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#110 of 239 hotels in San Francisco
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Value
The Herbert Hotel is a small historic hotel located on the Powell Street Cable Car line at legendary Union Square, San Francisco, California. Newly designed and renovated, the hotel offers style, location and affordability unmatched in the city center. Conveniently located in the heart of the city, the Herbert is a short walk from San Francisco's many attractions. Restaurants, shops galleries and theaters are just outside our door. Moscone Center, Chinatown, the Museum of Modern Art and the world's most fabulous stores are a short walk away. Our 99 guest rooms are newly designed and renovated. All of our rooms come with high speed internet access. We offer suites and single rooms at affordable prices as well as double and triple connecting rooms that are ideal for families. Offering modern hotel amenities and a classic San Francisco hotel, The Herbert is ideal for families as as well as business and leisure travelers. Enjoy the comfort of clean and well-equipped accommodations at a fraction of the price of typical downtown San Francisco hotels. Make a reservation today!
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Quiet
Centrally Located
Languages Spoken
English
Location
161 Powell Street, San Francisco, CA 94102-2291
The Herbert Hotel
1,538 reviews
Getting there
Great for walkers
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Just stayed 4 nights and the staff was friend and when I complained that the window could not lock it got fixed the same day.
It must also be mentioned that I paid $500+ per night for a room the generally sell at $75; so 3 stars is the best I can do.
Clean room, shower working but the bed too soft. This is a 2 to 3 stars hotel.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Jordan Buckley, General Manager at The Herbert Hotel
Responded Aug 26, 2020
We are so sorry that your window was not working properly upon arrival. We inspect every room before arrival and make the best effort to ensure all rooms are in complete working order. I am glad we were able to repair the window quickly for you. The rates do fluctuate and during a peek period our rates can get quiet high but we always ensure that we are one of the most competitive rates in our neighborhood during any period.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Our niece booked us into the Herbert for 5 nights. My rating is based on the fact that it is advertised as a basic, no-frills hotel and that is what you get. Room was small, but adequate - there was a rack with hangers for clothes, an iron and ironing board, TV, hair dryer in the bathroom. Shower good. WiFi was OK. We would have appreciated a kettle for hot drinks and hooks in the bathroom. Our visit was in November so lack of Aircon was not an issue. We were able to ask the housekeeping staff for fresh towels and sheets. Location is its best asset - lots of eating and shopping options nearby and very good for public transport.
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Date of stay: November 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Check in is at the Hotel Stratford, 100 yards north on Powell. For good coffee and pastries check...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I love the Herbert Hotel. It's clean, simple rooms are welcoming and comfortable. Situated in the centre of Union Square, it is convenient to restaurants, theatres, stores, the cable car and the railway station. I can't wait for my next visit to San Francisco!
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Date of stay: February 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed at the Herbert Hotel for six nights in March. The price per night, at the time was good in comparison to other hotels, but in reality for the price you'd be better to stay at an Air Bnb. I generally prefer to stay at a hotel for safety, service, cleaning, etc. This hotel doesn't offer any of that.
The building is old and historic. The lobby would be quite cute if there wasn't about an inch of dust on all of the photos and the stacked suitcases that serve as decoration.
First, the room, it's definitely shabby chic. We had a room with a queen bed and its own en suite bathroom. The room is large but there is nowhere to put any of your clothes, toiletries, etc. There is a VERY large closet but it had four hangers and no shelf. There is a small counter that is attached to the one wall (although not very securely) that has a kettle. But that's it. So we had to just open our suitcases on the floor and live out of them. There is a safe in the closet. It's not large enough to hold even a small laptop and there are no directions for how to set the code, so that involved about three phone calls to the reception desk of the hotel down the street.
When we booked, I realized there wouldn't be any day-to-day cleaning but I didn't realize this also meant we had to take our garbage out of the room each day, walk down the street to the other hotel to get towels, toilet paper or anything else we needed replenished, and honestly by day three, the sink, mirror, etc. were dirtier than we would ever let our bathroom at home get, but there are no cleaning supplies provided. Which is why I say, if you are going to stay here for one or two nights, it's fine, but I think after three nights they should offer a free room clean up. You can request the room be cleaned but it costs $50 each time and must be booked 24 hours in advance.
The hallways smell "burnt." There is definitely some sort of chemical smell to the place. It doesn't come in to the rooms but it's not very nice.
Finally, on the weekend, the hotel was much fuller. Friday night and Saturday night we barely got any sleep as the people above us were having a party until about 4am each night. There is no staff onsite at the hotel so there's no one to enforce any rules.
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Date of stay: March 2022
Value
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Jordan Buckley, General Manager at The Herbert Hotel
Responded Sep 13, 2022
Sorry that you did not have the stay that we would have liked you to have. We make every effort to try and have the common areas of the hotel feel fresh and clean. We have housekeepers assigned to the common areas through out the day and we give the hallways two deeper cleanings a day. We do not have staff onsite but we have 24 hour front desk who can assist with any noise issues you are having. Also we do patrol the hotel through out the day to make sure nothing is disturbing the guest and that the hotel is secure. Each room is provided with a folding luggage rack. If you do not have one for some reason, please let us know and we can provide one for you. Daily cleaning is an option but that does cost more. We recommend booking through our website if this is something that you would like to take advantage of. Each room is provided with paper bags, if you need to dispose of garbage there is a garbage room on each floor or you may place the bag outside your room in the morning and someone will pick it up for you. For any used towels you can also put them in a different bag and place it in the hallway to be collected. If you need fresh towels or toilet paper it can be delivered to your room but we recommend this is arranged in advance as we tend to deliver all the rooms needs at once. If you need any items immediately we do recommend you stop by the front desk where we can provide them to you.
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Don't believe the website, it is misleading!!!! I booked a room with a private bathroom and got a room with a shared bathroom. When I showed the staff the website, which clearly shows a photo of a much nicer room than the one we were given and a private bathroom showing as part of the room, their response was "that's what you booked". We left that day and am now paying top dollar as a walk in booking at another hotel. As first time visitors to San Francisco The Herbert quickly destroyed our enjoyment of this city.
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Date of stay: May 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Not suitable for families
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I recently stayed at The Herbert hotel and I have to say that my stay was very unpleasant since the moment I arrive.
Upon check in I asked the front desk agent for a bell cart, as you guys have no parking or bell man. I had to do 4 trips from the parking structure!
The front desk agent also only have me one key to get in the front of the Hotel Herbert. I called and informed that I needed another key for my partner and the agent told me that I had to go all they way back to the other hotel Stratford which is a block away because check in is not at The Herbert Hotel!
You would think that the front desk would go out their way to deliver the key after no help was offer with the bell cart.
Another key of information that your front agent should do is inform your guest about the rooms not being service and an additional charge which is not stated on the reservation $60. Additionally they never gave me any information of hotel amenities and I had to call again for wifi information.
And also every time I asked for a manager they told me that no one was available!
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Jordan Buckley, General Manager at The Herbert Hotel
Responded Sep 13, 2022
We are so sorry that you did not enjoy your stay with us. It is true that we do not have a bellman or a bell cart at our property. There is parking near by but since the hotel was built in 1909 it does not have a parking facility inside it. At check in, when we provide you the keys please let us know how many you need so we can prepare them for you. We are not a heavily staffed hotel and because of this it is not always possible to bring things to the room. We do have a 24 hour front desk which keeps most supplies and can assist you with creating replacement keys or giving you information about the area. We make it very clear on our website that rooms are not cleaned daily. If you would like this service you can book a daily cleaning package on our website or have a cleaning done for an additional $50 during your stay. The Wifi information is provided on your key packet when you arrive and also on the key packet is a QR code which gives you access to our in room guide. Because of our simplistic operation we do not have a manager on duty 24 hours. Usually there is someone from management available once a day. We understand that the Herbert Hotel is not for everyone but we try very hard to represent ourselves accurately and strongly recommend to call with any questions in advance and book through our website.
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The Herbert is a great budget hotel for a quick solo stay. It's a small hidden gem in very central Union Square. The rooms are quiet and clean, basic amenities, friendly staff! The hallways could use a little pick me up, as they have a very old and outdated feel, however the rooms are modern, rustic and functional. I'll be recommending this hotel to anyone who is in town for a quick solo or couples stay.
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Date of stay: January 2020
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Rooms facing the back are quiet
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Great hotel great location Starbucks across the street lots of cafe too. Very safe lots of security cameras. Check in was easy no deposit.cleen room hot water.weather good 58 in the morning.beds ok fan nice.wfi tv. Lots of towels.great place to stay
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Date of stay: September 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Take the train better parking expensive
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I recently finished up a week long stay at the Herbert Hotel and figured it would be useful to recap my experience there to help future travelers down the road.
Herbert Hotel is an ex-residential hotel (which actually still has at least five residential tenants, scattered around the building) that likely dates from a few years following the early 1900's San Francisco Earthquake. Because it's an older building, there's no air conditioning on hot days and on cold & foggy days (which can happen especially during summertime), you're at the mercy of whatever heat the little radiators in the room might be putting out (or not).
For my stay, I was put into a room facing Powell Street during a rare hot spell in San Francisco. These will be the rooms that end with the numbers "00", "01" and "02". Unfortunately, Powell Street is very lively (and incredibly noisy) at all hours of the day or night. If I closed the windows to try to block out some of the noise, the room got incredibly stuffy very quickly, and if I opened the windows, the sheer noise at 2, 3, 4 a.m. ended up waking me up very frequently and resulted in me having a terrible night's sleep across most of the nights of my stay. There was a ceiling fan, but it was very small and surprisingly very ineffective at circulating any air in the room. I **highly** recommend bringing a sleeping mask (to block out street lights) and earplugs (to block out the noise). Some other hotels provide these, but Hebert doesn't (and they should).
If you're super sensitive to noise, I'd recommend trying to score a room on the South side of the building, which faces away from Powell & O Farrell Streets.
The rooms appear to be incredibly bare bones (no decorations or thoughtful accents at all). You'll find a safe in the closet, a little table and a little chair in addition to remote control for the little TV mounted on the wall in the room. My room did have an "en-suite" (bathroom), and in the bathroom there are big, wall mounted bottles of handwash, body wash and shampoo. The "conditioner" bottle appeared to have the exact same substance as the shampoo. I had to ask one of the maids to bring washcloths as my room didn't come with any by default.
There's a luggage room on the 2nd floor where you can store your bags for a short while before or after your stay. There's also a "lounge" available where you'll find laundry machines, a kitchen sink and microwave, a chess board, plus a vending machine which ended up only eating quarters and never dispensed any beverages for me. Herbert doesn't come with any breakfast, but there are plenty of food options within a 1 - 2 minute walk all around the hotel.
To summarize, the big pluses about the Herbert were: it's cheap (my stay was about $160 per weekday night, which is dramatically less expensive than any well known chain hotel in downtown SF) and it's very central -- you can get pretty much anywhere via BART or MUNI bus or cable car from close to the Herbert. The negatives of my stay (the uncomfortable room, lack of any useful amenities) made me realize that I'm only going to want to use Herbert as a "hotel of last resort" next time I need to stay in downtown San Fran. Nearby and similarly priced hotels that you might want to consider include Hotel Fusion, or I'd consider Grant Plaza or the unique Hotel Des Arts.
If you find my notes and pictures helpful, definitely vote “helpful” below and help to motivate me to continue to contribute to TripAdvisor. Have a great stay in the area!
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Date of stay: April 2016
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled on business
Room Tip:south side rooms don't face noisy streets
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Have stayed in numerous San Fran hotels across all price points over the years and this has been the best. Room was huge, bed super comfy, and bathroom pristine. I love an open window and despite it location on it was quiet. Laminated floor was a bonus.
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Date of stay: November 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia35 contributions10 helpful votes
Hotel does not provide any parking but this being San Francisco, there are parking lots all around the area. Rates run from $20-30 a night and some lots have different in and out criteria.
There are more places to choose from in the San Francisco area.
PRICE RANGE
C$94 - C$169 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
herbert hotel san francisco
LOCATION
United StatesCaliforniaSan FranciscoDowntown San Francisco / Tenderloin / Downtown / Theater District / Union Square
NUMBER OF ROOMS
99
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect nightly room rates, including any mandatory fees. Taxes not included. Please see our partners for more details.
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The Herbert Hotel - UPDATED 2024 Prices, Reviews & Photos
Frequently Asked Questions about The Herbert Hotel
Which popular attractions are close to The Herbert Hotel?
Nearby attractions include San Francisco Magic Theater at the Marrakech (0.3 km), San Francisco Urban Adventures (0.2 km), and San Francisco Playhouse (0.3 km).
