Handlery Union Square Hotel

“Great location, would definitely stay again.”

Just returned from a lovely stopover stay. The staff were really helpful and friendly, after a long flight we were able to check in early which was really appreciated. The bed was really large and comfortable, good sized bathroom with bath and over bath shower We made use of the lovely pool whi... more

Just returned from a lovely stopover stay. The staff were really helpful and friendly, after a long flight we were able to check in early which was really appreciated. The bed was really large and comfortable, good sized bathroom with bath and over bath shower We made use of the lovely pool which got the sun for most of the day. The location was great, very central to union square, lots of lovely eateries nearby and very close to Powell street bart . Thanks, we had a great time.

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“Help in a crisis”

We can't thank the front desk staff at the Handlery enough. We had an urgent need to find accomodation for 8 nights after the hotel we booked let us down badly (but that's another review). Despite the Handlery being nearly full with guests attending a conference the front desk staff were able to ... more

We can't thank the front desk staff at the Handlery enough. We had an urgent need to find accomodation for 8 nights after the hotel we booked let us down badly (but that's another review). Despite the Handlery being nearly full with guests attending a conference the front desk staff were able to accomodate us. They also gladly allowed us to adjust our booking after a couple of nights as we were on the maximum rate as walk-ins. As first time visitors our initial encounters with San Francisco weren't great, but the Handlery has made us feel welcome and comfortable.

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“Expensive and risky if coming by car”

If coming by car consider staying somewhere else or check carefully the rules that apply and the cost! Nearly got my rental car towed away at check in. No information was given as to how to access the garage directly but instead I was told when I rang reception we could stop right outside the hot... more

If coming by car consider staying somewhere else or check carefully the rules that apply and the cost! Nearly got my rental car towed away at check in. No information was given as to how to access the garage directly but instead I was told when I rang reception we could stop right outside the hotel even though this was illegal! My wife had to move the rental car even though she was not insured to drive it. The garage cost came to 212 USD for three nights. It is valet parking only. Parking entrance is on O’farrell street. This info would have been good to have before arriving. When we arrived with all our luggage it was quite a hassle to get it all from the garage to the lobby. We were offered help and if you are not fit or willing to use the wheelchair elevator accept the help! The rooms we stayed in very quite noisy due to shallow walls and old windows, but ventilation was better than many other hotels we visited in the US. Very clean hotel, rooms and very service minded staff. No breakfast available in hotel. The homeless and drug addict situation around the center of San Francisco is a mess and this hotel is close to one of the worst streets (Ellis street).

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“Old and Tired with some Rude Staff”

I booked 13 days through Expedia, ...and paid in full When I checked in they wanted a security deposit.  I understand they want a deposit but $650 US (over $800 Canadian) was attached to my card.  There is nothing here to charge to your account!   There is no restaurant or room service! I am tr... more

I booked 13 days through Expedia, ...and paid in full When I checked in they wanted a security deposit.  I understand they want a deposit but $650 US (over $800 Canadian) was attached to my card.  There is nothing here to charge to your account!   There is no restaurant or room service! I am travelling with a deaf person who would like to use closed caption on the television.  The remote in the room was a generic (replacement)  one that worked so much as that you could use the power button, volume and channel.  (suitable for most people, .... but the closed caption button did not work.)   I went to front desk to inquire about a remote that would work.  I explained that I was with a deaf person and needed a remote that would activate the closed caption. The very rude guy replied that they could not help me, .. the maintenance guy that was there also said they didn't have any remotes that would work.   I said if you have 377 rooms with Samsung televisions, ... you must have at least one original remote.  NO! ... I was told again!   I said this is not acceptable, ... we are here for 2 weeks and my deaf friend can not even watch television.   His reply was that if I did not like it I should find another hotel! .He told me that since I had booked through Expedia, ...I should call them!     That evening I went down to the front desk again and spoke to another clerk. ..within a half hour I had a maintenance man at the door with a remote that worked!   The next morning the front desk manager called me regarding a call she had gotten from Expedia.   I told her that I had already worked out the remote problem the night before, ...and she apologized for the very rude clerk!   She then asked how we like the room, ... and I told her we really didn't.     The original room we were in faced the pool and was very loud on the weekend with children playing.  The door did not seal well and even with the door shut, ...it sounded like the children were screaming on OUR  balcony with the door open!   The view was not great,  ...peeling wallpaper, ... closet door falling off, ... mirror in bathroom falling off.  ... ancient smoke detector (in Canada they must be replaced every 10 years)  The whole room just felt neglected.     She then offered to move us to an outside room (city view) on a higher floor, ...to which I gladly accepted.   In the new room, ... she sent a snack basket and a bottle of wine which was much appreciated (but not expected)! The new room felt a lot more comfortable for sure, ... but not perfect by any means. ...the furnishings are worn and could use a good shampoo, ... the room is also very dusty!  (see attached pictures).  Don't perform an inspection with your white glove! Bed is comfortable but pillows could be better. The room is not sound proof by any means.  I can hear next door through a (locked) connecting door very clearly.   Also, ...every time someone goes out a door down the hall it bangs VERY LOUD (like a bomb going off!) ACCESSIBLITY To get to the "Premier" room that we got, ... you must walk down a long corridor to a set of (21) stairs. There is a very small freight elevator (that was out of order at least one night that we tried) Thank god it worked the first night with our suitcases! It was big enough for 1 person and 2 suitcases but had to be manually operated from the ground floor. (Fortunately there is another entrance (through the parking garage) that you can enter from O'Farrell street at ground level and access the elevator to your room. We use this enterance now) SAFETY Unfortunately, .... there is really nothing really for deaf guests.  When I enquired, ... they found a ADA kit for hearing impaired guests but the contents were pretty irrelevant.  Mostly geared to hard of hearing people, ... like an amplifier for the phone (who uses a land line anymore? :-) ) If an alarm was to go off, ... there is no visual signaling device inside the room (or in the hall) ... to alert a hearing-impaired guest to an emergency. They did have a strobe light that would alert you to a door knock but with the doors slamming in the hallway it went off all the time, making it useless. There is one grab bar in the bathtub on the back wall.  There is nothing to help get in and out of the tub.   The shower curtain rod is not made for this and could easily be pulled from the wall.   The only other grab is the towel holder and again it could be easily pulled from the wall. RATING At first I would have given this hotel 0 stars.  To be fair, ... it is probably a 3 star but I am going to give it 2 stars, ...mainly because of the first encounter with Mr Snotty at the front desk which caused me a lot of stress ...but also the safety and cleanliness of the rooms. After my first encounter with Mr Snotty, .... the rest of the staff have been awesome! CONCLUSION Personally I would l look for a better hotel. I think it is very over priced for the quality you get. The photographer for brochure was a genius! (Not accusing them of photo shop but... doesn't look like that now!) Don't worry if you already have booked, ... you can live with it!

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