Four Points by Sheraton San Rafael

The good: Staff is very friendly. Many items to choose from at the breakfast buffet (SPG members get complimentary buffet breakfast). The pool is nice but the area of the pool is small and not a lot of shade offered. There’s a small hot tub as well. The room was a good size and had a fridge and a microwave which was great when traveling with small kids.
The bad: The window shakes when the door opens and shuts. It was pretty windy on our visit and we had a few times the window would shake.
The headboard of the bed in our room bangs loudly on the wall when you move in any way. We tried to fix it with a wash cloth, but it didn’t work after a while.
Paper thin walls! They were doing construction on a door on the first floor that started about 9:30A.M. (mind you, no notice to the guests staying here.) we are on the third floor and it sounded like it was coming from the room next door! We are a family of four with an infant and we couldn’t get her to sleep with the noise. There was a large business party one of the nights we stayed which is fine. But, because of the thin walls we could hear the DJ. Well enough where my son could sing along. Had I known there would be so much noise I may have considered staying somewhere more quiet.

I was on a family vacation and stayed 4 nights at the hotel. The rooms were nice and clean. However the comfort levels of the beds were horrible. I woke up after the second night stay to a sore & stiff neck.

They’ve had a major facelift which has made the comfortable but aging, hotel look very modern yet inviting. The restaurant and bard which used to look like airport lounges both have a cool, jazzy vibe now. There’s new carpeting on the hallways floors, they painted every floor and the rooms have new furniture, bedding and carpets. I’m not sure, but I think all rooms now have refrigerators and microwaves; the rooms for Starwood Preferred Guests do.
Nice upgrade. Now, if they can just get rid of that one manager who is always yelling at his staff in public and glowering at guests, the place would be perfect.

I am disappointed by all the mean reviews. The front desk went out of their way to find us a room with 2 queen beds on a very busy weekend when they were fully booked. The location is perfect and the beds were comfy! Although this is an older hotel (popcorn ceiling in our room!!) it was very clean and the furnishings in out room looked newer. I wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again. I love how it’s right across the bridge from San Francisco and close to Sonoma and Napa.

Not only did hotel delete reservations confirmed, when rebooked, they had higher rate.
Windows on upper floors open so wide a small child could easily fall out and down.
Bar insists on a keyboardist at 615P in middle of best Warriors game of season.
PS: loud and just ok, actually not good.
Menus are printed incorrectly.
I could go on and on and we’ve only been here for 3 hours.
Update: Movie ordering on TV does NOT work, and we are only at hour 6 of our arrival… how does this hotel make money and function?
Uggh!

I’ll start with the positives:
* hotel was reasonably priced as compared to many others in the area
* location couldn’t have been better, right off the 101 so it was easy to find and quick to get to the city.
* nice fireplace in the courtyard which we sat by in the evening and enjoyed a few drinks
* staff was pleasant and accommodating
negatives:
* the breakfast buffet was absolutely terrible. the eggs were runny, the fruit was so hard it was inedible, the sausage was pink/​undercooked in the center… this is the first time in years of staying at hotels that we could not eat the food. we ended up going down the street to Safeway and grabbing breakfast there.
* the hotel is quite old. they have renovated the lobby and restaurant area, but the rooms could use some updating. also, our floor smelled very strongly of fish our last day there and that was nauseating.
overall, I felt the price was reasonable for the location, but I probably would not stay there again.

Spent two nights here on a two-​week trip through California, and I loved this property. The hotel recently received a modern makeover, with sleek furniture in the lobby, and a cool lounge/​restaurant that would have been right at home in NYC. Rooms were comfortable (with fridge/​microwave and large work desk), and the outdoor pool area was in the center of the action, located in a courtyard that our room overlooked.
But the best surprise here was the food. The first night we were there, they had a BBQ buffet for dinner, and it was amazingly good. The breakfast buffet the next morning was every bit as high-​quality.
I spoke with many members of the staff, including Jerry and Matt, and everyone was dedicated to ensuring that the guests enjoyed their stay. A great experience.

This may be my favorite hotel that I have ever stayed at. The rooms were so spacious and the food here, the breakfast buffet and dinner buffet, was the BEST food I have EVER had at a hotel. The staff was so friendly and accommodating, the beds comfortable, there was a beautiful pool and also lounge with cool signature drinks, I would recommend this hotel to anyone. Luxury at a very affordable price.

If you Want to book the hotel be aware of the following
The wifi access is slow so if you travel for professional reason it is not convenient
You might get assigned a room with a view on the highway and obviously you will have the noise with that…
I did ask to have another room but they kindly told me they had only highway room tonight …
No mo matter what
But they have a nice swimming pool so I put a 3 stars …

I agree with others about the level of professionalism and helpfulness of the staff here. The front desk went out of their way to make me feel welcome, and I was greeted each and every time I walked in through their front door.
The rooms have amazingly comfortable beds, and the room was well laid out and clean. A great fitness centre, swimming pool and spa, as well as an outdoor patio added to the most pleasant experience.
Met friends in the bar for their Taco Tuesday, and the food was great. Didn’t order a full meal here so cannot comment on that.
I was here for four nights, and was so very grateful for a wonderful place to unwind after extremely busy days, and to get a good night’s sleep.
One last comment: the wait staff during the breakfast buffet were incredible. While eating, I witnessed a very nasty and demanding woman demean one of the waitresses, and the waitress was pleasant and professional. I’m sure they have to take a lot of crap from people, and she came through like a champ. Made sure the front desk knew about the incident, and how well she handled it, and herself.
I very much enjoyed staying here; thanks to all the staff for all you did to make me feel most welcome and comfortable.

Not a good experience for me. Check in was a joke; i was sent to 2 rooms to learn that people were allready in those rooms. needles to mention 1 of the times it was an unpleasant encounter. Once i get into my room i noticed it was not clean. trash was not emptied and the comforter did not look fresh as if it were replaced. Come back and there is a spider on the comforter. no biggie you be the judge. Ill say its not a 250 dollar a night stay.

All five stars are for Jerry aft the desk
Never stayed here but because our reservations were all mixed up he spent an hour on the phone patiently on hold most of that time finding us a motel to lady our weary heads. I wish I could remember his co workers name too because she even tried to pull a few strings to get us a place.
Thank you acc I WILL stay here anytime cuz you have amazing staff

Good option between San Francisco and Sonoma!
We stayed here to attend a wedding in Sonoma and got a special price that was half of what other wedding guests were paying in other hotels and about the same distance to the venue. Be aware, traffic to the wineries can be very bad with the 101 becoming one lane.
Room was comfortable with more amenities than I expected: microwave, big fridge, mouthwash, shower cap, in room safe, complimentary bottled water. The only minus was that the AC was old and a bit loud.
Parking and wifi were free and the Breakfast was pretty good too with the usual eggs, pastries, etc plus smoked salmon which was nice.
The Lobby is renovated and looks very nice and modern.
Pool area is nice and with plenty of tables to sit and enjoy the outdoors.

If u not book on they web, they don’t get u 2 queen, they don’t care about u have the confirmed email or not, so this is the service on that hotel

A zero rating is not possible. That’s what they deserve. The hotel smells of construction! Rooms are covered in dust!
Arrived to find the front desk agent, Veronika, stating the hotel was fully committed. Mind you I’ve had a reservation for a few days. After flying from the east coast and taking an hour shuttle in from SFO that is not the way to greet a guest.
As she took the list around to see what rooms were available she walked in on guests without knocking. She gave me the key to a room 114 which I was told overlooked the pool. Okay but it had no curtains on the first floor!
The next room had a layer of dust you could write your name in. I’ve got asthma! The last thing I need is a dusty room!
The attitude was … Well if you don’t like it I’ll have to walk you to another hotel!
Never again! And I’m a Starwoods Gold customer!

The previous reviews worried us when our company booked a room for us here for a week of business. But boy were we surprised! The hotel is wonderful. The front desk, lounge, bar, restaurant, and pool/​lounge are all newly remodeled. The rooms have also all been upgraded and are comfortable, roomy, and their rates are AWESOME for the area.
We had read reviews saying most rooms didn’t have mini fridges, which is a major con when out of town on business for weeks at a time. Well guess what, we had a mini fridge! And not a tiny one, great size, holds our drinks and lunch foods for the following day with room to spare.
We called the front desk to find out if the reservation our company made included a continental breakfast. Well it didn’t, but they offered us free breakfast for the duration of our stay without us even asking.
The renovations done, the hotel staff and bar/​restaurant staff are about the best we have seen. The mall is nearby (you could walk if necessary) which various restaurants, movie theater and shopping.
If you’re looking to stay in San Rafael, check this place out! You won’t be disappointed. This place is affordable and also very classy and modern.
I’m super happy and satisfied. It’s made time away from home much nicer!

We stayed at the San Rafael Four Points Sheraton on a Saturday night in early May. Some pluses/​minuses of the hotel.
Pluses:
— Good value. This is probably a 3.5 star hotel, a little worn around the edges, but still in pretty decent shape. Booking online directly through the hotel, we got a $ 161 rate, at a time when similar hotels in many parts of the area were going for $ 200+.
— Great location. Wonderfully centrally located for activities in Marin. Very close to 101, it doesn’t take long to get almost anywhere. We spent a good part of the afternoon in Tiburon, only about 10 – 15 minutes south.
— Hotel layout. We enjoyed just sauntering around and lounging around the hotel. Lots of seating in the first floor hallways to hang out. Very nice pool area, again with abundant seating, and heating for cool nights.
— Decent room. Nice layout, good-​sized, clean, free WiFi, good lighting, looks modern with some design touches, flatscreen TV, coffee maker, safe in closet, free water bottle.
— Nearby services. Right down the hill, even walkable for the ambitious, is a shopping center and the Northgate shopping mall. A Walgreens, Safeway, several restaurants, and mall stores — very convenient.
Minuses:
— Asked for a higher floor, but received #162. We did only reserve about a week in advance, and there was a large conference at the hotel. The best rooms are the higher floors that look west to a nice view of the hills.
— No view — only a gigantic bush in front of the window.
— No fridge or microwave
— There was a paint smell in the room; must’ve been some touch up work done earlier.
— The fan is landing strip loud, and no way to adjust short of turning off the heat/​air.
— Deep, very soft pillows that you sink into; one can only see pillow when you turn your head.
— No complimentary breakfast
For us, the minuses were not show stoppers, and we would consider returning in the future.

Let’s start by saying that NO WHERE on
did it state this hotel was undergoing renovation. We pick hotels that we can go to the bars, dine at the restaurants, lounge around… These amenities were all under construction. If we had known that we would not have booked here.
The actual outdoor areas looked very tired. The building inside was being updated while we were here.
We went up to the room (not close to the front desk) and our keys wouldn’t work. So back fine and new keys given — -which didn’t work either!!! Good thing we weren’t in a rush!
We read that there was a free breakfast, but not offered it at check in, so I went to the room, checked the site— and sure enough we were supposed to have a free breakfast. So went back downstairs and was given a voucher for breakfast.
Also the rooms have Very outdated heating/​cooling system on the wall. If you are sensitive to hot/​cold this isn’t the place for you.
Went out to dinner since we didn’t want to dine in the makeshift restaurant area they made during renovation— and our room keys didn’t work!!!
Wow. So I was tired of trekking back and forth so I called from my cell phone and told them to bring me new keys.
The front desk lady also said she looked up our SPG account but it wasn’t on our room when I double checked (the same time I had to go get breakfast voucher).
Room is Ok. The photos make it look much nicer than it really is. For the price I paid, I wouldn’t stay here again. I’ll stick with the very consistent Marriott brands.

One star is for the location.
The building is pretty old and need a lot of maintenance work. My husband and I stayed in the hotel with two other couples for two nights and wished we had gone else where even before we slept in the bed.
Day 1– 1) friend’s room: hotel gave the room to another travelers AFTER my friends have already checked in. Imagine their surprise someone walking in as you were stepping out of the shower. 2) OUR room: 1:30am. Tired and ready for bed ONLY to find sloppily made bed sheets with stains on it and found bed padding underneath with other ppl’s hair all over it, god knows how long it’s been collecting. This NOT acceptable.
Hotel actions: 1) comp’d my friend’s room –for one night of their stay, 2) our room– concierge came half hour later with another bed sheet and apologized, gave us two breakfast comp passes, and promised it would be reported to the mgr and he will speak to us in the morning.
Day 2: In-​room safe box broke with our stuff in it. Our morning plans were delayed.
Hotel actions: 1) Safe box had to be pried open with a steel bar, in the room. 2) Mgr didn’t know anything about Day 1 until I approached him to speak about it. He said he would get back to me, or leave a msg in our room after he thinks about how he can ‘take care’ of us
Day 3: NO word, or follow up from the manager. After asking him about it, he offered some SPG points, apparently it’s ’50% of the room rate for next stay’.
After further conversation, he offered a discount on one night stay. He repeatedly tried to insinuate that the ‘stain’ could’ve been a perception. So, I’m just seeing things… It’s not enough that they don’t listen and fail to follow up on communication, but also feel the need to let you know that, ‘I don’t think you are right but I’ll give you something for it anyways’. I felt insulted.
This is the worst experience I’ve encountered out of all hotels I’ve stayed at. (3 – 4 star ratings from SPG chains and others) NOT only their star rating sub-​standard in terms of the amenities and cleanliness but the worst customer service and communication. Based on other poor reviews here, they clearly have MUCH room for improvement.
MANAGEMENT: Customer Experience matters if you want customers to keeping coming. I love visiting North Cali but I will not be returning here. My experience may be ‘subjective’ BUT my experience also leaves a lasting impression and «perception» (your words) of your business that other reviewers/​future customer will consider.

I’m pretty torn between 3 and 4 stars. If the price was a bit lower, it would be a 4 star place. But considering the price, and the location (away from San Fran), it definitely detracts. I also booked semi– last minute, so in advance, the prices are probably better. I’m spoiled by Holiday Inn’s as most of those have complimentary breakfast and snacks and such, there is no such thing here. Only complimentary wi-​fi and a bottle water ;) They are in the process of updating I believe, they did have a notice out, but I didn’t hear any construction noise.
The place was clean to me. New carpet, the lobby didn’t seem bad at all, but they had pictures of upcoming renovations they planned. The elevators were clean and worked well and were fast. The 2^nd floor ice-​maker didn’t work though.
The staff were all excellent and even mentioned my special request had been fulfilled that I had done online. Sidenote, I called to make reservations, but the cheapest available was $ 10 more than the cheapest available through their website. I went through the website. I paid $ 169.00 + $ 20.28 in taxes.
My first impressions were good. I got a king sized bed, facing the courtyard, which is actually really gorgeous because the pool is tropical blue and so pretty. The room, is just a little used and beat up, but felt clean. The bedding is all white, which I really look for because to me, it means BLEACH, and you know the comforters are being washed vs. the old style padded and quilted hotel comforters. The bathroom was also clean, a little mold in the corner of the tub, but otherwise that was it, shiny fixtures, no stray hairs. There is no make-​up mirror in the bathrooms though.
A huge closet with mirrors, and a mirror on the bathroom door. A bigger fridge, that worked and was easy to get to. There are outlets on one side of the bed, plus at the desk, and actually on the wall by the chair. The cooler/​heater runs regardless if off though, and acts as a fan. The curtains were definitely beat up, and since you are facing the courtyard, something sheer would be nice to have there for more privacy. The coffee maker was clean, including the water reservoir and they had little personal sized portions and cups.
The TV had a channel guide printed out, as well as an one on the tv you could scroll and select the channel you wanted. They had good channels too… MTV, HGTV, Lifetime haha ones you don’t normally see.
The attached restaurant seemed expensive for the convenience factor. I only did breakfast, I did the 2 egg and ham breakfast, I was allowed to skip out on toast and potatoes and substitute fruit for no upcharge, and all breakfasts includes tea, coffee or juice. There is also a buffet available for $ 14, my breakfast was $ 13.
I wasn’t able to take advantage of the gorgeous pool, and now that I think about it, the courtyard area was nice, they had a see through fireplace with chairs out there too. I will keep the 4 star review, because I felt it was clean, but since they are remodeling should only get better.
I would stay here again, I would hope for a bit cheaper though since you have to pay for breakfast.