Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco

Rooms and decor

Picture a luxury hotel that does not live in some grand old classic building but is tucked into floors 5 through 17 of a modern glass skyscraper in the middle of Market Street, San Francisco's main artery — that is the first charm of the Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco, open since 2001. The lift carries you up to a lobby floating above the street, where the mood is airy and refined, with contemporary art around the hotel. What sets it apart from the usual luxury hotel is the floor-to-ceiling glass in the rooms that pulls the city skyline and San Francisco Bay fully into view. All 277 rooms and suites run larger than the downtown standard, dressed in warm contemporary tones with good materials, soft fabrics, warm wood and marble bathrooms that look plush and clean. The beds are soft enough that several reviews call sleep here especially good. The higher the floor, the wider the city angle — picture waking to coffee while you look out at high-rises, fog drifting over the city and morning light easing in through the big glass. Anyone who likes easy contemporary luxury with the city view as the star should be happy here.

Food and amenities

The facility that makes this place unlike others is the hotel's direct connection to the Equinox Sports Club, a huge luxury fitness club of roughly 100,000 sq ft that hotel guests use free. Inside there is an indoor pool, a basketball court, full modern fitness equipment and a range of classes — a draw you rarely find in a downtown hotel. Serious gym-goers will love it, and anyone who just wants to soak in the pool after a day of walking can do that too. On the food side, the hotel has MKT Restaurant & Bar, which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in an airy room looking out on the movement of Market Street, with contemporary California dishes built on seasonal local ingredients, plus a bar that suits an evening cocktail or California wine. Reviews praise the setting and the warm service. There is also a spa with private in-room treatments, a concierge who is good at planning trips and booking tables, and especially family-friendly service, with kids' toys and amenities for young children that parents mention often. Everything is set up so guests can rest and work out fully in the city center without going far.

Location and getting there

Location is genuinely this hotel's best card. It sits on Market Street in the city center, right at the seam of Yerba Buena and SoMa — a few minutes' walk from the building gets you to Union Square, the city's biggest shopping district, full of department stores and brand boutiques. For art, it is about a 5–8 minute walk to Yerba Buena Gardens, a leafy downtown park, and SFMOMA, the renowned modern art museum. Anyone who likes to take a city in on foot will love this spot. Getting around is easy too: Powell Street station, the hub for both BART and Muni Metro, is about a 3–5 minute walk, with trains across the city or a straight BART ride to SFO international airport without the traffic. Near Powell there is also the Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason cable car, the San Francisco icon that climbs the hills up to Fisherman's Wharf and Lombard Street. In short, if you want to be in the city center and walk to the malls, museums and parks and catch a train or cable car anywhere with barely a car, this location is a perfect ten.

Things to know before booking

To help you decide, the first thing some reviews raise is the room and common-area design, which leans classic-contemporary. Some people expect more flash or sharper modern style for the price, especially next to luxury hotels that have recently been renovated, so the rooms can feel a little quiet and plain — though the view through the big glass makes up for a lot. The second point is extra charges worth confirming when you book, especially valet parking, which is very expensive in San Francisco, and a facility fee that may be added to the room rate on some dates, on top of overall prices that sit firmly at the luxury tier. If you drive in, budget for parking, or use the nearby subway instead. The last point is the surrounding area: while the hotel itself is on Market Street in the city center and safe, a few corners look run-down at night with some homeless people around, which is common in the downtown core of big American cities, so some guests feel uneasy walking after dark — stick to busy main routes or take a car late at night. Lower street-facing rooms can also pick up some city noise, so if you sleep lightly, ask for a high floor.

Our take

After reading through plenty of real reviews, the Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco proudly sells high-rise luxury in the middle of Market Street, city and bay views through full-height glass, a huge free Equinox gym, and warm, attentive Four Seasons service. If the trip in your head is a stay in a downtown skyscraper, waking to high-rises and fog filling the window, a few minutes' walk to Union Square and SFMOMA, a workout or a swim at Equinox, then dinner at MKT, this is about as well-rounded a choice as there is — especially for families and business travelers who want to be central and walk everywhere. But if you expect rooms and a building with flashy, sharp modern design, or you are after quiet away from the city's bustle, the classic feel and downtown location here may not be the best fit. Overall we give it 9.0/10, best for families, couples, business travelers and luxury travelers who value location, high-rise views, facilities and service over flashy design.