I stayed at the Mandarin Oriental, San Francisco in a 2012-year renovated room. The view of the city from your hotel room is beyond compare, I can only imagine what a view of the water would have been like; however, I will note that from my vantage point, I could see a little bit of the water from my room as well. This hotel has spectacular views! Walk through the hallways of your room/suite floor and you will see views of both sides of San Francisco (city and water). Location wise, the hotel is situated where you could take a brisk walk to Chinatown, Union Square (shopping), and the Ferry Building. The area is pretty quiet after dark since the hotel is in the Financial District (I think).

While you check-in on the first floor, the rooms/suites start on Floor 38. The lobby was still being renovated at the time of check-in. I did not particularly care for the set up of the Front Desk and Concierge in such close quarters to each other (they share the same curved row together). While checking-in was easy, as a first time guest, nothing was shared with me about any hotel amenities or package benefits that came with my booking. Ask if you have any questions.

During my stay (while renovations are still in progress), there was a business center available to guests and complimentary access to an offsite, very nearby, gym.

Room: What I immediately noticed about my room was that the three windows actually opened. Yes! The hotel has a very robust A/C and heater, which is always appreciated as well. I stayed in a room with two double beds; therefore, there was no sofa/table. The room featured an in-room safe, closet, dresser, working desk with two chairs, three telephones and a full master bathroom with separate shower and tub. There was no in-room coffee-making machine; although complimentary coffee is served in the morning in the lobby. The bathroom was great, especially the shower. Bathroom amenities are from Molton Brown. Lighting controls in the bathroom are one setting – either all on or off – but there is plenty of light. On a nice day, when it’s sunny, open the window blinds and there is plenty of natural light. You can also draw the sheer blinds to filter the sun. Note: If you open the windows on a windy day, the blinds will go all over the place. From my vantage point, you can easily see your neighbors in the other wing of the hotel, so use the blackout shades accordingly for privacy. Light in the room is sourced from a floor lamp, two sconces by your bed, a table lamp and a few recessed lights in the hallway and over the work desk. All in all, lighting was sufficient but lighting controls from your bed are not intuitive – you have to walk to your front door to turn off the hallway lights. I really like the neutral colors in the room, it has a very contemporary feel.

Room service: I ordered twice from in-room dining. Dinner: (2) entrees, (1) appetizer, and (1) side – with all taxes, service charges, delivery fees, came up to almost $80 – pretty standard for a hotel of this caliber. Breakfast was close to $70 dollars for two, again pretty standard. Food fare was okay – but the service was excellent. The food was brought always brought up within the quotes times (usually 25-30 minutes). I wanted to order wonton noodle soup, which was on the menu but was informed that it was no longer being served.

Service: The hotel graciously brought up a birthday cake for me – which is always a nice gesture from a hotel when you’re celebrating a special occasion. You could cut four generous slices from that one cake alone. While staff was generally pleasant throughout the property – from the doormen to housekeeping, I experienced some service issues with the Front Desk. What matters is that everything was resolved by the time I checked-out. And, to be fair to the hotel, what I considered “issues” is subjective. To preface this statement, I vary my expectations based on the circumstances – i.e. leisure or business travel (who is paying), the brand (MO is comparable to Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton, and the St. Regis, all which have a presence in San Francisco), and price (entry level rooms during my stay started at a little shy of $400). In this case, I had high expectations of the hotel.

Lastly, I noticed some, or maybe all, of the Concierge staff had the iconic golden keys on their uniform – so they are part of Le Clefs d'Or, a prestigious Concierge association. I did not request any services but I trust that any and all requests would be taken care of.