Needs loving care-convenient to San Francisco
By A Yahoo! Contributor, 07/15/07
We chose this hotel because of the favorable price for the area, the Howard Johnson reputation, and its location. This hotel is a small 3-story property, located just a few blocks from the beach, and very conveniently located for driving to places of interest in the San Francisco Bay area. The hotel is run by a husband/'wife team who were friendly and responsive when asked for assistance. However, this property did not live up to the Howard Johnson level of quality and needs basic housekeeping and maintenance attention. We did not expect anything fancy, but did expect things to work. My husband, teen age child and I stayed in a room with 2 double beds, one small desk and chair, small regrigerator, microwave, and a TV with remote control which all worked fine. There was no light by the desk, and some of the wall switches did not seem to turn anything on. There was a fan in the bathroom that worked, and air conditioner that worked. The elevator did not work properly, and a sign was posted with special instructions to let the door close before choosing a floor, otherwise the elevator door simply closed and opened again. The carpets were fairly new, but the metal plate covering the carpet between the room and bathroom was loose and a hazard, The staff tried to fix it, unsuccessfully. The battery was missing from the smoke detector and we were told it is hard wired anyway, and guests steal the batteries so they don't replace them. Bathroom tile floor was cracked. Our bathroom sink did not drain, we had to remove the stopper to get the water to drain, staff could not fix it and did not call for repair. Water flow from the sink faucet was slow, but adequate in the shower/tub which did drain well. Upon arrival the shower curtain was mildewed, maids had not changed it. When we complained, the front desk staff changed it immediately. We had to ask for replacement toilet paper and sufficient number of towels for the registered guests, both which should be provided without asking. Overall the room was clean and safe, but our room was on the side of the property next to Highway-1 so when we opened the window, which was very difficult to do, the road noise was very loud. The property was completely full while we were there. We would consider this hotel a 2nd time, hoping that management will reinvest a little money and loving care into the property. If that doesn't happen, we'll find a new place to stay.
