The Opal San Francisco

Hotel was decent and historic, aesthetically pleasing except for the stained carpet in the rooms and odd smells in the hallway. But bed and bathroom were clean, so it was passable. Was slightly noisy being on Van Ness Avenue, but being from NYC that didn't keep me awake. Staff were fair but didn't go out of their way. Still, a great bargain for the location. 3 buses right outside the hotel and a short walk to the California streetcar.

The Opal offers good value: a good location in walking distance from Civic Center, free Internet connection in rooms, a complimentary breakfast spread every morning (tea, coffee, juices, bagels, cereal, toast, cream cheese, butter, jellies, milk, and fruit), and free tea and coffee in the lobby during the day. Random talented guests also play the piano in the lobby at times, which was an unexpected pleasure! The people at the front desk are multilingual, friendly, and very helpful--as are the cleaning staff who were very responsive. My room smelled a little like cigarette smoke, which left a smell on my clothes, and aside from older, stained carpets, the rooms are clean. The sheets feel older too--you can feel the little fiber balls against your skin instead of smoothness, but if you're a traveler on a budget and not a finicky person, then the hotel is quite comfortable and pleasant. It's also conveniently located within a pleasant walk from the Civic Center BART station. I'd recommend it!

Business trip, not in the hotel much, very nice decorations in the lobby and close to a lot of the sights of San Francisco. The Staff was helpful in guiding me to some very unique photo op places.

My 2nd visit to San Francisco with family. Great price and good location. Minutes away of walking to bus stations. [...] the receptionist gave me suite room during my stay. Other reviewers complained about the parking. To me, it was alright. I only paid $23.10/ night including Tax. Free breakfast was very nice too. Definitely will come back to stay!! Highly recommended to everyone.

Opal is a very decent hotel, definitely value for money. The location is oke, however, one block away the neighborhood is pretty skechy. The room is absolutely perfect, a bit small though, but very clean. The thing that kind of bothered us were the thin walls, it sounded like our neighbors were having a conversation in our room. By the way, the breakfast is a rip off!

We stayed for a week at the Opal, for a combincation business/vacation trip. My husband has walking difficulties, and the location was great for him. The rooms are gorgeous, with large marble walk-in showers. We were moved after the first night to a smoking room, which was apparently a separate hotel at some time. Even so, the rooms were decorated & appointed the same, but not quite as elegant. The front desk staff was very accomodating & knowledgeable, and there were plenty of local maps & travel guides available at no charge. The morning breakfast is simple (coffee, teas, cocoa, milk, 3 kinds of cereal, plain bagels & a flavored bread) but adequate. My only complaint with the hotel is the bathroom amenities. There was no soap dish in either bathroom, and the shampoo comes in a small disposable envelope. No conditioner, and the same small envelope of body lotion. For a hotel of this caliber, they really should provide a soap dish and decent bathroom amenities. The hotel lobby is beautiful and a very pleasant spot to wait for a traveling companion or plan an outing. There are bus stops directly in front of and across the street from this hotel, on all sides. There are good restaurants within alking distance, as well as a great 50's-style diner attached to the hotel (think "American Graffiti"). All in all, a great locaiton, a comfortable room, and a friendly, helpful staff.

Clerk was helpful in getting me started on traveling SF. Room service was amenable, left a note and they responded in action if not words. Surprised they don't have razors though. Room was comfortable, spacious, and the hotel is indeed a gem as they claimed. ;) Breakfast is complimentary, simple but delicious. Hotel on a main street (Van Ness) that is a short bus drive to city hall, the Piers, and even the Moscone. 20-minute walk to Moscone myself. Had a good time and would go again!

PARKING GARAGE WAS SMALL AND VERY EXPENSIVE, HOTEL ROOM HAD ALOT OF MAINTENCE PROBLEMS, TILE IN BATHROOM GROUT WAS MISSING, PRICE WAS GREAT.

We were able to travel by bus to all locations very easily. We were close to all transportation. At night when we arrived we should have taken a bus from the Bart. The area we walked through was the Civic Area and it was beautiful during the day, but at night it became a hub for a few prostitutes and seedy looking individuals.

Easy check in. Basic Breakfast in the morning. Neighborhood was sketchy after dark.