Comfortable, fabulous value & great location

We needed an inenxpensive place to stay at the last minute, and the Golden Gate Hotel was a lifesaver! We had one of their small rooms with a shared bath, and found it very comfortable, and were pleasantly surprised when it had a sink and shower. And I loved that the doors of the unoccupied rooms were left open so I could see the other beautiful rooms in the hotel. I would love to go back and stay in one of the front or back rooms with the bay windows and clawfoot tubs.

This was the start of a long vacation after my husband had been working 90 hour weeks, so we spent a good amount of time relaxing in our room and catching up on sleep. It was clean, the bed was comfy, and I loved our big window (even though it faced another building, the innkeepers had put planters out there to pretty it up). We were also very pleased to find the little tv had full cable!

Not to be missed are the cinammon croisaants and coffee in the morning-- they are absolutely DIVINE! And the tea and cookies in the afternoon are a close rival!

We will definitely be back, and will recommend the hotel to friends and family.

A Perfect Spot

My husband and I (late 40's) were going to spend 4 days in San Fran the last week of September and I had a heck of a time trying to figure out where to stay since it's such an expensive place for us Canadians. The reviews on Trip Advisor helped me and we were so happy with our decision to stay at the Golden Gate Hotel, I'm recommending it to anyone that doesn't want to pay the high prices for fancy hotels, that may have employees on strike and not only making a lot of noise outside the hotel from 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM, but making you feel bad for staying there.

I really wanted a room with a private bathroom, but there wasn't one available, so we bit the bullet and went for it. The owners of the Golden Gate are so wonderful, I loved getting to know them and they ended up giving us a room that had a sink and a shower (which is larger than the one we have at home), so we only needed to go down the hall to use the toilet. We really didn't spend a lot of time in our room anyway.

I loved the bird cage elevator, the antiques and we felt very comfortable leaving our window open at night. It was so nice to come down in the morning and swap experiences with the other guests over fresh tea, coffee, juice and some delicious croissants.

The Golden Gate is a block away from the cable car, so we bought a 3 day pass and used it quite a bit. Be prepared to wait in line sometimes, because it is so popular they easily fill up, but hanging onto the poles is as exciting as it looks on tv. The hotel is so convenient to everything, but if you want to be close to Fisherman's Wharf then you better stay elsewhere. We used the cable car to go to Fisherman's Wharf whenever we wanted to go, and it was only a 20 minute ride, so we didn't find it a problem.

If you want a very clean, quiant place to stay, I highly recommend this hotel. If you need the delights of a fancy schmancy hotel, and don't mind paying the price, look elsewhere.

Have a great time, we did.

What a great find!

The Golden Gate Hotel is such a find! Real value, excellent location, and a staff that can't be beat!!

We stayed there for several days last week, and it was perfect for our needs. The location is outstanding - one block to the cable car lines, two more blocks to the gates of Chinatown. And the price makes it a real bargain. Additionally, parking is available at the garage across the street for a steal (by San Francisco standards). It's also just a short walk from some fantastic shopping areas.

As soon as we checked in, the staff gave us a map marked with everything we needed to know - even told us what area of the city to avoid. We arrived well before the posted check-in time, and they offered to hold our luggage while we went sightseeing that first day. When we returned to the hotel that evening, our luggage was in our room waiting for us. Each morning they gladly gave us directions to our day's destination and offered suggestions on what else we might enjoy seeing.

Our room was very comfortable and very clean. It was in the front of the hotel, right on Bush St., and we were concerned that noise would be a problem. However, the street quiets down significantly at night, and we slept with no problem - even with the windows open. We had a room with a private bath, and soaking in that giant old clawfoot tub at the end of the day really felt good on my tired feet.

The cinnamon croissants at breakfast were a real treat, and as a self-professed coffee snob, I was thrilled to be served great coffee! Tea and cookies in the afternoon was a very refreshing way to rest after a long day of sightseeing before going out to dinner. It also gave us a chance to meet some of the other guests - who turned out to be a very international group!

We had to check out early in the morning on the day of our departure, before the scheduled breakfast hours. However, our host simply would not hear of us leaving without breakfast. She poured us some coffee and orange juice, and packed some croissants in a bag for us to take along and eat on the airplane.

Captain Nemo is a wonderful old soul, for those of you who are cat lovers (as we are). He was there each morning, napping as we ate breakfast, and he was sitting just inside the door each evening, welcoming us home. And it truly felt like home.

We have family in San Francisco, and we look forward to staying at the Golden Gate Hotel the next time we are in the area!

Thanks for a wonderful stay!

My husband, sister-in-law and I stayed at the Golden Gate the 18th, 19th and 20th of July, 2004. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay! The owners were extremely helpful and informative introducing us to the city. The staff were exceptionally warm, friendly and very helpful. UNFORTUNATELY I was robbed in San Francisco. The staff at the Golden Gate, however, did everything they could to help me take care of the problems I encountered, (including screening phone calls from my 84 year old mother, discreetly, so that she would not worry.) I couldn't ask for more. Ann Gertz

Gem of a hotel with Owners and Staff to match

I recently stayed at this lovely little Hotel for a week in June. The location is great, just a block from the cable car and about another to Chinatown. The neighborhood is decent and there is a laundry right next door and some small marts and restaurants if you get hungry also there is a 24hr Wallgreens a block south just in case you forget something. The breakfasts were fabulous,consisting of Coffee, Tea, Fresh Orange Juice, and warm croissants. Afternoon tea was nice after a day of touring around. The owners and staff are lovely people who are very helpful with any request.

I stayed in a room with a shared bathroom though I did have a shower and as I was alone this worked out well. The only down thing I could say is that my room was next to the stairs and elevator so noise was a small factor and I had a view of a brick wall but since I only used the room to sleep in so it wasn't all that bad. If you need direct light try for something on the third or fouth floor and if you need quiet or a bathroom try for something in the back. If I ever travel back to San Francisco I will most definatly stay here again. They really love there guests and treat them like royalty.

We loved the Golden Gate Hotel

We stayed at the Golden Gate Hotel in January 04. It was a really cute Hotel with a bird cage lift Laura Ashley decore and antique furniture. We had the family room which was 2 rooms and bathroom joined by a small corridor like a suite.They even gave us an extra room so we had more space which was really nice of them.My daughter loved the cat Captain Nemo And the golden retreiver dog called Humphrey. It was about a minutes walk from the cable car and a 5 minute walk from China Town. The staff and owners were really lovely and friendly and there was afternoon tea supplied in the lounge which was nice. We had a lovely stay at the Golden Gate Hotel and will certainly stay there again next time we are in San Francisco.

Loved it

Excellent location, very nice rooms all cosy and snug with reclaimed bathroom furniture and the comfy beds. the hosts are a very lovely couple who will happily advise you on where to explore. nemo the cat and henry the dog stroll around welcoming guests, we loved our stay here and would highly recommend it to anyone

Great hotel

We visited San Fran this past October and stayed at this gem of a place for two nites. Loved the location and found the staff to be very helpful. Would stay there again for sure.

Charming place, excellent location!

Very cute, excellent location and super friendly, knowledgeable staff.

Capt Nemo is a sweet, little senior citizen and Humphrey is a cool, old dog!

The hotel is nicely decorated with antiques, floral patterned carpeting and hand painted images throughout. The birdcage elevator was amazing!

In the morning the lobby was filled with fresh flowers and sunny yellow tablecloths from Provence. What a nice way to start the day... hot croissants and super strong coffee! (They have it specially roasted for them by Peets). Our room was small, but nicely decorated in a style I'd call "pink rose explosion". Our friends got the blue and green striped room with dark antiques, but their bed was a queen, whereas ours was king. The private bath included an old clawfoot bathtub, but modernized with a large showerhead. By the way, the water pressure was incredible!

If was 'Victory at Sea', kind of pressure. Definitely a good thing! We faced the street, which gave us a view and sunlight, but also street noise. I'd book a back room if noise is a problem.

Located just around the corner from the St. Francis, you can't beat the proximity to shops, restaurants and public transportation. All in all, a nice, friendly place to stay!!

Gem of a Hotel

The Golden Gate Hotel was a charming place to stay. I was there in May 2003 and enjoyed the hotel so much that I am happy to recommend it to others. Hamil (the Manager) and John (the owner) couldn't have been more helpful with my queries about where to shop and how to get there, what to see and what to be wary of. My delightful room was clean, prettily decorated and quiet, overlooking the street. Coffee and tea were always available in the lounge / breakfast room no matter when I got in from sightseeing. Around the corner from the hotel is Powell Street, full of great shops to window shop. Half Tix, where one can buy cheap tickets to a variety of shows and of course the cable cars.

Although there were other hotels close by that were cheaper, this hotel had that little extra that makes for a memorable experience. I found the hotel staff to be the most helpful and friendly of all the places I stayed in while in the U.S. and Europe. As a single woman travelling abroad, I can recommend this little treasure for the ambience, the location and the excellent staff.