this is a wonderful, old world experience -- it was built as an old rooming house for workers who were helping to rebuld SF after the 1906 earthquake/fire. if you are looking for a Marriot experience, its definitely not for you -- there is no a/c or elevators or a gym or dry cleaned ambiance. think of it as the best high-end hostel. at this time, all bathrooms are shared (i think the hotel is renovating and will have private baths available in late 2025.) But if you want an authentic SF experience, this is it! its full of quirky charm, memorabilia, and history -- and the location and price cannot be beat. ps for those squeamish about shared baths, its really fine -- they keep everything so clean.

The staff bent over backwards to make us comfortable. While the hotel is antique it is exceptionally clean. Everything has been thought of. Towels, reading material, coffee, water cooler. The walls are covered with the history of the hotel and it is fascinating. Especially if you are Italian as this is Little Italy. The neighborhood is very quiet.

We knew that we had to share a bathroom. The bathrooms and showers are clean and taken care of - very well. It's just difficult to put all of your clothes and shoes on to visit the restroom. This is no fault of the hotel - but it is the only thing that made us feel a little uncomfortable.

Very charming hotel. A lot of original fitures kept and giving you a feel of going back in time. Location is amazing, between Fishermen's Wharf and North Beach. Staff is really helpful. They allowed me to keep my food in the office fridge and stored my luggage on the last day until late. There is a coffee machine in the hall which can be used from 7.30am until 1pm and hot, cool and cold water dispenser with some tea, sugar and milk available as well as microwave. Shared toilets and bathrooms kept in the old style which was really nice. There was no issue with availability. They have as well hairdryer, cotton buds and pads as well as mouth wash. Soap, shampoo and loation was available too. There is a sink in the room with some hand soap.

If you are a person sensitive to noise, then this is not a place for you. As they have kept the original layout, rooms have connecting doors. My room had two connecting doors and the restaurant below. I could hear both couples staying on both sides and literally you can hear everything they say, or even whisper, like they were sitting next to you... Restaurant played music till late and there was additional noise and music from the street. It was not possible to sleep without earplugs and really uncomfortable in the evenings when I had to listen to noise and conversations from all directions, including corridor.

The hotel has a spot-on location in North Beach - in walking distance to many attractions (Pier39, Alcatraz cruise, Coit tower, Lombard street) or taking a bus to the BART (to SFO) or trying out the cablecars. The neighborhood is quiet, safe, still plenty of options to go out for dinner or drinks. We have stayed two times for couple of times during our holiday. First time in a room without window to the street, second time with one which we preferred. The rooms size is just enough if you arrive with suitcases. Literally you will have a path to the bed and thats it 🙂 Our biggest hesitation during the booking was the shared bathrooms which as many others wrote exceeded our expectation. Showers and toilets were always clean and there was no queue to use them. Alternatives on the same or other floor were available anyway. Big plus was the free coffee station at the reception, you could get tasty coffee during the morning hours. Staff was super nice, helpful and welcoming!

It was very difficult to get fresh air into the room with a window just to the inner corridor, even using the ventillation and leaving the door open.

Excellent, excellent location. Far enough from Fisherman’s Wharf to be quiet but so many great neighborhoods in walking distance (we loved North Beach). Trader Joe’s is around the corner so you can stock up on cheap snacks, etc if you’re on a budget. I was apprehensive about the bathrooms but they were always clean and available! There’s also a sink in the room so that was nice. The other guests are mostly from Europe so the vibe is very European. Staff were very friendly!

We stayed longer than most (4 nights) and by then I really found the mattress/pillows uncomfortable. If it had been a shorter trip, I don’t think I’d have noticed. Some rooms do not have exterior windows and I would not book one of those- ours had an exterior wall so not an issue for us.

The room was lovely and faced Taylor Street, which was a nice outlook. The Hotel was quiet, even with it fully booked. My first time in a shared Bath. The showers and toilet rooms were very clean! You could walk across the street for a nice coffee and pastry. You could walk ( a block and a half) to Trader Joe's, The Italian restaurant downstairs had great cocktails, oysters and soup with a friendly staff.

Unfortunately, the sink, although clean was rusted. The portable heater did not work properly, (perhaps a few too many extension cord hookups), appeared dangerous and the towels were thin, crunchy, and no longer white. The cleaning product or air freshener was a bit unpleasant.

Location was stellar: very nice, friendly and safe neighbourhood. A lot of eating options around the place (Columbus Avenue, Little Italy, etc.). Also, on the other road side, there was a very friendly cafe, great to work in all day, with great bagles. And on the other side, there was a laundromat. It was in walking distance from a 7/11 and a Trader Joes. Cleanlieness was 7/10, not the cleanest (not 10/10), but definitely hygienic and very usable, the room as well as restrooms and bathrooms. Coming from Switzerland, which is used to very high cleaning standards, it was very acceptable. Also, it had a nice coffee machine with 20 options (hot choc, tea, etc.) that was free from 7 am to 1 pm, so that was awesome. Very cute and cozy hotel with a lot of history. Rooms were small, but we were coming for a work trip, and were out most of the day. Hotel doesn't have a working space, but the cafe on the other road side is perfect.

The hotel was easy to find and in an ideal location for the tourist attractions we were interested in. We were a 5 minute walk to Pier 39 and a 10 minute walk to the Alcatraz ferry. Parking was easy enough in the public lot 2 mins walk from the front door, and although we arrived too late for dinner we found plenty of options available nearby. Staff were especially helpful and nothing we asked for was too much trouble for them. We really liked the decor, the lighting, the library and all the history on the walls.

There wasn't really anything we didn't like about this hotel. The staff said the main issue for travellers was the shared bathroom facilities, but realistically the good points far outweigh that one bad point and for the price we paid we expected small compromises here and there.

The service here is wonderful! The front desk staff are extremely friendly and helpful. >> We ended up having a late check-in due to unforeseen circumstances and when I messaged the front desk via the Booking.com chat, they were accommodating and understanding of our situation - and ready for us to check in when we arrived. >> We had an issue with the heat in our room on day 2 of our stay and the front desk attendant came to our room immediately to fix it. >> We also needed a place to store our luggage on our final day because our flight had been delayed, and once again, they were very accommodating. Our room, the shared facilities, and the hotel were clean and well-kept. I was hesitant at first, using a shared bathroom/shower facility but the bathrooms weren't far from our room and well stocked with soap, paper towels, mouthwash, and lotion.

The towels provided are very small. I would recommend bringing a robe or a larger towel for you to wrap yourself in after you shower as the towels are quite small for the average adult.

I loved the look of the accommodation. They had old furniture etc around to make it look authentic. The rooms were updated. Seemed tight when you first see your room. But was ample enough for me. Thin walls. I have a cough and the poor people next to me could hear me cough a lot. I loved the convenience to the harbour, parking, paid for. Lots of people about. These accommodations had teabags. So that was great. There is a restaurant as part of the building but not. Looked nice. Didn't have time to eat there.

I didn't like the 2 levels of steep long stairs. But it ended up working out okay. Muscle building. :)