Downtown San Francisco - charming lodging, painful price
by - Written: Oct 09 '08 (Updated Nov 12 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great location, nice rooms, attractive lobby, helpful staff.
Cons: 'Spensive, but hey, it's San Francisco.
The Bottom Line: Excellent boutique hotel in an ideal downtown San Francisco location.
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| sundogg99's Full Review: Kensington Park Hotel |
I recently attended a conference in San Francisco that involved an estimated 43,000 people. It was a big conference. So big, in fact, that even a city as accustomed to tourism as San Francisco rather bulged at the seams to accommodate so many visitors. Hotel space during the week-long conference was at a premium, even two months earlier, in July when I registered for the conference. I searched through dozens of hotel websites to even find a vacancy, and was just about resigned to staying in Oakland when I discovered an opening at this place. Beggars can't be choosers, so I swallowed hard and accepted the steep (with taxes, $409 per night) tarrif.
The Kensington Park Hotel enjoys an ideal location on Post Street, about a half block west of Union Square. Several other boutique hotel properties are clustered in the area, along with lots of upscale restaurants and retail shopping. My conference was held at the Moscone Center, just south of Market Street and within comfortable walking distance of around 10-15 minutes.
The Kensington's narrow facade conceals a 92 room boutique property. The hotel property includes the whimsical Farallon seafood restaurant, where I had a delicious, if pricey dinner. The hotel lobby is quaint and comfortable, with a couple of seating areas, concierge service, reception area, all infused with a cozy old Spanish adobe-and-exposed-beams, arched doorway ambiance. The hotel's two vintage mahogany and brass elevators typify the classic retro feel of this property.
My room echoed the vintage theme, with appropriate updates such as a large flat-screen HDTV mounted on the wall above the mahogany dresser. The room was of adequate size to accommodate a king size bed, night stands, a dresser, and a small writing table. Rounding out the space was a walk-in closet and a small but functional bath. The fall weather in San Francisco was superb, and I appreciated my functional double-hung window and the ceiling fan, both of which helped keep the room fresh and pleasant.
Parking is always challenging in San Francisco, and The Kensington offers valet service for $35 per day. Other services include a meeting room, the aforementioned concierge, business center, daily laundry and drycleaning, and membership privileges at a nearby gym. The entire hotel has free wireless internet, which I appreciated.
Linens, other amenities, and service were appropriate for this level of hotel. My room was immaculately serviced each day, I enjoyed my complimentary newspaper each morning, and (although I didn't personally participate) the hotel's custom of offering sherry and tea each evening in the lobby adds to the charm of the place.
The Kensington Park Hotel is part of the Personality Hotel Group, which maintains several properties in San Francisco. It's a very good example of a boutique hotel that succeeds in differentiating itself in terms of service, style, amenities, and location. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to business or tourist visitors.
Recommended:
Yes
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