Omni San Francisco Hotel Rating: 4.0 Pearls

Financial District, San Francisco, California

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The Omni San Francisco Hotel

In an effort to re-create an old, grande-dame-style hotel, the Omni hotel group gutted a 1926 bank building on a bustling corner of California and Montgomery Streets in the Financial District and opened the 362-room Omni San Francisco Hotel in 2002. In the spirit of other, more historic Omni hotels like the Parker House in Boston and the Shoreham in Washington D.C., the dramatic, roaring '20s-style lobby features impressive crystal chandeliers, Italian marble floors, and mahogany paneling that recall the building's original use. In the large guest rooms, the look continues with baroque wallpaper, marble-tiled bathrooms, and beds with dramatic, dark-stained headboards.

Of course, what some call classic, others might judge boring -- the Omni's rooms have only had minor touch-ups since 2002 and they aren't as sleek as those at Le Meridien or the InterContinental San Francisco -- but the Omni is a San Francisco favorite for more than its decor. Its top-notch service (awarded by Travel + Leisure, among others) is just as strong as what you'll find at more expensive hotels, including the Ritz-Carlton and Mandarin Oriental. Even locals frequent Bob's Steak & Chop House for their power breakfasts. Though the Omni lacks a club-level lounge for preferred guests (all available at the InterContinental), it does offer free in-room Wi-Fi to members of its Select Guest loyalty program ($9.95 a day for everyone else) and significant meeting space -- making it a popular choice for business travelers.

Even if you're not doing business in the area, there are still a couple reasons to consider the Omni. The California Street cable car runs right past the front door and can shuttle you to great restaurants in the swanky Nob Hill neighborhood as well as the kid-friendly attractions at Fisherman's Wharf (with a transfer). The hotel is only a 10-minute walk from the gourmet shops at the Ferry Building and the waterfront Embarcadero. And for families, the hotel's unique (for San Francisco, at least) "Kid's Fantasy Suite" comes stocked with toys, books, beanbag chairs, and even bunk beds that sleep two.

For the most part, the Omni's service is luxury-level. Doormen congregate at the entrance, often greeting guests with a "Welcome back" and a knowing nod. Bellman are eager to show off rooms, fetch ice, and deliver luggage. The front desk staff can offer plenty of restaurant recommendations. When it comes to special requests -- such as a mouse pad for the work desk -- porters respond promptly to the rooms, and when they do they make an effort to both address guests by name and ask whether there is anything else they might need. However, with standards so high, one oversight during my visit stood out: After calling at 6 p.m. to request turndown service, I returned at 8 p.m. to a room that hadn't been touched.

• 24-hour room service
• Express checkout available
• Concierge on duty Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. At other times, the front desk can assist with reservations, recommendations, and other travel arrangements.
• Evening turndown service "by request" (they didn't respond to my request)
• Valet parking costs $48 per night (no self-parking).

View on a Larger Map

The Financial District is one of those neighborhoods in which the name says it all. If you're a leisure traveler, it's not a bad place to be, but it's important to know that it's sleepy on weekends and positively dead at night. However, the Omni San Francisco is also only about a five- to 10-minute walk from the peak of Nob Hill, a primarily residential neighborhood with a few luxury hotels mixed in (the Mark Hopkins, the Fairmont, the Huntington, and the Ritz-Carlton, to name a few). And being close to the Embarcadero (to the east, along the waterfront) actually makes for an easier commute to Fisherman's Wharf than you'd have anywhere else except the wharf itself. You're also just seven short blocks to the Ferry Building, where you can eat like a world-class foodie and catch a ferry to Sausalito.

• The California Street cable car stops in front of the hotel; four blocks from San Francisco's main artery, Market Street, and a wealth of public transportation options.
• 10-minute walk from the picturesque Embarcadero promenade along the waterfront
• Seven-block walk to the Ferry Building, a foodie paradise chockablock with high-end restaurants and host to a renowned thrice-weekly farmers' market
• Seven blocks to ferries to Oakland, Sausalito, and Alameda
• A five-minute cab ride (or half-hour walk) to the kid-friendly attractions and seafood restaurants of Fisherman's Wharf
• A few blocks from the nebulous heart of Chinatown
• Cabs from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) run between $35 and $45, depending on traffic.

The standard, "Deluxe Room"

At 385 square feet, the standard room (called a Deluxe Room) is large for San Francisco. Though the standard room at the nearby and slightly cheaper Hyatt Regency offers just as much space, a room at the Omni looks a bit more elegant, especially when it comes to the bathroom's marble vanity. The trade-off, however, is that the technology isn't quite as nice -- the clock radio has MP3-player connectivity, but not a docking station to charge your iPod.

• At 385 square feet, the standard rooms are big for San Francisco; each has either a king- or two double-size beds.
• Suites have separate living and sleeping areas spread over 600 square feet; they have stand-up showers and no tubs.
• Comfortable bedding: two down pillows and three decorative pillows; a down comforter with a duvet
• 32-inch Sharp Aquos flat-screen TV with 32 channels, including pay-per-view movies
• Four-cup coffeemaker with free Wolfgang Puck-brand coffee; stocked minibar
• Well-lit marble-tiled bathroom with a shower-tub combo in standard rooms; showers only in suites
• Quality, Omni-brand toiletries that include body wash and mouthwash
• Cozy cotton bathrobes
• Electronic safe large enough for a laptop; work desk in all rooms with two power plugs built in; three phones per room, including a cordless one
• Wi-Fi costs $9.95 a day, but it's free if you sign up with Omni's free Select Guest loyalty program (plus you get free morning coffee delivered to your room, free garment pressing, and other benefits).

The gym

The Omni has all the basic features you'd expect at a higher-end San Francisco business hotel, but nothing particularly special. The gym has modern equipment, on par with what you'd find at the fitness center at the similarly priced Le Meridien, a few blocks away. Considering the largely corporate clientele, the business center is surprisingly lackluster.

• Adequately sized fitness center with a variety of cardio and weight machines, as well as free weights and medicine balls
• Very small business center (it might better be described as a business closet) with two computers, a printer, and a copier across from the front desk
• Wi-Fi is available in the guest rooms for $9.95 a day, but it's free if you sign up for the Omni's loyalty program.
• No club floor lounge; the InterContinental and the Hyatt Regency both have a club-floor lounge for select guests who upgrade to a club-level room.
• 11,600 square feet of meeting space divided into seven rooms

The Kids Fantasy Suite

The neighborhood isn't exactly the most kid-friendly -- the Financial District has little more than office towers and coffee shops -- but the California Street cable car stops right in front of the hotel, making it easy to get to family-friendly attractions at Fisherman's Wharf or the shopping and theaters of Union Square with a transfer. Alternatively, you can eliminate the commute by just staying at a Fisherman's Wharf hotel, many of which have pools and kid-friendly extras.

• Large standard rooms sleep up to four guests on two double-size beds; rooms with a king-size bed accommodate an extra rollaway bed ($15 per night) and a crib (free).
• The Omni has one Kid's Fantasy Suite (sleeps four), which is stocked with Pottery Barn bunk beds, beanbag chairs, stuffed animals, children's books, and even a "minibar" loaded with chocolate milk and Capri Sun. The room adjoins to a standard Deluxe King so parents can retire in privacy -- or with the door propped open -- after the kids are asleep.
• No pool
• Bob's Steak & Chop House, with its power breakfast scene and business-focused steak dinners, isn't a great place for kids.

While the Omni does allow some pets, the Hotel Triton, four blocks away, might be a better choice in the neighborhood; it doesn't levy a charge for pets of any size and provides accessories like doggie beds and food bowls.

• Pets must weigh less than 25 pounds.
• $50 per stay fee

Though the hotel hasn't been completely renovated since 2002, it is well maintained and kept prefectly clean.

A salad at Bob's Bar

• Bob's is a traditional steak and chophouse where power lunches -- and power breakfasts -- happen on weekdays, and dinner is available nightly. It's not cheap (a single 12-ounce rib eye is $34), but neither are any other hotel restaurants in the neighborhood.
• Between standard mealtimes, Bob's Bar also serves a limited menu (and a full menu during normal hours).
• Room service available 24 hours
• In the surrounding blocks, there are lots of other options -- from fancy to Chinese to pub grub -- and there are also many food purveyors and restaurants at the Ferry Building, about a 10-minute walk away.