Super 8 San Francisco/Union Square Area

A colleague and I stayed here for a week with no complaints whatsoever. We shared a two-​bed suite, which is more like a small apartment. The staff was always very friendly and helpful, both housekeepers and concierges. The room was clean and the location was great for walking to the main shopping area. They gave us good rates as well. It only cost us about $ 20 more for a 3-​room suite at this Super 8 than it would have cost the two of us to share communal dorms and bathrooms at the hostels.
If you are a smart, able bodied adult, you should have no problem with the area late at night, just keep your wits on you.

this place is just a nightmare. whatever you do, do not stay here.
I only needed a place to stay for the night for the 4 of us. I called beforehand and thought everything was settled for that night. I was wrong.
We got there at 9 pm and was told that our reservation was actually made for tomorrow, so instead of the 4 of us sharing 2 beds, we ended having to share suite bed instead which was queen size. The flooring is paper thin because it was a little after midnight when we finally got back from exploring the town, when our neighbor beneath us complained to the front desk multiple times about hearing us literally walking around our room.
Plus they charged my card 4 times for just 1 night, which I will have to fix with my bank.
Thanks Super 8! All you get from me and my friends is just super hate.
out

We stayed here for a night when my uncle was in town for a conference. He stayed a couple blocks away at the marine memorial hotel. I’m surprised at the low reviews! We opted for the valet worth the $ 35 100%. The hotel room was very clean. We got the suite with the room and the living room. Bathroom was clean and spacious. Our room was just as big as my uncles. He paid over 300 and we paid 175. We actually had a better view. The only difference was he had a newer elevator. The location had similar atmosphere as the super 8. The super 8 is across the street from the Hilton which has a Starbucks for morning AWESOME! The whole area including by my uncles hotel did have bums, but we’re from Tahoe and they aren’t any worse than the ones we deal with. We stayed out past midnight up on streets sutter and mason and down to sutter and Powell. Awesome area with tons of restaurants and bars. When we came back to super 8 we walked mason to ofarrel. Always felt safe. We don’t come down to San Fran often, but will stay again when we do.

Literally just left this hotel and when we got to the hotel, Susan and Robert (owners) were so nice and very helpful to get around. It started great for my husband and I, whom it was our first time being here in San Francisco for our 14 yr anniversary. The price is great and room clean and cozy. Unfortunately, all this ended on a bad note as the night before we left we mentioned we may want to take advantage of their shuttle service and would let them know in the morning if we would. After researching we found out that Über was great way to go as it would only cost us $ 15 to the airport. And this hotels shuttle was $ 20 per person, which would be a total of $ 40 for both. Next morning at 8am we informed Robert we weren’t going to take his shuttle and he said he had already paid the night before so we agreed to do so we didn’t inconvenience him. However come to find out once the shuttle got there, Robert ran out to the shuttle and paid right there and then and made since why Robert didn’t want us to come before 2. The shuttle was only $ 26 for both. So Robert just lost great customers for a few bucks for being dishonest and sneaky! So guys, the best way to go is call the Shuttle directly or Über it!

Having grown up and lived in major metropolitan cities my whole life, I wasn’t too fazed by the amount of homeless people hanging out or the distinct smells and sights that make up the interesting landscape of Downtown SF:)
[Heads-​up: do yourself a big favor and consider a different location if what I’ve just described bothers you]

Anyway, the facility itself is very modest (duh, budget motel!) but it’s welcoming, well-​maintained, and the staff (Surendra especially!) is super friendly, patient and accommodating. It’s centrally located, close to many attractions, the BART station, City Hall, and major cultural centers including the museum and public library, and of course, the bay. My boyfriend and I stayed in a suite, the other rooms aren’t bad, they’re just really small and I would not recommend them unless you’re traveling solo. Overall, not bad, again, if you want to avoid the homeless, make sure you explore the area northeast of O’Farrell St and you should be fine.

Some people may flinch and balk that this Super8 is in the Tenderloin, but I thought the location gave the motel some interesting flavor. There were some inklings that this motel was a little bit of a half-​way home, though. There were a few zombified-​looking characters roaming around, looking like they were straight out of some Hunter S. Thompson dream, but for the most part, I felt pretty safe here.
The staff was polite, the rooms were clean, and there was a free breakfast (mostly different types of cereal and fruit) if you are into carbs. It’s super close to the BART and a quick walk to Union Square. Overall, Super8 is a totally decent motel to hang your hat at when you are hanging out in San Francisco.

After twelve hours of traveling we wanted nothing more than to just get in bed. Went to take a shower and there were hairs in the tub but just rinsed them away. I was too tired to deal. But when I pulled back the sheets there were hairs on both pillows and hairs in the bed!!! Unacceptable!!! I am absolutely positive that the bed had been made but sheets not changed. My husband went down to the desk and he was told he could either change the sheets himself (???) or we could change rooms. I’m sorry but I’m not going to change the hotels bed sheets. This is my vacation, I’m paying to stay here, why should I be changing a filthy beds sheets?? We changed rooms and had to move five suitcases up two floors. We quickly realized our room had no electricity. We spent the night with no heat, (it was 45 degrees that night) and no tv. We were too tired to move. When we told the front desk the next day they didn’t even apologize, they just said they would ‘add our room number to the list’ of rooms with no electricity, saying that the electricity was messed up because so many people were trying to use the heat. I’m sorry but if a building can’t give people heat it should be shut down. We moved 5 suitcases to our third room in less than 24 hours. I am not a hotel snob but expecting heat and clean sheets is not much to ask. I was charged full price for my time there. My suggestion to you is that if you are really concerned about money, go to the hostel next door. Same location and I bet they have electricity. If not then spend a little bit more and sleep hair free. Just because a hotel is a name you recognize does not mean it is a good one.

A money well spent! It is cheap! The room is pretty small but who needs a big room for a night stay anyway. The bathroom though unexpectedly big (LOL). The room is well kept and at least comforters ate not dated.
On the other side there are some flaws… Lobby is not pleasing. It is like a storage room, old, and filthy.
Elevator is creaking creepy but it is working.
Breakfast is usual but frozen waffles.
Anyways, I dont have to complain much coz I paid less than a hundred! I still believe that what i paid is worth it!

My credit card imprint was stolen as well as all of the guests, right off the front desk! I was awakened at 4 in the morning and told to cancel my card immediately (after they charged me!) I have complained to Super 8 about the negligence and no reply from the owner. What a dump!

The first ting we noticed was the parking. It wasnt any parking so we must do a valet parking. It was expensive (35 $ a day) and we had to wait 30 min to get our car when we needed it. It was not easy for us to park the car to the valet guy either, because of the massive traffic.
The room was tiny and it smelled wierd, but it was clean tough. The breakfast was horrible. It was a tiny room with 4 tables and a horrible selection of food. We just ate there one day.
We booked a shuttletransfer at the hotel, wich was going to bring is to the airport that night. Our pickup-​time was 4 am and we went down to the lobby 03.45. The guy on the nightshift was asleep, so we just placed our keycard at the desk, and sat down to wait for the shuttle. When the clock was about 4.15 am, we had to wake the guy up, so he could call the shuttle and find out were he was. The shuttle arrived in the end at 4:35 am, which is NOT okay, since our pickuptime actually was 4 am.
The wifi was ok for normal use,; but we could not upload pictures to the internett.
The hotel is in a sentral area, with short distance to union scuare and bus/​bart stop. Thats the only reason i would give this hotel a star at all.

We booked here three months in advance, as my husband was attending a conference in the city that was expecting 30,000 people AND it was peak vacation season. I think we booked for $ 200 a night, which was a «good deal» as other hotels were $ 250-​$ 600/​night. We booked for six nights. And nearly every night was passed by someone in the lobby attempting to book a room and they were always full!
Basically, this hotel is OLD. The room sizes are what I would expect for a hotel of that age. The guy who checked us in was friendly enough. The elevator was old but got the job done when we had luggage with us (otherwise we just took the stairs). The hotel appears clean… again, it’s just old. Our room was tiny but it had a queen bed, night stand, media unit with good sized flat screen and fridge, and a small desk. Our bathroom was a normal size and clean.
Nothing in San Francisco had air conditioning, including many expensive restaurants we went to. Not sure what’s up with that. Anyway, the hotel is no different so they leave the hallway windows open and they don’t have screens. My husband was irritated that a few flies managed to get into our room because of this. The rooms all have a window a/​c unit which cools the room… but leaves everything kind of… moist. That would be my one complaint. It was a bit uncomfortable.
The free breakfast was a perk because it was truly the only hotel we looked at downtown that offered one. It was pretty basic with two kinds of cereal, toaster waffles, bread and oatmeal. They had a bunch of Hostess packaged danishes as well. Can’t complain about free however.
The block the hotel is on isn’t all that great. The hotel is on the end though and we had no trouble heading to Union Square, but Tenderloin is a bit rough with hundreds (seriously!) of homeless people. Just stay away from there.
Overall I was unable to find anything comparable to price in the area, so it was worth it for us. Just know that San Francisco isn’t a cheap city to visit and your money wont go as far there. You get what you pay for.

This is the worst place ever. Smoke burnt hole on the curtain. air conditioning that gives a smell when running, plus it is very loud and right next to your bed. You can be waken up by you neighbor’s air conditioner. Worn sheet smells bleaching detergent. At some place in the hallway you can not see the exit sign. Carpets in the hallway feels like on top of a very thin layer of wood. Lamp next to bed doesn’t work. There are multiple rooms being renovated and their doors are left open all the time so you just feel like you are staying in a construction site. No tooth brush in the bathroom. Pipeline on the ceilings. I would say good luck if you still plan to come to this place.

La connexion Wifi est mauvaise.
La chambre est propre. Le prix correct. Bien situé. Voisinage avec des homeless comme partout ici.
Déjeuner inclus. Il n y à rien a craindre ici.

Motel used to be called Alexanders. Elevator is a little scary. Rooms are remodeled, mostly. Kinda half-​as* job. Carpeting is in dire need of replacing. The evening front desk clerk recommended the pizza place at the end of block, I went towards it, but had to quickly turn back as it is a bum hangout place, and I didn’t want to be mugged or worse. I mentioned it to the clerk, and he said, «They only want change.» Wow. I would not stay here again.

It’s a whole lot better than the America’s Best [read: Worst] Value Inn a block up the street which I would give 1 star.

Dirty, dirty, dirty. Great loaction, too bad its not cleaned.

Für unsere 3-​wöchige USA-​Reise suchten wir ein Hotel/​Motel in SD. Gebucht haben wir 5 Tage vorher online über
zu dem Zeitpunkt waren wir schon in Los Angeles.
Das Motel liegt ziemlich zentral Nähe Union Square. Man kann den Eingang leicht übersehen, liegt ein wenig versteckt. Parkplätze gibt es keine vor der Tür, jedoch hat das Motel in der Nähe ein Parkhaus, ein Mitarbeiter bringt das Fahrzeug dorthin bzw. holt es auch wieder ab. Dies kostet 19 $ pro Tag extra.
Das erste Zimmer war schrecklich. Außenwand hatte den Klimaanlagengenerator bei dem Brummen konnten wir nicht schlafen, das ging durch Mark und Bein. Ein Fenster konnte nicht geschlossen werden und hatte kein Jalousien. Sauberkeit war in Ordnung.
Haben am zweiten Tag das Zimmer gewechselt und das zweite Zimmer (zur Straße hin) war besser (nicht mehr so laut und abdunkelbar).
Ausstattung: Fernseher ok, kein Safe, Kühlschrank funktionierte nicht
Mitarbeiter waren sehr freundlich. Zimmerumbuchung war kein Problem und es wurde Hilfestellung auch bei anderen Dingen geleistet.
Das inklusive Frühstück kann man vernachlässigen. Nichts frisch und nur ein paar weiche Bagels und Butter und Marmelade. Unterste Schublade (jedoch nicht ungewöhnlich für die USA).
WLAN war kostenlos.
Fazit: Preislich ok für SF, Leistungen gingen so haben aber keinen Vergleich zu anderen Motels in SF.

Spent two nights here in February 2010.
Pros: Very, very affordable considering it’s essentially just outside the center of town. Right down the street from Union Square and easy to get to the rest of the city via Muni. Rooms were clean (most importantly the bathrooms) and staff helpful.
Cons: Building is very run down and old. Attempted the continental breakfast but decided against it after noticing a colony of fruit flies. The particular block where the hotel is located is somewhat sketchy; would not suggest lingering outside at night for very long.
Good value if you’re only going to be sleeping there, but go elsewhere if you’re planning to spend some time at the hotel or can afford something more expensive.

Great location for a great price. A few blocks away from Union Square for $ 65/​night? Yes!!! Okay, it is technically in the Tenderloin, but it is at the border and isn’t that sketchy.
Made the reservation for two nights the morning of arriving. The lobby is a little small, and the elevator is slightly questionable, but it’s a deal for budget or last minute travelers.
The room is small, but you get what you pay for! I stayed on the top floor so it was mostly quiet at night. Oddly enough, the bathroom was nearly as big as the room. It’s very clean and well maintained. Hair dryer in bathroom. Free WiFi that was pretty fast.
The best part: free Continental breakfast! Fruit, mini bagels, cream cheese and coffee too! What’s the deal with expensive hotels not providing breakfast or free WiFi for their guests? If you’re paying upwards of $ 100/​night, don’t you deserve at least a cup of coffee and a bowl of cereal? At this place you get your free breakfast, and a clean place to stay in a great location at a great price.

Excellent value for money, especially for budget travelers.
This motel was selected for me via a bid on Price.line. ($ 67 including tax, bid of $ 52.) The location is the key advantage: in downtown SF, walking distance to Union Square, Powell St. MUNI/​BART. As other reviewers have pointed out, there is no onsite parking. (Valet, shuttle to SFO, and the free option, shank’s mare — in other words, walk.)
As a wise traveler always does, I asked the desk clerk to write down my room number instead of announcing it. He said it out loud anyway, so I asked him to change my room. He did so, grumbling, but I’m a picky customer. Security was otherwise good; no one wandering in and out, desk clerk kept an eye on the one front door and sized up arriving guests, etc.
The hotel interior is old school San Francisco — which means a narrow stairwell or a rickety elevator. Fire safety is adequate as there is a fire escape on each floor in addition. However, the standard business traveler precautions apply: check the floor plan before you go to bed, keep a flashlight on your nightstand, and be able to find and put on your shoes in the dark.
The room itself was clean and functional, if small. A double bed took up most of the room, with a small desk, chair and TV stand. No sign of bedbugs, which is a problem at many hotels in the City. The TV was satellite service with major channels; HBO, TBS, etc. Had a mini fridge but no microwave. Coffee pot + hot water + bowl of noodles = cheap eats win. Just turn off the coffee pot when you leave.
My room faced the interior light well and was quiet on a Saturday night, but I can’t speak to the noise if one has a room over the street. I also had a window-​mount AC unit on which both AC and heater worked.
I have learned to dread taking a shower in a budget hotel — but this was OK. The water was hot and adequate for the water-​saver shower head.
In the morning, the well stocked Continental breakfast was a nice touch. Bananas, apples, orange juice, milk, cereals, bagels, is good fuel for that shank’s mare.
If I need a reliable place in the City, I’ll be back.

I just went to a conference at the Hilton in Union Square and needed a place to stay. Silly me looked into booking too late to score a deal at the Mark Twain hotel so I ended up booking here. Still a little pricey, but pretty worth it for the location. I was just a block away from the Hilton, a couple blocks away from Westfield Mall, and literally surrounded by all the shops and food in the area. No complaints there.
The valet parking is a little trippy though. You give some random guy your keys and he drives your car away to some mysterious place. Call the hotel 20 minutes before you want to pick up the car, and that same random guy comes back. It all seemed a little suspicious, but valet parking was a much better idea than metered parking or parking garages. Why must SF be so complicated when it comes to parking?
The beds seemed clean enough. The floors, not so much. The living room had the most annoying motion-​sensor lighting. One minute of no movement and it turns off. The elevator seemed quite unreliable (any more than 4 people and it probably wouldn’t move).
To be honest, it’s not a bad place if you’re only looking for a place to sleep and store your stuff. Just keep your expectations low, and you’ll be fine!

This was the nastiest place I’ve ever stayed in and I have been to some bad places. The lobby was the size of about four stalls in a public bathroom, it reeked of gross incense and the people that run this place are a joke. First thing, there is no parking, so you must do valet, which is mind-​boggling being that they charge so much and you wait for over half-​an-​hour for your car to get there. The rooms are sick (not in a good way at all). The door skims the bed as you open the door and it stinks worse than the lobby. The rooms are tiny, I mean teeny-​tiny! We got upgraded and the bed was a little bigger but the bathroom was the same size as our room. It’s BAD!
DO NOT STAY HERE! You get less than you pay for and you don’t really pay much.