Prescott Hotel Rating: 3.5 Pearls

Union Square, San Francisco, California

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A gas fire cozies up the Prescott's lobby.

"Great Taste on Union Square." That's the Prescott's motto, and with nary a slip, the hotel lives up to it. Unlike many other hotels operated by Kimpton, like the Triton, the Prescott aims for understated class. The rooms feature dark-wood furniture and Greek- and Egyptian-themed artwork. The dimly lit lounge off the lobby hosts an impressive free coffee-and-tea spread every morning and a wine hour every evening. At night, a fire roars in the fireplace. (A log fire rather than a gas one would have been even greater taste.) Even the stairs in the hallways are more reminiscent of a charming bed-and-breakfast than a 164-room hotel in downtown San Francisco.

It was surely the classy decor that garnered the Prescott a place on Travel + Leisure's list of the 500 Best Hotels in the World. But, despite its charms, the Prescott isn't one of the world's top 500 hotels -- not even close. The rooms are mostly to blame. They haven't been renovated since 2002, and they're looking worse for the wear. (Perhaps their extreme pet-friendliness (see Pets, below) is finally catching up with them.) My room was marred by dents and scratches; the headboard on my bed dislodged completely. None of that ruined my stay by any means, but it prevents this hotel from flying with the elite, no matter how good a deal it offers.

Unfortunately, little help is on the way. While the Prescott's famous restaurant, Postrio, has been updated (the cafe was revamped and the fine dining room was removed) there are no room renovations scheduled in the near future. For now, if you want a boutique near Union Square, you're better off at the similarly priced Clift, or even the Donatello, next door, which is cheaper.

The Prescott delivers on all its Kimpton boutique warm-hospitality promises. Don't expect them to hit every note like a Ritz or Four Seasons -- for instance, no one offered to take my bags to the room after I checked in -- but the notes they do hit, they touch with grace. The hostess at the wine hour kept all glasses full, and chatted with me in between rounds. The front desk staff was all smiles, all the time. And when I called down for a toothbrush and toothpaste from the "Forgot It? We've Got It!" directory (see Features, below), it was delivered to my room in five minutes.

• Room service from 7 to 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
• Concierge on duty from 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. -- long hours by any standard
• Nightly turndown upon request; includes chocolates

View on a Larger Map

The Prescott is in the Union Square area, a block and a half from the square itself, which is known for couture shops and not much else. With enormous outposts of Niketown, Saks, Tiffany, Macy's, Louis Vuitton, and Neiman Marcus, among others, Union Square is to San Francisco as Fifth Avenue and Rodeo Drive are to New York and L.A., respectively. Locals don't hang out here, but the square is great for people-watching, nonetheless, and occasionally plays host to small festivals and demonstrations. Still, if shopping isn't a priority, you might prefer a neighborhood closer to the city's biggest attractions, like Nob Hill or Fisherman's Wharf.

• 1.5 blocks from the Mason/Powell cable car, which can take you to Fisherman's Wharf, or, with a transfer, to Lombard Street and Ghirardelli Square
• Far from the Presidio, the Golden Gate Bridge, Golden Gate Park, and Haight-Ashbury -- $10 to $20 by cab -- but then, so are the other neighborhoods with nonbudget accommodations
• Discount day-of theater seats available at the Union Square ticket kiosk
• Plenty of dining nearby, though the area isn't known for its epicurean flare (Cheesecake Factory is the most visible restaurant)
• 30-minute, $40 cab ride from San Francisco International Airport SFO

Deluxe rooms are small and a bit outdated.

The rooms are what prevent the Prescott from standing out as one of the city's hidden gems. Last renovated in 2002, they seem even more outdated than that, with obsolete technology (CD-player alarm clocks, tube TVs) and more nicks, dents, and scratches than I could count (though, to be fair, surprisingly few stains -- see Cleanliness, below). In my room, one of the bed's headboards came loose, leaning ominously over my pillows. To stave off a mid-REM concussion, I removed it completely. And while the antique-y furniture adheres to the Prescott's motto -- "Great Taste on Union Square" -- it doesn't help the rooms look any fresher.

• Standard (called "Deluxe") rooms are small, even by San Francisco standards (200 square feet) but several design features, notably the mirrored wall and work-desk nook, make the room feel bigger than it is.
• Club Level Rooms (about $50 more) are basically identical to Deluxe but offer upgraded amenities and access to the Club Level lounge and its nightly cocktail hour
• Suites, which include bathrobes, iPod docking stations, and flat-screen TVs, run about $50 to $100 more.
• The rooms' highlight: the "Forgot It? We've Got It!" program (see Features, below)
• Wi-Fi is fast, reliable and -- best of all -- free.
• 20-inch Zenith tube TVs offer about 35 channels of basic cable, plus Kimpton's "yoga channel."
• No views to speak of; the best are merely of Mason Street.
• Beds feature firm Sealy Posturpedic Dynasty CSS Plush mattresses, soft pillows, and Sobella 100 percent cotton sheets with duvet.
• Small, but classy, bathrooms, with marble countertops, soft thick towels, and Aveda bath products; unfortunately the shower has mediocre water pressure
• Well-stocked minibars and snack bins
• Free daily New York Times

Free daily coffee and tea is a nice touch.

As a boutique hotel, the Prescott cannot compete, amenities-wise, with some of its similarly priced neighbors (the Westin St. Francis comes to mind). There's a small fitness center with outdated equipment and a few computers in the lounge off the lobby -- not even a business center, really. That's about it. But the Prescott compensates with several gastronomical heart-warmers: free chocolate-chip cookies at the front desk, free coffee and tea every day from 5:30 to 9:30 a.m., and a daily hosted wine hour from 5 to 6 p.m., with one varietal of red and one of white.

• Gym's equipment is old but operative; cardio machines, free weights, a strength-training machine, towels, and water.
• Computer desk includes two iMacs and a printer.
• Parking is $45 a night plus tax -- fairly pricey even by local standards. $60 plus tax for oversize vehicles, discounts for hybrids; full in-and-out privileges.
• "Forgot It? We've Got It!" program, which has essential travel items you may have forgotten (toothpaste, Ziploc bags, curling irons, etc.) hand-delivered to your room

Families are better off in larger, updated suites.

Because of its mature feel (antique-y furniture, muted colors, fireplace) and adult-centered amenities (wine hours, morning coffee and tea), the Prescott isn't ideal for families with young children. Still, there's no reason not to take the young'uns.

• Cribs (free) fit in any size room; rollaways ($20 per night) are limited to rooms with one bed.
• Very few connecting rooms
• Safe neighborhood (though vagrancy and panhandling are common, as throughout San Francisco)
• For a roundup of more family-friendly hotels, click here.

Like all Kimptons, the Prescott prides itself on its pet-friendliness. All pets stay for free -- no deposit, even -- regardless of size, genus, or species. You can walk your dog in Union Square or Huntington Park. The the nearest dog park, in Alamo Square, is 1.3 miles away.

Cleanliness, strictly speaking, isn't a problem, but the rooms, last renovated in 2002, are showing serious wear and tear. My bed's headboard even came off!

Wolfgang Puck's Postrio restaurant

Right off the lobby sits Wolfgang Puck's acclaimed Postrio, which just celebrated its 20th anniversary. With time comes age, however, and so Postrio underwent renovations which were completed by mid-2011 (after my stay). As a result, the main dining room is no longer in operation but the cafe/bar area has been renovated and now has an expanded menu. The service is superb (check out my friendly waiter), and the food delicious and reasonably priced for a celebrity-chef restaurant -- an appetizer, entree, and dessert ran about $60. If you go for the famous wood-fired pizzas ($13-20), you can eat for even less. Click here for the various menus available now.

• Lunch also served in the bar/cafe area
• Graffeo coffee and free copies of the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and San Francisco Chronicle available
• Plenty of dining off-site, though Union Square isn't really known for its epicurean flare (Cheesecake Factory is the most visible restaurant in the area)