Nob Hill Hotel

Built in 1906 and restored in 1998, the Nob Hill Hotel has a quaint, old-world vibe. The richly decorated public spaces feature marble floors, statuary, stained glass, chandeliers, and paintings. Rooms are decked out with silk drapes, antiques, and wrought-iron or half-canopy beds. The hotel is generally well maintained but has a few "old hotel" problems, like a small, creaky, slow elevator, and the halls and rooms show some wear and tear. The hotel draws mainly tourists, who mingle at the free continental breakfast and the free evening wine and cheese reception. 

The Nob Hill Hotel is in the Nob Hill District, adjacent to the Tenderloin, in a neighborhood of mostly residential buildings. It might not be the most appealing immediate area, but restaurants and corner markets are all within walking distance. The hotel is a half-block north of the No. 2 and 3 buses, and two blocks south of the cable car stop at California and Hyde. Van Ness Avenue/Highway 101 is three blocks west. Grace Cathedral and the top of Nob Hill are a five-minute walk northeast. Union Square is a 15-minute walk southeast and Chinatown is a 15-minute walk northeast. The area of City Hall, the symphony and opera, Civic Center, Civic Center/UN Plaza BART station, and Asian Art Museum is a 12-minute walk south. Fisherman's Wharf is about an eight-minute drive or 20-minute cable car ride north, and the Golden Gate Bridge is a 12-minute drive northwest. The Nob Hill Hotel is a 30-minute drive north of San Francisco International Airport and a 40-minute drive northwest of Oakland International Airport.

The Nob Hill Hotel has 52 rooms, all nonsmoking, on four floors. Rooms have Victorian character, with antiques, paintings and prints, silk drapes, hand-painted walls, and wrought-iron or half-canopy beds with velvet comforters. While they have historic charm and elegant decorative elements, rooms are not luxurious. All rooms come with irons, hairdryers, microwaves, mini-fridges, free Wi-Fi, and small flat-screen TVs with cable channels. Some rooms have some combination of iPod docks, coffee/tea makers, and jetted tubs. One suite has a living room and English-style garden. Some rooms and bathrooms are extremely small. Many rooms do not have full closets. Rooms are generally well maintained, but some of the furnishings show stains and wear and tear, and could use a refresh. Some guests might find the beds too soft. Rooms lack individually controlled heating and cooling. While the hotel is generally quiet, some lower-floor rooms may pick up street noise.

The Nob Hill Hotel offers a free continental breakfast with cereal, pastries, toast, fruit, coffee, and juice, and hosts a free wine and cheese reception in the early evening. It also has an Italian restaurant featuring a signature risotto plus seafood, steak, pizza, pasta and a selection of wines from Europe and the Napa Valley. It has a small fitness room with free weights, a few cardio machines, and a large flat-screen TV. The hotel also has a 24-hour business center, 24-hour front desk, free coffee in the lobby, parking (on-site valet for a fee with in/out privileges, cheaper self parking in a public lot a block away), and free Wi-Fi.