Powell Hotel in San Francisco
 

Does anyone have an opinion on the Powell Hotel? It's off Union Square. The web site makes it look nice and the rate is a reasonable $129 a night. If you've had a bad experience there I need to know. Also, any other suggestions for my first visit (3 days)? Thanks

When are you going? Expedia.com has a rate of $80 for early May.

Actually, I'll be going over labor day weekend. But, I think I'll check out Expedia. Thanks.

Kim, We stayed there around 3 yrs ago while it was just finishing up a remodel of the lobby.<BR>Nice hotel. Suite-like rooms.<BR><BR>The in-laws have stayed there a few times since and still liked it. Good location. Right by the cable car turntable. Thought the noise may bug us but it didn't.<BR><BR>$80-129 is nice but I hear a lot of people were getting the St Francis and Hyatts for $75-$125?<BR>Kal

Over year later and I'm also thinking about a stay at the Powell Hotel...any recent opinions??

Thanks!

Re: &quot;off Union Square&quot;location..
.Hotel is located where Powell and Market Street meet...and as another poster mentioned.. where the Cable car turns around with much bell-ringing and clanging.(I love it!!)
Therefore it is about 3 blocks up hill to get to Union Sq.
I stayed there years ago and again recently after some remodeling.I must say quite an improvment since first stay. Good service and a very convenient

I stayed at the Powell Hotel a month ago. Although it was an interesting place, I don't think I'll be back. (I ended up there after the budget hotel I'd reserved closed for renovations without telling me. I only found out about the closing when I couldn't reach them to confirm the day before. I got a reservation at the Powell at the last minute, and vastly overpaid.)

My single room was very small. I had no view, yet noise was still a problem. I could shut out most of the noise by closing windows, but then the room was too hot. (I was on the top floor; I would probably have been cooler on a lower floor.)

The only way I can describe the hallways is byzantine. My room was a few feet from the elevator, but I had to walk completely around the building in order to get there.

The front desk staff was generally polite, not always very professional. The toilet clogged the first evening I was there, and the TV reception went out intermittently. The room was always impeccably clean, and the furnishings were high end.

The location was excellent for anyone attending a meeting at Moscone Center. It really was in the center of things.

I didn't expect to be, but I was shocked by the numbers of homeless people. I never came across human excrement on the sidewalk as was reported once here, and I wasn't hassled by any homeless person after I told him &quot;no thanks&quot; once. However, their sheer numbers were amazing. Whenever I walked anywhere near Market and Powell, I saw 5-20 homeless people per block. Other than sadness over their situation, I was okay with this, but if I had come with my family, I probably would have chosen a different neighborhood.