Fantastic location and very interesting hotel! It has a gothic theme and this is reflected in the architecture and decor. The staff are great. Some nice views of Union Square from the rooms. The theatre inside the hotel is also excellent. It's a great hotel for solo travellers - I like the nice little touches, such as offering a complimentary glass of sherry every evening and phoning me after arrival to ask if I needed anything. The rooms are good - no air conditioning but a large ceiling fan is provided. No kettle for tea, but they provided one quickly as soon as I asked. The carved stone at the entrance is both stately and spectacular - and makes you realise, as you are entering, that you are in for no ordinary experience. Overall, it's a fantastic friendly hotel that is full of character - recommended!

No breakfast provided (other than a cup of tea/coffee and a biscuit). It's a great hotel, and as such it should offer a great breakfast. There is a cafe very near, but it is very small and basic; however, there is a nice restaurant nearby where you can get a good breakfast - on Ellis Street at the Hotel Fusion.

I liked the close access to the trolley cars, electric busses n a short walk down the hill to Bart trains. Also extremely close to luxury retail shops n to Union Square with all the games n other activities. I also liked the large TV n piano in the lobby n also a very fancy and intelligent filtered water system to refill our water bottles. The water was delicious. Also the Playhouse was a big plus. I enjoyed the current play... Curious Incident. The front desk staff was always very helpful, especially Mr Quinn. Bed extremely comfortable.

The complimentary tea, coffee, and tiny pastry in the lobby could be improved. Coffee cups were small n thin. The towels were not soft.

Can’t beat the location—right in the heart of Union Square, next to Lyft city bike parking, Macy’s, the Apple Store, Nike, and plenty of restaurants and bars. It’s a 5-minute walk to Powell, which connects you directly to SFO, so getting around is super convenient. Beds are comfy, the bathroom is spacious, and while the walls are pretty thin and you can hear all the noises, we were lucky to be on the 5th floor with no neighbors nearby. There’s no air conditioner, but the heater works well, which is exactly what you need when it’s 50°F outside. Overall, we had a great experience and would recommend this hotel 100%!

I liked everything about this place. They have a free water fountain in the lobby, as well as free coffee in the morning.

Staying here felt like walking into a movie set from the get go (i.e. "the Shining")—elegant, atmospheric, and full of character and charm. The rich wood paneling, gold accents, vintage elevator, tall corridors gave it the feel of a historic landmark. Our room was spacious and beautifully maintained. The bed was enormous and incredibly comfortable—I genuinely didn’t want to get out of it. Towels clean and fluffy, and plenty of for the both of us. Coffee maker in the room with coffee capsules and tea. Fridge. Everything was spotless, and the hotel somehow perfectly blends old-world character with modern comfort. Oh and there's an actual theater on the mezzanine level with live performances happening regularly. Also we didn’t experience any of the lighting issues others have mentioned. The room had well-placed lights in each area, letting you set the mood easily—bright enough when you need it (use the bedside lamps), and perfectly dimmable for a relaxed vibe. Most importantly, if you need total darkness for a good rest any time of day, you’ll get it. Sound isolation was solid too. As for the location, we (2 girls) felt completely safe. Despite being few blocks from Tenderloin, area which has a rough reputation and should be avoided, it didn’t affect our stay at all. We walked around freely, both during the day and in the evening, and never had any problems. Would absolutely return—this place is an experience in itself.

The only thing that felt a bit out of place in such a setting was the plastic trash can and the bulk shampoo/shower gel dispenser in the bathroom—those two elements clashed a bit with the otherwise classic feel. Also i don't understand why hotels in states don't provide any toiletries. Couple cotton pads and Q-tips, a pair of slippers would've been great to have. These are very basic necessities hotels of such caliber should provide.

This is our preferred hotel when visiting San Francisco. We love the location, the charm, the cleanliness and comfort and the view from the upper floor rooms. The valet parking is nice and usually very quick, in spite of being an extra expense. The new addition of flavored waters in the lobby is a fun touch our teenagers loved. One of our favorite restaurants, Sears, is around the corner, and shopping at Union Square is just feet away. Chinatown is a 10 minute walk .The trolley runs adjacent and the official stop is only a few blocks down if you want to ride to Fisherman's Wharf or in-between. Just a great, affordable and comfortable hotel and location overall.

Can't think of anything I didn't like!

The location is perfect, right next to Union square, the room was spacious, lots of storage space, all the necessary appliences, big and comfy bed, we had a very nice one week stay. We really enjoyed the vibe and authenticity of this hotel, would come back for sure.

It's common not to serve breakfast in SF, although there was coffee and cookies, which was nice. It would be great to have a decaf option though. The hotel is old and so is the elevator, you should be ready to give it a few minutes wait until it arrives to your floor. Could be annoying if you're in a rush, but it also has its charm.

Although old, the hotel is well cleaned and maintained. The staff are responsive and helpful. It is located on a nice street, pretty close to an Apple and Nintendo store, for example. But just far enough from central more popular places, that makes it an "affordable" place in comparison to other hotels better placed.

The first day the room heater was not working because it relies on a central unit that just works when it is cold enough. So I felt a little cold, but that was just on the first day.

- Room was very clean and bed sheets appeared quite new - Great location, with bike rack just around the corner, which was super convenient for going anywhere - Were able to store luggage during checkin as I arrived early and checkout for the whole day - Received packages for guests, which are tracked and guests need to sign for each - Shower pressure and hot water were perfect - Checkin and Checkout was super quick

- Room was a bit too dark, could use more lights - Bed was a little too soft for my liking, but still comfortable

Loved everything about this century old SF hotel, from it's old school charm to staff attention to detail and service! We were given adjoining rooms with our sons in a cozy alcove. Complimentary glass of sherry in the evening was a nice touch. We walked to Union Square, Chinatown and restaurants. There is a cute little theatre in the hotel that puts on plays. Most of the big chains were in the midst of union disputes. Relentless garbage can banging and megaphone chanting was going on outside those hotels, but not happening at our little boutique Kensington Park hotel.

Not the hotel's fault, but be careful what areas you go to, especially at night. San Francisco’s once-trendy downtown area has descended into a drug-addled hellscape. We rented ebikes and rode right into a sea of ranting vagrants and addicts tweaking, or lying in their own feces. I pray the new mayor fixes this.

This is the third time I've been in San Francisco and I would now never stay anywhere else in the city. Everything here was perfect: the hotel has enormous character and charm, the staff are wonderful, the room was huge for San Francisco standards as well as exceptionally comfortable, the location is convenient...the water machine in the lobby is a lovely touch (!). Even the complementary coffee in the lobby was good, putting so many other hotels to shame.

My only tiny quibble is that the WiFi in the room was a bit slow, but that's a really minor complaint. Everything else was perfect.