golden Gate Bridge. The California
Street cable car is about a 10-minute walk northeast, while
Fisherman's Wharf is about a 30-minute trip northeast by a combination of bus
and cable car. The area of City Hall, the symphony and opera, Civic Center,
Civic Center/UN Plaza BART station and Asian Art Museum is a five-minute drive
southeast. The western gate of Chinatown is a five-minute drive east and Union
Square is a five-minute drive southeast. The Golden Gate Bridge is
a 10-minute drive northwest. The Queen Anne Hotel is a 30-minute drive north of
San Francisco International Airport, and a 40-minute drive northwest of Oakland
International Airport.
Rooms
Elegant Victorian-style rooms with free Wi-Fi and flat-screen TVs
Situated on four floors, the Queen Anne's 48 spacious, elegant rooms and suites are individually decorated with heirloom Victorian
antiques, colorful artwork that includes cherub murals, wood furnishings, and other period details. A rich red, gold, and beige color palette predominates, and rooms come in a variety of sizes and bed configurations. They aren't
overly luxurious, but
they do evoke historic character; some could use a little refurbishing. Some rooms and suites have a combination of bay windows, wood-burning fireplaces, coffeemakers, DVD players, mini-fridges, microwaves, sofa beds, and jetted tubs. All come with free Wi-Fi, large flat-screen TVs with DirectTV, hairdryers, and irons. Bathrooms, which have shower/tub combos, are small and have limited counter space. Rooms are generally quiet, but they do get occasional street noise.
Features
Free breakfast and early evening social reception
As a small hotel, the Queen Anne has no swimming pool, spa, restaurant, or fitness center. There is, however, a 24-hour gym within a five-minute walk of the hotel on Van Ness Avenue. Breakfast, which is included, comes with a generous spread of sausage patties, hard-boiled eggs,
hot waffles, cereals, pastries, yogurt, coffee, and juice. The free social hour offers hot tea,
sherry, and fresh-baked cookies. A nice perk is the free town car drop-off service within a two-mile
radius on weekday mornings. The hotel also has concierge service, 24-hour front
desk service, a lobby computer and microwave, free newspapers, airport
transfer (for a fee), parking across the street (for a fee, with in/out privileges), and free Wi-Fi.
