by callen60

May 5, 2007

From journal Back to the Bay

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.

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