Fodor's Expert Review Beacon Grand
450 Powell St., San Francisco, California, 94102, USA
This 1928 landmark—renovated and reopened in 2022—welcomes guests in its ornate, high-ceilinged lobby and classically elegant rooms that come equipped with 21st-century tech amenities but evoke the hotel's heyday with gorgeously restored wood plank floors and plush white comforters. Together the lobby—decked out with chandeliers, Italian marble, and velvet furnishings—and wood-paneled library next to the mezzanine bar's grand fireplace bring to mind a half-restored Italian castle. Guests can look forward to the reopening of the legendary, top-floor Starlight Room.
PROS
- good 24-hour gym
- excellent Union Square location
- thoughtful, beautiful renovation of historic property
CONS
- classic rooms can feel cramped
- limited services for business travelers
- disappointing value for hefty destination fee
