Disclosure: This stay was provided free of charge; all opinions are my own.
The Westin St. Francis is a historic hotel in the heart of San Francisco’s Union Square that has the fun, historic charm with all of the modern amenities you have come to expect from luxury hotels. I got a chance to spend two days there while exploring the city and looking for Christmas activities, and I loved the great location and the fact that so many of San Francisco’s most popular attractions were located nearby. Here is all the information so you can check it out as well.
Details
- Hotel website
- Location: 335 Powell St, San Francisco, CA 94102
- This information is from my visit in 2017
- Read more of my favorite San Francisco spots here
Getting There
If you are flying into SFO for a long weekend, then I would recommend not renting a car and just taking the BART from the airport. The hotel is located about 7 minutes walk from the Powell St BART station, which makes getting there convenient. If you drive, you can park at the hotel, but it is an extra $60 per day, I believe. Plus, it is hard to drive in San Francisco, and parking is pretty much always expensive, so public transit / Uber is a great option.
The Hotel
The Westin St Francis was built in the early 1900s and has a storied history in San Francisco. I was shocked to learn that one of my favorite photographers, Ansel Adams, even photographed the restaurant for them in the mid-1900s.
The hotel has been expanded since then, and there is a second tower that sits behind the original building and houses 32 floors of rooms.
We visited during December, during which the hotel has two beautiful sugar castles which are a sight to behold.
The lobby is always packed with people coming in to see them, and I enjoyed being able to walk by them on the way in/out of the hotel during my stay as they are truly majestic.
There was a Sweet Shoppe open in the lobby during the weekends in December as well. It had cookies, macaroons and other treats for sale.
The lobby also holds The Clock Bar, which is the modern hotel bar that has all sorts of fun, movie-inspired drinks. We got a late drink here one night (I recommend the “Dirty Harry”) and the tuna poke appetizer, both were excellent, and the bar had a relaxed atmosphere, even during the busy Christmas rush.
The Rooms
We stayed in the Deluxe King City View room in the new tower. It was on the 22nd floor, and one the best things about this hotel was the elevator, which is glass and looks out over the city as you go up.
Our room was spacious with a large king bed, a desk, two chairs, and a small table.
It also had a great view of the city since we were at a high vantage point.
The bathroom was also nice with a granite shower/bath and ample counter space near the sink.
The hotel had tons of amenities, including workout clothing to use while at the hotel if you didn’t bring your own. They also allowed you to connect to your Netflix account in the room, which made for a relaxing night after exploring. Honestly, I loved my time at the Westin St Francis in San Francisco. I have already recommended it to multiple people due to its historic charm and its great location in the city. Check it out, especially during the holidays, and let me know what you think in the comments. You can also find more spots to explore in San Francisco here.
