Grant Plaza Hotel in San Francisco: A Small Step Up from a Hostel

The Grant Plaza Hotel is a more budget minded boutique hotel located in Chinatown in San Francisco. When you read the Orbitz reviews and look at the website, it seems like a pretty nice place. However, looks can be deceiving.

It isn't that The Grant Plaza Hotel is the worst hotel in San Francisco, but what they charge isn't comparable to the amenities. The hotel has a prime location in the heart of Chinatown (Grant and California). This makes Union Square and the bus lines a short walk away. The lobby is beautiful and elegant. It has internet access in the lobby, and lockers to store your luggage in. The staff is very helpful. If you want an authentic Chinese meal, or want to know which shops have the best deals, they will gladly help you. However, that isn't quite enough to prompt a return visit.

The lobby may be beautiful, but the rooms are bare bones basic. Yes, no one was expecting four star accommodations, but cold and sterile are not welcoming qualities. The bathrooms are huge, but not exactly functional. One little metal shelf is not exactly counter space. The television reception is fuzzy at best on the few channels you do get.

The location that is perfect during the day becomes a detriment at night. There is not much to do in the neighborhood around the hotel at night. The bus stops that would be your gateway to SOMA, the Haight or any other nightlife destination would be quite a hike. Even Ruby Skye is a little too far for a lone traveler to walk. Maybe if there is a group of you it would be safe, but walking around any city at night by yourself is not always the best move.

Another issue the Grant Plaza has is that they do not always have their rooms ready on time. Imagine that your flight came into San Francisco at 11:20. By the time you claim your luggage and take the shuttle to the hotel it is 12:30. It is too early to check in, so you put your bags in a locker and spend some time in Union Square. After you eat lunch at your favorite diner, you return to the hotel at a little past the check in time. The man at the front desk says your room isn't ready yet. You are tired from the cross country flight. Not to mention, you woke up at 3:30 your time to get to the airport on time. All you want to do is get checked in and settled. Maybe you even want to take a shower. You wait for over an hour before they give you a key. When you finally get up to your room, the bed isn't made and the bathroom has not been cleaned. Yes, this is a nightmare.

When booking a hotel online, be sure to read reviews carefully before you book. Also remember that the best deal may be too good to be true. Sure the Grant Plaza will work in a pinch, but there are many other less expensive hotels out there.