Chasity P.
Google
The location is very convenient, but there isn't much within walking distance. But the air train did connect to the BART (subway), and after a bit of struggle and help, I figured out how to use the Clipper card with my Google Wallet. The hotel itself is beautiful, my room was immaculate, and the shower karaoke was 10 out of 10! Great acoustics. 🤣
Cons:
My expectation was that this was a hotel for traveling business people, but my room didn't have a kitchenette. So if I were to stay for a couple of weeks, I would have to eat every meal from a restaurant. Sometimes, it's nice to just come back to the room, have a sandwich, and not talk to anyone for 12 to 16 hours.
The hotel staff was a bit standoff-ish, but that could be the southern girl in me. Sometimes, we southerners lay it on thick and don't even realize that we're a bit extra when it comes to customer service. 🤣
My one actual complaint was how I was treated upon arrival. I had been brought in by a company as a speaker to a conference, but when I arrived at the hotel, there was not a credit card on file to check me in for incidentals. So I had to wait 2 hours in the lobby, after traveling for about 8 hours, for people from the company to come and check me in. The hotel staff should ask for a credit card for incidentals when the room is booked. Additionally, because of this snag, I fell asleep in the lobby. After some time, one of the hotel staff came over to me and asked me what my purpose for being there was. I said I was waiting to get checked in and explained the issue, I then showed her the text thread where I had been talking about the check-in issue with the company. Instead of verifying my claims in their computer system, she said, "You can't sleep in the lobby." Even though I clearly had a carry-on suitcase and a laptop bag right beside me. Although she walked away, I noticed that she and at least 2 other employees came through the area to observe what I was doing over the next hour. When the company representatives arrived to check me in, the desk staff acted surprised that I actually had a reservation.
So, I don't really appreciate that humiliating experience of being treated like a pariah. I think I even offered to show her my ID. I get that your hotel doesn't want to risk having unhoused people taking advantage of your lobby, but the staff could have easily verified my reason for being there if they had just looked up my reservation.