This Motor Inn (not a hotel) in any other area would be rated a 1-star for the following reasons:

The desk clerks (male and female) are behind a security glass window and all transactions are made via a slide-through access similar to banks so the initial impression is not a good sign. I, as well as the previous review, was annoyed that I had to pay up front for the room ($175/night for two queen beds) and I agree this is non-standard and made the place seem sketchy.

The hallways are exterior, facing toward the road and cars pull in vertical to the rooms. The entrance doors to the rooms sit less than 30 feet from the street so there was constant traffic noise that we heard from the interior of our room.

There are obvious, big security cameras facing all exterior hallways (another bad sign). The exterior of the hotel is in dire need of repair, In various places of the hallways there are areas of disintegrating stucco, there are no screens on the windows and the rooms' entrance doors and locks are badly scratched and worn.

Inside our room, there were two queen beds, two pillows on each bed, no extra blankets. There was an 18" tube TV (!), no internet or WIFI. The air conditioner was a wall unit that roared all night long and we had no choice but to use it for some kind of room ventilation because we didn't feel safe to open the window for fresh air.

There was a granite 12x12 patch in the granite shower because the mixer valve was leaking and it had to be repaired. There is no blow dryer. The toilet was crooked, the towels and washclothes were rough and dinged yellow. The shower was slow to drain. The shower curtain at the bottom was moldy and had a horrible odor. There were stains on the wall behind the toilet.

Maybe this Motor Inn justifies its $200 ($175 including taxes and hotel fee) per night rate because its the only hotel located just south of Golden Gate park on the Great Highway across from the ocean, but you have to cross two busy streets to get to the ocean. We stayed at this Motor Inn because it was close and convenient to the special event in Golden Gate Park so I assume the exorbitant rate was the gouging by this Motor Inn for the special event.

I would not recommend staying here for any other reason.

You know it's a bad sign when you check in at 8:45 PM (i.e, not that late) and you have to stand outside while the desk clerk is behind plexiglass. It was dark and creepy and as a woman staying alone, it did not feel fully safe. I had planned on going out for some milk after I checked in, but I ended up locking myself in my room until morning. I was also quite annoyed to have to pay up front for my room! ($135/night for a queen bed). This is pretty nonstandard, in my experience, and made the place seem all the more sketchy.

Some other details: This is a motel, not a hotel (so, doors open to the outside, not to an interior hallway), no internet, room was clean and relatively large, some parts in good condition and some run-down, amazing location right across the street from the beach, convenient to SF State, there was a restaurant attached but it never seemed to be open.

Great Highway Inn is not in the most "exciting" part of the city. and its a basic hotel. but the staff is very nice and the place is very quite and quick walk to ocean beach. rooms are very nice for one or two people. as long as u have a rental car while visiting to get to other parts of san fran- ths hotel is perfect for those who like to return to quiet place after a day of sightseeing.

If you can get past the Chinese desk clerk,the hotel is nice.Waking up and looking out at the beach in the morning is amazing.You're close to Ocean Beach and Lands End,two great places to visit.The room was clean.The bed was comfortable,bathroom clean.Kind of a "Surf" hotel.I'd stay again.