Kensington Park Hotel Rating: 3.0 Pearls

Union Square, San Francisco, California

The lobby

The Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks is a fraternal order dating back to 1868, and the oldest continuously operating lodge in Elkdom is found within a stately hotel in a 1925 Moorish/Gothic building in San Francisco's Union Square area. That's right: A stay at the Kensington Park Hotel, a throwback to an era of huge marble lobbies, massive wood-paneled elevators featuring loveseats, crystal chandeliers, and enough gold about the place to please the wealthiest of 49ers, is a stay at an extraordinarily opulent Elks Lodge. That is, except for one very important factor: Non-Elks aren't allowed to eat in the club room, workout in the gym, sit in the sauna, shoot pool in the billiards room, or swim in the pool. As a result, the biggest elevator buttons in the world basically just taunt most guests, who can do nothing but check out photos of the impressive facilities online.

If you can get past being excluded from the Elks' fraternal facilities, however, there is much to recommend the rooms Kensington Park Hotel, which last March completed a handsome $2 million restoration. It took a minute or two to figure out the old-school numbering system -- Room 60, for some reason, is on the 9th floor -- but when I did I was immediately impressed with the 350 square-foot Corner View King Room. It featured a terrific bed with a Serta mattress, headboard covered in white leather, monogrammed pillows, a soft faux mink blanket, a vintage-looking ceiling fan (much-needed as there's no AC), a mix of new-and-old with the antique dresser and the hipster lamp, and the extensive brass makes the bathroom shine. The building's been around awhile, so, understandably, there were scuff marks, but the less said about the lopsided mini-fridge missing a leg and needing Scotch tape to hold it together inside, the better.

Kensington Park sits right in the middle of the popular oft-crowded upscale shopping and theater districts, so its leisurely parlor room feeling offers a nice change of pace. The free 5 p.m. tea and sherry in the impressive lobby with the painted ceilings and the freaky horse sculpture is a classy way to unwind. Even without the piano player, a recession-era casualty, sipping sherry in the low-key Kensington Park seemed like the kind of nightly ritual going on upstairs in the lodge.

Price-wise, the Kensington falls in the middle of Union Square options, but it lack amenities that other area boutiques offer. The Kensington Park may very well be worth it, but you'll have to join the Elks Club to get the full experience.

View on a Larger Map

Beyond the retail trade, the broader Union Square area is popular with out-of-towners because it's a transportation hub with easy access to cable cars, buses, trolleys, BART trains, Muni light rail, and even the occasional cab. From Union Square, visitors can easily make their way around the Bay Area. Union Square has plenty of restaurant options, but it isn't a hot spot for nightlife.

• Just under two miles to tourist haven Fisherman's Wharf
• Just over a mile down Market Street to the Ferry Building
• Roughly 1.5 miles to AT&T Park, home of the Giants
• Golden Gate Bridge is a 20- to 30-minute drive without traffic (for public transportation, the #28/#29 buses are the best bet).
• Five-plus miles to the heart of Golden Gate Park
• The western edge of the Union Square area bumps up along the seedy Tenderloin.
• 30- to 40-minute cab ride to the airport costs between $35 and $45.

Farallon

Farallon, one of San Francisco's premiere seafood joints, is housed in the same building as the Kensington, though it is operated independently. It's a pricey place, but is currently offering $6 apps and drinks from 4:30 to 7 p.m., and Kensington Park guests get preferred seating. (And, for what it's worth, my grilled Atlantic scallops with Yukon gold potatoes and oxtail ragout were tremendous.) Even if dinner isn't in the game plan, it's worth stopping in for a drink to take in the lively under-the-sea theme atmosphere, especially the glass jellyfish floating above. Have Bob, the hotel's helpful and knowledgeable concierge, make a reservation and you get a complimentary glass of champagne. (And if you like talking baseball, Bob's your guy. He "loooovvvves" talking baseball.)

• No in-house room service, but the Cafe La Taza, a couple of doors down, delivers to the hotel between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. It's much better than typical in-house offerings if the breakfast sandwich on sourdough is any indicator.