Priceline Hotel: 2.5* San Francisco (USW-Nob Hill) Powell Hotel

[Colfax]

This was the third day in a row that I bid and won an unreported hotel in SF. Good Hotel, Baldwin, and now the Powell.

Powell Hotel

28 Cyril Magnin Street

San Francisco, CA 94102

This was an accidental win. I was actually trying to get a second night at the Baldwin in USE, where I stayed the night before for $55, also via Priceline. I could have/should have used Add a Night, but since $55 was my first bid for Baldwin I wondered if it might be available for less. In retrospect I should have gone with Add a Night, as I liked Baldwin more than Powell. Even though Powell's 2.5* and Baldwin's 2* Baldwin's the better maintained and better located hotel, imo. Live and learn.

$48/2* USE --> $15 counteroffer

$50/2* USE + Embarcadero --> reject

$52/2* USE + Embarcadero + USW --> upgrade to 2.5* Powell in USW.

The Powell was $111 on Expedia.

Bids placed through the BetterBidding PRICELINE link.

[yellowdog]

Thank you for sharing your win with the board and using our PRICELINE link to begin your bidding :)

Also thanx for the addition for this new property to the BetterBidding Priceline Hotel List

Sorry to see that your tactic didn't work for Baldwin.

We hope you had a good stay anyway.

Yellowdog.

[Colfax]

First some good things about the Powell: 1) cable car turnaround at hotel's front door. 2) large rooms with high ceilings. My room had two double beds, big walkin closet, enough space to accomodate four. 3) free internet, not the norm near Union Square. 4) free wine and cheese reception in the evening. 5) excellent framed photos of "old SF" in the hallways.

The bads were all related: the Powell was built in 1908 and it's just not very modernized or well maintained. Not enough electric outlets in room. You can watch TV or use a laptop but not both at same time. Bathroom sink clogged. Mildewed tile. No AC. (You don't need AC often in SF, but older hotels without it usually have ceiling fans at least, and Powell didn't have those.)

Alarm clock wasn't on the stand between the two beds but across the room on a desk where I couldn't see it from the bed. I moved the alarm clock to the bedstand and discovered the only electric outlet there was tied to the room's main on/off light switch. When you turn off the lights the alarm clock turns off too, then it resets to 12:00 when you turn lights on.

High temp was low 50's that day and by late afternoon it was in the 40's. The hotel has single pane windows (not insulated) and the room was cold. Heat is from a steam radiator and I couldn't get it to come on. I called the front desk and they told me the hotel doesn't turn the heat on until 6pm. I had to turn on the shower to steam up the room and get some heat in there. At 6pm, almost to the minute, the radiator did turn on and the room was comfortable at night. Heat goes off again in early morning.

I enjoy old hotels and I accept that not everything in an early century building is going to be shiny and new or state of the art. But too many things were broken, worn, or not working at Powell, and no heat was a deal killer. Chancellor, King George, and Whitcomb, to name a few, all provide a fresher and more polished version of the "old hotel experience".

[Gallus50]

Well, I hope you ate enough cheese and drank enough wine to warm you up!! Sounds like you won't be looking to go back...?

[Colfax]

Unless Powell gets downgraded to 2* I'll stick with 3* and higher in USW from now on. Too bad because I like the 2.5* King George. If Powell won't turn on the heat they should serve that wine with breakfast!