Sir Francis Drake Hotel - Bad Choice?

Hi there,

Me and my girlfriend are visiting SF from London for the first time in June 07 for 4 nights. I%26#39;ve booked us into the SFD... having read some reviews i%26#39;m regretting it! It%26#39;s central location and good price persuaded us - have we made a big mistake?

As it%26#39;s our first visit to SF,(and my first post on this site!) is there anything in particular attraction / restaurant / club wise we can%26#39;t miss? We%26#39;ve heard the Soma Valley wine trip is fantastic?

Any suggestions or comments would be great!

Cheers.

Sir Francis Drake Hotel - Bad Choice?

My husband and I used to stay at the Sir Francis Drake frequently some years ago. It has not been getting good reviews, which is too bad because its public spaces are spacious and nice. Evidently the rooms are in need of rehab.

The location, as you probably know, is excellent. Have you looked at the Chancellor? It is across the street from the SFD a little down toward Union Square. The staff at this hotel is extremely friendly and helpful and the rates are reasonable.

If you don%26#39;t stay at the SFD, do go to Harry Denton%26#39;s Starlight Roof at the top of the hotel for a drink and a view.

Sir Francis Drake Hotel - Bad Choice?

It%26#39;s obviously not the best hotel in town, but the location is excellent and recent reviews seem mostly positive:

tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g60713-d81377-R鈥?/a>

If you can cancel and want a nicer hotel, I%26#39;d do it. While the common areas are nice, I haven%26#39;t heard good things about it in quite some time. If you%26#39;re merely looking for a place to sleep, you%26#39;ll be fine. It isn%26#39;t the worst choice but it certainly isn%26#39;t the best in my opinion.

I think the hotel is fine, the rooms are a little small, that%26#39;s because it%26#39;s an older building, like most smaller hotels. The doorman is in a beefeater outfit and a wealth of info for whatever you want. If you are lucky, you might meet Tom who is the senior doorman and a great person.

I think people get thrown off by the small rooms. this was standard in the past and the SFD is an old hotel. the lobby and public areas are beautiful. it%26#39;s probably a standard hotel room size for a Londoner. Americans are used to a lot more space in their room and frequently are shocked by smaller older hotel rooms in densely populated areas. it%26#39;s not a dump or anything, but the rooms are ready for a refurb. It will probably be fine, but not quite posh (Lobby excepted-quite posh).

Ditto everything Drummerliz said but I agree with puter____have a look at the Chancellor which is right across the road from the SFD.

Small rooms like the SFD but in MUCH better condition and a better friendly atmosphere. Read the TA reviews.

I%26#39;ve stayed at the Sir Francis Drake three times in the last five years and have loved it.

The location is fantastic. The common areas are beautiful. I found the rooms to be more than adequate. The staff is very helpful. The bathrooms are a bit small and dated but to me it only adds to the charm of staying in a historic hotel in a historic city.