This Ritz-Carlton San Francisco review is from our 2017 stay in a Club Level Room. Of hotels in the U.S. that offer a Club Level, Ritz-Carlton has the offering, with either four or five food and beverage presentations during the day, which I'll review in a future post. We were also looking forward to seeing the renovated rooms, given the multi-million dollar renovation that the hotel completed in 2015.
Absent a Ritz-Carlton STARS-specific promotion, the best way for TravelSort Clients to reserve most Ritz-Carlton hotels is with Virtuoso benefits, which at the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco include:
- Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
- Early check-in, late check-out, subject to availability
- Full American breakfast for two daily, up to $38 per person including tax
- $100 USD Equivalent Resort or Hotel credit, (not combinable, not valid on room rate, no cash value if not redeemed in full, not valid on tax or parking)
- Complimentary Wi-fi
For clients with an AMEX Platinum, amenities are similar to the Virtuoso benefits above, plus guaranteed 4pm late check-out. There's currently a 4th night complimentary offer that TravelSort can book for stays completed by December 31, 2017. Note that blackout dates of 9/12/17, 10/1/17-10/4/17, 11/5-11/7/17 are excluded and that the offer may not be repeated during the stay.
Ritz-Carlton San Francisco Location, Check-In and Lobby
The Ritz-Carlton San Francisco is located on Nob Hill, at 600 Stockton Street. If you're taking the Powell/Hyde Street cable car, Powell & Pine is the closest stop. Our son was tickled that the hotel was located on a street with my last name, so we had to take a quick photo:
The hotel itself started life as the Metropolitan Life Insurance Building, and its neo-classical exterior remains intact and elegant. Entering, there's a lovely splash of color from the lobby flowers:
On the right is the reception and front desk, although guests staying on the Club Level may check-in on the 8th floor, in the Club Level Lounge, which has its own dedicated concierge team. There was no line, either at regular reception or on the Club Level, and we were swiftly checked in.
Ritz-Carlton San Francisco Club Room
Club level rooms are located on floors 8 and 9. We were on 8, the same level as the Club Lounge, which was convenient for meals and for working in the lounge. Club rooms are exactly the same 400 square feet size and furnished similarly to Superior and Deluxe Rooms, so the increased cost is purely for the higher floor and Club Lounge access.
The window let in great natural light, as the other buildings were some distance away. It was a clear blue sky during our visit, which you can't take for granted in San Francisco the way you more or less can in the South Bay.
I liked the white, blue and slate color scheme.
Most importantly, the bed was comfortable and we slept well, as did our son in the extra bed that was placed in the room during turndown service.
As part of the renovation, the lamps on the bedside tables have power outlets, perfect for charging phones and electronic devices:
We also appreciated the sweet treats that were provided as welcome amenities: macarons, chocolates, madeleines, and a blueberry muffin:
Sweet treats call for some coffee or tea, and fortunately there's an in-room Nespresso machine as well as Mighty Leaf tea:
In our room, after entering, the marble bathroom was on the right. There are double his and hers sinks, which I appreciated:
I didn't care for the bath-shower combo, but I do understand it in light of this being a landmark building and the space constraints of the bathroom. At least the plug for the bathtub worked here, unlike in our room at the St. Regis.
Bath products are Asprey's Purple Water, not one of my favorites, but I did like the fact that in addition to the usual tubes of shampoo, conditioner, body wash and moisturizer, there was a shaving kit, comb and sewing kit, as the latter three aren't always provided at U.S. hotels.
Here's a quick video of our room:
Ritz-Carlton San Francisco Club Level
I'll cover the Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge and food and beverage in a separate post.
The Verdict
Nob Hill may give your muscles a bit of a work out if you walk around, as we did, but the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco's location is still convenient to Market Street, the financial district if you're in SF for work, and to the Ferry Building, where we love to visit the farmer's market. I like the renovation, which still looks very fresh, 2 years after its completion, even though space constraints mean that rooms and even suites (until you get to the Ritz-Carlton Suite) have bath-shower combos. I can understand this in light of the historic building for regular rooms, but in my view all the suites should have been redone with separate soaking tubs and glass enclosed rain showers. What is good is that there are double sinks in all bathrooms, which is a must for luxury hotels, in my view.
We definitely felt more welcomed at this property than at the St. Regis, from the initial touch point of the bellmen and on through the front desk and the Club Level Concierge, as well as with the lovely welcome amenities. Everything in our room worked as expected, and was happy to see Mighty Leaf tea and a Nespresso machine in the room, even though I ended up making most of my tea and espresso drinks in the Club Lounge. Although Club Rooms can be pricey, it's a worthwhile premium for anyone needing to spend some time at the hotel working, and/or with a hungry kid in tow. The convenience and quality of the Club Lounge food and beverage offerings and professionalism of the staff made for a great stay for us.
Recommended Posts
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Review: Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong Club Lounge
Ritz-Carlton Stars and Virtuoso Top Offers Summer and Fall 2017
Disclosure: I paid for my own stay with a travel professional rate.
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