An Honest Look at the Hilton San Francisco Financial District

Patti and I recently stayed at the Hilton San Francisco Financial District hotel. We have always had our eye on this hotel as it always came in about $100 cheaper than most of our stays in the downtown district.

The Hilton San Francisco Financial District offers a convenient downtown location and some appealing amenities, but guests should set realistic expectations as the property has both strengths and weaknesses.

The Pros

Location: Situated right in the Financial District, the hotel's central location is one of its biggest draws. You're within walking distance of attractions like the Ferry Building, Embarcadero, and North Beach. The hotel lies right on the border of Chinatown. [4].

Rooms: While some areas are showing their age, the spacious guest rooms are generally comfortable with modern amenities like large desks, HDTVs, and the signature Hilton Serenity beds[4]. The room was spacious and nice, but it did lack storage space for our clothes. I mean, we got by.

Views: Many rooms, especially on higher floors, offer impressive views of the San Francisco skyline and Bay Bridge[4]. We did pay a bit more for a higher floor with a balcony where we could see Alcatraz Island, the Ferris wheel on the Embarcadero, and Treasure Island with a bit of a view of the Bay Bridge.

Amenities: The hotel provides nice on-site amenities like a fitness center, indoor pool, wine bar, and restaurant with American/international cuisine[4]. We thought the entryway “atrium” was nice and the lobby was welcoming.

When staying at hotels in San Francisco, we like to dine at the hotel at least once during our stay. Unfortunately, we had NO idea what their menu was. There is a QR code in the room for dining, but, no menu!! No menu on their website either. Weird. We did have breakfast during our stay both mornings, and the breakfast was hearty and delicious.

The Cons

Safety Concerns: Alarmingly, some guests have reported not feeling safe during their stay and encountering rude, unprofessional staff behavior[1][3]. Again, this is some research that I did, but we felt completely safe, and the staff was wonderful.

Inconsistent Service: Customer service quality seems to be hit-or-miss, with multiple reviews criticizing unhelpful and discourteous front desk personnel[4]. Not for us.

Dated Facilities: Despite a $55 million renovation in 2006, aspects of the hotel are starting to look dated and in need of updating according to some guests[2][4]. We knew there had to have been a remodel at some point being that the Hilton has been around for a while. Our toilet wasn’t working properly the first night. Maintenance was quick to come and repair it without any big messes happening!

Parking Costs: Self-parking and valet fees are quite pricey, which is common for downtown San Francisco hotels[4]. There is NO valet parking at the Hilton. There is a parking garage conveniently beneath the Hilton. Watch our video as I detail how to get there.

The Bottom Line

If you’re looking to stay in the downtown district of San Francisco, and you are on a budget, then we certainly recommend the Hilton San Francisco Financial District stay. You can have that “ritzy” feel with “some” hesitation or disruptions, maybe.

Our goal is to provide an honest, balanced assessment based on compiling the feedback across various guest reviews. Please let me know if this revised blog entry better captures the mixed experience you had at this hotel.

Citations:

[1] https://www.expedia.com/San-Francisco-And-Vicinity-Hotels-Hilton-San-Francisco-Financial-District.h4302.Hotel-Reviews

[2] https://www.booking.com/reviews/us/hotel/hilton-san-francisco-financial-district.html

[3] https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60713-d81038-r118867489-Hilton_San_Francisco_Financial_District-San_Francisco_California.html

[4] https://www.oyster.com/san-francisco/hotels/hilton-san-francisco-financial-district/

[5] https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/sfofdhf-hilton-san-francisco-financial-district/