Kimpton Hotels - accommodation in San Mateo

Great location. Easy walk to Pier 39 where I enjoyed watching (and listening to) the sea lions. The hotel is very busy, staff are helpful when you can reach them. I called for two requests, one in the evening, and one early morning: my in-room refrigerator was not working upon my arrival (they replaced it once I was able to reach them); and two, for bell service to help with my bags at check out. Both times the phone rang and rang and rang, to the point of my hanging up and repeatedly trying again. I felt that if I'd had an emergency, this could have been quite unsafe. Breakfast is quite good, lots of fresh fruits, and an assortment of breakfast foods. The dining area is busy and loud, but I think this is to be expected in a large city. My room was on the fourth floor, which was nice as I had no one above me so probably quieter, but it was an interior room and had no view other than the HVAC system. I would have loved a city view or ocean view instead, but I suppose there are only so many of those to go around. The bed was comfortable, as were the pillows. I slept well. The fire pits are lovely, but the cushions on the seating all need to be professionally cleaned or replaced as they are dirty and stained. The resort fee is charged whether or not you use any of the services, which I did not (fitness center, pool, business center, safe...). But again, this is probably customary in larger cities. If you're looking for a convenient location, this hotel fits the bill.

Clean room

San Francisco is one of the most expensive hotel cities the world...$250 for a single night on a Sunday for Bay to Breakers. Its normally a little cheaper than on any other weekend, but not much. But I will have to say, the premises and room were pristine and in top notch condition. Everything seemed brand new and the beds were dream to sleep upon...though I was pretty drunk by the time I got to it, so my judgement might be off. Location is perfect for a real local taste of San Francisco. Polk street and its cross streets are packed with funky bars. Van Ness has my favorite SF meaty eatery of all time: Tommy's Joynt. Though if you're a pure tourist in the city, its not the most central location of sight seeing.