Hyatt has three main hotels in San Francisco: the Grand Hyatt near Union Square, the Hyatt Regency near the Ferry Terminal, and the Hyatt near Fisherman’s Wharf. Each property has its merits, but they are often comparably priced such that I think choosing one hotel over another will ultimately depend on what you want to do during your time in the city. Given its location, the Hyatt Fisherman’s Wharf is possibly the best situated for tourists making their first visit.
I stayed here during a short visit to San Francisco to meet some business partners and sign up for a wedding registry with Megan. Both of those tasks could have been better accomplished staying closer Union Square (we stayed at the Grand Hyatt the second night), but my parents and I still had a good time exploring attractions near the waterfront. This Hyatt is only two blocks south of Fisherman’s Wharf; three blocks east of Ghirardelli Square and the cable car; and a relatively short walk to the sinuous Lombard Street, Coit Tower, and great restaurants on Columbus Avenue.
The entrance to the Hyatt Fisherman’s Wharf is set back from the street in a brick courtyard, and the lobby itself is fairly small: a hallway to the right heads to its restaurant and a hallway to the left heads down to the meeting space and elevators. Most elevators are actually down a short flight of stairs. If you have lots of luggage or mobility issues, there is only one available elevator by the reception desk.
Despite its limitations, the lobby had a clean look that I enjoyed. I also loved that instead of plain ol’ peppermints there was peppermint-flavored salt water taffy at the front desk. It created a sense of being in tune with the local neighborhood, and I made many stops there during my stay. 😉
I used an expiring Diamond suite upgrade despite the short stay and was given a room in the northeast corner. It looked over a parking lot, which was not the best view, but I could see Coit Tower in the distance. I honestly don’t think you’re going to find many better opportunities in this area where all the buildings are built to the same height and up against each other. If you are staying at this hotel and have a standard room, I suggest requesting one that overlooks one of the two inner courtyards to reduce the street noise.
The suite itself was quite spacious. I often complain about suites that are underfurnished — in the pursuit of extra space, designers and architects don’t always consider finding extra “stuff” to fill it up. This suite didn’t have that problem except for the television wall, and those who have been reading long enough know I hate televisions in hotel rooms. There were several couches and day beds for lounging and chatting with a group as large as six or eight. My problem was that I didn’t have any extra people to use that space. 🙁 My parents preferred to stay in their room, and Megan wasn’t arriving until the next day.
My bedroom was in the corner, as it should be to get the most natural light. The only problem with all these windows (in the bedroom and in the living room) was that it made for a lot of curtains to open and close. Some kind of automatic switch would have been nice. It’s ironic that so often I find those devices in the smallest of rooms with a single window.
In contrast to the bedroom and living room, the bathroom seemed small for a suite even if it was still adequate. I love to see a hotel move a wall out and create room for a separate tub and shower. That isn’t always possible in towers, but I would hope with a wood frame building like this one there would be more opportunity to be flexible with the floor plan. At the very least, I got the two sinks I expected.
Breakfast in the morning was at the restaurant/bar. Only a week before the Superbowl at the time of my visit, it looked like a great place to watch the game. But the breakfast crowd on my Friday morning was pretty quiet. The buffet was hidden off in a dark corner near the bar, where I expect the waitstaff go to pick up dishes in the evening before delivering them to diners. It would have been nice to see something more out in the open, but I guess that was the only available space.
And so, after packing up my things, I made a quick stop just to check out the gym and pool. Not many hotels in San Francisco have a pool, and this is one more reason why I think the hotel makes a good choice for families and tourists. It was in a courtyard, so there was not much sun on a winter morning, but it would give parents a place to drop the kids when they get restless.
