The InterContinental San Francisco Hotel, a graceful tower of translucent cool-blue, soars 32 stories above the vibrant South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood of San Francisco, and has quickly taken its place among the city’s most admired landmarks.About a week before our arrival, I called to see if a couple of my requests could be accommodated. My first request was an early check in. I knew our flight was scheduled to land at 1:30 and since their check in time is 3:00, I was hoping they would let us check in about 2:00 – 2:30. I was told by the representative that this would not be a problem and she would note my reservation. My second reason for calling wasn’t exactly a request; it was more of a question. While in San Francisco, we were meeting up with a few friends and celebrating an anniversary. We wanted to ship their gift directly to the hotel and not have to worry about it on the plane. I was told exactly how to address the package and that it would be placed in my room when it arrived. I was extremely happy and had a great feeling about this trip.
Located directly adjacent to the Moscone West Convention Center, the InterContinental San Francisco occupies a strategic location for both business and leisure in America’s most dynamic and beloved city. While its convenience for businesspersons is unrivaled, San Francisco’s newest luxury hotel is also within easy walking distance of Union Square, premium shopping areas, a diverse collection of trendy and upscale restaurants and bars, and a number of major San Francisco tourist attractions.
The InterContinental San Francisco Hotel offers 550 guest rooms (all non-smoking), including 14 suites featuring a spectacular duplex Presidential Suite with unrivaled city skyline and San Francisco Bay views. The hotel has an intimate footprint with only 22 guest rooms per floor. Rooms are luxurious and elegantly appointed with rich wood and marble, striking contemporary art, sleek, stylish furniture, and the latest high-tech amenities. All of this is enhanced by floor-to-ceiling windows through which spectacular city and bay views add to a wondrous experience in San Francisco.
Establishing new standards for design, luxury, amenities, and commitment to guest satisfaction, the InterContinental San Francisco hotel features a 10-room spa offering a comprehensive array of exquisite treatments and signature experiences, staffed by a team of therapists skilled at graciously pampering guests. For a more vigorous workout, guests can enjoy the indoor heated lap-pool or fitness center right next door to the hotel.
Wonderful dining experiences await our guests at Luce Restaurant offering American- style breakfast and lunch and transforming into a destination wine restaurant for dinner. Enjoy a tantalizing Grappa cocktail at Bar 888 located on our lobby level.
The Hotel’s 43,000 square feet of meeting and function space includes 2 spectacular ballrooms and 21 meeting rooms on the 3rd, 4th and 5th floors, where flexible configurations provide for events requiring 400 to 1,600 square feet. The hotel's conference and banquet facilities all have natural light and are the most technologically advanced of all San Francisco meeting venues, equipped with capabilities for high-speed Internet access, ISDN lines, independent climate controls, and advanced security.
INFORMATION AT A GLANCE
Check In/Out
Check-In Time 03:00 PM
Check-Out Time 12:00 PM
Late Check-Out Available
Location
Located in downtown San Francisco, South of Market
888 Howard Street, corner of 5th Street
14.1 miles from San Francisco International Airport
19.8 miles from Oakland International Airport
Facility
• 32 Floor(s)
• 550 Guest Room(s)
• 14 Suite(s)
• 345 Single-Bedded Room(s)
• 205 Double-Bedded Room(s)
• 550 Non-Smoking Room(s)
• Executive Suites
• Executive Floors
Internet Access
High Speed Internet Access
* Initial Fee: $14.95 (USD)
Service Provider: AT&T, Superclick
PC available Service Provider: AT&T. Club Lounge only
Wireless Data Connection
* Initial Fee: $14.95 (USD)
Service Provider: AT&T, Superclick
Languages Spoken by Staff
Chinese, English, French, German, Spanish, Tagalog
Pet Policy
Pets allowed with a non-refundable fee per night of $50 (USD)
Specific rooms only
Pet cannot be left unattended in guest room
Parking
Parking Available/180 Spaces
Valet parking only
Valet Parking Available: $60.42 incl. tax (USD)
Controlled Access Gates to Parking
Parking Area Equipped with Lights
Currency
UNITED STATES DOLLAR $ (USD)
Accessibility
Service Animals Allowed
16 Room(s) with Accessibility Standards
Valet parking
On Saturday, our flight was pretty uneventful except for our flight having to circle the San Francisco airport for about 20 minutes waiting for clearance to land. We retrieved our bag and hopped in a taxi to be taken to our hotel. We arrived at the hotel approximately 2:30 and we were tired. We stood in line for about 5 minutes waiting to check in. We were then told our room was not ready, needless to say we were frustrated. I asked how much longer and was told it would be at least an hour (which is after the 3:00 check in time). To be fair, the woman did offer to downgrade us from the King Deluxe (which we booked) to a standard queen room (which was available right at the moment). No thank you. We booked the room we wanted, we weren’t about to accept a downgrade for a week just to get into our room. Perhaps if an upgrade was offered, we would have accepted and paid the difference. Since our early check in request was not honored, I confirmed that there was a note on our reservation that we were expecting a package, I was assured there was a note and the package would be delivered to our room. We asked if our bags could be held, we were starving and didn’t want to take our luggage with us. We were told to give the bags to the bellman, so we did and we left.
Fast forward a few hours. We arrived back at the hotel about 5:30, thoroughly exhausted by this point. We checked into our room without incident, handed over our luggage tag and were told our bags would be delivered to our room promptly. We got to our room (on the 25th floor) and we were very happy with everything, very clean and modern. About 5 minutes later, there was a knock at the door and it was the bellman there to deliver our luggage. Unfortunately, it was not our luggage. The guy argued with us for a second, but seriously, why would we refuse our bags? He left, and about 25 minutes went by and he finally came back with our bags. I was thankful to finally have everything and hoped that would be the end of the “incidents”.
Pictures of our room:
THE VIEWS KEEP GETTING BETTER ON THE 25TH TO THE 30TH FLOOR UNOBSTRUCTED VIEWS OF THE FAMOUS SAN FRANCISCO LANDMARKS LOWER FLOORS ARE AVAILABLE WITH THE ADVANTAGE OF AN EXTRA 70 SQ FT OF SPACE WITH A WINDOW SEAT FEATURE ON REQUESTView from our room:
Everything was going perfect with our stay. We were sleeping well, the hotel was quiet, and the staff always seemed pleasant. On Tuesday, our package was supposed to be delivered. My husband had met up with a few friends earlier in the morning for a bike ride, so I was in the room alone when I received a call from the concierge that a package was delivered. I asked if they would bring it up and was informed that I needed to go down to get it. Okay, fine. I went to the concierge desk and the woman gave me a little bit of a problem because the package was shipped in my husband’s name. I informed her that the hotel reservation was also under my husband’s name, but that mine was also listed under the room. She finally relinquished and asked me to “sign this sheet accepting the package”. I did so, but then realized I wasn’t signed only for the package, but also for an $11 package handling fee. I was outraged; we had never been informed of such a fee. When I asked her about it, she informed me that it was a standard fee. I informed her that I had called in advance of shipping the package and was never made aware of this fee. Had I been made aware, I never would have shipped it to the hotel. She didn’t really want to listen to me. I told her for $11, the least they could have done was bring it to the room for me. Honestly, I don’t know how they get away with charging this fee. UPS delivers the package; they call the guest, the guest then have to get the package. Wow, expensive $11 phone call. :-( When my husband returned, I informed him of the charge and he was as annoyed as I was. He went to the front desk and got it removed.
Other thoughts on the hotel and the area:
• I thought $14.95 internet charge was a little excessive, but we paid it.
• I was happy that they offered a place to check in for your flights and print boarding passes.
• “The Green Door”, which is a medical marijuana dispensary is across the street from the hotel. Often times the smell is pretty strong when walking by.
• “Buca di Beppo” a fresh, authentic Italian food served family style, for parties of two or two-hundred is also across the street from the hotel. This came in handy on nights we didn’t want to go too far away.
• There seemed to be a lot more homeless people around the SoMa area. Last year we stayed near Union Square and didn’t notice them as frequently. They seemed to be harmless, but still made me feel uncomfortable to be asked for money, especially when I was walking alone.
Overall, I was extremely happy with our stay and I would recommend the hotel to others.
I would first like to thank you for taking the time to share with us your comments and observations during your most recent visit to our Hotel.
ReplyDeleteWith regard to your specific comments, our Concierge services and Front Desk Servises and we would like to offer a sincere apology for the impressions and inconveniences that we may have cause you.
I remain at your disposal for further assistance and please do not hesitate to contact me for your next reservation at our hotel.
Thanks for your review. I am thinking about booking the Intercontinental for our stay in SF this fall. I also read some good reviews about it at http://san-francisco.hotelscheap.org/. I think it's ridiculous how much hotels charge to use their wifi. It's free everywhere else so why do they get off charging that much? Anyway, I think the location is pretty good and the rooms look really nice so we'll probably stay there and go to Starbucks for internet. :)
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