Palace Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, San Francisco

Beautiful hotel- the lobby, the restaurant, the rooms, all lovely. With the Beekman in NYC the most beautiful hotel I have stayed in. Breakfast in the morning expensive but good and in a wonderful setting. Hotel well located, walkable to a lot of places and also has a subway station right in front. The staff was also very helpful. Loved the hotel, the location, the people. Looking forward to staying there next time I’m in SF.

Note stayed here April 2023.

Our first room was a junior suite, lovely but a strange noise. We were upgraded to a corner suite which was truly amazing. Whole hotel was spotless with a beautiful aroma.
Due to jetlag I used the pool as soon as it opened daily so had it to myself, watching the sunrise through the glass roof was amazing. Full changing room facilities so no need to traipse through the hotel in a robe (I hate that). Husband used the gym and found it very good. Used the Batt from the airport which was very convenient for the hotel.
Would definitely stay here again. A genuinely luxury hotel experience
Only 4 stars though as no free WiFi when I stayed, which is unacceptable.

I did not stay here for the hotel but rather stayed here for lunch with my mom. Min was the one who helped us with our food and had an AMAZING attitude. He was super joyful and just amazing and kind when the chefs got the food wrong and had the best intentions for everyone. I hope to see him next time I come!

PROs:
- True old charm, delivered in many layers of the experience (valet, entrance hall, rooms, pool, dining, hotel museum).
- The dominant color of guest rooms walls and upper floors corridors is a well calibrated light indigo. Nice match with white plaster cornices and the oak wood guest room doors. Actually, the distinctive beauty of these doors is a trait that (picky) Grand Tourers will notice. Not a look-alike old charm.
- The Fitness facility is in a newer building. Glass rooftop offers a view of the Financial district towers - it does make the pool area look even larger than it is. The pool is very well sized.
- The Pied Piper is another treat for Grand Tourers. I consider it a benchmark for American Bars, at National level. We noticed full alignment in what you'd expect from such a venue, in a Luxury Collection branded hotel: the service was spot-on; the host, Nicole, showed unique sympathy and elegance in treating a request we had; the food was delicious.
- Breakfast at the Palace offers the un-matchable experience of the central hall (or garden-hall). The light of this hall and the height of the ceiling have a rejuvenating effect. Buffet and service were wonderful. I would like to mention that our server Carmen, was attentive, dedicated and went the extra mile (even when unrequested), adding joy to anything she did for us. What a start of the day!
- If you're Grand Tourer, you're interested in the history of the places you visit. The hotel Museum is a delight, in this perspective. Very dense: it gives you a glimpse on the relevance of the Palace for the type of city San Francisco has become from the Gold Rush to the Silicon Valley boom.
- We received a splendid corner suite. Furniture, fabrics, curtains, the more-than-heavenly bed were a true delight. The bath was quite small, with very fresh and clean white tiles (and if you're a world traveler, you know that white tiles show confidence in the cleaning staff's procedures).
The unexpected presence of a Toto toilet reminded us that after all, Japan is not that far from San Francisco...
- Corridors carpets at guest rooms floors were clean and smell-less. I care to mention this because this is a typical fail of heritage hotels.
- The ambiance: it is rare in the US to experience this charm in such large spaces. The garden hall but probably even more in the long corridor that's parallel to new Montgomery Street provide a breathing experience and a chromatic therapy to tired tourists of business people. One important point: we felt in a Grand, not in a Huge property: if you know, you know.

CONs: couldn't find anything.
Actually, there's something: no Palace hotel-branded pencils. Outrageous.

The PALACE v. other heritage Hotels.
Among the heritage SF hotels I've stayed at over the years, the Palace is right now my favorite. The Fairmont is the only one in its ball park. (My portfolio includes also the Westin St. Francis, the Ritz Carlton, the Intercontinental John Hopkins, the Adagio Autograph Collection. I must mention that the ball rooms at the Intercontinental Hopkins are a must-see. I haven't visit the Palace's ones yet - hopefully we'll get the chance for a sneak-peek next time).

I noticed that the rates have been increasing at the Palace over the past year or so: I believe that they're aligning it to the expectations Customers have from 'the Luxury Collection' brand. I imagine that there will be continuous upgrades in small details. When it comes to the core items of a traveler's wish list, they've got it right.

CONCLUSIONS:
A Grand-Tour experience, with aligned staff and service.
The presence of such a large swimming pool is an unexpected pleasure.
I have no hesitation in saying that this is my new fav heritage hotel in town. All family members voted for the Palace, for our next trip to San Francisco.

The Palace, true royalty feeling! 4.5/5.0
Review- Palace Hotel San Francisco, a luxury collection hotel by Marriott

Card member status: yes, Gold member

Address: 2 New Montgomery Street, San Francisco, California, USA

Cost: $1,350/2 nights

Room: Deluxe suite

Score: 4.5/5.0

First, an overview. The Palace Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, San Francisco is a historic, 5-star luxury property located at the intersection of Market and New Montgomery streets in downtown San Francisco. Originally opened in 1875 as San Francisco's first premier luxury hotel, it was meticulously rebuilt in 1909 following the 1906 earthquake. Today, it seamlessly pairs its opulent Gilded Age architecture with modern, high-end hospitality. A week before my stay at this hotel, marketed as the classiest in San Francisco, the concierge team emailed me, curating a customized list and itinerary for the weekend and offering to help with special events as needed. A great start to the stay to be sure! The head concierge soon directed me (through email) to their website days before check-in to reserve any room upgrades and welcome amenities I wanted, among which included a choice of wine, champagne, handmade cookies, locally-sourced fresh fruit, locally-crafted cheeses, charcuterie boards, caviar trays, and chocolate dipped fresh strawberries. The concierge team maintained exemplary contact until minutes before check-in. Room upgrades were just that and included (late-month) upgrades to various suites including the magnificent Grande Suite. You can also book a private dinner and violin concert. Conventionally, you can reserve dinner at their hotel restaurant which is generally encouraged as the concierge states they book up fast unless the restaurant states that they offer walk-in service, in which case it is first-come first-served. The Garden Court restaurant is luxurious and expensive but the menu for breakfast and lunch (no dinner is served here, though they do have proper afternoon tea) is expansive, filling, and ranges from steel-cut oatmeal to Wagyu beef burgers with a House sauce, with numerous items in between, featuring something for everyone, just don’t expect it to be cheap; this is the palace after all. Upon entering the room, the suite was immaculate, the bed was cozy, and you felt every inch of the 650 square feet available to you in the Deluxe suite. As a bonus, we were given a bottle of Brüt champagne that retailed for $450 a bottle to celebrate our marriage, along with chocolate dipped strawberries. This was a beautiful touch. Additionally, the truffle fries I had ordered late at night were fantastic, but not worth the $40 USD I paid for them.
The staff were so friendly and helpful. We did run into ongoing problems regarding the WiFi connection and general in-suite electronic connectivity. This necessitated a call to guest services downstairs. This was successful but the resulting WiFi was incredibly slow with poor performance; we ran a speed test both on the smartphone and laptop. The hotel's connectivity came in at a very poor .08 mbps. That is plainly unacceptable. The fitness center and pool are located on the 4th floor of the hotel. They're quite spacious but unspectacular. I did not partake as I had a pounding headache. Unfortunately, the more we explored the room, the more issues we found. Rapid charging, for example, was advertised but this was not available. The charging cylinder in the room was disconnected completely and has to be reconnected in order to get anything attached to it, to charge. The complimentary shoe horn was a nice little touch and very effective when dressing for dinner. I should mention, there is an unofficial dress code for dinner at the Garden Court restaurant. This is not a criticism, and is a welcome aspect that more hotels should enforce. Housekeeping was wonderful, punctual, and our room was taken care of within just a few hours while we were visiting around town. Turndown service was provided complimentary every night which is a signature feature of a five-star hotel. Toiletry amenities were all provided by Byredo Le Chemin which were delightful; the shampoo, conditioner and body-wash were all very smooth and smelled like coconut. As a delightful part of turndown service, the hotel provided note cards with the following day's weather forecast and condition; the note cards are complimentary. It should be noted that while you are permitted to take the toiletry items, you will be charged for replacements upon check out. All the furniture is covered with hard leather, which is actually aesthetically pleasing, aside from the leather fronts and drawers, the furniture was made of actual antique wood.The hotel offered numerous services including dry cleaning. The bed was firm yet just soft enough. Extra bedding was available in a storage container on the closet. The bedding was down feather in nature. These two nights were some of the best sleep I ever received. Checkout was at noon and the bill folio was sent to my email before checkout. Overall, I'd give the Palace Hotel San Francisco a solid and an extremely well-earned 4.5/5.0 on the Brooke In The Air Travel grading scale.

Janet at the front desk is the best- extremely helpful hardworking and efficient, excellent stay, beautiful place and location

Min is the treasure 😍 he made our day and was incredibly helpful.

Food is amazing and experience overall was very pleasant

The Palace Hotel in San Francisco reveals its true character only once you step inside. Its exterior is modest, almost understated, but beyond the doors lies a soaring atrium and interiors of remarkable grandeur—elegant, luminous, and unmistakably palatial.

The service throughout our stay was exemplary. The staff were gracious and attentive, and the atrium buffet is an experience unto itself—set beneath glass and light, it feels both refined and timeless.

We did encounter a brief issue with hot water in our room, but it was resolved promptly and with genuine care. Janet from guest services deserves special recognition—her warmth and professionalism transformed a minor inconvenience into something memorable. She generously upgraded us to the Presidential Suite, a space not only magnificent in scale and design, but steeped in history. It was here that President Harding conducted the affairs of the United States in 1923—a detail that added a meaningful sense of occasion to our stay.

An exceptional experience from beginning to end. Five stars, without hesitation—and sincere thanks to Janet for her thoughtfulness and grace.

We had a fantastic time at the Palace Hotel! ALL staff were so friendly and helpful, it felt like we were at home the entire visit. Jorge Trejo was the absolute BEST!!! He was able to help us with whatever we needed, extremely knowledgeable and always greeted us with a smile.
We have booked this hotel again for this summer!!

We booked two nights in a deluxe suite for our kid’s 8th birthday. NUAs went through 5 days prior and we were upgraded to a Palace Suite. I received a call the day of our check-in from Sevina, informing me that our suite was in a construction area and would have scaffolding on the windows and likely noise. My options were to keep the upgrade but have obstructed views and noise, or return the upgrade and take the smaller suite. I was annoyed since this trip was for my son’s birthday and I wanted it to be perfect.

Let me now describe what amazing service looks like…

Sevina held the Palace Suite AND the Deluxe Suite for us. Upon arrival, we viewed both and let our kid choose. Sevina met us at reception and personally took us to both rooms. One was already set up for us, with a birthday amenity and a bottle of champagne for the trouble caused - amazing. The Palace Suite was the third largest in the hotel, formally the Royal Suite. Sevina had nothing to worry about - the scaffolding was not a big deal, there was no noise, and this room was STELLAR. It’s the one that our kid chose. We are actually still here and I’m writing this review from the living room of this GIANT suite.

Linens are fabulous, bed is super comfortable, everyone is accommodating and kind, and the service is amazing. Sevina outdid herself and I could not be more grateful. The hotel is a 15 minute easy walk to Oracle Stadium and a 15 minute Waymo ride to the Pier.

Stay here. You won’t regret it. Ask for the Palace Suite formally known as the Royal Suite. And say hi to Sevina - she is excellent.

Belle Epoque? Reminds me of Avenida Palace Lisbon. Absolutely gorgeous. Earliest elevator in SF. A little museum. Lovely Doormen.

The person at the registration was nice and cordial. I liked the shower and the amenities offered.

It's a beautiful hotel, and I really want to like it, but I can't recommend anyone booking here. I've had several poor experiences with this hotel, all centered around not getting the room I booked. The front desk is unresponsive, and even requests to Marriott are not answered in any sort of satisfactory way. Unfortunately, once you're there, you don't have any other options, so you have to lump it. The first time, I thought it was just a mistake, but when we returned on another visit and the same thing happened I realized that this was a pattern of fraud on behalf of the hotel.
I have titanium status, but I'm not even talking about asking for an upgrade, rather, I booked a deluxe room and was given a superior room both times. The second time I booked, I tried to be specific about the room (2 queens, window facing out of the hotel), but ended up with the basic room facing an air shaft.
If you need to stay here, be prepared to be given a room below what you booked, and to have the front desk respond rudely (if they respond at all). Corporate Marriott just kind of shrugs its shoulders and says that they've passed the complaint along.
DEFINITELY not a quality Marriott experience at this hotel.

I had a disappointing experience with billing and customer service following my stay at the Palace Hotel.

After checking out, I was incorrectly charged for an additional night and informed that I had occupied the room, which was not the case. I was then required to provide proof of my departure to dispute the charge—something that should not fall on the guest. Hotels should rely on their own verifiable records (such as check-out data or keycard logs) before applying charges of this nature.

The issue took over two weeks and multiple follow-ups to resolve, making what should have been a simple correction unnecessarily time-consuming and stressful. While the charge was ultimately refunded, the process itself was frustrating and avoidable.

I was also told the charge may have been related to items left behind in the room. That should have been handled as a Lost & Found matter—not used as a basis to assume continued occupancy and bill an additional night.

For a hotel of this reputation, I expected a much higher standard of accuracy and customer service. This experience reflects a breakdown in basic internal processes and guest trust.

The hotel is clean and staff are courteous. We have stayed here about 1-2 times/year. We typically use the Amex Fine Hotel benefits and have received them without issue each stay. However, on our most recent stay we did not receive the FHR benefits because I forgot the card used to book the reservation at home. Despite having pre-paid for the reservation through Amex, I was told I needed to have the card in order to check-in and receive the benefits. I had to call Amex to ask them to speak with the hotel manger to request an exception just to check-in. The manager granted the exception so I could use a different card for check-in but refused to honor the FHR benefits associated with booking the reservation through Amex as I had done. They would not accept the digital credit card. We attempted to speak with the manager for further clarification but did not receive a call back.

Beware, if you book through Amex and expect FHR benefits - you must present the physical card used to book the reservation. They will make no exceptions, and may not even allow you to check-in if you forget the card.

The lack of customer service was disappointing. We won’t be back and will try other hotels part of the FHR program in San Francisco. I recommend you do the same.

Returning to the Palace Hotel was, once again, an exceptional experience — a place that never loses its sense of grandeur while still feeling warm and welcoming.

Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of staying at the Palace Hotel many times — with my spouse, with a larger family group, and most recently on a special visit with my sister — and each stay has felt uniquely memorable while maintaining the same remarkable level of excellence.

A stay here simply isn’t complete without time at the Pied Piper. The atmosphere is classic San Francisco: intimate, elegant, and steeped in history. Sitting beneath the iconic Maxfield Parrish mural with a perfectly crafted drink feels like stepping into another era. It’s truly a must — whether for a quiet cocktail or an unhurried dinner.
Equally unforgettable is dining in the Garden Court. The soaring glass dome, natural light, and refined service create a setting that feels both majestic and serene. Breakfast or afternoon tea here turns a meal into an occasion, and it remains one of the most beautiful dining rooms anywhere.

And then there’s the pool — a hidden oasis that adds an unexpected layer of relaxation to the stay. Calm, pristine, and rejuvenating, it’s the perfect retreat after a day exploring the city.

What truly makes the Palace exceptional, however, is the staff. Every interaction reflects genuine warmth, professionalism, and pride in creating a memorable experience. From arrival to departure, the team makes guests feel recognized, cared for, and completely at home.

The Palace continues to deliver a timeless, elegant experience that keeps us returning again and again — and we’re already looking forward to our next stay!

Sam was absolutely fantastic. Super kind, professional, and incredibly attentive. He made the whole meal feel smooth and enjoyable, and his positive attitude really stood out. Service like that makes a huge difference. He was truly great