The Palace Hotel
, San Francisco, United States
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The Palace Hotel
, San Francisco
Rooms: 552
2 New Montgomery Street
- San Francisco - California - 94105 - United States
Hotel Website |
| 4155121111
902
Traveller
Reviews - The Palace Hotel
Awful customer service
Submitted by: Lisa in 25/03/09 - Age Group: 18 - 25
- From: United States
- Traveller type: Business Traveller
I didn't have any problems with my actual hotel stay, but had a discrepancy with my bill and the customer service/management staff has been absolutely horrendous at working with me to resolve this. Talked to one person who said they'd fix it, and then nothing happened, and now my messages have been ignored for weeks. It's a terrible attitude toward customer service in the service industry. There are so many hotels in the city -- pick another.
Read 901 additional reviews of The Palace Hotel at TripAdvisor.
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Historical Traveller Reviews of The Palace Hotel
Not enough for my money
from A TripAdvisor Member
Our recent weekend stay at The Palace was a mixed bag overall. Here's my take on the pros and cons of this hotel:
Pros: Central location is fairly handy, lobby area was quite classy and beautiful, room nicely appointed/furnished, great view of Market street from our large window that opened, nice linens, superb showerhead, valet parking was VERY quick and the housekeeping staff was exceptionally friendly. Pool/spa area on 4th floor looked nice though we only walked through to take a peek.
Cons: Standard room was quite small -(common in S.F, I know) a nice chair with ottoman was so close to bathroom door you usually bumped right into it on the way out, vanity area was very small - just a very small amount of room around sink in bathroom, awful hallway noise after midnight - could clearly hear people talking in the halls and a couple of slamming doors jolted me awake more than once during the night, price was a bit steep at $199 per night and the buffet breakfast in hotel was outrageous at $21.99.
Overall, a classy yet overpriced hotel for what is delivered. I have definitely stayed in less expensive hotels in S.F. and was much more satisfied with my overall experience so I will not be returning to The Palace unless someone else is footing the bill.
Pros: Central location is fairly handy, lobby area was quite classy and beautiful, room nicely appointed/furnished, great view of Market street from our large window that opened, nice linens, superb showerhead, valet parking was VERY quick and the housekeeping staff was exceptionally friendly. Pool/spa area on 4th floor looked nice though we only walked through to take a peek.
Cons: Standard room was quite small -(common in S.F, I know) a nice chair with ottoman was so close to bathroom door you usually bumped right into it on the way out, vanity area was very small - just a very small amount of room around sink in bathroom, awful hallway noise after midnight - could clearly hear people talking in the halls and a couple of slamming doors jolted me awake more than once during the night, price was a bit steep at $199 per night and the buffet breakfast in hotel was outrageous at $21.99.
Overall, a classy yet overpriced hotel for what is delivered. I have definitely stayed in less expensive hotels in S.F. and was much more satisfied with my overall experience so I will not be returning to The Palace unless someone else is footing the bill.
Pass on the tea!
from vivalabonita
I am a member of an afternoon tea club, and our group chose The Palace Hotel as a location for our tea experience in June. The ambiance was wonderful, but if I had known how bad the service was going to be I would have voted to go somewhere else.
At the Palace tea is served from 2-4pm on Saturdays. We arrived 10 minutes early and were told to come back at 2 to be seated. When we came back, we stood in a long line and were ignored when we arrived at the front. As another party was seated ahead of us, we tried to follow a hostess who appeared to be waiving us on. She rudely trurned us back and we waited a couple more minutes for someone to notice us and seat us.
We were a large party of 8, and we were treated like second class citizens. We waited 15 minutes before one of us finally called the waiter over. He rudely told us that we would have to wait since everyone was seated for tea at the same time. Our group was understanding of the circumstances, but we were the last table to have our tea order taken at 30 minutes after we had arrived. The waiter could have at least apologized and acknowledged our existance in that time.
There was food on the table when we arrived, but we had vegitarians in our party and the vegetarian sandwiches were unmarked. The chid in our group had to wait an entire hour to get her special sandwiches and treat.
Overall we had a very unhappy experience. Because we were a party of 8, they forced us to give a tip to a waiter who did not deserve it. Don't bother going to tea at The Palace Hotel. Smaller tea shops are more personable and you get a lot more for your money.
At the Palace tea is served from 2-4pm on Saturdays. We arrived 10 minutes early and were told to come back at 2 to be seated. When we came back, we stood in a long line and were ignored when we arrived at the front. As another party was seated ahead of us, we tried to follow a hostess who appeared to be waiving us on. She rudely trurned us back and we waited a couple more minutes for someone to notice us and seat us.
We were a large party of 8, and we were treated like second class citizens. We waited 15 minutes before one of us finally called the waiter over. He rudely told us that we would have to wait since everyone was seated for tea at the same time. Our group was understanding of the circumstances, but we were the last table to have our tea order taken at 30 minutes after we had arrived. The waiter could have at least apologized and acknowledged our existance in that time.
There was food on the table when we arrived, but we had vegitarians in our party and the vegetarian sandwiches were unmarked. The chid in our group had to wait an entire hour to get her special sandwiches and treat.
Overall we had a very unhappy experience. Because we were a party of 8, they forced us to give a tip to a waiter who did not deserve it. Don't bother going to tea at The Palace Hotel. Smaller tea shops are more personable and you get a lot more for your money.
Treated by staff based on what you paid
from RickSLO
Unfotunately this hotel rates you as a guest on what rate you pay.The first time I booked through the hotel at 239USD per nite.We were treated quite well.The next time I booke a special 109USD rate and was treated like a lepor.
Still a Grand Dame
from A TripAdvisor Member
Spent a delightful overnight here in March. Sixth floor interior-view standard room. Neat and tidy, absurdly comfortable bed (I just did not want to crawl out of it the next morning and kept hitting the "snooze" button on the alarm clock), lovely fleur-de-lys blue-and-gold patterned sitting chair. Check-in and -out was completely efficient and effortless. At midnight, the birthday glass of champgne I ordered arrived right on time, along with free chocolate-dipped strawberries. I found the bell captain, registration desk staff, and room service to be as friendly and apporachable as ever. Had no trouble with noises or hearing other guests. Must have been in a more solidly constructed part of the hotel. I had breakfast in the magnificent Garden Court. The buffet food was okay, but really nothing special. I'd love to return another time for brunch or an a la carte meal just to see if the quality is much improved.
Elegant but there are better places
from A TripAdvisor Member
I stayed at the Palace Hotel for three nights in March, 2004. I was raised in San Francisco and had not been to this hotel for about 15 years (when it was the Sheraton Palace and pretty worn out). Now it is in great shape.
My first room was on the fourth floor, overlooking Market Street (San Francisco's main street). I arrived in the late afternoon and the noise of the street traffic was too loud for me. I moved to an interior room on the seventh floor which was much more quiet -- but had a view of only the sides of the hotel (imagine being on the inside of a donut).
Both rooms were clean, had nice linens, and 14' high ceilings. However, both rooms felt small (about 14' by 14'). In my seventh floor room, there was a loud ticking noise in one of the walls whenever the plumbing was used in my room or the neighboring room. I could also clearly hear my neighbor's voice.
There is a very nice indoor swimming pool but the gym is surprisingly small and under-equipped. (Instead of using the gym, I walked down Market Street to the embarcadero and brought back coffee and bagels.) The hotel has a nice-looking dining room and a good-size bar. Parking is $40 a night, but there is an $18 a night lot behind the hotel (ask the doorman for directions). There is a BART station on the Market Street side of the hotel.
It is a 10 minute walk or short cab ride to the financial district.
Take a cab if you are going to the civic center as the area between the hotel and the civic center is unattractive.
There are no restaurants around the building suitable for more than grabbing coffee and pastry.
In sum, the Palace is an elegant hotel but the rooms are not very big, the walls are pretty thin, and there are no places to eat outside the hotel. There are a lot of hotels that would be worth considering before deciding to stay at the Palace.
My first room was on the fourth floor, overlooking Market Street (San Francisco's main street). I arrived in the late afternoon and the noise of the street traffic was too loud for me. I moved to an interior room on the seventh floor which was much more quiet -- but had a view of only the sides of the hotel (imagine being on the inside of a donut).
Both rooms were clean, had nice linens, and 14' high ceilings. However, both rooms felt small (about 14' by 14'). In my seventh floor room, there was a loud ticking noise in one of the walls whenever the plumbing was used in my room or the neighboring room. I could also clearly hear my neighbor's voice.
There is a very nice indoor swimming pool but the gym is surprisingly small and under-equipped. (Instead of using the gym, I walked down Market Street to the embarcadero and brought back coffee and bagels.) The hotel has a nice-looking dining room and a good-size bar. Parking is $40 a night, but there is an $18 a night lot behind the hotel (ask the doorman for directions). There is a BART station on the Market Street side of the hotel.
It is a 10 minute walk or short cab ride to the financial district.
Take a cab if you are going to the civic center as the area between the hotel and the civic center is unattractive.
There are no restaurants around the building suitable for more than grabbing coffee and pastry.
In sum, the Palace is an elegant hotel but the rooms are not very big, the walls are pretty thin, and there are no places to eat outside the hotel. There are a lot of hotels that would be worth considering before deciding to stay at the Palace.
Awful luxury collection
from A TripAdvisor Member
Actually I stayed just 2 nights by business trip for $299 per day on last February. However, this hotel is one of the worst hotels as 4 or 5 star hotel in U.S. Front is o.k. but smugly and bellboy is derogatory like one who work at 3 star hotel in NY. Room is small and equipped dilapidated old bed. Bath articles are very cheap like a Holiday Inn. Overall this hotel is 3 star class and appropriate price is around $100-150 per night. Don t pay over $200. Ritz or Mandarin is much better.
Americans CAN do a Grand Hotel!
from A TripAdvisor Member
Wow!
After a week of enjoying the fun and stylish approach of several W hotels on the West Coast, I had a night at the Palace partly because I was hosting a brunch at the Garden Court on Sunday and mainly because I was offered a rate of $139. I was upgraded to a truly beautiful suite overlooking the spa and the incredible pool. The quality of the room and the hotel in general is impeccable. I understand the Palace was modeled on the European 'Grand Hotel' model and it is truly an exhibition of elegance and opulence. The service is outstanding and so many little details are done properly that finding any fault is impossible. If you fancy being treated like a truly valued guest then the Palace is the place to go.
After a week of enjoying the fun and stylish approach of several W hotels on the West Coast, I had a night at the Palace partly because I was hosting a brunch at the Garden Court on Sunday and mainly because I was offered a rate of $139. I was upgraded to a truly beautiful suite overlooking the spa and the incredible pool. The quality of the room and the hotel in general is impeccable. I understand the Palace was modeled on the European 'Grand Hotel' model and it is truly an exhibition of elegance and opulence. The service is outstanding and so many little details are done properly that finding any fault is impossible. If you fancy being treated like a truly valued guest then the Palace is the place to go.
s it
from A TripAdvisor Member
I live and work in San Francisco so I rarely get an opportunity to stay at the many historical hotels. One weekend, I was there for a wedding and thought it would be fun to surprise my husband by checking us in to the Palace. I had dined at the Garden Court and been to several weddings there but I had never had the pleasure of being a guest.The room which I checked into was facing the Market Street side. The room was small. It felt as if I were in France. There was barely enough space for me to move my small carry on bag in without hitting a piece of furniture. The decor was traditional and had some charming detailings. The bed was comfortable with nice fluffy pillows and the bathroom had nice comfy robes. The bathroom was clean and had nice marble but other than that the whole room was pretty non-descript. I can't even remember the carpet or if there were wallpaper. It was just so "blah".Room service was decent - really nothing special. It came on time, the eggs were done well but nothing fancy eventhough for $40 breakfast for two you could expect more. My husband had french toast or something like that. Just decent - not great.The Palace Hotel's common areas are gorgeous and grand. The Garden Court is fabulous for tea. The hallways are rich but the rooms are just so - so. The only saving grace was that we were fortunate enough to receive a group rate because of the wedding. Because if we had paid full price I would not have scored it so.
Great history, but service is terrible...
from A TripAdvisor Member
Historically and in architectural terms, the Palace hotel in San Francisco is one of the most interesting lodgings in this city.
However, the terrible service we received at this hotel far outweighs the beautiful decor this hotel has to offer:
1. There was a long line at check-in due to an "electronic problem" with the room card keys.
2. Although I left a message at the reservations desk to reserve a spot at their Garden Court restaurant for breakfast, I only got the confirmation the following morning, half an hour before the reservation time; of course, by then I already had made alternate arrangements since I did not hear back from them in a timely fashion.
3. The hotel charges $40 to park your car overnight. Although parking in SF is expensive, one would think that the hotel would offer a discounted rate since nearby parking garages charge $28/day. Talk about gouging your customers!
4. Check-out: Another long line at check out since there were only 2 people at the desk to handle a busy Saturday morning! What galled me was that the reservation clerk had the time to make $$ change for one of his buddies, ignoring the long queue in front of him, then sniped "I'll get to you in a moment" then looked the other way to field phone calls.
5. Lunch at the Garden Court: I decided to give the Gardne Court a try after the reservations desk screwed up my breakfast reservation. Again, we stood for quite a while at the seating desk since the hostess, who was also assisting setting up tables and menus (you'd think they would have a bus boy to do this) had her hands full. Once seated, it took us several tries to catch one of the waiters to take our order. Coffee refills were also hard to come by -- I finally had to stand up and look for the hostess just to have a fresh cup.
For the price the hotel is asking, and for the hotel's reputation, one would expect better service. It's apparent that management does little to train its staff properly. Need we remind them that hospitality is not just about providing a room for the night, it's all about SERVICE.
However, the terrible service we received at this hotel far outweighs the beautiful decor this hotel has to offer:
1. There was a long line at check-in due to an "electronic problem" with the room card keys.
2. Although I left a message at the reservations desk to reserve a spot at their Garden Court restaurant for breakfast, I only got the confirmation the following morning, half an hour before the reservation time; of course, by then I already had made alternate arrangements since I did not hear back from them in a timely fashion.
3. The hotel charges $40 to park your car overnight. Although parking in SF is expensive, one would think that the hotel would offer a discounted rate since nearby parking garages charge $28/day. Talk about gouging your customers!
4. Check-out: Another long line at check out since there were only 2 people at the desk to handle a busy Saturday morning! What galled me was that the reservation clerk had the time to make $$ change for one of his buddies, ignoring the long queue in front of him, then sniped "I'll get to you in a moment" then looked the other way to field phone calls.
5. Lunch at the Garden Court: I decided to give the Gardne Court a try after the reservations desk screwed up my breakfast reservation. Again, we stood for quite a while at the seating desk since the hostess, who was also assisting setting up tables and menus (you'd think they would have a bus boy to do this) had her hands full. Once seated, it took us several tries to catch one of the waiters to take our order. Coffee refills were also hard to come by -- I finally had to stand up and look for the hostess just to have a fresh cup.
For the price the hotel is asking, and for the hotel's reputation, one would expect better service. It's apparent that management does little to train its staff properly. Need we remind them that hospitality is not just about providing a room for the night, it's all about SERVICE.
Watch for unexpected billing
from A TripAdvisor Member
Watch for the overpriced hotel parking, which can increase by 40% the cost of your stay. The hotel charges you even and extra 10 dollars per day for oversized vehicle even if you drive a medium size car.
Top Local Tips for San Francisco
Deals and Getting There Check out their website and get the best deals. We got a great room for $139. a night with their Spring Promotion. If you take BART you get off on Montgomery St. and literally walk up the stairs from the train and into the hotel!
Gorgeous Restaurant Definitely check out the Garden Room for a romantic breakfast or brunch! A bit pricey, but worth the splurge!
Eat at a nearby restaurant or bakery It's too expensive to eat at this hotel and there are many restaurants and bakeries just across the street. Go to the spa or main lobby for coffee in the morning. Coffee is $5.25 a person, if you order it from room service. Fruit is offered in the spa and lobby also, so grab some apples for later.
- (hotels)
Other names for The Palace Hotel
- palace san francisco
- palace hotel san francisco
- Address: 2 New Montgomery Street - San Francisco - California - 94105 - United States
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- (hotels)
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