Cornell Hotel de France

9.0

Wonderful

957 Guest reviews

9.0

Wonderful

957 Verified Reviews

Read all reviews

Cleanliness9.2/10

Service9.2/10

Comfort9.0/10

Condition8.8/10

Neighborhood9.2/10

Amenities8.0/10

Property was very convenient and quiet, would definitely stay here again.

Not a bad hotel, but you can find better options.

Quaint hotel with a lot of character. The 24/7 hotel was great, professional and friendly. The free continental breakfast was very good, and it's worthwhile.to stay just for the antique elevator. That said, rooms are very old and I had to leave the window open to get rid of the dusty smell. This did not bother me at all.

Fun decorations & artwork. Hotel is right by cable car stop.

Lovely but felt more like a bed&breakfast than a hotel. Staff were friendly and helpful and breakfast was good, including eggs and sausages. Is not wheelchair friendly, otherwise is a cozy place located not too far from the main downtown shopping areas.

Cute hotel with fun artwork and details. Nice Staff, comfy, clean, quiet and good location

This is a convenient location, and relatively quiet. It is a good place for a budget visitor. For business people, this facility is a bit old.

The hotel was very charming. The staff were very polite and helpful.

we loved or stay at this hotel. staff is friendly, room was on top floor in back so great view and very quiet, breakfast was good, unloading loading out was easy, safe parking across the street from hotel. will book again

A French Charmer

Charming hotel with lovely, French detailing, perfectly located near San Francisco's Union Square.

Quaint old hotel with elegance of yesteryear. Pretty French country touches with little paintings/murals in the rooms. Very comfortable room. Good location. We loved it and would stay again. They treated us nicely and upgraded us to a junior suite. An improvement they could do is make the breakfast a little more French/elegant. But overall it had good quality basics to start the day. We enjoyed this hotel.

Your hotel scared the heck out of us. Even once we were given a different room we considered leaving. It was only one night and an early flight so we suffered through. Breakfast was underwhelming but I did appreciate the cup of coffee. The staff member attending the breakfast station was attentive.

A bit of France in San Fran

Staff very nice. Cute French theme. Walking distance to Nob Hill, Chinatown, and Financial District.

A quaint, cozy, comfortable, and quiet place to stay in the best city in the world.

Dedication to French theme

Good location - 3 star experience

The hotel is very well located nearby the famous tram lines of San Francisco. The decor is a bit dated just like the whole hospitality experience but I didn't mind that. The elevator is really cute. The only thing that really bothered me was the lingering smell of vommit in the building. At least the room didn't have that.

Overall we were pleased with our stay. However breakfast had a limited selection and not enough supplied for the amount of guests. Not enough staff to cope with the volume of guests. And one of our biggest gripes was the use of Single Use plastic cups and cutlery and paper bowls.

Location good. No A/C

Great location, warn property

The staff was very service oriented, friendly and helpful. The property itself was a bit more warn and rugged than shown in the pictures and many of the reviews. The breakfast was very basic and the second morning was delayed by an hour and a half due to the fridge being out of order. Location was great very close to Union Square and all the high end shops.

I've stayed at Cornell numerous times, it's always been a pleasure. It's rich French history displayed everywhere was charming. My only complaint was I saw nothing in the booking process that Cornell didn't accept cash as a form of payment for the room.

Terrible

Lovedddd!

Internet was out of service or sporadic for entire stay. Breakfast was abominable. Advertzed restaurant was permanently closed. Staff were indifferent.

Great hotel, clean and awesome themed decorations

We loved our stay at this property BUT DID NOT HAVE INTERNET 3 out of the four days we stayed. NO TV and NO WIFI. Hotel breakfast is great and the staff is very kind but they seem frustrated they also have internet trouble.

A lovely, smaller, hotel with character. Great staff. Would stay again if in San Fransisco!

They do store baggages before check-in and after check-out. Wifi is too weak. Even cellular data also not working. There is an amenity fee of $20/day. Deposits fee need to pay individually and takes time to get it back. There was a convention recently, so no homeless nearby. But after finishing the convention, there were many homeless nearby. Breakfast was good and interior also nice.

From the welcome by super polite receptionist to amazing guy,who had hot breakfast under control…our stay was flawless 🙂

The elevator was unreliable. There was essentially no internet connection!

The hotel has a lot of character and is very clean. The staff is very helpful and friendly. The internet connection was a little bit of a problem, but everything else was great and I recommend this hotel to anyone who like to explore the City. Great location in walking distance to Union Square, China Town and financial district.

The property was fun and quirky. Just wish they had air conditioning in the rooms or at least allowed us to open a window. Staff was friendly and the free breakfast was good.

👍

Extremely cute, quiet , easy to get anywhere on foot ( if you don’t mind walking the hills). Excellent customer service w all staff.

This hotel is walking distance to Chinatown and during the day, felt safe enough. But the walls are very thin! You can hear people walking and other things...I was surprised to see a few kids staying there considering how thin the walls are. The beds, floors, appliances...everything looks very old. Shabby chic? Nice breakfast included with the stay and friendly staff.

Water pressure in shower was not good.

Wonderfully decorated. The people were incredibly polite and helpful. This nugget of heaven in SF will be a go-to when I’m staying overnight.

Rooms were great.

Dated but loved the property for it unique French flavor!

Couldn't fault.

Our fifth visit to SF and an excellent hotel. Rooms, like most of the older buildings are slightly smaller than most US hotels/motels (but similar to UK or Europe rooms). Service was A M A Z I N G. From Claire (?) on the front desk to housekeeping and the gentleman on breakfast. Each and everyone was genuinely passionate about our stay and service. WiFi was good. Breakfast was excellent with bacon, sausage and egg + pastries and bread (weirdly no cereal). Area was good in location - handy for Union Sq, but without the noise. Coffee, water available in foyer and room. Room and hotel in great condition. A++

The hotel has a great story behind how it came to have the decor and into the current ownership. It was really convenient for all the sights and public transport. Staff were friendly and helpful and couldn’t do enough. Breakfast was included and was good.

no AC but also no airflow, like no ceiling fan and air was just muggy and stagnant. room was really dusty which made me sick, also i think there could have been mold too. especially with no airflow, wasnt the best stay since i was sneezing constantly

Great location. This french themed hotel is very quaint and the service is top notch.

Love the old world charm,wasn't too thrilled with the slow draining sink or the broken toilet seat. Breakfast was delicious, but would have been better if they had a variety of tea or even an English Breakfast tea for those of us in need of a little caffeine .

Lovely hotel, cutest rooms! Staff were amazing! Went out of their way to assist us and make our stay so easy and enjoyable! Exceptionally professional and kind!

Beautiful antique French hotel 👍👍

The hotel is old and beautiful. Nicely kept and looks exactly like France and European hotels. Loved the dinning room and antique elevator. For the price it was amazing. Friendly and helpful staff. Room was clean and nice. The only neg thing was their breakfast, everyone had to wait for eggs or croissant. Very simple BF but always needed refill. Parking very close $40 per night. Typical for the area.

I enjoyed my stay at this hire. The staff was very friendly and the hotel had a chic French vibe which I loved.

Nice small hotel .. close to most of the stuff. Little too small.. but clean and welcoming

Súper cute property, very clean and wonderful staff! I will definitely come back!

It was definitely a unique stay experience. Most tourists spoke French and staff were multilingual. Very boutique and old feeling. Breakfast was delicious and high quality. Luckily it was relatively cool outside because there was no air conditioning. Had to leave the window open to cool the room.

This is a nice quaint hotel in a very good location.

This hotel is a hidden gem! It has so much charm and character at an affordable price, and it is right in the city center within walking distance of many tourist sites. The decor was inviting and one of my favorite design touches were the themed floors that each featured a different French artist. As a woman, I never felt unsafe as a solo traveler the surrounding area. Again, for the price, I was pleasantly surprised by the continental breakfast and the quality of the travel-sized products. I will definitely be returning next time I travel to S.F. and highly recommend this place for anyone looking for a well-maintained place with a little piece of history in the city.

Nice property with a historic french touch. Wall artifacts and fresh paint and wall carvings make it a special place.

Love the individual room makeovers. Huge breakfast each morning. All staff were very pleasant and nothing was too much trouble for them. Local knowledge and recommendations is excellent.

Such a cute little hotel! Definitely one of a kind very quaint and extremely helpful and friendly customer service. Having such an amazing restaurant so close is a huge bonus!

Highly Recommended

The staff is EXCEPTIONALLY professional and helpful... It is a French boutique hotel; absent of any Resort Fees... Convenient location and safe...

Very European

Even though we were a little early, the staff at check-in was courteous and accommodating. The classic elevator was a joy to ride. Other staff was friendly.

We loved it!

Charming room, great service, and amazing free breakfast. Convenient location. It felt like we were in Europe.

Don’t like it

French charm in San Francisco

wonderful little hotel. There was a problem with lost entry fobs, which meant twice, we had to ring several times in order to enter. However, they told me the problem was fixed the next day. Nice breakfast, quiet rooms, French art on every floor, lovely wall paintings. We would definitely go back to this lovely taste of France in San Francisco, on a safe street, near Union Square and accessible to many parts of the city.

Like the theme, but needs updating and deep cleaned. I definitely liked that they offer rooms with 1 double bed and 1 twin/single bed.

Excelent staff

It is unique. I liked the decoration of this hotel, I was also attracted by another hotel, so I decideded to devided my hotel stay in these hotels equally, quite a fun. I wish they could at least provide oatmeal for breakfast.

The hotel is old but super quaint, clean and comfortable. I loved all the decor and staff was friendly. The continental breakfast was hardy with fresh eggs, potatoes and sausage.

Beware!

Hotel is dishonest about available accommodations, promises refunds and lies about completing the refund after check out. Website and hotels.com listing says private parking available.. it is not! 50$+ for one night at a garage about a half a block away! GM Karen’s promised a refund for the 75$ I paid to park for one night.. when I called to follow up she said it was refunded as a credit to my Expedia account.. I’ve checked all my accounts and email- no refund has been given. I will be contacting my credit card company to dispute the charges with the hotel and I will also be reporting them to the city. Beware the rooms look NOTHING like the photos, they’re dirty, run down and my bed had a 4 inch pipe sticking out from the baseboard. They covered it with a towel and rubber bands to keep guests from injuring themselves on it.

Staff were very helpful, offered suggestions and helpful hints to get around town.

It was a decent hotel with a french style

Absolute gem of a hotel! This historic hotel was immaculate, and the staff and amenities were top notch. The hotel has the 2nd oldest elevator in San Francisco, floors themed after French artists, high end fixtures, bay window views, full complimentary breakfast, complimentary coffee at all hours. Rooms were quiet with comfy beds and large bathrooms. We stayed in a room with queen bed plus a twin bed for our daughter. We will absolutely he staying here on all future san francisco trips. Wish there were more hotels like this around the country. What a treat.

Room was nothing like pictures. WiFi didn’t work and when I called the desk they didn’t see to care. There was only one towel for the shower and it was probably 50 yrs old. $400 expected more.

The staff is very nice. Thoughtful and considerate room layout, especially plenty of power charge / USB stations. Delicious breakfast. Very thoughtful and friendly, providing coffee, micro wave machine and refrigerator in the lobby area.

A character hotel

This hotel is within walking distance of waterfront and piers. Close to shopping and restaurants. It's an old hotel, but clean and well kept. The staff were friendly and helpful.

French theme and many nice hand painted small murals. Front staff could have a more pleasant attitude.

No heat!

The rooms we were given were not as described on the website. Do not believe the photos. We ordered two deluxe queen rooms. It appears we were given two smaller rooms. We filed a complaint when we checked in, but no one bothered to address address it. Otherwise, this is hotel is okay if you prefer going back in time 100 years.

My San Francisco hotel of choice

I used to stay in this hotel pre-covid, and I'm very pleased to report that it remains a wonderful place to stay. Very friendly and helpful staff, excellent location, comfortable with all the facilities you need, real character with the paintings in the corridors and rooms and French theme, and also an excellent breakfast. I expect to stay here again next time I am in San Francisco.

The property was super cute and the old school elevator was awesome. The room was super clean, my only complaint is we were woken at 6:30 am by extremely loud banging outside. I am not sure if it was even from the hotel, but it was odd.

I loved the decor of France and it was nice having a parking garage across the street. They used to be linked, but no longer are and became more expensive. The employees were very nice and helpful.

Check in was unclear and was charged without knowing

Front desk lady was very helpful and so was the lady on duty at breakfast

It's a fantastic place for solo or family stays, boasting a lovely environment and outstanding staff hospitality. Despite being budget-friendly, it offers a safe and excellent accommodation option with daily breakfast included. The consistent menu features scrambled eggs, sausage or bacon, bread, tea, coffee, juice, boiled potatoes, and fruits. Tea and coffee are available in the lounge. I highly recommend this economical choice for its proximity to tourist attractions and well-connected public transport, providing a taste of the local French community.

Lovely boutique hotel with great staff. All around a good choice for a hotel in San Francisco if you're looking for a good, clean, comfortable, nice hotel that's not one of the big chains like Hilton or Marriott. Would definitely stay again

The comfort level was despicable. The bed pillows are grossly aged and smell of body odor. Yes the linens were clean, but understand people slober and drool on these pillows and need change at time.

We stayed in a room on the top floor. The property was not in as good condition as the photos indicated. The room was on a slant. The head of the bed was a higher than the foot of the bed and toiletries would roll off the ledges in the bathroom. The property is in a great location, but is at the top of a very steep hill. So be warned if you are walking from public transport like we did! The staff were helpful. Our shower wasn’t draining properly and this was fixed on Christmas Day.

The Cornell Hotel de France has the virtues of a small boutique hotel. The suite was ideal for my wife and I with interesting decor and many nice touches. The view was of a wall but the room was nice and mostly quiet (somebody was banging garbage cans for quite a while around 2 am one night, but that might happen at any city center boutique hotel. A colleague stayed in a single room and found it cramped with no desk. It has a few other quirks that might make some rooms unsuitable for some people. The only elevator broke down a few times and the stairs are narrow and perhaps unsuitable for less mobile people. The croissants and potatoes were the highlight of breakfast. Coffee was OK. The restaurant in the basement was nicely decorated for dinner and the small menu was very good French food. Vegans could probably be accommodated but vegan is not at all a focus.

The picture was nothing like the room, but it still offered value. My main problem was no hot water each morning of my stay, which required multiple telephone calls to remedy each day. If you are traveling for work and expect to wake up, shower, and go...this is aggravating.

It wasn’t really like the pictures. Disappointing overall. One of staff members was wearing a shirt and jeans and made me think they don’t care about their hotel’s concept and atmosphere, which was very unprofessional. Should’ve paid a couple more hundred bucks and stayed at a better place.

I had a pleasant experience at this charming property with its friendly staff. However, there were a few issues during my stay. Firstly, the power in my room was not fully working, and despite requesting assistance, no one came to address the issue. Additionally, as a VIP member at Expedia, I was entitled to a complimentary wine for my room, but I had to request it twice before it was finally provided. The breakfast initially consisted of just a few croissants, but on the last day of my stay, they transitioned the breakfast to their restaurant and offered a wider variety of options, which was a pleasant surprise.

Nice charming hotel close to everything with very nice staff. Breakfast was great.

The Cornell was a terrific find in a very convenient part of Union Square. The room was comfortable and clean with coffee maker, toiletries in the room and an ok breakfast offered. The facility is showing it's age but for the price, this place was a gem.

Best Stay

One of the best hotels I have stayed at

Charming small hotel. While our room was small, it had everything we needed including a comfortable bed and a quiet environment. I loved the original elevator. Can't wait for the restaurant to re-open!

Wonderful hotel!

Beautiful hotel in prime location! Staff was helpful and friendly. Room was perfect. Will definitely stay here again!

Very hospitable and helpful staff. Charming hotel and rooms. Clean, quiet and quaintly decorated.

Very nice stay. Walking distance to anything you might need. I was able to find food with no problems. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks, all easily accessible and of a wide variety. Staff was very friendly and courteous. They had an agreement with a parking garage nearby so I was able to get discounted parking. I only wish their breakfast was better. It was very simple, not really anything special. And their restaurant was closed :( I really wanted to try it out.

Our room didn’t have any power the last day, awful

Such a nice hotel

This was a nice hotel, the location is great if you're there to see the sights. While the room was small it was perfect for my wife and I. We don't go on vacation to hang out at a hotel. Walking distance to Chinatown. One of the cable car stops is right there.

I thought the location was excellent and property was very quaint and bit quirky. I liked it. Some aspects could use a bit of a refresh, but overall i thought it was good. The location is great with plenty of restaurants and mini grocery stores around. It's a very European style hotel, so if you massive rooms and such this isn't for you. No A/C i could find but not needed. Reception was very cordial. Comfy bed and warm shower. what else could you want? I dig it. Would stay again.

Cozy and charming. Exactly the weekend I dreamt of with my love

very friendly staff

Location is good, but the conditions are too old.