Hotel Julian – No Resort Fee

The hotel's location is excellent, just a 2-minute walk from the subway station, which connects directly to Times Square, the Statue of Liberty, Manhattan, Wall Street, and more. Across the street, there's a large supermarket, and nearby, a big park. It's a great spot for an evening stroll after dinner; you'll see young people playing basketball, kids on slides, and locals walking their dogs. The best part is there are no homeless people inside, making it very safe. The hotel staff were really good too. My public transport card was acting up, and one of the young men at the front desk patiently helped me call and sort it out. Overall, it offers great value for money.

Very nice, newly renovated room. The staff was very accommodating, especially Reisha at the front desk. We also liked the 'Wine Hour' from 3-4 PM with a complimentary glass of wine, and the free coffee and pastry in the morning. We highly recommend this hotel.

The front desk staff were very patient and polite, and the hotel interior was nice. The surrounding area is average, but they offer a simple breakfast in the morning, and you can also order à la carte. Overall, it's a good value-for-money hotel.

We used this hotel for a family road trip. It was a small but clean hotel, within walking distance to Union Square.

I wouldn't recommend staying in this area. While there are plenty of food options nearby, there are also a lot of homeless people and the streets smell quite bad. The hotel wasn't as good as I expected. The common areas are dated, leaning towards a guesthouse/Instagram aesthetic. The shower pressure was very low, and the soundproofing was poor. However, the room itself was large, clean, and well-maintained. I really dislike not having a detachable showerhead, ugh.

Hotels in downtown San Francisco are notoriously expensive, so this one was a rare find with a decent price, acceptable conditions, and a manageable environment. If you're on a strict budget, you probably won't find a better option. Let's start with the downsides, so you can decide if they're deal-breakers. The main issue is the surrounding area. Union Square isn't the safest neighborhood, as there are many shelters and halfway houses, leading to a very high concentration of homeless people. This hotel is just two blocks, a few minutes' walk, from the most problematic spots, so you can imagine what the outside environment is like. Of course, the hotel's own security is fine, but you need to be very careful when walking outside. Aside from that, everything else was good. The room was spacious, the facilities were sufficient, and there were small eateries and a supermarket downstairs with reasonably priced items. There's a pizza place that was absolutely delicious. You can walk to Union Square and public transport (metro/bus).

The service was good, and for this price in San Francisco, it was a great deal. When I booked, it said no breakfast, but there actually was one, though it was simple. The hygiene and environment were both good.