July 24 2007: We stayed for the 3rd time in May 2007 and have always had consistently great service with a lovely room and wonderful buffet breakfasts - one of the best I have ever had. This is one of the few places anymore which has the gym price included in the price of the room. The gym is located in their lovely pool and spa area, but there are far too few pieces of equipment for such a large hotel and you have to strategically plan when you are going to use. The location near Union Square and the Muni line and walking distance to the bay and China Town make this an ideal location for shopping and eating well. Since I was "pleasuing" while Reeves was "businessing" it was the best of both worlds - nice venue for a conference and great for me to play.
April 15 2008: Beautiful historic hotel - survived the quake of 1906. It's been through two major renovations since then. Rooms are not terribly spacious, but they are a comfortable size, and the super-high ceilings make it feel a lot larger. Comfortable beds, very clean, excellent service from all hotel personal. Conceirge was incredibly helpful with everything from car reservations to a recommendation for breakfast. Walking distance to plenty of restaurants, Union Square, and China Town. We particularly enjoyed Cafe de la Presse, a great place to enjoy breakfast, be it pastries and coffee or a full on hot meal.
We did not get to eat in the hotel's gorgeously ornate dining room, but we heard great things about it and will definitely make that a meal during our next stay.
Date of stay: December 2008
Purpose of stay: Business
Location. The Palace, A Luxury Collection Hotel is centrally located in downtown San Francisco, Calif., at the intersection of Market and New Montgomery streets. Convenient BART system trains stop directly in front of the hotel. Hotel Features. In 1875, William Ralston's dream of opening a property that would surpass Europe's finest lodgings became reality. Today, the historic atrium style Garden Court boasts a soaring stained glass dome and Austrian crystal chandeliers. The Garden Court hosts weekend Palace Jazz brunches and prepares à la carte lunches Monday through Saturday. Maxfield's Restaurant serves California cuisine while Kyo ya Japanese restaurant prepares specialties such as Zen inspired kaiseki dinners. Pied Piper Bar is the home of the famed Maxfield Parrish Pied Piper of Hamilton mural. The Palace Hotel offers 53,000 square feet of function space that includes three dramatically designed ballrooms. Events are also accommodated in 22 smaller rooms. A weekday business center offers full services. Wireless Internet access is available in public areas for a fee. A pool view fitness facility was renovated in 2007 and features wood flooring and a complete range of workout equipment. The light infused atrium pool features gleaming white tiles with blue accents. The spa houses a eucalyptus sauna and a spa tub. Beauty treatments are performed at a poolside cabana and two converted guestrooms function as spa treatment rooms.
Guestrooms. The hotel's 552 guestrooms boast 14 foot ceilings and mahogany furniture. Beds feature plush top mattresses, luxury 300 thread count Frette Italian linens and down duvets. High speed Internet access is available for a fee. Flat panel televisions are equipped with cable connections, while MP3 players, CD players and DVD players are available upon request. Bathrooms include marble vanities, massage showerheads, terrycloth bathrobes, telephones and weight scales. Minibars are stocked upon request.
Expert Tip. Complimentary City Guides tours detail the hotel's colorful role in creating San Francisco's colorful history. Tours begin in the lobby. Details are available at the front desk.
July 24 2007: We stayed for the 3rd time in May 2007 and have always had consistently great service with a lovely room and wonderful buffet breakfasts - one of the best I have ever had. This is one of the few places anymore which has the gym price included in the price of the room. The gym is located in their lovely pool and spa area, but there are far too few pieces of equipment for such a large hotel and you have to strategically plan when you are going to use. The location near Union Square and the Muni line and walking distance to the bay and China Town make this an ideal location for shopping and eating well. Since I was "pleasuing" while Reeves was "businessing" it was the best of both worlds - nice venue for a conference and great for me to play. 
