Phoenix Hotel Rating: 3.0 Pearls

Union Square, San Francisco, California

Rooms aren't for pampered starlets.

Set in "humble" (read: seedy) Tenderloin District environs, the Phoenix is a pioneer of the hip hotel in a dubious locale, not to mention the flagship of California's popular Joie de Vivre boutique hotel chain (now with 35 hotels in the state). The chain's CEO, Chip Conley, took a gamble back in 1987 when he bought what was the Caravan Lodge Motel (circa 1956), spiffed up the rooms and pool, and gave it its hopeful name. He also had the ingenuity to utilize the property's large parking lot, rare among the hotels with more desirable downtown addresses, to provide tour bus parking and shore power for traveling musicians, which, in combination with the charming, bohemian vibe of the property, may be the secret to his success. The hotel attracts an impressive roster of rocker guests, including Joan Jett, David Bowie, Moby, Little Richard, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, and The Shins, as well as a cult following of patrons who don't mind venturing to this rough, out-of-the-way location for a chance to feel as cool as their favorite band.

Despite the all-star guest list, the Phoenix's rooms and amenities aren't for pampered starlets. This is a dressed-up motel, after all. Its 44 bare-bones rooms and suites are relatively small for San Francisco (245 to 500 square feet) and have little more than beds, bathrooms, and dated tube TVs, and range from standard Double Double Rooms to suites that have refrigerators and microwaves. Last renovated in 2006, the decor is mostly 1950s kitsch, accented with somewhat random musical instruments (a bamboo xylophone in my room, for example), though the four suites have more modern decor. It's no surprise, given the rocker aesthetic, that rooms can be rather noisy: They all face the courtyard pool, have thin walls, and require you to get on the party bandwagon, even if you're not actually at the party being held down below. Consider earplugs.

What the Phoenix lacks on a list of services and facilities, it makes up for with a cheery staff and a great atmosphere. Forget about room service, poolside service, a concierge, fitness center, or business center. You're in cool rocker mode, remember? These things aren't supposed to matter. The courtyard pool feels like a slice of 1950's SoCal with colorful sculptures, several potted palms, original mosaic on the pool's bottom, and tons of lounge chairs and sheltered cabanas. The atmospheric Chambers Eat + Drink restaurant and lounge serves dinner and a sceney nightlife. A friendly staff mans the front desk 24 hours and acts like knowledgeable concierges, with an impressive index of restaurants, bars, and musician-specific resources (like music shops, rehearsal and recording studios, and instrument repair shops). For the hotel's low-maintenance guests, it's all they need to be happy.

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At check-in, the friendly front desk clerk gave me a map and cheerfully noted, "We're in a seedy part of town, if you hadn't noticed, so before you go anywhere, just let us know so we can tell you the nicest route." You have to give the hotel credit for not pretending to be in any other neighborhood: The staff is forthcoming with guests about the dangers and annoyances of the Tenderloin, and the hotel actually hosts fundraisers to help the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation, a nonprofit housing provider.

Though we group the Phoenix with downtown or Union Square hotels, it's nowhere near the upscale shops and bustling city parks and museums that those areas are known for. Located between Civic Center and the Tenderloin, it's in a neighborhood known for significantly higher rates of poverty, homelessness, and crime than other neighborhoods. Alongside the low-income housing, drug-treatment centers, and homeless shelters, though, is a budding community of artists and writers that call the area home, of which the Phoenix is a member of sorts. But unlike the Mission and even SoMa, which, in large part, have been gentrified, the vibe here is still undoubtedly dicey.

• Seedy surrounding area
• Limited dining options in the immediate area
• A few blocks from Union Square, a major transportation hub known for high-end shopping
• Six blocks from Civic Center Station, a stop for both Muni Metro (streetcars) and BART (electric trains) connecting many areas in the San Francisco Bay area; no easy access to cable car lines
• Two miles from Fisherman's Wharf and the ferries to Alcatraz
• Far from the Presidio, the Golden Gate Bridge, Golden Gate Park, and Haight-Ashbury -- $10 to $20 by cab
• $40, 30-minute taxi from San Francisco International Airport (SFO)