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Sir Francis Drake Hotel - a Kimpton Hotel

4.0 of 5
450 Powell Street, Union Square, San Francisco, CA 94102 (Downtown)
Hotel amenities
Sir Francis Drake Hotel - a Kimpton Hotel
Ranked #86 of 235 hotels in San Francisco
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1,208 reviews from our community

Traveller rating
    338
    407
    253
    116
    94
See reviews for
Families
162
 
Couples
436
 
Solo
92
 
Business
279
 
Rating summary
  • Location
    4.5 of 5 stars
  • Sleep Quality
    3.5 of 5 stars
  • Rooms
    3.5 of 5 stars
  • Service
    4 of 5 stars
  • Value
    3.5 of 5 stars
  • Cleanliness
    4 of 5 stars
Date Rating
San Jose, California
1 review
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 22 May 2013 NEW

Good location, redecorated diva from the gold rush era. Stretch your arms to touch both walls of the bathroom. Internet crawls, one night free and then you are required to join. Yoga mat provided, where are you going to lay it (hallway)? Poor ventilation, can't open a window. Don't say the fire code prohibits...the Marines Memorial Hotel windows open. Exercise... More

Was this review helpful? Yes
New York City, New York
1 review
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 19 May 2013 NEW

Currently in this hotel on 14th floor. Asked for high floor in quiet area, but the concert outside is deafening. Asked front desk if they could improve the room -- very polite clerk at front desk offered room four floors down, which was clearly a down-grade & could not deal with the stark sight of endless rooftops. She said that... More

Was this review helpful? Yes
Jim G, General Manager at Sir Francis Drake Hotel - a Kimpton Hotel, responded to this review
20 May 2013

Dear Evangeline415: I appreciate your review. Our staff is great and always eager to assist the guests. They often find the best solution at any given situation. Please also know that our lower floor rooms do not mean "down grade" as there are several types of rooms on each floor. We have many sold-out days and we always try our... More

1 review
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 18 May 2013 NEW via mobile

We stayed at the Drake throught our 9 nights visit to San Fran. From check in to check out we were treated to high quality service. We received an upgrade upon arrival and a great view from the 17th floor. Leif, the concierge gave us great advice on tours to take, highly recommend the napa limo bus tour, and booking... More

Was this review helpful? Yes 1
Jim G, General Manager at Sir Francis Drake Hotel - a Kimpton Hotel, responded to this review
20 May 2013

Dear daveeggleton: I appreciate your staying with us for 9 days! Whether you are here for a day or longer, we pride ourseleves in treating every guest as VIP. Hope you had a great day trip to Napa and glad that Leif was able to help! Hope to see you at the Drake soon. Jim Gross, General Manager More

Wenatchee, Washington
2 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 18 May 2013 NEW

First of all, the doorman Labon is great! He made us feel like old friends right away. He also made getting our taxi to leave an absolute breeze! The front desk staff were always smiling, laughing and making us comfortable. The wine hour from 5-6 every night was a very nice touch to have! The rooms are a little small... More

Was this review helpful? Yes
Jim G, General Manager at Sir Francis Drake Hotel - a Kimpton Hotel, responded to this review
20 May 2013

Dear Amanda D: Doesn't Laban have good smiles, too? He sure lights up the entrance! WooHoo!!! Yoga mat is the newest of the Kimpton programs and I'm happy to know that you enjoyed it! Glad that you enjoyed our Wine Hour and stopping by the Bar Drake! Hope to see you at the Drake soon. Jim Gross, General Manager More

Kansas City, Missouri
1 review
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 17 May 2013 NEW

I stayed at the Sir Francis Drake during a conference in 2012 and liked it enough that I chose it again for this June even though it's not the closest hotel to where my conference is. The staff were all very friendly and helpful. My room was on the 14th floor and had a nice view. I had no problems... More

Was this review helpful? Yes
Jim G, General Manager at Sir Francis Drake Hotel - a Kimpton Hotel, responded to this review
20 May 2013

Dear Steve C: Thank you for choosing the Drake again for your trip this year! We all look forward to hosting you this year and hope your stay this year will be better than the last! Jim Gross, General Manager More

Moscow, Russia
Senior Reviewer
8 reviews 8 reviews
4 hotel reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 15 May 2013

Despite the convenient location, I would not recommend to stay in Drake. Renovated recently, the hotel still had many rooms (we had one for the 1st night) with very lousy insulation, so all the street noises were there. We had to ask to change the room (classic) to a King one, and to move few floors up. The service at... More

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Jim G, Front Office Manager at Sir Francis Drake Hotel - a Kimpton Hotel, responded to this review
17 May 2013

Dear AlexanderBlanc: Thahks for your feedback. It is certainly not our service standard to ask our guests to "bring your own bag down": our front desk agent may give an "option" to our guest to bring her baggage down if a guest doesn't want to wait for our bellman to move it especially during the busy time. Hopefully, after a... More

New York City, New York
1 review
1 of 5 stars Reviewed 15 May 2013

I have never written a hotel review online before but that is how disappointed I was in this property. My stay here was May 13 to May 14, 2013. I checked in and went to my room. There were fingernail clippings on the sink. Disgusting! Then I discovered my TV didn't work. Next I found that there was no soap... More

Was this review helpful? Yes
Jim G, General Manager at Sir Francis Drake Hotel - a Kimpton Hotel, responded to this review
16 May 2013

Dear TheRealDavidK; I appreciate that you brought your experience to my attention. I have already alerted the appropriate department heads that each room needs to be thoroughly checked and cleaned before allowing a guest to check in. Also, please know that when a guest checks into a room and see any problem and alert our front desk, we usually move... More

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Washington, DC
Senior Contributor
48 reviews 48 reviews
26 hotel reviews
Reviews in 34 cities Reviews in 34 cities
25 helpful votes 25 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 14 May 2013

Loved, loved, loved! You can't beat the location - right near Union Square and walkable to great shopping, restaurants and trolley stop. The lobby sets the stage for a memorable stay. They kept the charm and elegance - just kitsched it up a bit. My room was small...no tiny. The two beds barely fit, but the decor was so well... More

Was this review helpful? Yes 1
Jim G, General Manager at Sir Francis Drake Hotel - a Kimpton Hotel, responded to this review
15 May 2013

Dear pbgvluv: I really appreciate your review on the Drake! It's a fresh breath of air to know that you sense our "quaint and cozy" atmosphere and do actually enjoy our location to go explore while on your trip! You may know, but we are one of the historical buildings that was built in 1928 and during our renovation in... More

Surrey, Canada
Contributor
13 reviews 13 reviews
6 hotel reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
13 helpful votes 13 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 13 May 2013

My husband and I stayed at the Drake May 3-4. From check-in to check-out the staff were amazing! Especially Calvin and Rindi at the front desk. We were very happy with our small but lovely room. Very clean and classy, free Wi-Fi, and a very comfortable bed. We were 8th floor, which seemed good, there was really no noticeable noise... More

Was this review helpful? Yes 2
Jim G, General Manager at Sir Francis Drake Hotel - a Kimpton Hotel, responded to this review
14 May 2013

Dear tamster888: I appreciate your wonderful review on the Drake! Sounds like you enjoyed ALL, including drag brunch show at Starlight, wine hour, even the Prohibition room! Yes, we pride ourselves in offering one-of-a-kind stay including our rooms that are mixture of history and modern. Thanks for mentioning our staff's names so that I can personally give each a high-five... More

Wales
Reviewer
5 reviews 5 reviews
4 hotel reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
18 helpful votes 18 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 12 May 2013

My wife and I stayed for 6 nights at the Sir Francis Drake. This hotel is perfectly located for Union Square, Shops and Cable Car terminous. The hotel is full of character from the entrance staircase, lobby, reception,lifts and rooms. The room itself was spotlessly clean, excellent decor and furniture. The bed was large and extreemly comfortable. There is no... More

Was this review helpful? Yes
Jim G, General Manager at Sir Francis Drake Hotel - a Kimpton Hotel, responded to this review
13 May 2013

Dear PAJAWALES: Hope you had a wonderful 6-day stay! Glad to know that you enjoyed our facility as well as our location, wine hour and coffee service! Ahh, Speakeasy room...not many people know about it, more less get to actually see it! You're few of the lucky guests! Jim Gross, General Manager More

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Hotel Summarization (Beta)

What travellers say

  • Very nice(15)
  • Room service(13)
  • Very helpful(8)
  • Business trip(8)
  • Powell street(7)
  • Street noise(6)
  • Top floor(5)
  • Night club(3)

Additional Information about Sir Francis Drake Hotel - a Kimpton Hotel

Address: 450 Powell Street, Union Square, San Francisco, CA 94102
Region: United States > California > San Francisco > Downtown
Amenities:
Bar/Lounge Business Centre Fitness Centre Pets Allowed Restaurant Room Service Suites Wheelchair access
Hotel Style:
#33 Luxury Hotels in San Francisco
#38 Romantic Hotels in San Francisco
#60 Business Hotels in San Francisco
#84 Family Hotels in San Francisco
Price Range: €€€
Hotel Class:4 star (4*)
Official Description (provided by the hotel):
The recently renovated Sir Francis Drake Hotel, housed in a landmark building in the heart of Union Square, is quintessential San Francisco: exciting, romantic, timelessly elegant and unique. The ornately decorated lobby, old-world hospitality, and Tom Sweeney, the hotel's infamous Beefeater doorman, transport you to another time and place. The legendary Harry Denton's Starlight Room, the adjacent Scala's Bistro and unmatched hospitality complete the picture to create an unforgettable San Francisco experience. ... more   less 
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Also Known As:
Kimpton San Francisco
Sir Francis Drake Hotel San Francisco
Sir Francis Drake Hotel
Drake Francis Sir

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Sir Francis Drake Hotel - a Kimpton Hotel
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