| Hotel Rating: |  | | Satisfaction: |    | | Reviews: 4 | Photos: 1 | | 495 Geary Street |
 | San Francisco Clift - Morgans Hotel Group Reviews | 1 - 4 of 4 |  |
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 | Clift - Morgans Hotel Group: Elegance Personified
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I stayed at The Clift prior to its purchase by Ian Schrager and renovation by Phillippe Starck. At the time of my stay, I did not see any lacking of appointments. The bed and pillows ranked as the best in a hotel that I've experienced, to the extent that I tried to find out the brand/manufacturers without success. The rooms were intimately decorated and though the bathrooms were small by today's standards, I was surprised to find a "real" closet and a spacious room. The room layout is no doubt due to the hotel being built in an era where spaciousness of clothing storage and room to stretch were considered a must for the well-traveled, and bathrooms were for, well, bathing and personal hygiene. The location of the hotel is great, located near the Sir Francis drake hotel, and a nice stroll from Union Square and Nob Hill, and easily accessible to the trolleys, taking you to other parts of the city. The price is average for comparable hotels, more expensive for the budget minded traveler.
The Redwood Bar is not to be missed, with its massive bar and redwood paneling floor to ceiling. Walking into the room takes you immediately back to the days when business deals were made over a glass of cogniac and a good cigar.
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| Clift - Morgans Hotel Group: Changed - for the better or worse?
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Before its renovation, the Clift had a warm, most inviting and charming lobby/reception area. I had passed by the hotel entrance many times on my trips to San Francisco, thinking I'd love to stay there one day; and eventually I did get to stay, and enjoy the hotel. Then came the renovation....
On my second visit, I arrived at the hotel on a Friday night, quite late, in March, 2003. There was industrial music pumping out from the back of the lobby area; the crowd was spilling out onto the sidewalk outside. I asked the doorman "is there a party going on?" He replied "it's Friday night, and it's the Clift!" At the reception desk, I had to be shouting to the receptionist (who was very helpful, and upgraded the room so that I could stay smoke-free) in order to overcome the music.
Alas, the lovely lobby is no more. The new lobby is a square, gray space dominated by a curious, way oversized French chair. There are seating areas around the periphery of the lobby areas, recessed and rather dark. I liked the elevators, each with differently colored (although very dim) interior lighting.
Even before the renovation, I didn't think the room itself was all that remarkable; and that impression carried over to the post-renovation Clift. Philippe Starck's interior design is light, elegant and delightful (I liked the acrylic bedside tables) but, at least in my room, it couldn't quite mask the fact that the room was basically a shoebox. Especially after dark, when the room lost natural light, it turned somewhat dreary. On the other hand, I liked the "Agua" toileteries.
Perhaps working in a hotel like this makes employees themselves feel self-conscious? While I have no complaints whatsoever about their friendliness, competence etc., I had a vague feeling that many of them themselves didn't feel quite comfortable about the place either!
Go to the Clift for the style. Keep in mind though that style is not the same as character or personality. Theme: HotelPrice: US$180 and up » Currency ConverterComparison: more expensive than average
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| Clift - Morgans Hotel Group: You pay for the atmosphere
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 Lobby, Clift Hotel, S.F. by rjweber21
There are a lot of mirrors in the rooms (at least in our room). I know they do this to make the room look bigger, but there really were mirrors covering two walls in their entirety. We appreciated the effort.
The Redwood Room is the famous old bar in the lobby - it is a very hip scene, and the place was packed on Friday and Saturday night. We had to show our keycard to bypass the rather long line outside the hotel. There is also a nice lobby bar/lounge if you're not into getting bounced around in the crowded Redwood Room. I found it more than a little annoying that the only Pinot Noir by the glass was from Oregon. What??? I mean, there's a little place down the road that is known to have some pretty good juice. I admit, I am sort of a wine snob, but c'mon - Erath, from Oregon, really? Boooooo!
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