Hotel Griffon

Wonderful stay! This is such a cool hotel. It’s very quaint and a perfect San Francisco stay. Anne runs a great hotel and is so sweet. She is super helpful and kind. Our hotel room was perfect for my daughter and I. Everything was very clean and very comfortable. The next time we come back to San Francisco. We will stay here.

Arrived in San Francisco ahead of schedule and Sammy at the lobby’s front desk was friendly and helpful! Smooth check-in, accommodated the ask for a mini fridge, and answered any questions I had. The hotel is in a great location and the room is small but super cozy.

I stayed here for two nights in early July and it was a good experience! The staff were patient with my card troubles upon checking in since they kept declining, but it worked out in the end (whew). The hotel room I had is a little small and didn't have the window views of the Embarcadero, but it's manageable given the price I paid for and that I didn't spend most of my time inside the hotel. It's not a super fancy hotel, but I do enjoy its vintage style and it's also very clean. One of my main concerns when looking into hotels around SF were bed bugs, and this hotel didn't have a record of it in contrast to other nearby options. The hotel location is in a decent and safe area, right nearby the Embarcadero and the Bay Bridge. It's still a safe practice to not stay out too late, especially alone since it can get a little scary. I think also be aware of the elevators being out of service at random times, so you may need to climb the stairs where needed. You do have to pay an amenity fee of $25/night, but it includes morning pastries/coffee/tea and access to the purified water 24/7 (which was one of my favourite perks that I still miss today). I think you also get access to the YMCA gym right near by, but I didn't use it from not having enough time. Because the elevator was down on my check-out day, the staff refunded me 1-night of the amenity fee which was appreciated given I had to rush carrying down my large 2 luggages from the fourth floor to the lobby for check-out at 11 AM. Overall, I would recommend it if you are looking for a reasonably priced hotel experience with access to nearby tourist areas like the Embarcadero, Pier 39, Chinatown, Ferry Building, and etc.! I truly enjoyed my time here and would come back again if given the opportunity!

Horrible experience. Would not recommend it! We booked this hotel for my in-laws, who flew across the world to visit us. My mother-in-law has a knee condition. That is why we requested a low floor at booking, and it is on record. At check-in we were told the elevator had been out of service for two days. Two days. No email, no text, no call. When I asked why we had not been told, the answer was “sorry,” and nothing else. Nobody claimed it had just happened. Staff confirmed it had been down since before our arrival. The outage is not the failure. The silence is. Had they told us even a day earlier, we could have made other arrangements. By the time we were standing in the lobby, nothing comparable was available in San Francisco at that notice or that price. They knew the elevator was down, they knew we were coming, and they let us walk in with no options left. We were then assigned the third floor. We asked to be moved to the second. Staff agreed, said they would move them, and never did. My mother-in-law climbed three flights, repeatedly, for the length of the stay. While we stood at the desk working through this, the employee at reception, Anne, broke away from us more than once to serve guests who arrived after us and then returned to us. My in-laws are Indian. Every guest served ahead of them was white. I am describing what happened in front of me, not assigning a motive, and not faulting the other guests, who did nothing wrong. To be specific about what I am claiming, so there is no confusion: 1. The elevator was out for two days before arrival, and the hotel did not notify us. 2. We requested a low floor for a documented mobility issue, and were placed on the third. 3. Staff verbally agreed to move them to the second floor and did not. 4. We were repeatedly passed over at the front desk while other arrivals were served.