I’m going to come right out and say it: the primary reason for choosing the Westin St Francis Hotel on Union Square in San Francis was because Francis is the name of our cat. I’m serious – there were so many hotel choices in the Union Square area of San Francisco that I felt like a deer in the headlights while trying to choose one.
And a fine choice it was. Of all the “wild guess” hotel reservations I’ve made in my life so far, this might have been the best. No, it wasn’t the extravagant lobby – or the amazing location adjacent to Union Square that made it so good. It was the view from our room that blew us away. But I’ll get to that in a second…
A full review of our 1 night stay at the Westin St Francis (San Francisco) on Union Square
The Westin St Francis is basically right on top of Union Square on Powell Street. It’s a short (but uphill) walk from the Powell St BART station, and there are a ton of shopping and food options nearby. Basically, it’s as good as it gets for a nice hotel in Union Square – which I admit is a bold claim to make since I’ve obviously never stayed at any other hotel in this area. But really, we couldn’t have asked for anything better.
The location
Never mind that it sort of looks like a jail. The St Francis is an amazing property!
Union Square is literally right outside the front entrance.
The main entrance to the Westin St Francis on Union Square in San Francisco
The Lobby
The grand foyer – it’s impressive!
Once past the foyer, there is a second large hall containing the check in desks and a bar / cafe area
This is a huge (and popular) hotel. Once through the main entryway, we found a long check in queue at the front desk. Luckily, it moved fast and we didn’t have to wait more than 10 minutes. We were even offered free chocolate by the hotel staff as we waited in line, which I thought was a really nice touch.
Check in desk
Getting to the room
The 25th floor hallway, just after exiting the elevator
The door to our room (2590)
The views
It’s important to note that there are two parts to the Westin St Francis – the lower main building and the tower building behind it. Our room was on the 25th floor of the tower building, and our jaws hit the floor as soon as we saw the view upon entering the room.
Huge bay window with an incredible view of the city of San Francisco
The view we had overlooking downtown San Francisco was so captivating that we literally didn’t even look at anything else in the room as we ran to the window to soak it all in. It was only after gawking for 10 minutes that we turned around and had a look at the amenities.
The view to the northeast, with Coit Tower off in the distance
The view looking directly east
Looking southeast, with San Francisco Bay off in the distance
The room
The signature Westin Heavenly Bed
The Heavenly Bed, looking the other way
Looking towards the door. And I really hate to say it, but this doesn’t even look as nice as the Westin in Downtown Phoenix. I was expecting something a little more!
A closer look at the room door. Why are hotel room door so sterile from the inside?
Complimentary Starbucks coffee
The desk was large, and provided ample space to work (or pile junk onto)
Not exactly a workplace that will inspire creativity…
At least the other side of the room was more cozy and inviting
The bathroom
Large and bright bathroom – typical of most Westin properties I’ve stayed at
Toilet and shower area
The shower / tub combination was nice and large, though very dark
Final thoughts
All in all, the Westin St Francis was a great place to call home for two days. Although it’s a very busy property located in the heart of the city, our upper-room floor was very quiet. On top of that, we found the staff to be quite friendly and accommodating, making this a hotel we would definitely return to on our next trip to San Francisco. And not just because it’s the name of our cat.
