Larkspur Hotel

San Francisco Review

The Larkspur generates more opinions than any other property at SFTravel! You will definitely get what you pay for at this place! Take a look at what our many readers say:

Our readers rave, "My mother and I visited this charming hotel in after a short cruise from Vancouver. We were welcomed by staff on the tour bus and told our rooms were ready despite the fact that this was long before check-in time. What a treat!!!

The rest of the four day stay was all pleasure. The complimentary breakfast, afternoon cookies and wine tasting were a delight. All requests from staff were promptly looked after. Our room was beautifully furnished and clean, but most pleasing was the comfortable bed. We would certainly visit there again...."

A reader writes in, "We had a very good stay at the Larkspur. The front lobby was a nice welcome. It was comfortable and contained a friendly mix of business travelers and European holidaymakers...presumably looking for the same reasonable prices we were. The look was elegant and the staff friendly. All small, comfortable scale.

We arrived early and used their upstairs lobby restroom that was one of the largest single user bathrooms I've ever seen. Maybe that's trivia, but I was impressed. At check-in time we took the small old-fashioned elevator up to our floor where the halls were freshly painted and carpeted. The look was old fashioned, which matched the building. We found our room very cute, with the sole complaint being that our window looked out on a wall. A very nice effort had been made to decorate the wall with flowers, but I would recommend anyone who really wants a view be very specific. The plus side was quiet and privacy. The room was spotlessly clean and was decorated with furniture that may or may not have been antiques, but were close enough for me. The carpeting and bedspread were new and cheery.

The air conditioning unit was an old-fashioned window unit, which may be noisy for some if they need to use it, but was fine for me for the little I had it turned on. We also had some clanking noise one night from the old fashioned heating, but only one night and only briefly. Otherwise the hotel was very quiet and I never heard any noise from the street out front. One of my favorite points was the window in the bathroom. I suppose this is a matter of taste, but I've always liked to have an window for light and air...and in this case it didn't hurt that we were looking out on a blank wall so no one could see in anyway (the window was frosted and only translucent when closed). The bathroom was perhaps slightly small by luxury standards, but very adequate, accommodated a full bath and was bright and clean. If you've never stayed anywhere but a cookie-cutter American style Holiday Inn, this may not be the place for you. But if you're a little flexible and have traveled a bit I think you'll appreciate the character, comfort and economy of the Larkspur."

A.R. writes, "The Cartwight Hotel is located rather centrally and is only a quick stroll away from Union Square. While the hotel offers good value for money - you would not expect a similar standard as in a 4 or 5 star hotel - this must not be your first choice if you are after a good night's sleep. It won't happen mate, that's guaranteed. The walls are probably made out of paper (possibly a thinner material), toilets seem to have microphones for better sound transmission in them, and indeed it is not difficult at all to overhear every word or sound for that matter (let your imagination go wild...) from not only your floor but also two or three floors above. For all car owners: pick up your car on time because although the front desk manager will reassure you that collecting it half an hour late, you'll pay big bucks again. Probably some deal the hotel has going with the parking operators on 750 Bush St. In brief, if you can afford more than $80-100 make sure you stay somewhere else."

Linda writes, "We had a wonderful experience. Our room featured new wallpaper, new carpet, new light fixtures, and it was very clean. The complementary daily wine reception was a nice treat, and the staff was courteous and helpful with theater & restaurant recommendations. Coffee and tea were available 24 hours a day in the library. We booked our double room on the Internet, and at $80 per night it was a true bargain. The location can't be beat; the cable car stops at the corner; theaters, restaurants and shopping are all close; and it's within walking distance from the BART station. If you don't eat breakfast at the hotel (a reasonable $8 per person) try Café Espresso on the corner for bagels, fruit, pastries and wonderful coffee. We would definitely stay at the Larkspur again."

"...The rooms aren't huge, but the room we had with 2 twin beds in the front corner with a bay window was actually plenty big enough for us to move around in. No, it wasn't "elegant" in so many words, but there was new wallpaper, window coverings and the bathroom had modern fixtures. New carpets are next to come. It was clean and actually became our sanctuary after a long jaunt around the city. We grew to love it! As far as the other areas of the hotel, the lobby was very nice and we especially loved the library. They always had coffee, tea and water on hand, as well as a bowl of apples. The breakfast was served in a large banquet room with cozy, round tables covered with table cloths. Real glass dishes and silverware. Very nice area to come to first thing in the morning. I found the staff to be quite friendly and accommodating. The location of this hotel was perfect. All in all, I will most definitely stay at the Larkspur Hotel again."

For genuine old world charm on Union Square stick with the Westin St. Francis or the Hotel California.

G.R. writes, "I found the hotel staff helpful and pleasant. They carried my bags to the room (which was on the 7th floor). For a 1920s-1930s building, I found it in very good shape. Sure, modern conveniences, like hiding exposed wires and pipes would be nice, but I thought it added to its old world charm. The room in front that we had was a little noisy, but that's expected of a big city. Overall, I found the hotel small, quaint, and pleasant."

A reader had a good time at the Larkspur, "My wife and I stayed there last week and found the Hotel to be conveniently located, the staff friendly (but so was everyone else in Cal.!) the room small but clean and comfortable. They even through in a wine reception on Friday night! I would stay there again in a minute. Also right around the corner on Bush is Le Central Bistro excellent food, nice atmosphere."

Two of our readers stayed here during Fall and wrote back with somewhat parallel experiences. J.R. writes, "At first I hated the room; but I would stay there again... The hotel was small but had a great location. My room was clean and comfortable, but small with no view except of another building's wall-- just five feet away... The bathroom was also small, although the closet was pretty big."

524 Sutter @ Powell