Nightly rates from $66
Rate based on Check-in: Feb 26, 2012 Check-out: Feb 28, 2012
Hotel Overview
Reviewer score
3.6
out of 5
372 reviews
Great price, great staff

This hotel is in a spot where it is easy to get everywhere. One negative is that it is not in a... See full review

  • NYCJulie
  • Jan 27, 2012
Good hotel

Very clean and quite hotel. Service is very good. Also, very good breakfast. All in all, I will... See full review

  • stephenRen
  • Jan 26, 2012
Historic hotel and spacious suites -- walking distance to Union Square

Dating back to 1908, this five-story Union Square hotel still boasts the stained glass windows, period antiques and other decorative touches that hearken back to a simpler time. Rooms are clean and efficient; spacious work desks are popular among business travelers. Other amenities include a complimentary on-site fitness center and 24-hour coffee and tea service, as well as a complimentary breakfast buffet.

Highlights
  • Walking distance to shopping in Union Square
  • Historic architecture, decorative touches
  • 24-hour coffee and tea service
  • Complimentary breakfast buffet
Rooms

Each of The Opal's 164 guest rooms features central air and heat, cable television and complimentary high-speed Internet. (There's also free Wi-Fi in the hotel lobby.) Suites include small sitting areas with plush sofas. A handful of rooms have windows that look out onto the bustling Union

Features

The hotel has received a three-diamond rating from AAA and was selected as the Crescent Hotel and Resorts "Hotel of the Year" in 2008.

A baby grand piano welcomes visitors to the lobby of The Opal -- a public area decorated to invoke the way it looked when the hotel debuted in 1908. Elsewhere on the property is a 24-hour laundry facility (fees apply) and car rental desk (fees apply; rentals also can be facilitated by the concierge).

All guests have complimentary access to a state-of-the-art on-site fitness center. Guests also are entitled to a complimentary breakfast buffet every morning.

After a long day exploring the city, grab a milkshake and a tuna melt at the on-site outpost of Mel's Drive-In, a 1950s-style diner that has become a San Francisco institution. The restaurant is open 24 hours on weekends.

Transportation
  • San Francisco International Airport (45 minutes)
  • Oakland International Airport (40 minutes)
  • MUNI bus (5 minutes walking)
  • Cable car stops (15 minutes walking)
  • BART (18 minutes walking)
Attractions
  • Union Square
  • Theater District
  • Embarcadero
  • San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
  • AT&T Park
Policies and fees

Debit cards are not acceptable at check-in. Overnight Parking is available (fees apply).

This is not a comprehensive list of fees. Any amounts listed above may not include taxes and are subject to change.

Hotel Map

1050 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94109

Nearby airports
San Francisco International Airport, (SFO), 25.00, W, Mile; Oakland International Airport, (OAK), 22.10, NW, Mile
Area description
0 MI S San Francisco - SFO

Amenities

  • 24 Hour Front Desk
  • Air Conditioned
  • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Compliant
  • ATM/Cash Machine
  • City Center
  • Coffee Shop
  • Concierge Desk
  • Continental Breakfast
  • Electronic Door Locks
  • Elevators
  • Family Plan
  • Free Local Telephone Calls
  • Grab Bars in Bathroom
  • Guest Laundromat
  • Handicapped Rooms/Facilities
  • High-speed Internet
  • International Direct Dial
  • Internet Access
  • Maid Service
  • Parking
  • Public Address System
  • Restaurant
  • Safe Deposit Box
  • Smoke Detectors
  • Sprinklers In Rooms
  • Temperature Control

Dining

Mels Drive In Diner
Classic American Food - 1950 Diner

Hotel Policies

Check-in:
3:00 PM
Check-out:
12:00 PM

Terms and conditions

Rates quoted in currencies other than the hotel's base currency are subject to the rate of the international exchange. Rate may change throughout stay. Rate may reflect average nightly rate. Extra charges may apply. Incidental charges, such as room service, are not included in the rate.

The amenities and/or facilities may not be located at the hotel, but within a reasonable distance, and additional charges may apply for use.

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Guest Reviews (372)

Ratings and reviews for The Opal San Francisco

Overall score

3.6 / 5
372 out of 372
Amenities:
3.4
Room cleanliness:
3.9
Hotel staff:
4.1
Room comfort:
3.7
Location:
3.8
Value:
4

85% would recommend to a friend.

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Review this hotel
Review of The Opal San Francisco

Reviewer score

4
Johnny98349827
Business
Boston, MA, USA
Feb 8, 2012

Great Experience

Just about everything you could want in a hotel. Excellent location, quite despite nice central location, clean, no trouble checking in even just after midnight. The only thing I would change would be to enhance the (complementary) breakfast selection a bit. Still, there were carbs and protein, coffee and tea, so I can't complain too much.

Hotel features (5 = best, 1 = worst):
Amenities:
4
Room cleanliness:
5
Hotel staff:
5
Room comfort:
5
Location:
5
Value:
5
Trip purpose:

Business

Review of The Opal San Francisco

Reviewer score

4
dvmvet
Business
MN
Feb 8, 2012

friendly staff

Nice enough place, though not in the best area of the city. The gym, as in most hotels is rather poorly equipped with free weights, but the staff is very helpful, and they go out of their way to help. The breakfast is also OK. All in all, good value for the money.

Hotel features (5 = best, 1 = worst):
Amenities:
3
Room cleanliness:
4
Hotel staff:
5
Room comfort:
4
Location:
2
Value:
3
Trip purpose:

Business

Dining tip: Short walk from hotel

The thai restaurant on O'farrel street is about 200 yes away and serve good food

Review of The Opal San Francisco

Reviewer score

4
NYCJulie
New York, NY, USA
Jan 27, 2012

Great price, great staff

This hotel is in a spot where it is easy to get everywhere. One negative is that it is not in a very lively area. There aren't too many restaurants, bars, shops etc immediately around the hotel, that's a negative in my opinion but not a deal breaker. Mel's diner is connected to the hotel, so you do have that option. We walked to Union Square (about a mile) and to Haight Ashbury (about 2.5 miles) from the hotel but there are also buses right outside the hotel door. The staff really makes this place, they are so helpful and accommodating. They gave us restaurant tips, printed something for us, transportation tips, etc. And for a free breakfast, its pretty darn good! We ate it early on before a nice brunch out. You have to eat breakfast out in San Fran, they do brunch very well in this city. The hotel itself is old (in a good way, lots of history, etc) and cute. The rooms are small but clean and comfortable. I will stay here again when I return to SF and I would recommend it to others.

Hotel features (5 = best, 1 = worst):
Amenities:
3
Room cleanliness:
4
Hotel staff:
4
Room comfort:
4
Location:
3
Value:
5
Review of The Opal San Francisco

Reviewer score

4
stephenRen
Business
Xi'an, shaanxi, china
Jan 26, 2012

Good hotel

Very clean and quite hotel. Service is very good. Also, very good breakfast. All in all, I will stay this hotel again if I visit San Francisco again in the near future.

Hotel features (5 = best, 1 = worst):
Amenities:
4
Room cleanliness:
5
Hotel staff:
5
Room comfort:
5
Location:
4
Value:
5
Trip purpose:

Business

Review of The Opal San Francisco

Reviewer score

3
some unique name
Santa Cruz, CA, USA
Jan 22, 2012

Average 2-3 * hotel

The hotel is somewhat dated and showing its age. The rooms are large enough and lucky for us we got a room away from the noise of the main streets. Downside was the shampoo given was an extremely small container (not enough for two) and on top of that was fairly poor quality. We needed to shower again when we got home. The staff was friendly and helpful. The included breakfast was minimal.

Hotel features (5 = best, 1 = worst):
Amenities:
2
Room cleanliness:
4
Hotel staff:
4
Room comfort:
4
Location:
3
Value:
4
Review of The Opal San Francisco

Reviewer score

3
Fancy Food Show
Business
Jacksonville Beach, FL, USA
Jan 19, 2012

Fancy Food Show

It was a really good value when Hotels in the city were going for three times this amount during the Fancy Food Convention.

Hotel features (5 = best, 1 = worst):
Amenities:
2
Room cleanliness:
3
Hotel staff:
5
Room comfort:
3
Location:
3
Value:
4
Trip purpose:

Business

Review of The Opal San Francisco

Reviewer score

3
RWCI
Business
Nashville, TN
Jan 19, 2012

Business Hotel

The Opal is an older but very clean and comfortable property. Although the hotel is 2 - 3 miles from downtown a 10 minute cab ride is very convenient. The staff at the Opay will go out of their way to make you feel at home and meet your needs. Mel's Diner adjoins the hotel property and has a great menu variety at reasonable prices. Be sure to try their burgers and milk shakes.... mmmmmm...

Hotel features (5 = best, 1 = worst):
Amenities:
3
Room cleanliness:
4
Hotel staff:
5
Room comfort:
3
Location:
4
Value:
5
Trip purpose:

Business

Review of The Opal San Francisco

Reviewer score

4
Chevic
Hawaii, USA
Jan 17, 2012

Cozy Classic

The Opal provides that 'old-time' feeling at a great price! It's a little distance from the bustling downtown, but easily accessible by bus. The staff was very friendly. The only draw-back, being an older hotel, was that you could hear your neighbor's room, but it wasn't a deterent that would keep us from re-booking for another weekend.

Hotel features (5 = best, 1 = worst):
Amenities:
3
Room cleanliness:
4
Hotel staff:
4
Room comfort:
4
Location:
3
Value:
5
Dining tip: Short drive from hotel

Go to Crustasions on Polk Street for a Great dinner! Try their house specialty - their Crab!

Review of The Opal San Francisco

Reviewer score

3
NoParkingInSanFran
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Jan 17, 2012

Old but descent

Overall the hotel stay was a pleasant experience, however the room had a funny smell. It's an old hotel and the room kinda smelled an old folks home but it went away for the most part after opening the window for a couple minutes. We had a King bed and the room was big enough. Bathroom was very small however, you had to close the door behind you in order to get to the sink. The continental breakfast was one of my favorite things, they had a pretty good spread. Overall it's a pretty good deal. Be prepared to pay $30 a day for hotel parking because San Fran has no parking anywhere unless its a garage or meter.

Hotel features (5 = best, 1 = worst):
Amenities:
4
Room cleanliness:
3
Hotel staff:
5
Room comfort:
3
Location:
4
Value:
3
Review of The Opal San Francisco

Reviewer score

5
Alissa
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Jan 9, 2012

SF

We'll definitely choose the Opal the next time we visit the city. Everything was great. The only minor complaint I have is that the bed was a little hard. After a few nights, I was quite sore. But the staff was very friendly and accommodating! See you all soon!

Hotel features (5 = best, 1 = worst):
Amenities:
4
Room cleanliness:
4
Hotel staff:
5
Room comfort:
3
Location:
4
Value:
5
Dining tip: Short drive from hotel

Try Eureka in the Castro, it's delicious! Make a reservation because it was packed. Make it for nine, show up early and pop in to the bar next door (midnight sun) for two-for-one drinks.

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