Hotel Nikko, San Francisco

Hotel Nikko, San Francisco Review

The vast surfaces of gray-flecked white marble that dominate the neoclassical lobby of this hotel have the starkness of an airport; however, the crisply designed rooms in muted tones, with flat-screen TVs, modern (and newly renovated) bathrooms with sinks that sit on top of granite bases, plus separate showers and tubs, please the business-traveler clientele. Guest rooms were completely refreshed in 2011 to create a sleek new look highlighting the hotel's Japanese essence, with new bedding, white-leather headboards and desk chairs, and pale-blue curtains. Some higher-end rooms come with complimentary breakfast. The excellent 10,000-square-foot Club Nikko fitness facility has his-and-hers dry saunas and steam rooms, and a glass-enclosed, 16-meter rooftop pool and a whirlpool. The Kanpai cabaret theater, located on the lobby level, is a venue for nostalgia acts. The hotel restaurant Anzu, which also received a makeover, serves California-Japanese cuisine.