Pros

  • Trendy boutique hotel in the heart of Japantown
  • Rooms have flat-screen TVs and mini-fridges; some have patios or balconies
  • Japanese restaurant and bar serving shabu shabu
  • Courtyard with lounge furniture and a fire pit
  • Bright computer room with vending machines
  • Free bicycles to explore the city
  • Pet-friendly rooms with dog beds and bowls available (no extra charge)
  • Free Wi-Fi for Kimpton Karma members, and newspapers
  • Secured self-parking (for a fee)
  • Discounts for airport transfers
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Cons

  • Wi-Fi free only for Kimpton Karma members (a free program)
  • Far from Fisherman's Wharf and certain other tourist sights
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Bottom Line

With 131 rooms, The Buchanan (The Kimpton Buchanan), is a hip mid-range boutique hotel with bohemian style and a prime location in the heart of Japantown. Shabu shabu is served in the restaurant and bar, and the hotel has a small fitness room and bicycles for its guests to explore the city. Spacious rooms -- most of which are pet-friendly -- feature trendy interiors, mini-fridges, and Keurig coffeemakers, though not all are updated. Some also have patios adjacent to the stylishly furnished courtyard with a fire pit. Travelers seeking a hotel that's closer to the waterfront should check out the Pier 2620 Hotel Fisherman's Wharf

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Amenities

  • Cribs
  • Fitness Center
  • Internet
  • Pets Allowed

Oyster Hotel Review

Kimpton Buchanan

Scene

Mid-range stylish boutique hotel with Japanese accents

The Kimpton Buchanan is an eight-floor boutique hotel, formerly the anime-themed Tomo Hotel, with a hip, bohemian lobby designed by Nicole Hollis. Interiors are described as "zen-meets-boutique chic” with vintage-looking leather sofas, Japanese-style artwork, eye-catching light fixtures made of whiskey bottles, and a dark-wood rectangular conference table surrounded by orange swivel chairs in the small lobby. Sayings like, “I was born to be awesome, not perfect,” are placed throughout the property, adding a quirky charm to the ambience. With its reasonable rates, the hotel draws a mix of tourists and business travelers, although prices rise when conferences are going on in the city. 

See More Scene

Location

In San Fran’s Japantown, with views of the Peace Pagoda

This hotel is on Sutter Street in Japantown, a good location for travelers who want to be near great karaoke and Japanese food. Shops and Japanese bakeries are just a two-minute walk from the hotel at the Japan Center, which is by the Peace Pagoda. Fillmore Street in Pacific Heights is about two blocks away from here as well. It’s a 30-minute walk for the ambitious, or an eight-minute drive, to busy Union Square, which has tons of shopping. The Powell-Market Cable Car Turntable is the same distance from the hotel and cuts through Chinatown past Lombard Street to Fisherman’s Wharf, where travelers can walk to Pier 39. By cab, it’s a 15-minute drive to the Golden Gate Bridge and Haight-Ashbury District. The hotel can arrange discounted shuttle service to the San Francisco International Airport, which is a 30- to 45-minute trip.

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Rooms

Mostly trendy rooms with mini-fridges and Keurig coffeemakers, some with Japantown views

Rooms at the Kimpton Buchanan are spacious -- about 315 to 350 square feet (29 to 33 square meters) -- and most feature hip, dark interiors, Japanese artwork, shibori-patterned pillows, and quirky details that include flat-screen TVs on easels and old-fashioned alarm clocks. Blue wardrobes hold irons, umbrellas, mini-fridges, yoga mats, and safes. White duvets with black embroidery look sharp on beds that sit under wood-plank headboards. That being said, a small percentage of the guest rooms have yet to be given the Kimpton treatment, and guests should check ahead regarding on-going renovations. Keurig coffeemakers rest on bistro tables, but rooms lack proper desks. Pets are allowed in most rooms, and dog beds and food bowls are available on request. White-and-black tile bathrooms have shibori-print bathrobes and shower/tub combos. Windows overlook Japantown or the courtyard, and upgraded rooms have furnished patios or balconies. Members of the Kimpton Karma Rewards program, which is free to join, get free Wi-Fi and totes with water and snacks. Some noise issues from neighbors and city traffic can be an issue in certain rooms. 

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Features

Japanese restaurant, a charming courtyard, a fitness center, on-site parking, and bike rentals

The Japantown staple Mum’s Restaurant and Bar is on the hotel's second floor, with Japanese anime murals, shabu shabu, and bento-box lunches. A spacious courtyard offers sofas and Adirondack chairs around a fire pit, and pets can frolic on the artificial grass. In early 2016, the hotel added a meeting space, the Fillmore Room, that can fit up to 30 people, and an indoor/outdoor fitness center, which has cardio machines, a bench press, and free weights. courtyard. Secured underground parking, for a fee, is provided on-site. In the lobby are loaner bicycles, and two computers and a printer are in the lounge for guests. In-room massages and spa services can be arranged, and the hotel can provide discounts on airport shuttles. Wi-Fi is free for Kimpton Karma members. 

See More Features

Things You Should Know About Kimpton Buchanan

Also Known As

  • Best Western Hotel Tomo
  • Best Western San Francisco
  • San Francisco Best Western
  • Hotel Tomo
  • The Buchanan

Room Types

  • Balcony Queen Room
  • Deluxe Room
  • Players Suite
  • Tomo Queen Room

Address

1800 Sutter Street, San Francisco, California 94115-3220, United States

Phone

(415) 921-4000

Website

Oyster Hotel Review

Kimpton Buchanan

Scene

Mid-range stylish boutique hotel with Japanese accents

The Kimpton Buchanan is an eight-floor boutique hotel, formerly the anime-themed Tomo Hotel, with a hip, bohemian lobby designed by Nicole Hollis. Interiors are described as "zen-meets-boutique chic” with vintage-looking leather sofas, Japanese-style artwork, eye-catching light fixtures made of whiskey bottles, and a dark-wood rectangular conference table surrounded by orange swivel chairs in the small lobby. Sayings like, “I was born to be awesome, not perfect,” are placed throughout the property, adding a quirky charm to the ambience. With its reasonable rates, the hotel draws a mix of tourists and business travelers, although prices rise when conferences are going on in the city. 

See More Scene

Location

In San Fran’s Japantown, with views of the Peace Pagoda

This hotel is on Sutter Street in Japantown, a good location for travelers who want to be near great karaoke and Japanese food. Shops and Japanese bakeries are just a two-minute walk from the hotel at the Japan Center, which is by the Peace Pagoda. Fillmore Street in Pacific Heights is about two blocks away from here as well. It’s a 30-minute walk for the ambitious, or an eight-minute drive, to busy Union Square, which has tons of shopping. The Powell-Market Cable Car Turntable is the same distance from the hotel and cuts through Chinatown past Lombard Street to Fisherman’s Wharf, where travelers can walk to Pier 39. By cab, it’s a 15-minute drive to the Golden Gate Bridge and Haight-Ashbury District. The hotel can arrange discounted shuttle service to the San Francisco International Airport, which is a 30- to 45-minute trip.

See More Location

Rooms

Mostly trendy rooms with mini-fridges and Keurig coffeemakers, some with Japantown views

Rooms at the Kimpton Buchanan are spacious -- about 315 to 350 square feet (29 to 33 square meters) -- and most feature hip, dark interiors, Japanese artwork, shibori-patterned pillows, and quirky details that include flat-screen TVs on easels and old-fashioned alarm clocks. Blue wardrobes hold irons, umbrellas, mini-fridges, yoga mats, and safes. White duvets with black embroidery look sharp on beds that sit under wood-plank headboards. That being said, a small percentage of the guest rooms have yet to be given the Kimpton treatment, and guests should check ahead regarding on-going renovations. Keurig coffeemakers rest on bistro tables, but rooms lack proper desks. Pets are allowed in most rooms, and dog beds and food bowls are available on request. White-and-black tile bathrooms have shibori-print bathrobes and shower/tub combos. Windows overlook Japantown or the courtyard, and upgraded rooms have furnished patios or balconies. Members of the Kimpton Karma Rewards program, which is free to join, get free Wi-Fi and totes with water and snacks. Some noise issues from neighbors and city traffic can be an issue in certain rooms. 

See More Rooms

Features

Japanese restaurant, a charming courtyard, a fitness center, on-site parking, and bike rentals

The Japantown staple Mum’s Restaurant and Bar is on the hotel's second floor, with Japanese anime murals, shabu shabu, and bento-box lunches. A spacious courtyard offers sofas and Adirondack chairs around a fire pit, and pets can frolic on the artificial grass. In early 2016, the hotel added a meeting space, the Fillmore Room, that can fit up to 30 people, and an indoor/outdoor fitness center, which has cardio machines, a bench press, and free weights. courtyard. Secured underground parking, for a fee, is provided on-site. In the lobby are loaner bicycles, and two computers and a printer are in the lounge for guests. In-room massages and spa services can be arranged, and the hotel can provide discounts on airport shuttles. Wi-Fi is free for Kimpton Karma members. 

See More Features

Best Rates

Amenities

  • Air Conditioner

  • Airport Transportation

  • Balcony / Terrace / Patio

  • Basic Television

  • Business Center

  • Cable

  • Concierge

  • Cribs

  • Dry Cleaning

  • Fitness Center

  • Internet

  • Kids Allowed

  • Laundry

  • Meeting / Conference Rooms

  • Pets Allowed

  • Rental Car Service Desk Onsite

  • Separate Bedroom / Living Room Space

Disclaimer: This content was accurate at the time the hotel was reviewed. Please check our partner sites when booking to verify that details are still correct.