The Allison Hotel

San Francisco Budget Review

417 Stockton near Sutter - Convenient To Union Square / Financial District

Recent Price Quote: $100 + tax

The Allison is in an O.K. but busy neighborhood which is very close to Union Square and relatively safe for this bustling part of town. This hotel is a little too close to the noisy Broadway auto tunnel. Parking is atrocious in this area and is generally unavailable except for public garages at around $16/night. However, this inn is very close to a wealth of public transit including cable cars. The hotel has undergone recent renovation, but has mostly smaller rooms. Allison's prices average about $100/night depending on season and number of guests in the room.

N. writes "I don't what everyone is complaining about The Allison Hotel is fine. I am a seasoned traveler and I have stayed at the Allison on a few occasions when its just a quick overnight visit. It is fine. Clean and comfortable and safe. The rooms are not luxurious but you pay for what you get. If you just want a place to rest your head and you plan to be on the go...its no problem. No a/c is great for me...its always cool in SF anyway and I'd much rather have fresh air. As far as noise...I'm a light sleeper and I've never had a problem but I've always been in back section of the building. Hey for a rate of $69 I say you can't beat it for location, security, and basic needs."

L. writes, "This hotel was awful! No a/c or even a ceiling fan; huge windows and our view was the alley below and the window of the building behind us! We listened to car horns (the tunnel was nearby) and drunks all night, then around 5 a.m., we had the "pleasure" of listening to the garbage trucks beneath our windows. There was nothing to put our suitcase(s) on, so we had to use the floor and hope there were no roaches. At 6:00 a.m., I was on the telephone calling around to try to find another hotel and this was no easy task since it was my first time in the city! The desk clerk was very curt with us when we informed him we were leaving, but we did not care!"

Gus writes, "The worst place I have ever stayed. Our room did not have 1 surface to place belongings. The trucks emptying garbage bins were obnoxious at 5 am, the service was terrible! We reserved a room with 2 queen beds and got a room with 1 and not a surface to be had. Our TV was placed on the top of the dresser and the remote control had the batteries taped into the back which kept falling out. The front desk has made it very clear they do not care about our comfort during our stay. Multilingual would be great if it included English! I asked the front desk manager that I would like to be moved to a quieter and larger room and he gave me directions to the nearest Laundromat. I could go on and on but I have to get out of this room before I go out of my mind!."

H.J. writes, "This is a convenient, clean older hotel with a (at least during our visit) large international clientele. At each morning's continental breakfast we were fortunate enough to meet a variety of interesting people. The hotel is very convenient to Union Square, Chinatown and Nob Hill areas. The hills are a bit much if you are not in shape for walking but it improves after a couple of days.

Hotel staff is very courteous and helpful. No A/C so windows must be open at night which leads to only complaints. Big, loud garbage trucks clang and bang at about 4:30 to 5;00am each morning on Stockton Street, and the doorman at the luxury hotel in the 500 block of Stockton loves to blow his whistle. He supposedly uses the whistle to summon cabs but I stood on the corner and watched him blast away when not a cab was in sight. This went on as late as 11:30 at night.

The noise took some getting used to, but we were sleeping with every window in our rooms wide open - no A/C as in most older SF hotels. After a day of heavy sight seeing I barely noticed the noise. Would recommend the Allison and plan to stay there again."

Our Rating="C"

417 Stockton @ Sutter