It was my first stay at the University Club on Nob Hill, for two nights in March. I was a bit skeptical as I have overnighted from time to time in the University Club system which can be a poor experience. However, what a pleasant surprize! The rooms had been recently updated and had nice amenities, even for a historical building. I had a light dinner twice in the Grille and even though I was traveling solo, the members were quite personable and drew me into their circle. As previously mentioned, the Club is 100 years old, so don't expect perfection as far as the structure, but a classic patina that you would expect from an intellectually stimulating institution. The service was very friendly, professional and I expecially liked the bartenders who were definately highly beloved by their members. The only potential glitch in the summer is that the rooms are not air conditioned. A return visit is definately in my future agenda.

If you want a fancy hotel room to while away your time in - this is not the place.
If you want a decent and clean hotel room in the best possible location in San Francisco - you'll love this place.
Yes - the building exudes all of the charm that only a 100 year old building can - but the club is spotless and the staff can not be more accomodating. The rooms are sized appropriately to customs of 100 years ago - but they have recently been redecorated and are perfectly acceptable.
The Club is located at the intersection of the Powell Street and the California Street cable car lines. Nearly all of (touristy) SF is downhill from here and just a short walk from a cable car line. Couple that with a room rate of at least 50% less than any nearby hotel and you cannot go wrong.
Yes - there is no air conditioning - but we were there during a particularly warm spell and the room was fine. Yes - the rooms are on the lower floors of the building and there is some street noise - but mostly it's the bells on the cable cars and they don't start until after 6AM anyway.
All in all - for the price - you cannot go wrong. If you really dislike the accomodations - moving to the Fairmont is a walk across the street... For a central location to explore all of SF at a great rate though - look no further!

My wife and I are members of the Yale Club in New York City, a wonderful facility. On a recent business trip to San Franciso we decided to try another university club lodging experience and booked a room at the University Club of San Francisco on Nob Hill. We quickly learned that not all university clubs are created equal.

On paper and on the web the University Club on San Francisco seemed to have a lot going for it - location, price, in-club dining, and a limited number of lodging rooms. On site though it was a very different story. We arrived in the late evening and the first room we were given was down a mildewy-smelling hallway on the first floor and was dark and warm. We quickly discovered there was no air conditioning and that the window, which faced an alley, would only open a few inches. Those few inches were not enough to generate a breeze, even with the help of a ceiling fan, but more than enough to allow the ceaseless noise of traffic and cable cars laboring up California Street to make the room unpleasantly loud. The lighting in the room was unpleasant - only one of the bed side lamps worked and the bulb in it must have been 300w. Other than that it was just the ceiling light, which cast an unpleasant glare thoughout the room. We quickly returned to the front desk and were told we could move to another room on the second floor. Up the quaint elevator we went and moved into our second room. Though larger and better lit it still had the funky mildew smell and the windows opened directly onto Powell Street, and the cacophony of traffic and the Powell Street cable cars. At this point we were so tired that my plan was to shower and hope to sleep through part of the night. The first towel I grabbed in the garish red bathroom had a saucer-sized hole in the middle of it! The second was frayed, but largely intact. That was it for me. The following morning we checked out and moved to the Clift Hotel and enjoyed a wonderful remainder of our stay in San Francisco.

To be fair, as we were checking out another guest was singing the praises of the University Club of San Francisco's rooms. I am glad he had a good stay. My wife and I certainly did not.

I used my reciprocal club arrangement to stay at the University Club prior to our trip to Napa valley. Located on Nob Hill across the street from the Fairmont Hotel, the club is nicely furnished with a beautiful library and outside balcony overlooking the bay. Although there are only about 20 rooms, it was a thrill to stay in this quiet, tastefully decorated gem - don't miss it!