Golden Gate Hotel

8.6

Excellent

340 Guest reviews

8.6

Excellent

340 Verified Reviews

Read all reviews

Cleanliness8.8/10

Service9.0/10

Comfort8.0/10

Condition8.2/10

Amenities8.0/10

The staff was pleasant and responsive to my needs.

Great stay

My stay was great. The place felt home like and was comforting. The beds are really cozy and help you fall asleep within seconds.

Awesome

Lovely staff, nice breakfast

We have stayed here several times and it is our "go to" place to stay in SF. You can't beat the location, and the nearby restaurants are good.

Very unprofessional customer service. No iron, no toothpaste, cogy room.

Good location

The location is great and it is close to the financial district, union square and still quiet most of the time. The only thing traveller needs to be careful is to make sure not to book the room in the basement where you do not have the private bathroom.

Hidden gem

This adorable and quaint hotel is an absolute treasure!! I loved the history and the beautiful decor. The room was cozy and spotless. Even had hot cookies upon arrival.. skip the chains and look for these hidden gems

Loved the house kitty! I was a little disappointed to find out we were in the basement bedroom but thankfully there was a window to the outside. The property had an “old” smell but that is to be expected with older homes. The staff was extremely accommodating & the area was perfect for a downtown experience. Parking was off site across the street so prepared to pay $$$ Overall would stay again for the price!

Quiet, comfy beds, very well-maintained/clean. The breakfast is pretty basic, but it's complimentary. Had a few issues with charges, mostly revolving around their inability to explain some of them, as well as one random extra charge. Heads up, they do charge a nightly amenities fee plus a nightly pet fee. So, if traveling with pets, expect to pay an extra $45/nite. Ultimately, it was this charge that prevented me from extending my stay. Lost track of time on my last day and was an hour late checking out. Front desk guy gave me a harder time than I think he should have. I had been there for 10 days and thought that should have earned me to a little leeway but it was Saturday and they needed to flip the room. So I kind of understand the reason for the harshness, but I I could have used some help with my bags and I just kind of felt like they were kicking me out after showing out about 1300 bucks.

Loved the quant hotel and the cat.

When checking out, I was asked for an extra $20. According to the hotel, this extra fee started on Sep 1st, 2024. Be aware that the real price is not the one listed when you book the hotel!

Unique, beautiful hotel. Great for solo travelling!

Wonderful stay!

I enjoyed my stay at the Golden Gate to the fullest. I claw foot tub, the comfortable beds, and the steps. This place has tons of charm.

Loved the Golden Gate Hotel! You can access pretty much everything in San Francisco from this location, by taking public transportation. This was our homebase for five nights. The only reason for taking one star off was the included breakfast at their sister hotel down the street. The breakfast was very limited and ran out of some items by 8:30 AM which they would not replenish. We only ended up using the breakfast two out of our five mornings, and the included breakfast was one reason I chose this hotel over another. Disappointed in the breakfast, but the hotel itself and staff get five stars!

This was our second time staying at the Golden Gate and we absolutely loved it. The hotel is filled with lovely classic fixtures and very friendly staff (including Skittles the resident cat). The rooms are comfortable, clean and nicely decorated. The location is great and close to some fantastic restaurants. Would definitely stay again the next time we’re in SF!

Tourist hotel

Staff were helpful but very tight hotel. Poor ventilation system, room was hot.

The best part was the attention dispensed by the lovely Skittles =^.^=

Don’t like

Fantastic location. Very cool and unique experience with the antique elevator

Good

Skittles the cat was a real amenity

A great, relatively more affordable option in San Francisco! Pros: The hotel is in a good location if you are willing to walk a bit, and public transport is easily accessible. The area is safe at night. Everything was clean (room, shower, washrooms, etc.), and toiletries were available too. Bed was also quite comfy! Free breakfast was provided every day (a <1 min walk down the street at their sister hotel), and it was quite yummy (basic continental breakfast but it was a good one). They also provide some complimentary cookies and tea/coffee in the afternoon! And the cat. The cat is great (unless you’re allergic to cats, not so great). Cons: Room is small (though this isn’t technically a con because you can see that the room is small when you book it). But, you’re not spending much time in the room anyways, so no big deal at all. There was no AC, and we weren’t able to turn off the heater in the room. However, the nice lady at the front desk immediately brought us up a portable AC unit! So if you’re worried about no AC and the room getting hot, the amazing staff will happily help you with that. Overall, I recommend staying here if you don’t mind longer walks to other areas of the city, and want a more affordable option that is still clean, safe, and comfortable.

We were very happy with the location as it was walking distance to transportation and sightseeing spots, and Skittles was a sweet little extra!

Great spot to stay. Close to the Museum of Modern Arts, you can walk to the fisherman's wharf, there's plenty of public transportation options around. The hotel was good, free breakfast is in another property but it's less than a three minute walk. Overall, extremely satisfied with the experience!

Close to Masonic

The hotel is cute and quaint. Check in was easy. There was a strong smell of cleaning chemicals when we entered our room We tried to shower before dinner but there was no hot water. The walls are paper thin and our neighbors woke us up having a conversation at 2 in the morning. The next morning we tried to shower and again no hot water. Also, the outlets sparked when we tried to plug in our phone charger. The place was cute but we’d probably stay somewhere else next time. We were happy that it was so close to the Masonic so that was a bonus for us.

The hotel was lovely. We stayed family and 4proples.　Two beds were bit small and a basement room. However,we enjoying staying. Please do not expect breakfast because only 3 foods same manue. Tea service was 24hours at infront of front desk. She w as cute and friendly a cat. I love interiors. I recommend to someone who love french country interor.

Great stay, amazing staff, loved the area. Would stay here again 10/10

it’s a cozy little place located close to the places we wanted to visit. it is a bit eclectic, but pet friendly.

eXcellent stay & staff

The staff was most friendly & helpful; breakfast was excellent. I much enjoyed my stay (& concert at the Maconic nearby!)

Great front desk staff!

Shared toilet with no sink to wash your hands was disappointing. Had to upgrade room. Carpet has a smell due the pet friendly hotel. Great staff- Maria and team. Nice location,

Skittles puts smiles on faces and greets them. That is a plus. Same with the staff. Lobby and the hallways smelled good all day every day. They even had filtered hot and cold water dispenser. We will be coming back again!

Very quaint and peaceful. I absolutely loved my stay there. It was one of the most peaceful night's sleep I've ever had a hotel. The complimentary breakfast at their sister hotel was definitely a bonus. We were treated as welcomed guests, and with great hospitality. I would love to stay there again.

Convenience.....but no AC

Beautiful historic hotel with hospital staff!

This is a bit of a sketchy part of San Francisco . . . Could be worse though. I really like the design and architecture of these old buildings and would rather stay in them than big hotels. This hotel is a really interesting building and the decor was cool. Not having a bathroom would be annoying if I was staying more than one night but I suppose that’s built into the price.

We got there the 4th of July. I asked the person at the desk how to get to Fisherman’s Wharf. If there was a bus or trolley we could take there. He didn’t seem to sure at first then told us where we can can catch the bus but I was a little confused. We have never been to SF. We didn’t even find what he mentioned. A map or to write down the directions or something would have been very helpful. His overall demeanor was not very friendly. He almost seemed annoyed with my questions. In the room I was disappointed that there were no screens on the windows. So if you open any of the windows it is completely open for anything to get in. That is weird to me. And there was no hand soap. We were only staying two nights so we just used the shower gel. And the breakfast is a couple hotels down. It was ok I was just surprised it wasn’t there. Other than this it was ok.

Beautiful hotel, nice front desk staff, cute cat, decent breakfast. We really liked it!!

Inlike the place but, I did not know that the bathroom is outside our room

cute kitty

Excellent stay. Highly recommend.

gorgeous, quaint, and cozy :)

It is a nice quaint unique hotel and was fun to stay at.

Very bad and dirty. I suggest you don't stay here.

I would recommend this hotel to anyone but especially if you have an eye for unique hotels and if you have pets. To my first point, the hotel is adorned with so many beautiful vintage paintings and furniture. There’s even an antique elevator which was such a joy! Plus, they provided some supplies for my cat which took off a lot of initial stress. Loved staying here!

Great location, friendly & competent staff, attractive small room overlooking Bush Street.

I went off reviews and was not disappointed! The staff was great, the room was adorable, the location was perfect, and the cat and cookies put it over the top! I’ve stayed in a lot of places in this area and this is the one I’ll come back to!

No to bad

rooms are small so need to to be laid out well. large tv screen got in the way. functional features didnt all work well--sink didnt drain well, door handle would spin but not open door, shower controls didnt work well.

This property is very quaint! Loved the look and the feel of the room. The room is small but met our needs and very clean. The staff was very helpful and recommended things to see and places to eat. Highly recommend this hotel.

Very quaint and charming place to stay

It is like an old French pension. Not dirty, but definitely down at the heels. One of the staff people was excellent - attentive when another guest was screaming into the phone in the middle of the night, repeatedly. But the other workers there were not very helpful.

Beautiful hotel, very clean and with very friendly staff. Totally recommended!

It is a beautiful hotel with an authentic charm. I would definitely come back.

Good value down town hotel

Great bijou hotel just off Union Square. Eclectic rooms - ours was a double en suite - with in period furnishings. Great breakfast down at an affiliated hotel 2 minutes away. No parking but if you are prepared to move your car around on Nob Hill it is not an us issue. Friendly helpful staff.

This is a very cute, quaint, historic facility with a lot of charm and great staff. It has its compromises—the floors squeak, the room had a window but no AC, and I am sure I missed a disclosure but it turns out I booked a room with a shared toilet and shower down the hall. For the price, it was great, and for the age and design of the building, the owners have done a great job keeping it up. Everything was clean and well-cared-for in its old world way.

Old building with antique charm, clean and felt safe. Room was small but cozy, and lobby area was clean and offered coffee and tea, as well as water. Also has an adorable cat on site!

Good!

Everything functioned perfectly and the free breakfast was a nice perk

Great..if only a complemtary parking can be provided as an option

Excellent value

We enjoyed our time @ The Golden Gate Hotel. The place gives a sweet home feeling. The staff was friendly and Skittles just added to the feeling of home.

My boyfriend and I loved the hotel, very quiet and super clean rooms. Think only downfall was just it being pretty small, my boyfriend and I are both over 6ft so some things were a bit of a squeeze but nothing that was make or break for our stay. The shared bathroom is also a new experience but it was so quiet and such that it wasn’t a problem. Skittles the cat that lives there was the biggest highlight of our stay though lol.

While a quaint place to stay, it could use some updates. We had very little water pressure in our tub. We had no cold water in our sink and the hot tap leaked. The TV also wouldn't work. We paid extra to have a private bathroom, and i dont think it was worth it. We loved the staff and the breakfast at the neighboring hotel. We also enjoyed Skittles! She is a sweetie. The cookies in the afternoon were also great.

An Inn, not a hotel

Our stay at golden gate was ok. We had a room with a shared bathroom and the room was also ok. The ventilation was terrible and left a weird smell in our room. There was some hairs in the showers when we arrived, and the shared bathroom was dirty. The breakfast was not great; the food tasted almost nothing, they ran out of bread, they had no glasses for juice or water, only cardboard cups. It all tasted like it was bought as the cheapest option at Costco and heated. The bed was super comfy!

Skittles made it feel like a home <3

IF YOUR ALLERGIC TO CATS, STAY AWAY!!! It doesn’t say in the description of the hotel that they have cats that live inside the hotel. The hotel smells just like cat piss! No toilet in the room! STAY AWAY!

No Restroom in the bedroom

Won’t stay there again.

What a great hotel. We read the reviews so we knew what to expect. My wife fell in love with Skittles the cat. Breakfast was at their sister hotel a few doors down and it was good. If you are looking for a unique experience we highly recommend this place

Very convenient and accessible location. Room was downstairs basement, no AC or fans, window had no screen. If you keep window open all night you might be kept up by busy EMS sirens. Staff provided a fan upon request from their storage area. Communal restroom was generally clean and well maintained. Room did not have a fridge or microwave. Coffee available upstairs.

Excellent! We came back the second leg of our trip and loved it again!

The parking garage was right across the street, and the cable car stopped at the corner right down from the hotel. The breakfast was delicious and the room was clean and had great SF character. We will be back!

Charm and convenience

This is a charming old hotel. Reminds me of Europe. Touches of refinement. So close to good restaurants and a stop for the cable car. It does lack air conditioning which you wouldn't think would be needed in February except for excellent weather, but a window left open solved that.

This spot is like no other for anyone traveling. A literal walk in time vault. This place is by far the best place to stay @ for a great time out in San Fran. Definitely will come and pay skittlez the cat another visit. Miss her already

Charming, small hotel conveniently located on Nob Hill near to many restaurants. Some amenities are consistent with an older building, but the hotel appears well cared for and is clean. There is a delightful, quiet house cat, Skittles, who may greet you during your stay.

The cutest hotel I’ve ever stayed at! Anytime I’m in SF I’ll be staying there. I did get the privet bathroom so I can’t say how it is sharing a bathroom. Parking is across from the hotel $40 a night. So much in walking distance one down side and it’s not the hotels fault it’s VERY loud all night long.

Great hotel 1914 gen. Functional 1914 elevator. Skittles the cat was cool. Family owned place with super nice staff. Breakfast was great. Would definitely stay again

Its reminds me Paris where I had good time and good memories. Loved room 407, antique furniture, elevator and very comfortable bed.

WE LOVE SKITTLES!!!

We had a wonderful time - so cozy and welcoming. We'll definitely stay here again.

Nice old B/B with great staff.

So much charm!

This hotel was super charming. It felt like an authentic, old-fashioned San Francisco experience. The staff was very helpful and pleasant, and the cat was adorable. We had a room with a shared bathroom, which was fine. It was clear that others had used it, but it was well supplied and smelled nice. The room was on the lower level, almost a basement, but had a nice green courtyard view, and it was very quiet, away from the street noise, even though it was New Year's Eve--a nice surprise. I was a little disappointed in the breakfast, which was at another cute hotel (Hotel Cornell de France) about a block away. This was on New Year's Day, and they were out of pastries and bread, even though we arrived over half an hour before the breakfast area closed. There was also no decaf coffee, and the regular coffee was not very good. The staff of the valet parking across the street were dishonest and kept telling us different rates. This is probably why Golden Gate Hotel doesn't work with them anymore. We ended up parking at White House Garage, about a quarter mile away, which was great. Basically, Golden Gate Hotel is pretty awesome, but nearby their colleagues are not up to the same standard. That being said, the location seemed surprisingly cleaner and safer than expected, and it's convenient to lots of great stuff. I would definitely stay here again.

Very good staff and management. We booked too small room and I wanted to upgrade the room so they did everything to help me with that , very professional and good people ! And a cat, we loved to pet him when he was around

Overall is good and price is so good

Loved the amazing service at the front desk, followed by Skittles the hotel cat who I wound up buying holiday gifts for and snuggling with in my room along with providing a cup of water, the charming old building with an old bird cage elevator, and a neighborhood perfect for walking to the theatre, mall and shopping. Thanks for making my birthday special. Take good care of Skittles!!!!

Staff is super helpful. The small t Reception area is lovely! The room is nice and they have a cat that loves each guest!

This is a cute property. Staff is wonderful! Get a room facing the garden as street noise can be annoying. Great breakfast!

We booked this hotel for Skittles. She did not disappoint. We stayed 4 nights. She was in our room 3 of the night and stayed with us until we checked out. She’s a love. The hotel was charming and quirky. All in all, fun. The breakfast was excellent. Staff is very friendly and polite. The location is great. We enjoyed our stay here.

Personnel and services

Trying to be as honest as possible. One of the worst experiences ever. There was at least one cat and cat fur roaming around freely. And they don't accommodate allergies! Everything here smelled gross. The sink inside the room had a blockage. Only good thing was the location.

Cozy atmosphere and very nice staff. Had some issues but they were quickly resolved. As everyone points out, Skittles stole the show.

Rooms were beautiful. However I expected to watch more on TV than the 700 Club. I must have missed the small print about the shared bathroom facilities. Also elevator wasn’t working. I’m sure I won’t be back.

I travel often for work, and stay in hotels all over the country. My experience at Golden Gate Hotel was exceptional. During your stay, expect a prime location, friendly service, free breakfast, a quaint room, a ride in an antique elevator, and a very reasonable nightly rate. The free breakfast at the Cornell was among my favorite, as was the Public Izakaya for dinner and the many cocktail bars in the neighborhood.

Skittles the cat was so cute

The Golden Gate Hotel was perfect for my brother's and my trip to San Francisco. It's very well located, very clean, and the staff is very friendly and helpful. The rooms are super small and tight, but comfortable and clean and very charming. The building is really neat and there's an old Victorian elevator. I would stay there again, but be warned that if you're traveling with a family it's probably not the place for you. We were two dudes on a trip to explore the city. We pretty much just slept there.

Very friendly staff, affordable, walking distance to many shops and dining. The cat skittle is the best!

Cuteness overload!

Everything was so cute and comfortable! We will be back! Great location. Easy walking to the places we wanted to go. Great breakfast!

Charming and well taken care of. Love that they have a hotel cat.