Le Meridien San Francisco

Built in 1988, Le Meridien San Francisco is a 24-story high-rise designed by architect John C. Portman Jr. offering views of the bay from the upper floors. Interiors have thankfully been brought into modern times with renovations completed in 2014 and 2015. A gray, dark blue, and black color scheme dominates the lobby, where black beams crisscross the ceiling in a pattern reminiscent of a Franz Kline painting. The look is vintage-contemporary, and the mod aquamarine leather chairs set about graphic-print carpets in the lobby are a particularly nice design choice. There's a swooping spiral staircase with marble steps that leads to the upper levels, while hallways and elevator banks vary from floor to floor -- some have marble walls and flooring and others have a starker, more modern look. Given its Financial District location and meeting facilities, the hotel draws a large number of business travelers, but plenty of couples stay here too. Although it's within walking distance to Chinatown and public transportation to major sights, the hotel doesn't seem to draw too many families with children -- when we visited, we saw only one.

Situated in the heart of San Francisco’s Financial District, Le Meridien is connected to the Bently Reserve and the Embarcadero Center via a pedestrian bridge. The area is a hub of boutique shopping, restaurants, theaters, events, and art exhibitions during the week, but on the weekends this is quiet and empty part of town. Banks, restaurants, bars, and public transportation are within a seven-minute walk of the hotel on Market Street. Cable cars run along California Street, which is about a three-block walk from the hotel. Within walking distance -- with San Francisco’s hills in mind -- are Union Square (a 17-minute walk), Chinatown (a 10-minute walk), and the Ferry Building Marketplace (an eight-minute walk). Pier 39 on Fisherman’s Wharf is a 20-minute walk, or 10 minutes away by taxi. Alamo Square, Golden Gate Bridge, and Haight-Ashbury are all within a 20-minute drive. San Francisco International Airport is a 25-minute drive from the hotel.

Taking design inspiration directly from the city of San Francisco, each room has an accent wall that depicts a city-planner's street map that's been given a fresh design spin, with shades of gray and orange that get picked up throughout the gray-toned rooms. Furniture has a sleek gray and white finish and clean lines, and carpets range from simple gray shades to more intricate orange-and-gray patterns. Renovations of the hotel’s 360 rooms -- including 89 suites -- were completed in 2015, so interiors are fresh. Higher-priced rooms and suites have furnished balconies overlooking the city, and some have partial views of the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge -- the best views, of course, are from the upper-floor rooms. Suites have living rooms or living areas, and the penthouse has its own dining room and whirlpool tub. Gray-granite bathrooms have shower/tub combos, separate showers, or both. All rooms have massive 55-inch flat-screen TVs with satellite channels, Wi-Fi (free for Starwood Preferred Guest Members), well-stocked minibars, bathrobes, hairdryers, safes, and 24-hour room service. There are no coffeemakers in rooms, which is a fairly common complaint from guests, though coffeemakers are available on request. Microwaves are available for a fee. Starwood Preferred Guest members can skip housekeeping in exchange for points. Some guests have noted the hotel's thin walls allowing them to hear noise from the hallway and neighboring rooms.

The hotel’s Bar 33 in the lobby is a popular after-work watering hole with stylish modern interiors, communal tables, leather booth seating, and large windows that face the streets. A partially coffered wooden ceiling creates a classy ambience in the Park Grill restaurant, which serves American cuisine and has courtyard seating. Breakfast is not included with room rates. Le Meridien has no on-site pool, but for a fee guests can use the Bay Club San Francisco, which is within a five-minute walk. The hotel's 24-hour gym has a wide range of weight and cardio equipment that includes free weights plus flat-screen TVs, towels, and water. The hotel has 14 meeting rooms, offering a total of 13,107 square feet (1,218 square meters). More conference space can be rented at the Bently Reserve building, which can be reached via a pedestrian bridge. A computer corner houses three Apple computers and a printer. Starwood Preferred Guests members, a program that’s free to join, receive free Wi-Fi in rooms, but otherwise there’s a fee. Parking is not free and comes with hefty fees.