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While I’ve stayed at the Palace Hotel several times, I haven’t been a guest since I was in high school. Growing up, my mom used to take me for a staycation around Christmas. Although I’ve visited and dined at the Garden Court many times since, I haven’t stayed overnight in years. Last weekend Joe and I decided to do a staycation while our friends were in town. We enjoyed a night in the city and took full advantage of everything the Palace Hotel has to offer. I thought it was time I share a full hotel review of one of the great options in San Francisco. I hope this post is useful for you!

Palace Hotel Review | San Francisco, CA

LOCATION

San Francisco, CA

GUEST ROOM

We selected a Superior Room (with a king bed). We paid for our stay with Marriott points. I already had 52,000 points and the stay was 57,000. I purchased 5,000 points for $62.50. Yes, that is the exact amount. If you don’t know this about me already, I’m a very thorough person. You’ll get all the exact details here 🙂 Additionally, we paid $72 for valet parking through the hotel. The hotel only offers valet, with unlimited in and out privileges. The daily fee covers through 6PM on the day of checkout. Note: oversized vehicles are $84/day.

We requested an early check in and late check out as well as a room on a high floor. We ended up with a room on the 5th floor. Lucky for us, we were also able to check in at noon and check out at 1PM the next day. Normally check in is at 4PM and checkout is noon. I have Silver Elite status (second tier) with Marriott so that may have helped with our requests. I also like that you get free wifi and can check in and out via the app.

AMENITIES

The Palace Hotel features a fitness center and indoor pool. While we walked through the fitness center to access the pool, we didn’t use any of the equipment. The gym is relatively big for a hotel and everything looked well maintained. They also have free headphones, water and towels available to guests. We used the pool twice and thoroughly enjoyed it. The pool is heated and indoor so you don’t need to worry about chilly San Francisco weather. The pool has a glass dome ceiling, which allows you to look out at the city. They also have a hot tub and lounge chairs. Between swimming, relaxing in the hot tub and reading poolside, we enjoyed our experience.

DINING

We had two dining experiences while staying at the Palace Hotel. We enjoyed in room dining and brunch at the Garden Court. Additionally, there is a bar and casual dining restaurant –
Pied Piper. There’s also a to go/lounge spot. I recommend making a reservation for the Garden Court. Everywhere else doesn’t require advance notice.

In Room Dining

We went for room service for an early dinner. I believe they offer in room dining as early as 6AM to 10PM. They have an extensive menu and we enjoyed everything we ordered. Joe went with the wagyu burger. He said it was delicious, juicy and will apart in your hand (high praise from him). He would absolutely order it again. I got chicken fingers – yes, from the kids menu. They were great and a solid amount of food for the price. We also ordered the chocolate mousse. It was between a jello and mousse texture and was just ok. Points for the fresh whipped cream and chocolate topping though.

The actual service was stellar. Our server set up a table with everything we needed. He made friendly conversation, which enhanced the experience. It felt like an above average room service experience, compared to other hotels we’ve stayed at.

Garden Court

This was not my first time dining at the Garden Court. My mom and I used to go often during the holidays for brunch. We haven’t made it up since pre-Covid so I was thrilled to visit over the weekend. We opted for the breakfast buffet with our friends. In addition to breakfast, the Garden Court offers lunch and afternoon tea.

The breakfast buffet is $43/person. There is also a continental breakfast for $33/person, although, that comes with significantly fewer items (only pastries and beverages). The Palace Breakfast Buffet features eggs, French toast, breakfast meats, yogurt, toast, fruit, vegetables, cereal, pastries, and cheeses. Additionally, you choose several fresh juices, coffee and tea. We dined on a Sunday morning and I believe the breakfast buffet is available until noon.

VERDICT

I think you can easily tell from this review that I love the Palace hotel and highly recommend it. This wasn’t my first trip and it won’t be my last. I tentatively booked a stay for our wedding anniversary in June. Although I’m not 100% sure if San Francisco is where I want to go yet. Regardless this is a beautiful, thoughtfully designed hotel with exceptional service and generous amenities.

I’m always happy to chat about my experiences so feel free to reach out with any questions on Instagram.

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