Powell Place Reviews

Powell Place is in the perfect location on Nob Hill. Explore the city by foot or take the cable car. I have been going to San Francisco for the past 25 years and always enjoy staying at Powell Place. You will feel like you are in a private club with access to inside information about the best places to dine and how to enjoy the city as San Franciscans do. Powell Place is superbly maintained and is clean and welcoming. Be prepared to enjoy going up and down the steep hills that make San Francisco a delightful place to visit.

This is a clean and comfortable property in a great location, staffed by very friendly and knowledgable people.

The rooms are decent sized and have good kitchens. Nice decor. We took some of our wedding photos here.

No elevator to some of the rooms, and no bellman on duty during our rather late check- which meant we had to carry our own bags up stairs to the 3rd floor, on one of our stays.

Wireless Internet is not free, but fairly priced and works well. Bring your own laptop.

Overall recommended. I still prefer the San Francisco Suites next door (for the one-of-a- kind concierge staff and the better kitchen facilities), but Powell Place seems to me to be more modern, more up-to-date, just "newer" in some hard to explain way, which some people prefer. When I can't get into the SFS, I stay at PP and never had have a bad experience.

While the location makes one huff and puff up and down nob hill (Tip, buy a PASSPORT which will allow you to ride cable car up), This is an impeccable resort. A true city-heart location close to all things SF and union square. The staff are amazing and management has delivered the same exquisite service year after dependable year. If I didnt already own a gazillion timeshares, I'd buy this one!!!

UPDATE 8/17/05 : We loved it so much on our recent trip (exchange) we DID "BUY THIS ONE" !

UPDATE 05/07/2006 : Also worth noting is the quality of service. As most readers will know, timeshares traditionally provide 1 midweek or maybe 2 cleanings. Not at this resort !!! You get daily maid service, TWICE (2nd time is for turndown, and chocolates on pillows!). Management and staff has been the same folks for 20 years... that's continuity !

We were former owners here and really regret selling our week! Every visit was enjoyable; we have many fond memories of visits with and without our kids along (they were quite young when they first joined us).

Location is the best you'll find in the city-- walkable to just about everywhere. Don't bring a car if you can help it, as it's more convenient / inexpensive without one.

Amazing restaurants everywhere, friendly and attentive service from front desk and housekeeping staff-- we are always looking to go back. The timeshare is impeccably maintained, furnishings are comfortable. Really has the feel of a boutique hotel. A unique and romantic experience!

WE JOINED A CLIENT IN SAN FRANCISCO, FELL IN LOVE WITH "SAN FRANCICO'S POWELL PLACE" , BECAME OWNERS AND HAVE TRAVELED UNRESTRICTED EVER SINCE. THIS IS A "WARM WORLD CLASS RESIDENCE ", "NOT A FACTORY RESORT"!! A VERY RARE ELEGENCE!!

Stayed at Powell Place for three nights. As an owner, I am allowed to divide a week up into two parts as long as one stay includes a Friday and Saturday night. The resort is located at the top of Nob Hill with both the Powell Street and California Street cable cars running past or close by. It is difficult to get on the Powell Street cable car as it is usually loaded with tourists.

The unit was a Carnelian unit--a one bedroom unit. The bedroom had a king size bed and ample room to spread things out. The bathroom was just the right size. The living room contained a queen size sofa bed and was quite comfortable. The kitchen area, while not a full kitchen, contained a microwave, fridge-freezer, two hot plates, coffee maker and toaster. The partial kitchen was great for breakfasts and late night snacks.

There is a good food market five blocks down California Street (you can take a cable car) called Cala Market. Apply for a Cala card and you can get a discount on your food purchase. If you return to San Francisco you can use the Cala card again.

Chinatown is two blocks east of Powell Place down California Street. Union square is three blocks away and Market Street is seven blocks down (an easy walk down but a not so easy walk up). The last two blocks up Powell to the timeshare are challenging.

The last person out of the resort must leave the key at the front desk. There is daily maid service and turn-down service at night. The people at the front desk are very nice and the resort is small and quaint. My wife much prefers Powell Place to the Manhattan Club, which was a disappointment.

In the room we stayed at, the kitchen and living area faced Powell Street. To some, the ringing of the cable cars late at night is soothing while to others it may be a bother.

The transit system is so good that I wouldn't bother with a car. Parking is expensive and in/out priviledges don't exist. San Francisco is not a place to drive a car. BART and a MUNI pass should cover most of your needs.

All in all, the resort was clean, central, and roomy. Don't expect a fancy pool or a schedule of activities. Powell Place is an urban timeshare. Step outside your door and the fun begins.

We really enjoyed exchanging to this resort. I would consider this a boutique hotel; it was very small, and the staff knew who you were. The location was great. The maids provided excellent service, with turn down service and fresh roses at your bedside. This resort did not have anything in the way of amenities, but with the city right out your front door, nothing was really necessary.

I would choose to give this resort a 4 1/2 star rating if I could. It deserves a high rating mostly for its wonderful location. It's right on the trolley line - step outside your door and hop on! It's on one of those really steep hills which gives it a great San Francisco flair/ambiance. You could walk down to Union Square and downtown quite easily, but please, take the trolley back up! The resort is an older resort although it is very well kept. (I personally prefer the turn of the century feel found at this resort.) The units are fine and spacious, especially for San Francisco standards. Don't expect a glamorous "knock you off your feet" resort with all sorts of amenities, because what you have here is a downtown location at a very comfortable and homey "inn". In my opinion, a superb choice for any San Francisco stay.

Wonderful location right on trolley route and walking distance to the heart of the city. It's old but that adds to the ambience, does not have air conditioning and we unfortunately experienced some very warm weather for SF which made it a little uncomfortable.

Unit was clean and had daily maid service which was very nice. Staff was friendly.