Distinctive setting in an Edwardian-era building, with
sumptuous interiors
Quiet location in Japantown, three blocks from the Japan Center mall and a 10-minute walk to the cable car
Elegant rooms with antiques, fine artwork and
furnishings, four-poster beds; claw-foot tubs in many rooms
All rooms come with minibars, free Wi-Fi, and
flat-screen TVs
Italian restaurant and cocktail lounge
Business corner with a computer and printer available for guests' use
Gracious, inviting lobby library and sitting room
with fireplace, free newspapers, and coffee
Not near major tourist sights
Most rooms do not have air-conditioning
No swimming pool, sauna,
steam room, spa, or fitness center
Some rooms could use a refresh
Some rooms get street noise
Billed as San Francisco's oldest continually operating hotel, the 58-room Hotel Majestic was built in 1902 and survived the famous earthquake of 1906. Situated in a five-floor white Edwardian building in a Victorian residential neighborhood in Japantown, this upper-middle-range property features lavish interiors with antiques, antiquarian books, chandeliers, fireplaces. Guest rooms include four-poster, minibars, and free Wi-Fi. Most rooms, though, do not have air-conditioning. The hotel is far from major tourist sights and doesn't have a pool, sauna, or fitness center, but it exudes a gracious, romantic ambience, and is a good choice for travelers in search of vintage character.
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Scene
Edwardian-era elegance with antiques and fine art
Built in 1902 as a private residence, the Hotel Majestic exudes an "old San Francisco" vibe. Legend has it that the ghost of the original owner's daughter still roams the hotel's hallways. Featuring many of the building's original architectural details, the interiors are adorned with chandeliers, French and English antiques, antiquarian books, fine art, and silk draperies, which might make it too fragile of an environment for children, although they are welcome. Many rooms include claw-foot tubs and four-poster beds. The hotel draws mainly leisure travelers, who mingle in the warm and inviting lobby level library with antiquarian books, plush chairs, sofas, and fireplace.
Location
Quiet residential setting in Japantown, a 10-minute walk from the cable car
The Hotel Majestic is located in Japantown in a largely Victorian residential neighborhood, west of Polk Gulch, north of Cathedral Hill and east of Lower Pacific Heights. It's a quiet, pleasant neighborhood but not convenient to the major tourist sights. The Japan Center mall with its Peace Plaza and Origami Fountains is three blocks southwest. Located two blocks east, Van Ness Avenue/Highway 101 is the central north-south artery that connects the highway south of the city to the Golden Gate Bridge. The California Street cable car is about a 10-minute walk northeast of the hotel, while Fisherman's Wharf is about a 30-minute trip northeast by a combination of bus and cable car. The area of City Hall, the symphony and opera, Civic Center, Civic Center/UN Plaza BART station and Asian Art Museum is a four-minute drive southeast. The western gate of Chinatown is a five-minute drive east, and Union Square is a five-minute drive southeast of the hotel. The Golden Gate Bridge is a 10-minute drive northwest. The Hotel Majestic is a 30-minute drive north of San Francisco International Airport and a 40-minute drive northwest of Oakland International Airport.
Rooms
Sumptuously decorated rooms with minibars, free Wi-Fi, and flat-screen TVs
Situated on five floors, the Majestic's 58 rooms exude an elegant, vintage feel befitting the hotel's Edwardian-era provenance, with French and English antiques, flowing drapery, armoires, marble countertops, handcrafted furnishings, and fine artwork. Many rooms feature such elements as decorative fireplaces, chandeliers, Victorian chairs, four-poster beds, sofas, bay windows, and claw-foot tubs. Rooms are spacious and come in Standard, Junior Suite, and Master Suite configurations with a range of bed types. All rooms come with in-room safes, minibars, bathrobes, premium bath products, free Wi-Fi, and flat-screen TVs with premium cable. Some rooms could use a little refurbishing. Bathrooms are small with vintage fixtures. The neighborhood is quiet, but some rooms may experience street noise, especially when the windows are open -- most rooms don't have air-conditioning.
Features
Italian restaurant, cocktail lounge, and lobby library
The Hotel Majestic has no swimming pool, spa, or fitness center, but a fully equipped, 24-hour gym is located within a five-minute walk east on Van Ness Avenue. Although not a fine-dining destination restaurant, the hotel's cafe restaurant serves decent Italian and international fare, plus a daily a la carte breakfast and Sunday brunch. Housed in an elegant space with a superb collection of exotic butterflies (billed as the largest in Northern California) displayed on the wall, the hotel bar pours an excellent selection of craft cocktails. The hotel also offers parking (for a fee), valet car service (for a fee), concierge services, a lobby business corner, and elegant library and sitting room with fireplace, free newspapers and coffee. Wi-Fi is free.
