Intercontinental San Francisco Hotel Review

The InterContinental San Francisco is a beautiful tower of translucent cool-blue glass windows. The tower's 32 stories are above the vibrant South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood, and is quickly becoming an easy to see San Francisco landmark.As the first new hotel in over two decades, it isn't surprising that InterContinental San Francisco is creating a buzz among both locals and tourists.

Located right next to Moscone Convention Center, the InterContinental hotel San Francisco is in an excellent location for both business and fun in San Francisco. With excellent business convenience to Moscone - the Intercontinental is also within easy walking distance of premium shopping areas—including the famed Westfield San Francisco Centre, trendy and upscale restaurants and nightclubs, and several excellent tourist attractions.

The InterContinental hotel in San Francisco has 550 guest rooms, including 14 suites. The standard rooms are not overly spacious, but considering the amount of time travelers spend in their hotel room this shouldn't matter. Suites are definitely larger and more extravagant.Beds are extremely comfortable and ensure a great night's sleep. Down bedding is used, but the hotel is happy to accommodate those with allergies. All rooms contain flat-screen plasma televisions, wi-fi Internet, I-Pod docking stations and coffee makers.

For the true players, try the 2,000 square foot two-floor Presidential Suite with amazing city skyline and bay views. The hotel feels intimate with only 22 guest rooms on each floor. The rooms are luxurious and elegant with rich wood and marble,contemporary art; sleek furniture, and high-tech amenities. But you will be bowled over by the floor-to-ceiling windows through which spectacular city and bay views add to your experience.

Some bathrooms contain these floor to ceiling windows and overlook area office buildings.Make sure you close the curtains before taking a trip into the bathroom to avoid any embarrassment.There's nothing quite like getting out of bed, stumbling to the bathroom for your shower and becoming the main show for a room full of business professionals!Marble bathrooms contain a glass-shower stall but no bath in many rooms.Guests love the luxurious fuzzy robes and slippers, as well as exotic toiletries from Czech Republic.

Extra charges can add up quickly. Parking will set you back $50 per night (previous guests recommend finding alternate parking options at nearby garages to save money), Internet access is $15 per day, in-room movies are $12 and expect to pay $8 or more for a pint of beer or over $10 for a mixed drink in the hotel bar. The mini-bar in the each guest room is no better.Expect to pay $8 for a bottle of water; the same bottled water that is given for free in the fitness center. The charges in the mini-bar accumulate even if you move an item, so be wary!

The InterContinental San Francisco features a 10-room spa offering exquisite treatments and signature experiences. The spa is staffed by a team of therapists skilled at graciously pampering guests. For a wilder workout, guests can enjoy the indoor heated lap-pool or adjacent fitness center. Water bottles and apples are provided compliments of the hotel.

The hotel's dining includes Luce Restaurant offering American style breakfast and lunch and transforming into a destination wine restaurant for dinner. Luce Restaurant's wine list features a wide array of wines to fit all budgets.Try the four-course vegetarian meal for $50 per person or the six-course meal with meat dishes for $70 per person.

Chef Dominique Crenn of France creates a scintillating menu using fresh produce and organic meats. Calamari stuffed with goat cheese is exquisite, and customers will love choosing the type of salt that their aged steak is seasoned with prior to grilling. Save room for the amazing "Study of Chocolate," a chocoholics dream collection of decadent treats that range from Chocolate Pot de Crème to Saffron Chocolate Mousse.Chef Crenn is also happy to prepare special dinners for two providing you notify the kitchen at least 24-hours in advance.

Luce Restaurant offers exceptional breakfasts.A platter of fresh berries and yogurt is perfect for a calorie conscious diner ($8) or try the scrumptious breakfast buffet for $25 per person.The breakfast buffet features egg dishes, applewood smoked bacon, hash browns and more!

The lobby features Bar 888 to get your cocktail on. Grappa is Bar 888's featured highlight. The popular Italian digestif is crafted from the grape pulp leftover after winemaking and can be quite potent at up to 80-percent alcohol (160 proof). Meant to stimulate digestive function, grappa enthusiasts admit it can contain quite a punch!Don't pass up the chance to try Grappa; you'll want to take a few bottles home with you.

The Intercontinental’s 43,000 square feet of meeting and function space includes two spectacular ballrooms and 21 meeting rooms on the 3rd, 4th and 5th floors, where flexible configurations provide for events requiring 400 to 1,600 square feet. The hotel's conference and banquet facilities all have natural light and are the most technologically advanced in San Francisco, equipped with capabilities for high-speed Internet access, ISDN lines, independent climate controls, and advanced security.

As San Francisco's newer hotel, travelers may experience some minor inconveniences. A handful of guests have complained that the staff is not totally comfortable in their jobs at this point, sometimes forgetting to help carry baggage or failing to answer the phone on a timely basis. Others have had absolutely no issues and rave over the service they've received. Needless to say, even if you do experience a problem, the hotel management strives to fix any problem quickly.

With room rates comparable to other luxury hotels, guests are quickly finding that InterContinental San Francisco is the place to stay. Everything is pristine, staff is friendly and the hotel's become the talk of the town for good reason.

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