Hotwire Hotel: 3* San Francisco (Civic Center South-Hayes Valley) Whitcomb

[Colfax]

Hotel Whitcomb

1231 Market Street

San Francisco, CA 94103

Amenities: Smokefree rooms, Restaurant, Highspeed, Fitness, Business

I've never stayed at the Whitcomb before and I'm curious to try it. I'm arriving by Amtrak/BART and the BART station is practically in front of the hotel. If nothing else the Whitcomb will be convenient.

Whitcomb's website shows a "Petite Double" for $79 and a Queen bed for $99. We'll see what I get.

Prior failed bids on Priceline:

$65/Boutique USW

$60/3* USW

$50/2.5* USW

$55/2.5* Civic Center

Purchase made through the BetterBidding HOTWIRE link.

note to thereuare: The "Civic Center South" zone in the Hotwire Hotel List is now called "Civic Center South-Hayes Valley".

[thereuare]

Congratualtions on your success and receiving the hotel you were hoping for.

Although not the largest discounted hotel room we've seen, this sounds like a good deal given your previous PRICELINE rejections and the convenient location for your needs.

Thank you for sharing your results and using our HOTWIRE link for your purchase.

Enjoy your stay.

[scottmcclue]

I stayed at the Hotel Whitcomb twice last year (for $55 per night via Priceline) during the SF offseason. I has VERY happy with everything!

The things I liked most about it: The Bart/Muni entrance is literally right outside the door. So if you need to use public transportation, it couldn't be more convenient! There is a Starbucks connected to the Hotel. I appreciated the FREE wireless internet service that they provided. (get your user info/password at the front desk) And The Cable Car Turnaround is only 3 blocks (or 1 Muni stop) away!

FYI - You probably won't get a room with a nice street view but thats the price you pay for using priceline. Both stays I was given a room with a view of a brick wall.

I'm visiting SF again in August. I really wanted to stay at the Whitcomb but I'm going during a busy week for them. Their room rates are very high 2 of the 3 nights I'm in town. Even still, I purposely went after the Whitcomb on the 1 night rates are lower (luckily there are only two 2 1/2 star hotels in the Civic Center area on PL) on Priceline. I overpaid ($95) but I didn't really care - its a great hotel!

I hope you enjoy your stay. If its anything like my previous visits there, I think you'll be quite pleased!

[Colfax]

I liked the Whitcomb as much as you, scottmcclue. It's a vintage hotel (built in 1910), well maintained, with a grand lobby (crystal chandaliers, marble columns, etc) and lots of history. At checkin I was given an informational sheet about the hotel's background. The Whitcomb served as San Francisco's temporary City Hall for three years, from 1912 to 1915, after the real City Hall was destroyed in the earthquake.

From that info sheet:

Until the mid 1990's the words "CITY HALL" were faintly etched above the main entrance. The jail cells are still intact in the basement of the hotel. The mayor's office, once located on the mezzanine level, now serves as the administrative offices. Guests stay on the remaining floors of the hotel that were once occupied by other government officials including judges for the Superior Court.

Officially opening its doors as Hotel Whitcomb in 1916, the hotel soon became the place to see and be seen. Concerts were broadcast nationwide from the Whitcomb Ballroom. The hotel still boasts one of the largest parquet dancefloors in the city.

As a Hotwire customer I thought I might get one of those jail cells in the basement, or the "petite double" I saw advertised on the website. But no, I was asked if I wanted one bed or two and given a generously sized high ceilinged room on the seventh floor (out of eight) with a queen bed and modern furnishings. As you predicted I didn't get a view room (those would be the rooms overlooking Market Street), but that's a minor complaint.

There's probably not a more convenient hotel in town for accessing public transportation as the Civic Center BART and Muni stations are just a few feet outside the hotel's front door. The Market Street bus also stops right in front. Hotel has its own restaurant with room service plus a full menu Starbucks (not a kiosk) in the lobby.

The hotel's biggest issue is that it's at the corner of 8th and Market, on a somewhat shady stretch of Market where there are more homeless than up by the Marriott or Westin Market. Personally I don't think the Whitcomb area is worse than near the Hilton or Parc55 in USW, and I feel very comfortable walking in the Whitcomb area in daytime. Some might prefer taking a cab to Union Square after dark and that only costs about five bucks. The hotel has a strong security presence. You have to show your room key at a monitored station to enter the hotel after 10pm. I think the percieved danger of this area is overblown.

Overall I was very pleased. There are nicer and newer hotels in downtown SF but some of them are generic and could be anywhere. I felt like the Whitcomb was a real "San Francisco experience". Even if you don't stay at the Whitcomb it's worth walking inside and taking a look at the lobby. Walk to the very rear wall, past the business center, and there's a display case with old momentoes from the hotel's "glory days"---old menus, matchbook covers, stationery, receipts. Neat stuff.