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Signature Room
370 sq. ft with a King bed or 2 Queens.
A Bay, Golden Gate view.
Deluxe Room
370 sq. ft with a King bed or 2 Queens.
A Skyline view.
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Oyster Review Summary
Photos and review by Michael W., Oyster Expert Hotel Investigator.
Updated: May 20, 2010
Pros
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Cons |
Bottom Line
The Fairmont combines the history, cachet, and decor of a turn-of-the-20th-century grand old dame with the amenities, technology, and corporate-dominated clientele of a large chain property. What separates it from its luxury competitors are its beautiful, well-appointed rooms, many with stunning views, and its location atop Nob Hill.
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Oyster Hotel Photos
Oyster undercover reviewers photographed this hotel. See the hotel exactly the way we did when we stayed there. (View All Photos)
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The Fairmont San Francisco - Nob Hill, San Francisco
The Fairmont San Francisco - Nob Hill, San Francisco
Rooms at The Fairmont San Francisco
Best Price Guarantee
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Signature Room
370 sq. ft with a King bed or 2 Queens. A Bay, Golden Gate view. |
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Deluxe Room
370 sq. ft with a King bed or 2 Queens. A Skyline view. |
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Fairmont Room
325 sq. ft with a Queen bed. A Courtyard view. |
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Fairmont Exterior Room
425 sq. ft with a King bed or 2 Queens or 2 Fulls. A City view. |
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Main Building Suite
750 sq. ft with a King bed. A City view. |
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Main Building Balcony Suite
750 sq. ft with a Queen bed. A Balcony / Patio and a City view. |
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Tower Suite
640 sq. ft with a King bed. A Skyline, Bay view. |
Oyster Hotel Review
Scene
One of San Francisco's true grand old dames. Though some may find the vibe boring, the Fairmont is inarguably one of the city's finest hotels.
Past guest JFK on the Wall of Fame
Built at the turn of the last century and opened in 1907, the Fairmont is one of the oldest hotels in the city. (Oyster apparently had me on the grand-old-dame tour of San Francisco. I also covered the similarly grand Palace and Westin St. Francis, the only two hotels older than the Fairmont.) A lot has happened since 1907, of course, and the Fairmont now caters largely to business travelers. The week I was there, conventioneers filled the hallways and lobby day and night. For leisure travelers, that adds up to some trade-offs. On the one hand, you get the quality and consistency of a luxury chain property; on the other, it's a less-than-leisurely atmosphere in a large (591 rooms), impersonal setting.
One thing that never changes, however, is location, and the Fairmont's still reigns supreme. The massive original building, neoclassical columns and all, holds court over ritzy Nob Hill -- and thus the rest of San Francisco -- like a castle atop a mountain. Stepping outside the stately entrance onto Mason Street, you can almost feel those poor saps at the Ritz gaze up in envy from two blocks down the hill. The perch provides more than a feeling of superiority. The views from the Crown Meeting Room on the 24th floor are among the best in the city. And if you book a room in the tower, you don't even have to leave your room -- check out the vista from my 21st-floor room.
The Fairmont's interior, meanwhile, virtually screams early 1900s. Even if you don't book a room, it's worth a trip up the hill to see the lobby's enormous marble Corinthian columns, vaulted ceilings, velvet chairs, and wraparound staircase. Then there's the hotel's nods to everything that's happened since those early-1900s. Photos of the Fairmont's distinguished guests crowd the hallway walls. Known as the "White House of the West" (at least to the Fairmont's PR staff), the hotel has hosted every U.S. president since William Taft. Truman came here in 1945. Kennedy stayed here nearly two decades later, Clinton three decades after that. Movies filmed here include Vertigo, Dirty Harry, and The Rock.
All told, the Fairmont's present and future look as promising as its past. The hotel underwent a massive $100 million overhaul in 2000; the rooms, renovated in 2007, still look brand new. The result is a hotel that can compete with the best of 'em, including the city's few truly elite properties (the St. Regis, Mandarin Oriental, and Ritz) -- at rates that are often $100 to $200 less. It was my favorite hotel of the trip -- and Oyster didn't even book me in the $12,500-a-night penthouse.
Service
Top-notch across the board, but not quite up there with the best of the best
Service is classy, not stuffy.
Unlike a few of the city's five-pearl hotels (the St. Regis and Mandarin Oriental come to mind), the Fairmont doesn't offer over-the-top bonuses like 24-hour butlers or free limos. Still, the staff provides plenty, and they do it with class and efficiency. I was impressed from the moment I checked in, when two doormen, donned in traditional bell-staff attire, tag-teamed my car and cordially welcomed me. It was classy but not stuffy: When my sister, who drove me, asked if she should park in the Fairmont's lot, a doorman replied, with a grin, "Not unless you want to pay 57 dollars a night." The bellman who took my bags gave me a thorough tour of my room and encouraged me to join the President's Club to save on amenities (see Features below). The only hitches I experienced were occasional slow lines at the front desk, though that could have been a one-time thing -- the computers were down the day I checked in.
- 24-hour room service
- Concierge on duty from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. -- impressive even for a luxury hotel
- Turndown ("Evening Refresh Service") upon request
- Express checkout
Location
On the top of the hill, in Nob Hill, one of the city's ritziest neighborhoods
The Fairmont sits perched atop Nob Hill -- both the hill and the neighborhood -- overlooking the city like a king surveying his kingdom. The upside for guests: awesome views and a temporarily overblown sense of self-worth. Check out this panorama from my 21st-floor room, and this one from the Crown Room on the 24th floor. Even the views from street-level are stunning. The downside? What goes down, must come up. If you're walking, the hike back to the Fairmont is positively thigh-burning, no matter what direction you're coming from (heavy are the quads that support the head that wears the crown...).
The area, Nob Hill, is jokingly -- okay, half-jokingly -- referred to by locals as "Snob Hill," and that tells you quite a bit about the neighborhood. It's primarily residential with a few luxury hotels mixed in (the Intercontinental Mark Hopkins, the Ritz, and the Huntington are among its distinguished neighbors). Locals don't really hang out here, however; you'll need to head downhill to North Beach or the Marina, or over to Russian Hill or Pacific Heights, to find the best local restaurants, bars, and shops.
- Fisherman's Wharf is down the hill, less than a mile away (take the cable car back up!).
- The famous curvy block of Lombard Street is less than half a mile away.
- The city's famous Chinatown is right down the street.
- 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 major hotels
- Cable car stop right behind hotel
- $40, 30-minute taxi from San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
- Safe neighborhood (though vagrancy and panhandling are common, as throughout the city)
Rooms
Among the best in the city. They're spacious and elegant, with modern technology, impressive bathrooms, and, in many tower rooms, stunning views.
The Deluxe Room
The Fairmont's rooms aren't quite up there with the best in the city -- notably at the St. Regis and the Mandarin Oriental -- but they surpass those at the Mark Hopkins, and even compare favorably with those at the Ritz, which tends to be far more expensive. A partial inventory: sumptuous two-poster beds; classy redwood furniture; top technology; and first-class bathrooms with separate walk-in showers and deep tubs. In short, classy all the way, from the big stuff (beds, bathrooms) to the little (artwork, bath products).
- Rooms start at 325 square feet, about average for a luxury hotel in San Francisco.
- Rooms in the tower, which is what I had, run 370 square feet.
- Ask for a room as high up in the 24-story tower as possible. Check out my view from from the 21st floor. It doesn't get any better than that.
- Beds feature Stearns & Foster Plush Pillowtop mattresses and 100 percent Egyptian cotton Frette 300-thread-count linens and duvet.
- First-class bathrooms featuring separate walk-in showers and deep tubs, plush bathrobes, and Miller Harris bath products
- Great tech: iPod docks; 37-inch LG flat-screen TVs with 70 channels (about twice as many as most of the hotels I stayed at in San Francisco)
- Minibar and snack basket
- Free wired Internet if you're a member of the President's Club (no strings to join -- see Features, below); a fast, reliable connection.
- If you're interested in a suite, click here. (If you're interested in the $12,500 penthouse suite, you are this guy.)
Features
Just the city big-hotel standards -- fitness center, business center, some spa services -- but they do them well
The Grand Ballroom
The most important thing you need to know about the Fairmont's amenities is that Wi-Fi ($14 a day) and the gym ($15 a day) both cost extra unless you join the Fairmont's President's Club, but there's no reason not to join. It's free, and the only strings attached are the inevitable follow-up spam about Fairmont's deals and promotions. The other thing you should know is that most of the Fairmont's features cater to the largely corporate clientele: an enormous ballroom, perfect for key-note addresses; tens of thousands of square feet of meeting space; a UPS Store; Wi-Fi in public spaces; and a well-equipped 24-hour business center.
- Fitness center boasts modern, high-end equipment: several strength-training machines, a set of free weights, fitness orbs, yoga mats, and a dozen or so cardio machines, each with personal TV screens.
- Typical range of spa and salon services, at reasonable rates as spas go (e.g., $90 for an hourlong massage). For more info, click here.
- Lots of high-end boutique shopping on-site
- 24-hour business center with fax machine, color copier, and multiple PCs; attendant available during the day from Monday to Saturday.
Family
Fine, but not great, for kids
Because of its grand-old-dame atmosphere (turn-of-the-20th-century architecture, antiquish furniture, conservative decor) and large number of corporate guests, the Fairmont isn't ideal for families with young children. Still, there's no reason in particular not to take the kids.
- Cribs are free, and fit in any size room, but rollaway beds are $35 a night, and fit only in exterior rooms.
- Some connecting rooms, but be sure to ask when you book
- Babysitting outsourced to Bay Area Childcare Agency, a well-known babysitting company in San Francisco
- The Tonga Room is the family-friendlier of the two main restaurants, but the Laurel Court also has kids' options.
- Safe neighborhood (though vagrancy and panhandling are common, as throughout San Francisco)
- Be forewarned: The Fairmont is at the tippy-top of the hill; it's downhill -- and steep -- in every direction. So if you're a walking family, and your kids are too young to trudge back up -- and you're not keen to push them up in a stroller -- you might prefer a hotel closer to sea level.
- A better, if pricier, option is the Fairmont's sister, the Fairmont Ghirardelli Square. For a complete roundup of the city's most family-friendly hotels, click here.
Cleanliness
Not a problem
The Fairmont underwent an enormous $100 million restoration in 2000, and from what I could tell, the property has been extremely well maintained since then. The rooms, meanwhile, were redone in 2007, and they too have held up nicely -- mine was virtually spotless. I found a few minor infractions (inventoried below), but everything was functional and hygienic.
- Frayed ethernet cord
- Broken ethernet cord desk weight
- Several dents and scratches on furniture
Food
Two solid on-site options -- and good thing, too, since there's not much in the immediate area
The Tonga Room's famous mai tai
The Fairmont's main restaurant, off the lobby, is a good notch or two above your typical hotel restaurant, and there's also a coffee shop, Caffe Cento, that serves snacks. But all conversation must begin with the iconic Tonga Room, the Polynesian-themed restaurant and bar that attracts locals and hotel guests alike. (As one local told me, "You haven't reviewed the Fairmont until you've been to the Tonga Room.") Dating from the early 1960s, when America became obsessed with anything and everything Hawaiian (an episode of Mad Men has Don Draper drinking at a tiki bar), the Tonga Room features faux straw huts, a floating band, and what it claims is the best mai tai in the city (served in a fake coconut, natch). Where it presumably took itself seriously 45 years ago, the Tonga Room now revels in its kitschyness, and has become city institution despite -- or maybe because of -- its anachronistic placement within the Fairmont. Unfortunately, cult status and profits don't often align, and the Fairmont has talked about closing the struggling restaurant recently. This past spring hundreds of locals rallied in support of the place, but according to my waiter the restaurant's future is still uncertain. Translation: Hit it up while you can.
- The main restaurant, Laurel Court, resembles a typical grand-old-dame-hotel eatery -- large open space, white tablecloths, well-heeled fellow diners -- but my meals were better than ordinary. Lunch -- Kobe beef sliders and cauliflower gratin -- ran me $30 with tax and tip; a typical breakfast, including coffee and OJ, costs $35 to $40.
- The Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar specializes in Polynesian food, but there's something on the menu for pretty much everyone. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
- No restaurants in the immediate area (Nob Hill is quite residential), but if you can find plenty if you head downhill -- south to Union Square, east to Chinatown, or north to North Beach.
Bottom Line
The Fairmont combines the history, cachet, and decor of a turn-of-the-20th-century grand old dame with the amenities, technology, and corporate-dominated clientele of a large chain property. What separates it from its luxury competitors are its beautiful, well-appointed rooms, many with stunning views, and its location atop Nob Hill.
Hotel Features
| Number of Rooms: | 591 |
| Pool: | No |
| Fitness Center: | Yes |
| Spa: | Yes |
| Internet Access: | Yes |
| Pets Allowed: | Yes |
| Cribs: | Yes |
| Kids Club: | No |
| Jacuzzi (in room): | Some |
| Casino: | No |
Hotel Information
| Location: | Nob Hill, San Francisco |
| Toll Free Bookings: | 1-888-776-9783 |
| Address: | 950 Mason Street, San Francisco, CA 94108 (See Map) |
Travel Guide
Your Recently Viewed Hotels
Oyster Awarded This Hotel
We've visited hundreds of hotels. We slept in the beds and swam in the pools, and when we got home, we debated the pros and cons of every hotel and picked our favorites in a number of categories. Here's how this one stands out:
- Best Hotel Rooms in San Francisco
- Best Hotel Views in San Francisco
- Best Business Hotels in San Francisco
- Best Hotel Bars in San Francisco
- Best Luxury Hotels in San Francisco
This Hotel Also Featured In
- Historic Hotels in San Francisco
- Celebrity Getaway Hotels in San Francisco
- Presidential hotel history: The sites of gunshots, scandals, and more
Things You Should Know About The Fairmont San Francisco
Address
- 950 Mason Street, San Francisco, CA 94108
Hotel Is Also Known As...
- Fairmont San Francisco
- Fairmont Hotel San Francisco
- San Francisco Fairmont
Room Types
- Fairmont Room
- Fairmont Exterior Room
- Deluxe Room
- Signature Room
- Main Building Suite
- Main Building Balcony Suite
- Tower Suite
- Buckingham Suite
- The Cambridge Suite
- Lexus Hybrid Living Suite
- The Diplomat Suite
- The Fairmont Suite
- Penthouse Suite
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