It’s not cheap—$230 was the ‘conference rate’—but you get approximately what you pay for in this central location. Our room in Tower 2 (apparently somewhat newer than other parts of the complex) is one of nearly 2,000 in this large building, but we never knew we had neighbors. But even on the 17th floor, the street noise was surprisingly loud at times, but that had something to do with late-night activity in the Tenderloin.

That’s the one drawback to the location—to the west, the neighborhood gets a little dicey, but you probably won’t head that way. One block east is Macy’s, and Union Square is another block north, so the location is very convenient for this part of the city. The hotel entrance was busy all hours of the day, and safety on the grounds was never an issue.

The in-room coffee is the best I’ve ever had—Italian Lavazza coffee, made by a machine with a one- or two-cup setting that dispenses into real, actual ceramic coffee cups, not paper! The machine even had its own small home atop the minibar cabinetry, with a door-activated interior light. With a king bed, the room was particularly comfortable, with a larger-than-average L-shaped desk that was an excellent place to work. Based on what I saw of older Tower 3 and heard about Tower 1, our Tower 2 location sounded like the best place to be. Unlike Tower 3, the window runs the full length of the room, making it bright and sunny, and the hallways are larger, brighter and more pleasant. Like most places, Hilton has upgraded the bed (very comfortable), the shower (curved, space-creating bar), and the amenities (Crabtree & Evelyn La Source, if you care about that). At $230, though, I kept wishing that those paying the bill were getting a little more for their money. But that’s big city hotel pricing.

One of the highlights is the rooftop restaurant CityScape, perched on Tower 1 at the 47th floor. On a previous visit, a friend and I enjoyed a spectacular meal in the spectacular setting, looking out at SF’s iconic Transamerica Pyramid and then across the bay, all from a stomach-rattling window-side seat by the floor-to-ceiling glass walls. The food was a match for the surroundings, and I wouldn’t hesitate to go back. In addition to a less adrenalin-inducing first-floor restaurant, there’s also a breakfast counter offering everything from fresh fruit to oatmeal to pastries and breakfast sandwiches for not-completely-horrible prices. I took the first two back to my room and made coffee.

If you don’t wish to keep giving Hilton your money, there are other food options close by. Starbucks is one block north (and essentially everywhere else), as is a David’s Deli that looked like a particularly good option for breakfast. Lori’s Diner (where we at the last morning) is just north of the Hilton’s NE corner. Canteen, a great site for a meal and where I breakfasted on Sunday morning, is a 10-minute walk northwest.

I booked this hotel room through Priceline.com

It was a very nice hotel but I ended up paying a bit more for things I did not calculate. The priceline got a rate of $99.37 including taxes and fees, but I did not calculate the parking fee. I self parked at a nearby parking structure. For 24 hour parking, with in and out privileges, it was $28 (California Parking on 400 Taylor Street).

Upon checking in, I found a brown stain on the bed, so I asked for a different room which the front desk exchanged right away for us. But it still left us with a queasy feeling to find a brown stain in a four-star hotel. The room was tiny, about half the size of our hotel in Monterey. Also the walls were very thin. I could hear everything clearly on the TV next door.

Location could not be beat, but it ended up being a bit more expensive than we anticipated.

The hotel had a pool on the 16th floor which was very nice.

Location and Amenities The San Francisco Hilton is a huge, but impersonal hotel. Taking up a full city block, its location in Union Square is convenient for business travellers. No more than a few steps from one of the entrances, you have your pick of noodle shops and diners, as well as pharmacies. The hotel itself has a sushi restaurant, a snack bar, and a full service restaurant.

The Rooms The rooms vary significantly. Some rooms have a kitchenette and a balcony, while others are just the basics. My room had those windows you can't open, giving me a view onto other skyscrapers. One of my associates, however, scored a large room with a king-size bed, a kitchenette, and a balcony overlooking the pool. Conference Facilities Conference Facilities are where this hotel shines. We had three floors of conference rooms for the Remedy User Group I attended. The ballroom easily fit all of the attendants, plus video games and several buffet stations. The food was delicious and plentiful, the final banquet offering Chinese, Mexican, Italian, and American stations. Room Service The first night, I ordered room service. Room service sushi was delicious and delivered very quickly, even at 10pm.

This hotel was by far the nicest hotel I have ever been in--the first thing you see when you walk in is a beautiful lobby with several crystal chandaliers and the hotel staff was very pleasant and accommodating. The room was incredible (the beds were so soft) and be sure to try the complimentary breakfast at least once--it is located on the top floor and the view is breathtaking! The only set back is that this hotel is located near a street that is not very pleasant (at night time), but other than that the hotel overall was wonderful and we enjoyed our stay.

Loved the Hotel...staff wonderful...breakfast buffet super...beds were as comfortable as home...only 2 complaints: pool was indicated to be inside heated. Fact was it was outside heated & in 50 something degrees was freezing. Also there was no tub in the room which I would have enjoyed after walking all over San Fran day after day.