I recently stayed at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square, and overall I had a good experience.
The hotel is conveniently located in the Union Square area and is easy to find and access. The lobby is massive, with plenty of comfortable seating near the bar, making it a nice place to relax or meet up with friends. One night I ended up ordering food and she just ate it there and relaxed for about an hour. One feature I really appreciated was the 24/7 convenience market located inside the lobby. There's also a FedEx office right next door, which is incredibly convenient if you need to print, ship, or handle any last-minute business while traveling.
I had visited Cityscape at the hotel before, but this was my first time actually staying here. I booked a Balcony Suite, and the balcony ended up being my favorite part of the entire stay. I've stayed at other Hilton properties with balconies, but this one was significantly larger. It had two chairs and a small table, making it the perfect place to sit back and enjoy the incredible city views. If you're considering upgrading to a balcony room, I'd definitely recommend it.
The room itself was what I would expect from a Hilton. Comfy beds, an in-room safe, mini fridge, and a tablet that provides information about hotel amenities and local attractions. You can even use the tablet to set alarms and access helpful information about the city.
The staff throughout my stay were friendly, professional, and helpful whenever I had questions.
I also checked out the pool area, which is nicely tucked away between the hotel towers. The pool is heated, and there is a Jacuzzi/hot tub available as well. The only downside is that the pool area closes at 9 PM, which felt a little early. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to enjoy it because of the early closing time.
My one real complaint was the bathroom's sliding door. It repeatedly came off its track, which became frustrating throughout the stay. Eventually, we just left it open because it seemed to derail almost every time someone used the bathroom.
One thing visitors should be aware of is the surrounding area. (The tenderloin ). The hotel itself felt safe and well-maintained, but like many parts of downtown San Francisco, some of the nearby blocks have a noticeable homeless presence and open drug use. It wasn't an issue during my stay, but it's something worth knowing if you're unfamiliar with the area.
If you're driving, be aware that hotel parking starts at over $70 per night plus tax. I ended up using a parking garage across the street and saved quite a bit of money.
Overall, I enjoyed my stay and would definitely consider returning. Between the excellent location, helpful staff, spacious balcony, heated pool, and incredible views, this hotel offers a great San Francisco experience. If the bathroom door issue had been fixed and the pool stayed open a little later, this would have easily been a 5-star stay.
