As part of a wedding anniversary celebration, I booked two nights at this venerable classic hotel in San Francisco. We had never stayed in the Nob Hill neighborhood and we were enticed by a decent price offered in Chase Travel portal as part of their "Edit" program. That program offers free breakfast for two, a space-available upgrade, a $100 dining credit, and space-available late check out.
Several days prior to check in, I emailed the hotel in response to their email about getting ready for my upcoming stay. Among other things, I inquired about whether the reservation included my ALL Accor account number (this particular Edit booking expressly permitted loyalty recognition), noted a request for an upgrade in light of The Edit booking and the celebration of our anniversary, etc. No response.
The day before check in, I emailed again, this time using an additional email address I found associated with this specific hotel location. I received an auto acknowledgement of receipt of my email, with a promise to respond. No response.
On check-in, we were told that no upgrades were available since the hotel was full. The room was nice but the view was only of other hotel rooms across the interior courtyard. Since there was no acknowledgement by the hotel of our special celebration, the next day I inquired at the front desk. The clerk there was apologetic and asked if I would prefer a special dessert or a bottle of sparkling wine. I said a dessert would be nice and she replied that she would have both a dessert and the wine brought up to our room. "Expect a knock on your door," she said.
I probably should have kept quiet, but I did hint to my wife that the hotel might be acknowledging our anniversary later that day. Sadly, nothing. I realize that no hotel is obligated to recognize special occasions but in my experience, those with high service standards almost invariably do. And, I ended up being embarrassed that I mentioned something to my wife (relying on the front desk's promise), but then nothing came through. Even though the hotel was nicely maintained and had grand public areas, this disappointment definitely colored our feelings about our stay.
This old hotel is filled with history and features several hallways of historic photos. And, as mentioned, there are beautiful and grand spaces, including the Laurel Court dining space on the lobby level where a huge breakfast buffet is served, as well as afternoon tea. Service in the Laurel Court was excellent.
Nob Hill provides some amazing views toward the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. At the same time, some directions from the hotel can prove to be quite challenging to walk, especially uphill on the way back. Carefully plan accordingly for your walking trips to Chinatown and Union Square.
Following our stay, I received an email from the hotel requesting feedback. I explained our disappointment and immediately received a reply from an Executive Assistant at the Fairmont requesting a chance to speak. I did speak with her on the phone. She again apologized on behalf of the hotel and suggested that the Fairmont could make it up to us on a return stay or if we were having a meal there in the future. But since we don't live in the area, no such redress efforts are likely to be realized, at least for the foreseeable future. Still, I appreciate the belated efforts to apologize and empathize for the shortcomings we experienced from the Fairmont on this occasion.
