Clift- A Morgans Original, San Francisco

I’ve been a fan of past work by Philippe Stark and Ian Schrager but they fell flat on this experience. The Clift lobby and the Redwood Room were the only things worth seeing. The extent of avant-garde treatment in the rooms is an orange acrylic box table. Visit the Redwood Room but spend your money somewhere more refined and with better service. To emphasize the veneer over substance of the hotel, a 20 minute long repetitive ear-splitting siren and announcement was my morning wake-up. The manager informed me that I should have been made aware on check-in of the alarm test that had been scheduled for that morning. Any regard for customer service would have either informed me of the scheduled test on making the reservation or would have waited until after check-out time. The high incremental charges really added up too, from $15 for two bottles of water from the mini-bar to $60 for valet service, and another $15 for in-room music that I didn’t accept charges on. They did reverse the $15 music charge but determined that the alarm was typical guest service for the Clift. The Good~ -The Redwood Room- worth experiencing -Eclectic lobby- This is all you really need to see of the hotel. -Good view from the room. The Bad~ -Tiny room- I booked a suite knowing it was a very old hotel but it was still a tiny single room. -Tiny bathroom and bathtub- again typical of old hotel bathrooms but with a fresh coat of paint. -Nickel and dime charges. The Ugly~ -Poor regard for the customer.

I stayed at the Clift for three nights in late April. Though my room on the 14th floor was comfortable (though small), the walls are paper thin. I could clearly hear the person in the next room having a phone conversation, talking with their spouse and even their TV. Also, my room had a total lack of easy to access electrical outlets. Overall, I found the Clift to be highly over-rated. It's a "hip" place, but not well suited for business travelers

Only stayed for one night, but what a treat. My room overlooked an alley, but I didn't care. Service was professional. The valet parking- $45 a day!!!! A rip-off, but since I was a woman traveling alone, I did not feel comfortable in the parking garages in the neightborhood. The concierge alerted me to the areas close by that I should NOT wander into alone. Other than that, very pleased.

great location, funky, minimalist look. check a few rooms as they vary in size a lot. gorgeous lilac pashiminas in the bedroom!

Having heard firsthand accolades about the Clift Hotel’s decor, ambiance and style (from my boss and my cousin), my family and I were eager to experience the hotel ourselves. For privacy reasons, we booked 2 separate rooms. I should have known our experience would not live up to our expectations when we first arrived. The lobby and elevator bank were so dark, I commented that flashlights should be issued upon check-in. Had I known in advance how miniscule the rooms were, I would have opted to stay elsewhere for a lesser price. My husband and I could not even walk past one another in the room without one of us shifting over to the bed. The bathroom was so tiny (perhaps 5’ by 6’) that one could not turn around without hitting either the door or toilet. The sink counter and shelf were mostly unusable as you could not even reach the other side of the counter to get to the shelf without bumping into the toilet. I was so thoroughly disgusted by the bathroom’s tight space that I brushed my teeth in the entryway and dried my hair in the bedroom (using the ironing board as a counter as there was no dresser in the room). The outlet for the hairdryer was of course on the far side of the sink and I did not want to struggle with plugging it in and in any case there was little space to move about. A very pleasant experience indeed. I was so frustrated by our accommodations, but did not want to pay upgrades for 2 rooms when we had already spent enough. Forget about storing your clothes anywhere. There was no dresser. Only a small storage shelf (very similar to an Ikea shoe shelf) with 4 compartments approximately 12” square. I could not believe this was considered a 4-star hotel. Every time I rode in the elevator and encountered other hotel guests, I’d casually inquire as to what they thought of the place. No one had much to say other than “it’s ok” or just laugh and shrug. I found the staff for the most part unapproachable. I assumed their demeanor came from knowing they were employed by a trendy hotel and perhaps they felt superior in some way. Even though my husband is a Dr., he felt uncomfortable with the trendy staff and definitely out of place with the aura. This hotel environment would be better suited for the hipper and younger crowd and not to the older crowd who finds The Venetian the epitome of comfort and care.

I stayed at Clift in September 2004 and was impressed with their courteous staff, clean room, and lack of snootiness (even though we used Hotwire instead of booking via Clift directly) Speaking of Hotwire, you can save about $100 per night if you book through them (hotel & flight) If you already have plane tickets, you can still use Hotwire to save the same amount to stay at Clift. By the way, Hotwire won't tell you which hotel you are staying (only if you are NOT getting (plane tickets)until you complete the booking process. However, you can cheat by selecting to "look" for hotel only in West Union Square AND hotel that is rated more than 4 stars. There should be only one listed as having 4 and 1/2 stars and that's Clift. For $191 you will get a basic room and no valet parking. If you traveling on business and need to park your car or rental, consider paying a little more and booking directly to get parking, breakfast and other specials. You can also get bigger rooms and even (mini) lofts if you or your company can spend more $$$$. Asia de Cuba is worth eating at (at least once) and you'll see a lot of locals on the weekends, dressed to the hilt. I assume since this is California, people don't dress-up much and Asia is one of those hip-n-happening places that the younger crowd likes. I liked it so much the first time, I am going to stay there again for several days on my way to Napa from NJ.

My partner and I stayed at the CLIFT this past weekend and would definitely recommend the CLIFT to anyone looking to escape their normal life and enter an exciting hotel with buzzing public spaces. The bar atmostspire kept us drinking until 1:30am and we only drink wine at dinner when staying at the Four Season or Ritz-Carlton. They just don't have the bar scene that the CLIFT does. We enjoyed the rooms and found the housekeeping staff to be extremely friendly. They say hello to everyone that walks by. The staff at the hotel appeared to be having a lot of fun with each other which enhanced our moods from the minute we walked into the hotel. BOTTOM LINE: GREAT HOTEL, ENJOY THE BAR AND ESCAPE FROM LIFE!

Excellent stay at the hotel. The location is extremely close to union sqaure and the staff was always around to help out with recommendations. I'll stay again! You should try it, if you like a relaxed enviroment.

The Clift was wonderful. Since everything in the city is within walking distance for someone on vacation, don't bother to rent a car unless you're on business. The parking fees for both the city and the hotel's valet are too high unless you absolutely cannot live without a car. The service was great. We were given cookies and milk via room service at no charge, simply because the lady at the front desk really got along with us. The minibar was pretty pricey (More than $2.00 for a Snickers bar? I don't think so!), but I suppose that's to be expected in a trendy area. The hotel location is great, within walking distance of all sight-seeing and tourist points of interest. The room was ample space for four people, and the bathroom was beautifully decorated and just amazingly clean. The telephone in the bathroom was a funny/odd touch. Overall, a very nice place to stay.

ultra trendy entrance and bar area. rooms are very tiny and walls are like paper thin. service was excellent. was hard to get confortable in after spending a few days in santa barbara and carmel. also has morning issues with the garbage trucks on street level..and we were 8 stories up.