Orchard Hotel Rating: 3.0 Pearls

Nob Hill, San Francisco, California

A famous San Francisco cable car

This is the classic case of a hotel that markets itself well but isn't exactly what it promises to be. The 104-room hotel's website is full of words like "chic" and "stylish" -- as well as an award from TripAdvisor for being "45th in the top 100 Best Luxury Hotels in the World." The hotel identifies itself as a "luxury boutique," but that's a pretty big stretch, especially in San Francisco, where "luxury" is a designation reserved for the city's grand old dames like the Fairmont, and "boutique" requires a level of real design originality.

If you ignore the Orchard's hype, you'll find it to be a decent hotel with a great location. The rooms are far from chic or stylish, but they're spacious and clean, and each has a comfortable king-size bed with a pillow-top mattress and soft linens. Perks include free Wi-Fi, two terrycloth robes, a "Deep Sleep" CD to lull insomniacs into getting some shut-eye, and a Greenopia guidebook full of listings of earth-friendly businesses in the Bay Area.

Ah, the issue of being green. The Orchard is an LEED-certified hotel (its sister property, the Orchard Garden Hotel, was the first to be certified in San Francisco), which means it was designed to meet exacting efficiency and materials standards laid out by the US Green Building Council. Kudos on that, but it doesn't change that there's very little about the Orchard goes beyond the ordinary: The gym is a converted guestroom with three machines -- a treadmill, an elliptical machine, and an exercise bike -- and the "business center" consists of one laptop in the lobby. The restaurant and bar, Daffodil, serves local and organic food (not uncommon in San Francisco), and it's only open for breakfast and dinner. Unlike at other boutique hotels such as Hotel Rex, there is no free wine hour. There's also no pool or spa. Guests can purchase discounted day passes to Club One Fitness at Union Square which grant access to a pool and a larger variety of fitness equipment. The gym is a five-minute walk from the hotel. Discounted day passes are also available to any 24 Hour Fitness facilities in the area. The closest is a ten-minute walk from the hotel.

The Orchard's best feature is its location between the high-end shops of Union Square and scenic, ritzy Nob Hill. It's also just two blocks west of Chinatown. The block itself is vibrant, with an innovative tapas-style restaurant called Swell and a popular bar called Tunnel Top. If your hope is simply to stay in a clean and comfortable hotel room at a central location, this is a good option. Similar hotels in the area include the Donatello with its large suites and kitchenettes, and the Galleria Park, which has a free wine hour and a 3rd-floor public terrace. If you choose the Orchard, just don't expect luxury -- even if it's what you're promised.

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Conveniently situated between the high-end shops of Union Square and scenic, ritzy Nob Hill, the Orchard puts most of the city's tourist attractions in easy reach without being smack in the middle of a major tourist area.

• Chinatown is two blocks away.
• Guests can hop on a cable car directly outside the hotel, and for $5 get to Fisherman's Wharf, which has ferries to Alcatraz and Sausalito.
• $10 cab ride to Golden Gate Park and to the Golden Gate Bridge
• 30-minute, $40 cab ride from ·San Francisco International Airport (SFO)