OverviewLocated about a 2-minute walk from Fisherman's Wharf and a 10-minute drive from San Francisco's city centre, the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf is geared towards business or vacation travellers who prefer a hotel with a free breakfast, extended kitchen amenities and meeting/banquet space.
Each of the hotel's air-conditioned guest rooms and suites comes equipped with free wired Internet, cable TV, a coffeemaker, a desk, an iron and ironing board and a hair dryer. Rooms with a microwave, a mini-fridge, a living area with a sofabed and a kitchenette are also available, as are smoking, non-smoking and wheelchair-accessible rooms.
Hotel amenities include free Wi-Fi in the lobby, fitness facilities, meeting/banquet space, a business centre, a bar, laundry services and a free breakfast. Valet-only parking is available for $45 per day and pets are not permitted.
The Golden Gate Bridge is about a 10-minute drive away, while Union Square can be found 7 minutes away by car. Anchorage Shopping Center is a 5-minute walk from the hotel and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is a 26-minute drive away. (All distances and travel time estimates: Google Maps)
Verified with a front desk agent: Free wired Internet, valet-only parking $45/day, no pets, wheelchair accessible. (Call Date: December 9, 2013)
The GoodThe majority of the reviews sourced for this analysis were positive, with praise going to the hotel's location, breakfast and rooms.
The hotel's location was praised by numerous reviewers, who found it close to Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39, public transit, Golden Gate Bridge, the waterfront, Ghirardelli Square, the airport and restaurants. One patron noted, "The location is fantastic, in walking distance to a lot of attractions and public transport on your door step. Taxis can be found outside the Hotel all day and night".
Many lodgers enjoyed the free breakfast, describing it as plentiful and fresh, with a good selection of hot and cold items. One guest remarked, "Instead of having week old muffins and dry cereal as is typical for a lot of hotel continental buffets, there was everything from biscuits and gravy to fresh cinnamon rolls and fresh fruit, eggs, turkey sausage and pancakes. It was a pleasant surprise!". A few guests did complain the breakfast was very busy on certain mornings, however.
Several travellers were pleased with the hotel's accommodations. They described their lodgings as clean, modern and spacious, with comfortable beds.
The Bad
While the majority of reviews consulted for this analysis were positive, there were a few common complaints about the rooms and parking.
Although several travellers were pleased with their clean and spacious rooms, a few lodgers had complaints about their accommodations. They reported no in-room Wi-Fi, small rooms and old TVs.
The hotel's additional parking charge was a source of complaint for a few reviewers, who found it to be overpriced.
TripAdvisor.com guest reviews ranked the hotel #71 of 235 San Francisco hotels with an average rating of 4 out of 5 from 1,385 reviews.
Expedia.ca guest reviews rated the hotel 4.3 out of 5 with a 94% recommendation rate from 1,255 reviews.
Booking.com guest reviews rated the hotel 7.8 out of 10 from 250 reviews.
The author called the hotel on December 9, 2013 to verify some information.