June 8 2007: The Mark Hopkins  Hotel  is right in the heart  of Nob Hill.   It has stunning views of the Bay and the Financial District.  It is a large hotel, nice, but nothing totally unique.  Our room  was a nice size.  The service was what you'd expect from a large  hotel.  They have a dining room on the top floor where  we enjoyed breakfast, but did not eat at the hotel otherwise.  Nob Hill is central to downtown, and also the Ferry Building. 

August 14 2007: The Mark Hopkins Hotel is quintessential San Francisco.  Situated on Nob Hill, the views of the financial district, bay bridge and the Bay are fantastic.  You feel as though you are on top of the world. 

I have stayed here several times, most recently on a vacation with my wife.  They updated the hotel several years ago and made significant improvements to the dated room decor.

The location is a short downhill walk to the Financial District, Chinatown and Union Square and there are a wide selection of restaurants in the area.  Be prepared to either take cabs or get used to the walk up and down Nob Hill.  There is also a trolly stop outside the hotel.

The hotel has a famous restaurant called Top of the Mark, which is on the top floor of the hotel and has stunning views.  Unfortunately it lacks the character that you would expect for all the historic hype.  On my most recent trip I had breakfast and evening cocktails there.  The breakfast was normal hotel fare (overpriced buffet and nothing special).  The cocktails are pricey, but probably worth it for the views.  I cannot speak for the dinner.  There are so many great restaurants nearby, why eat dinner at the hotel.

We stayed in a standard room which was small, but comfortable and well decorated.  It had sophisticated, dark tones, and a business feel.  The bathroom was especially nice.  They have high speed internet in the room, but it's not free.

Cabs are easy to get at the hotel which is key if you don't have a car during your stay.  In addition, the concierge was very helpful.

July 23 2007: We stayed in a suite here one weekend for fun. It was nice, but I honestly wish we would have stayed somewhere a little more modern. The suite was fine - it was quite large and the bed was pretty comfortable (if you've read any of my reviews, you know this is important to me in a hotel!).. but nothing stuck out as amazing.

The one reason we picked this hotel over several others for that weekend was for the jacuzzi. This hotel has a separate jacuzzi and shower. It was, again, nice - but nothing special.

As another reviewer stated, there is nothing very unique about this hotel. It's comfortable and the suite was nice, but if I had the choice, I would spend the money somewhere else. The suite was over $500 a night, and this could have booked us a room at a more modern or boutique-y establishment, or one of our favorites, Le Meridien (and we wouldn't have had to walk up those hills!).

Bed Score: 4 stars - nice sheets :)

Geek Score: 3 stars - nothing remarkable. Standard fee based wi-fi.

November 27 2007: Was there for a business conference. Definitely a nice hotel -- great bed, amenities, etc. -- and fantastic views of downtown and the bay. But the hotel is pretty isolated. We had a break during lunch one day and the staff could recommend only one place w/in walking distance. Staff was nice, but I checked out early (around 6:30 am) on a Saturday and they definitely were a little unorganized.

It definitely won't be my fist choice next time I'm in San Francisco. We've stayed at a few places including the W in the SOMA area and the Parker Guest House near the Castro. Both are great choices. 

Date of stay: November 2007
Purpose of stay: Business