More about InterContinental San Francisco
Most Comfortable Bed Ever!
by TripAdvisor Member byln
We stayed at the Intercontinental San Francisco for two nights on May 16-18, and it was a pretty good experience for us.
We paid USD$235 (excluding taxes) for their standard queen (in short what i would think is their cheapest room) because i think this weekend was a peak weekend- there was the bay to breakers run that took place right outside the hotel and was rather fun to watch.
We loved the bed - it was by far the most comfortable bed we've been in. The mattress was nice and firm the the sheets and duvet nice and snug.
I wanted to go to the gym (which upon inspection looked furnished with up to date equipment) but unfortunately on holiday this type of discipline is lacking. There was also an indoor pool which looked inviting but smelt rather strongly of chlorine.
The lobby was quite minimalist-esque, and the rooms done up tastefully. They have a ton of channels on the tv, so while the tv menu guide is helpful, its just impossible to remember.
Anyway, it was a pleasant stay, though i am wondering whether we were paying too much looking at what others have paid for their rooms!
Lovely, polished hotel
by TripAdvisor Member aandptravels
The new InterContinental Hotel San Francisco simply gleams. The rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows with astonishing views. Amenities include a flat-screen television, desk, upscale bath products, and a scale to check yourself after you gorge on the treats in the in-room bar. Even slippers are provided alongside the obligatory robe hanging in the closet.
Downside: there are no ceramic coffee cups available to accompany the small coffee maker. In a room as nice as this, I want to linger while I adjust to time zone change, not run to the nearby convention center with a paper cup in hand. Also: no ATM on the premises or anywhere in a two-block radius.
very enjoyale, kind service, great new rooms
by TripAdvisor Member OutOfOffice2008
Had an excellent stay over a weekend at the new Intercontinental recently.
I agree with most of what has been written here and have no complaints at all. I loved the very comfortable Executive King room on the 23rd floor, with the broad corner view, giant flat-screen tv, and fluffy bathrobes. We were upgraded from a King Superior.
It is a business hotel, but the staff were unbelievably warm and helpful. Everyone was, from the check in and concierge, to valets and housekeepers.
I am an Intercontinental "Ambassador" member and had all my promised benefits recognized - something that is sometimes an issue.
The only tiny thing I would change is that our bathroom needed towel hooks. Otherwise it was great.
I hope they keep this place as sparkling as it is now, and that the staff maintain the kindness that we so appreciated. This will definitely be my SF hotel from now on.
Club InterContinental...totally worth it!
by TripAdvisor Member gtdroptop
We saw a promotional rate for the grand opening on Travelzoo and decided to check out the new hotel in SoMa for a weekend getaway. In a word...stunning! We've stayed in hotels all over SF, the country and the world, and this was easily one of our best experiences EVER. Great service, beautiful room, wonderfully appointed, great food and beverage, perfect location...amazing! Each room is equipped with plenty of power outlets on the desk as well as both wired and wireless LAN (there's a charge in-room). An above and beyond nicety is an iPod dock/alarm radio.
Pros: Stay on the Club InterContinental floors if you can. For us, it was only $40 more a night. With that comes the top 3 floors of the hotel (31-33) with stunning views, bigger rooms, and access to the exclusive Club level. I'm not sure if the gym and pool are available to the rest of the hotel for free, but the Club Lounge is definitely for Club guests only. The Club Lounge includes breakfast (7-11am), snacks (10:30am-3pm), afternoon tea (3-5pm), hors d'oeuvres (5:30-7:30pm) and dessert (7:30-10:30pm) everyday for FREE. Breakfast included a continental breakfast plus delicious fruit, scrambled eggs and freshly ground coffee. Hors d'oeuvres included snacks like mushroom pastries and mini-pizzas, as well as a FREE OPEN BAR. WOW. They charge non-club guests $40/pp if you bring them in. Beers in the room are $6, water is $4, alcohol is $9. All FREE in the club lounge. Internet, newspapers and magazines are also free in the lounge.
Cons: The only thing I could complain about is that valet parking was $46 per night. But the club lounge more than made up for that, especially as we had front row seats watching Bay to Breakers from the lounge.
Nice Room, Poor Service
by TripAdvisor Member demichae
First of all, if you are going to book on their website, keep checking back. The rates go up and down from in the mid 150's to the mid 250's for the same date.
Our rate was $179 for a king. When I first called I asked if there was a room with 2 queens, since we have 3 small children. I was told that the room limit is 3 people due to fire safety. This was ridiculous so I ignored it.
Both my wife and I lived in SF, so we are familiar with the area. The hotel is South of Market, very close to 6th street, one of the worst parts of the downtown area, rivaled only by the Tenderloin. You're not going to want to take nightly strolls heading South, and you don't want to park on the street (if you can find it). You'll be broken into. Upon arrival I was suprised at how small the driveway is. It was crowded with cars and difficult to unload. The lobby is small but nice, sort of like a W hotel. The rooms were very modern, and our view from the 26th floor looked out to the Eastbay. It was pretty, but the other side of the hotel, with views of the City, would have been better. Despite having asked that the liquor cabinet be locked electronically, it wasn't, and our 2 year old opened it, which, we were warned, would result in a charge. It did not. The prices were outrageous...$6.50 for a bag of peanut M&Ms.
We ordered an appetizer from room service. It was a very small sandwich with proscuitto on it. Delivered, it was $20 tip included, but the delivery guy still stood there waiting for a tip.
When I checked in I asked that a pull out bed be delivered to the room, but was told to call roomservice once we were settled. We began calling at 9:00 p.m. Nothing came. We then called again at 10:00 p.m. Again nothing. A third call was made at midnight. Nothing. Finally at 2:00 a.m. I called and the bed was delivered. The guy said he was sorry and waived the charge for the bed. Nice.
All in all, it's a good deal for $150-175 a night, it's clean, and has great views. The location is in a bit of a sketchy area, but it'll be safe as long as you only head North. I wouldn't even walk up 5th street at night. If you are going to Moscone Center, it's VERY close, and would be a perfect location.
On another note, while we were leaving for dinner Saturday night, the bar was packed...with flamboyent gay men. Not sure how they found it, but this would appear to be the newest hotspot for this type. Not that there's anything wrong with that....
Everything was perfect
by TripAdvisor Member kwebsnyc
I stayed at the Intercontinental for a conference at the Moscone Convention Center and booked through the conference at their negotiated rate. Location to the convention center was perfect, only about a block and a half walk, though if I was sight seeing I guess the location would not have been ideal. That being said, I had an absolutely perfect stay. I arrived very late, around 1:30 or later in the morning, without any luggage as the airline had misplaced it. I checked in quickly, and was offered to have toothbrush and toothpaste brought up to the room by housekeeping. The check-in clerk made no mention of an upgrade, but when I walked into my room I could tell I had been-- it was a corner king room with two full walls of floor to ceiling windows, with gorgeous views (2420). The bed was super comfortable, very nice widescreen HD TV, large bathroom with plenty of towels. I could not complain about a single thing in the room-- it is definitely the nicest room I have ever stayed in. The concierge and bell man were both very helpful and friendly. The concierge also made a reservation for us on the spot at a nearby restaurant and this included a free appetizer because it was booked through the hotel. Once my luggage was brought to the hotel, the bellman brought it up quickly and apologized that I had to wait 5-10 minutes because of a mix up in room numbers-- after a full day, the 5 minutes didn't make a difference to me! Also, finding a cab in San Francisco seems to be a big problem but the guys working out front did it pretty quickly. All in all, a great stay and if I visit the Moscone Center again, I will definitely stay here!
Great Stay at the Intercontinental
by TripAdvisor Member afreeman76
I got a great rate at this hotel through Travel Zoo and could not have been happier. I was spending 5 nights in San Francisco for a much needed vacation, and was a bit unsure of where to stay. I chose the Intercontinental as I enjoy modern design, and felt this hotel would provide me with a more comfortable stay than The Clift.
I arrived several hours earlier than expected and was promptly checked in and upgraded from the king room I had booked to room 2103, a king executive corner room. Two walls of the very large room were floor to ceiling windows overlooking the city (including windows in the bathroom!). The views were truly spectacular, and I could not have been more pleased.
The restaurant was really quite good (as I chose to eat there the first night) and the sommelier was excellent. After an extensive conversation she helped me choose the perfect bottle of champagne to accompany my dinner and then had the remaining sent to my room capped and chilled so I could enjoy a mimosa in the morning :) Now that's what I call great service!!
The concierge was also exceptional and even though I knew a few restaurants that I wanted to go to (Absinthe in Hayes Valley and Blowfish Sushi) he also suggested Chez Papa, which I must say, was the best food I had in San Francisco. It is certainly not an inexpensive restaurant, but this is San Francisco, where I expect to spend a minimum of $75 per person each night at dinner.
I also used the health club facilities which were first rate. I was very impressed that I could get a complete weight and cardio work out in, especially with my vacation eating/drinking habits. The only reason I did not rate this as an excellent experience has to do with the over all vibe of this hotel. I often stay at Four Seasons hotels for work, and while Intercontinental wants to believe this is a 4 verging on 5 star experience, it simply is not. The attitude and level of customer service is not even close, though it is much better than a typical Intercontinental.
Great new hotel
by TripAdvisor Member aquahot
This was an unexpectedly great hotel stay for two nights. A month ahead of time, I booked a two night stay for what I thought was going to be the Intercontinental Mark Hopkins. In the interim, after hearing about this new Intercontiental SF that recently opened, I had wished that I stayed there instead. Fortunately, on the day of check-in, I re-examined my itinerary and realized that I was indeed staying at the IC San Francisco.
I had expectations of a nice place, but I was blown away by how nice the hotel was. Super-modern exterior, and excellent front door service. Was given a nice corner room on the 9th floor at check-in. The lobby was beautiful and modern, reminding me of something you would see at the W Hotel.
Upon entering the room, we found a superplush bed, a 37" LCD atop a beautiful dresser, floor to ceiling windows that wrapped around the corner of the room. The bathroom was just a nice, with a quiet, efficient toilet, and a shower/bath with a convex shower curtain-rod.
Like many 4-5* hotels, each room has it's own doorbell(nice touch) and cool lighting decor outside room.
The biggest surprise of our stay actually happened outside of our room the next morning. Turns out we were staying the weekend of the Bay to Breakers marathon, complete with "runners" in costume and many without any sort of costume, if you know what I mean.
Awesome
by TripAdvisor Member TravelWendy
We stayed here for 4 nights and loved everything about it. All the personnel were wonderful and couldn’t do enough for you. The bed was the most comfortable bed I’ve ever slept in. It was a great location. We go to San Francisco 3-4 times a year and this will be my first choice for future stays. The only drawback was parking was pricey but that is expected in the city. ($46.00 plus tax)
Intercontinental Hotel - Great Soup!
by TripAdvisor Member spuddud
The Sun Microsystems Identity Management Roadshow, at which I spoke, was held at the Intercontinental Hotel on May 28, 2005. I arrived the night before and was delighted with my room on the northeast corner of the 29th floor, with a magnificent view of the city and across the bay.
An iHome clock radio on the nightstand allowed me to listen to my favorite music while charging my iPod - just like home. And it was the first hotel room where I could watch NBA Basketball in high definition on a large screen - better than home.
The bed was the most comfortable hotel bed I can remember sleeping in - it might have been better than home, except there was an empty spot where my wife should have been!
But after all this, perhaps the best parts were the soups. The soups, you ask? Yes, the soups. For dinner the night of arrival, I had tomato bisque to accompany my cobb salad. I'm not much of a food connoisseur, but is "exquisite" an appropriate word? It was very good.
The next day, the buffet lunch provided for the Roadshow participants included a mushroom soup that was just as delectable.
One more thing ... the little plastic bottles of shampoo and lotion were shaped like like drops of rain (or tears). Not the reason I choose hotels, but a nice touch!
And just think, with this much fun, I also got Priority Club points.
Photos
Liz and her Lemon Drop Martini
Walking Ocean Beach in Winter
BLT & Fries
Walking Proud
Forum Posts
Mark Hopkins Intercontinental San Francisco
by dundalkspur
Hi -We are staying there a couple of nights prior to a cruise . Need reccomendations for eating places for Breakfast ,evening meals please as we dont have a car.I hear China town and a mall is nearby ?
Thanks for your help.
Re: Mark Hopkins Intercontinental San Francisco
by brotherleelove
The hotel concierge will give you the best local recommendations.
Re: Mark Hopkins Intercontinental San Francisco
by Agraichen
There are plenty of restaurants "down the hill" from the Mark Hopkins. Not certain about the "mall", but probably this is a reference to shopping center at the foot of Powell Street. All is within walking distance but the hike back up to the top could be problematic if you're not used to hiking uphill. The cable car would be an option. Use Google Maps and select San Francisco. It usually centers on the down town area. It identifies the Mark Hopkins as "Top of the Mark."
Re: Mark Hopkins Intercontinental San Francisco
by goodfish
Other than the hilly streets, San Francisco is a wonderful town to walk - in fact, best to see on foot. Your hotel is only about 3 blocks west of Chinatown so very close. The hotel website has some suggestions for restaurants and exploring the area:
http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/intercontinental/en/gb/locations/sanfrancisco-markhopkins
I'd suggest having one breakfast at Top of the Mark at your hotel as it affords excellent views of the city! I stopped in on our last visit a couple of weeks ago just to take a few pictures from up there. It's expensive but would be a nice treat on a clear and sunny morning.
There is shopping in the Union Square area - not quite sure what you mean by a "mall" as the traditional, sprawling suburban complex is not to be found in downtown SF but I know there's a center of sorts in that area with quite a number of shops. Will look it up....
Re: Mark Hopkins Intercontinental San Francisco
by goodfish
AHA - I found it:
You may be looking for Westfield San Francisco City Centre - which is quite a large shopping center a few blocks south of Union Square on Market and Powell Streets. I guess you could call it mall - it's just much posher than what we call a mall here in the midwest! :) Yes, you can easily reach it via cable car or just walk.
The website is here:
http://www.unionsquareshop.com/pages/SanFranciscsoCentre-Westfield.html
You'll notice that this same website has other links to shopping in the Union Square area.
Re: Mark Hopkins Intercontinental San Francisco
by YVRDave
I try to have breakfast here http://www.searsfinefood.com/ every time I'm in San Francisco.
This is a fun little inexpensive French Restaurant also http://www.cornellhotel.com/jeanne/index.shtml
Both are less than a 5 minute walk from the hotel and 15 back - you can take the Cable Car too
