Please take some time to rate STANYAN PARK HOTEL hotel in SAN FRANCISCO (California) and add your review about it. Your comments will be moderated by our editorial team before going live.
What other customers are thinking about this hotel : I arrived to the hotel at 10PM and was told, "Oh, by the way, we don't have a room for you. I think a pipe burst, or something." They had found a room for me at the Great Motor Inn on the Great Highway but could not offer me taxi money to get there or to my conference downtown the next day. The receptionist was relunctant to call any of the hotels within walking distance saying "I think we already called them" and "They ususally don't answer their phones this time of night." Overall, the receptionist was very casual and unhelpful regarding the situation. Fortunately, a friend offered me a sofa to sleep on for the night.
We picked the Stanyan Hotel because it was close to Golden Gate Park. We were visiting San Francisco for a music festival held in the park so the location was perfect. The high ceilings and crown moldings throughout the hotel were charming. The suite had a real kitchen (range, refrigerator, dishwasher) and was fully stocked with dishes, glassware, cookware, etc. We never did use the kitchen beyond the glassware due to all the great restaurants the area had to offer. Although if one had to stay several days, this would be the way to do it.
We were surprised by the large dining room and living room. There was a comfy queen-sized bed in one room and two twins in the other. There was also a sofa sleeper which some friends were forced to use when another near by hotel canceled their reservation due to a late arrival (whoever heard of this?). Really the suite was more like a nice sized (for San Francisco) apartment. The staff was friendly and the breakfast spread served in the morning was adequate. If you have to stay several days, I'd highly recommend the suite.
We stayed in the Stanyan Park Hotel on the last night of our trip to SF and had had trouble finding anywhere because of it being a Friday night.
The hotel is OK - the descriptions talk about it being refurbished which is fine if you like the idea of a faded 1950s B&B refurbishment with lots of pink and chintz.. I actually found it quite depressing and reminded me of too many faded British seaside hotels.
We had a room that was "internal" so we had one very small window in the bedroom that looked out onto an internal shaft (I think it was room 103?) and the window in the bathroom (which was huge and lovely by the way!) looked directly into the room next door and we could hear everything they were saying. I have to say that their room looked a lot better than ours with a lovely big window and lots of space. Ours was a little dismal and depressing so maybe we were just unfortunate but worth bearing in mind for anyone wanting to book here.
The reception staff were pleasant enough but not quite as ebulliently helpful as the experiences we had had elsewhere in California.
At least the price included breakfast which made it a little more bearable. The breakfast was plentiful if a little basic.
The situation of the hotel is great if you want to visit the Golden Gate Park as it is right near the entrance but it is a little out of the way for other attractions (though there is a great bus service that gets you into the centre within about 15 minutes).
Would I stay there again? No but that doesn't mean that it might not appeal to other people!
I waited till the very day of travel when a massive musical event was planned in Golden Gate Park; still they were extremely accomodating & tried to save me their last room - I explained my situation that an out-of-the area friend invited me at the last minute; with the Bay Bridge closed that weekend I'd never have made it to the event without their consideration & accomodations. They let my 15 year old stay free - I felt pretty safe in the area despite my 11:00 p.m. arrival on a Sat. night. Managed to park right on the street next to the hotel, and there was a pizza eatery nearby very conveniently. Beds exceptionally comfortable, bathroom & room impeccably clean - had a very quiet inside room - free internet downstairs & continental breakfast. Breakfast could be slightly expanded upon; but at least we were full & got no decent meal during the musical event (all day) but remained full enough from the eggs, etc. Staff extremely friendly - very very helpful and concerned; most reassuring. A small and charming Queen Anne Victorian totally refurbushed - very atmospheric. A Wonderful Change from Mega Hotels w/zero personality in some cases. Prior remarks true that this is like living in the City (which I did years ago) instead of stopping at a big hotel like a tourista. A nice touch - if I'd have had more time to spend I am sure I would have loved resting in the cozy, decorative room.
Do give Stanyan Park a try - it's convenient if you're going to the locations near Golden Gate Park, and a wonderful respite from Big City Life! Very beautiful & historic building, plus gracious service here.
If you'd like to avoid the pack of Union Square hotels and don't mind being away from downtown, this is a good option. In a converted Victorian building across from the park, it's a quiet, relaxed, friendly place. It's not the W--if you need granite bathrooms and turndown service, you'll probably be disappointed--but it's a notch above the Holiday Inn rank and has a lot more character. The complimentary breakfast and wifi access are nice additions, and the staff was uniformly helpful.
