Aug 9-10

My husband and I decided to get a jump start on our 5 year wedding anniversary, (08-16-03), by staying at SF for one night. We are SPG members and enjoy staying at Le Meridien and Westin Hotels. This was our first time at a Kimpton Hotel and the Serrano made a lasting impression. From the doorman to reception personnel, it seems as though everyone just returned from a weekend long customer service training. Smiles, "how are you doing," and "may I help you?" from everyone.

After reading many positive reviews, I found the Asst GM, Antonio Flores. I decided to confirm our stay by emailing him directly and informing him of our special occassion. The only expectation I had was for a king size bed and perhaps some chocolate on the pillows. Boy, was I surprised. Upon opening the door, we saw a small platter of strawberries and chilled champagne. The room was very nice and spacious with a jacuzzi (executive king room). Our plans were to go shopping in Union, eat at a nice restaurant (Ana Mandara) and enjoy the night life of SF. We only completed the first two and enjoy the room instead of night life.

We would stay at this hotel again, not because of Mr. Flores recognized our special occassion and went the extra mile, but the overall service from staff. The hotel itself was very nice, of course, cozy and elegant. For future SF getaways, we would stay here versus our usual hotels.

Location was great, two blocks from Union Square. Safety was not an issue. Lots of people enjoying the weekend night life. We parked adjacent to hotel for $30 total per night.

Thank you again to Serrano Staff and Mr. Flores.

I'm usually very cynical about hotels and don't typically write to praise a hotel. This hotel breaks the mold and has impressed me to the point of writing a positive review.

The staff was incredibly friendly and professional: from the concierge acknowledgment to us as we walked in to the bellman remembering our names throughout the entire stay...we truly felt important. The rooms were very clean with plenty of room and plenty of amenities.

The staff was incredibly helpful with great food recommendations that were both affordable and close. They also were helpful in general San Francisco information.

This hotel bumps up against the tenderloin area, but I would never have guessed that there was ever any danger. My wife and i never once felt that we were in a threatening or uncomfortable situation concerning our safety.

My only complaint with the hotel is minor in that the toilet seat would not stay up as I tried to use the restroom...my wife found this trick useful :).

The Serrano Hotel was so good that my wife and I decided to call and book another Kimpton hotel when we return to San Francisco...We booked the Prescott Hotel.

Nothing but the highest praises for the Serrano Hotel, the staff, and the Kimpton properties.

I was a little nervous since my husband was convinced the Hotel would be in the Tenderloin and I was trying to point out that it was close to Union Square. When we pulled up in the taxi the Doorman grabbed our suitcase - asked us our name and escorted us to the front desk. The service was delightful and we were 2 little blocks from Union Square - Ha Ha! So it is a perfect location. It has a very European feel to it and the guests were mostly European. They have a "game theme" - there are games to play in the lobby + a check-in game which I missed. And they have toys to play with in the room -- cute. We were very satisfied with our stay and we would stay there again.

On our recent visit to the Bay area, we decided to try a different hotel every night. I'm partially glad we did this but also wish we had our complete stay at this excellent hotel.

We stayed at The Fairmont and upgraded to a Tower Signature Suite, we had a King Executive Room at the Hotel Rex and an upgraded room at Serrano. By far, we enjoyed the Serrano the most. Mr. Antonio Flores and the rest of the excellent staff made our stay much nicer with his personalized service.

Our arrival was early, nonetheless, our room was thankfully available. All requested amenities were honored, such as an upper floor with a view, feather pillows, etc. Mr. Flores made sure that there was a personalized welcome item, based on a discussion I'd had with him via email. Nobody else givers that level of service!

The hotel is on the cusp of the Tenderloin district but we had no issues and quickly learned to avoid walking in that direction. I felt completely safe in the immediate area around and within the hotel and in the direction of Union Square. The hotel is an easy walk to excellent shopping and transportation (giving easy access to the entire city). I was a bit surprised at the relative paucity of fine dining in the entire area, but this is no reflection on the hotel (and maybe I just didn't wander to the right spots).

Our room was large and the bathroom, with jacuzzi, had the best shower of all three hotels. I believe that this was the hotel that had Aveeda bath products, my personal favorite. Our room was clean, had free Internet access, and well lit. Emergency routes were well-marked. The only fault I could come up with is that it's impossible to get to the bathroom if the sofa bed is extended. But, being part acrobat, I was able to get there without waking my family.

The concierge was most helpful in arranging a last minute tour for us and ensured that it all went smoothly. He had great suggestions.

I really can't say too may good things about this facility and, even without considering the most reasonable room rate, Serrano beat out its competitors...hands down, including the upgraded Fairmont room.

I heartily recommend this hotel, regardless of travel budget. A final special thanks again to Mr. Flores.