Loud room, but artsy, off beat hotel

I stayed at the hotel for just one night and had a painted room facing the street. After a long day of travel the bed was very comfortable, but the outside street lights and noise kept me awake all night. The bathroom was a little small so if you prefer more space you will not be happy here. The photographs in the hallways were original, fresh, and contemporary and added a nice touch.

Didn't Expect a Jewel, but...

We didn't expect much for the price, but were really surprised with the conditions we found. Just to mention a few: no A/C in the building, stains everywhere including the sheets and towels, lumpy squeaky mattress, continental breakfast featuring bagels with no cream cheese, and an unhappy man at the front desk all day. This quasi-boutique hotel failed to deliver.

No problem

I stayed at the Hotel des Arts in May 2004, when it was still called "Alisa Hotel". Well, I have to say that some reviews here had frighten me, so I asked a reservation in a quiet part of the hotel.

And that's what we got. A nice, simple, quiet and clean room, with a bed, a TV and a private bathroom that was ok - sure, the pressure and temperature of the water were uncertain, but it was functional.

Staff was friendly, I liked the old elevator, and there was even a room where you could catch some bagels and coffee in the morning. That's all I hope from a hotel.

Oh, and the location is excellent. Safe. Next to Bart and trams. Almost in front of Chinatown's door.

Did the hotel get worse by changing name ? If not, I recommend it to everyone who search a place to sleep and wash in San Francisco.

Hotel des crap

This is one gross hotel. I stayed on street corner cleaner then this. I can't believe how these other review got more then terrible rating. When i checked in even the girl that works there felt sorry for me because the whole floor smells like pee. This can at best be a dirty old hostel. I later found cheaper hotel across the street that has private bathroom. This one you will need to share a toilet with 30 other guest and also the shower. Even the prison has more facility. Do your self a favour, spend $10 more or just go to the one across the street. My garage at home seem more humane to live in!!! stay away from this place!!!

Good value but I would opt next time to spend more

This hotel is not how the photos appear. There was no art in our room and the state of the hotel apart from the renovated foyer is not great - for a start they could do with replacing what is a very grubby carpet in the hallways and rooms.

The location is good though and it is cheap. The staff were fine and efficiently booked us a shuttle to the airport. The room was not spotless though and yes some guests are not the quietest.

It is good value for money, but personally next time I would opt to spend more.

The worst hotel I have ever stayed at!

I had a horrible experience at the HJotel Des Arts. When we checked in at 3pm our room was not ready. We waited 45 minutes before

getting into our room. I was also told that I could not park in the unloading

zone as they would have me towed, however on two other occasions I heard them

tell clients that 10 min would be okay. Next the shower barely trickled...

though when I mentioned this to the manager he basically said that if I was

expecting a nice shower I should have stayed at a Hilton...I didn't know that

boutique hotels don't think that guests like water pressure...

Next we were woken up at 130 by kids pounding on our hotel door to see if we

had a lighter.

The next day my husband and I walked in on the hotel maid looking through our previous days shopping

bag... When I told them that I was unhappy they were

rude and condescending. They told me that the manager doesn't work

weekends. When I spoke to Hero (the manager) he was more rude and

condescending then his receptionists. I too have bug bites!

They try to nickle and dime you and don't have valet or people skills stay away from this hotel, if at all possible!

Very cool

It's not too often cool and funky is comfortable and inexpensive. We just stayed this past weekend. They had a display of 6 different artists in the lobby and some theme rooms which were each decorated by a different artist. We stayed in a room which felt like SOHO. Very fun and this definitely isn't like staying at Holiday Inn. On the practical side, it was a great spot, perfectly clean and apparently recently renovated. The only negative was around lunchtime the French restaurant downstairs got going and we always got too hungry from the aroma.

Clean and simple

Good deal in a great location. Free continental breakfast and staff was helpful in recommending places to eat. Rooms were clean and the bed and pillows were surprisingly comfortable. Would recommend for budget travelers.

This hotel is terrible!

This hotel is now called the HOTEL DES ARTS, and I had high hopes for the place - expecting a funky, trendy (albeit budget) hotel.

My thoughts couldn't have been more wrong.

OK, so the place was clean but everything broke and/or didn't work. I got burnt to pieces because the cold water didn't work in the shower. Also my blinds wouldn't close (they were broken at the bottom), and annoyingly the room's TV had been housed in a closet which had a door which wouldn't open. I had to jam paper into the hinges in order to watch the TV, and even that didn't work very well.

I was charged for phone calls I didn't make. You only have to lift up the receiver and you are charged 75c for making a call! When I queried this the receptionist was very rude to me.

I would never stay in this place again. It is not even that cheap. The location is good as it's right next to Union Square.....so maybe you can put up with it if comfort isn't important to you.

I also recommend you bring insect repellent and smother yourself in the stuff as there are definitely bedbugs in the bed - and I have the bites to prove it!!!!!

This Hotel was GHASTLY!!

I have just returned from San Francisco, and I can firmly say there is only one good thing about staying at the Hotel Des Arts (formerly Alisa Hotel), and that is the LOCATION.

The reviews of the hotel sounded so promising (admittedly they were mostly by the hotel itself) but the 'art' on display (only on the reception floor corridor) is ghastly and a real eye sore. But that isn't the problem. Everything broke in this hotel. The cold tap on the shower didn't work, the loo seat kept falling off - as did pictures on the corridor wall which woke me up several times during the night, the blinds wouldn't close, the bedroom sink was tatty and designed to suit a midget. Try washing your face in a sink only 2 feet from the floor! I really think the hotel has gone for the cheapest, tattiest fixtures and fittings and it really shows.

The rooms are also incredibly dark with no view whatsoever. This really is a place for skint backpackers who don't care where they stay. I am used to 'primitive' places, but this place truly takes the biscuit.

On Expedia (where I booked the holiday) I had had a choice of this place or The Mosser Hotel. However, the reviews on the latter were mixed on Tripadvisor.com so I opted for the Des Arts since there were no reviews on it! Out of curiosity I viewed rooms in the Mosser while in San Fran and boy, are they better than the Des Arts!!? Massively so. I couldn't get over how superior they are. The Mosser is also in a great, central area and I really wish we'd opted for that budget hotel instead.

On a final note, I think there were bed bugs in the Hotel Des Arts as we were bitten to pieces during the night.

Several people staying at the hotel were annoyed at its standard. The reality of the hotel is simply NOT how it is depicted on the internet.