Melinda’s 3-star review:
Meh. I stayed here one night for a work conference, and I'm glad that I didn't extend more than the one night. The hotel itself is nice- I'm sure one of the 'nicest' in SF, but it just felt forced. The staff was very friendly and helpful, and the grand lobby is impressive, but other than that I wasn't impressed.
My room was pretty normal- nothing different than any other hotel I've stayed in. Except for the lumpy bed.... Yes, the bed was so lumpy on the left side (where I normally sleep) that I had to move to the other side of the bed. The bed had a distinctive body hole, where I'm assuming everyone for the past 30 years has slept in the same spot on this mattress. Please, oh PLEASE Fairmont, get new mattresses!
My bed was arranged awkwardly in the center of my room, against the wall. Looking back, I should have taken a picture, but it was just an awkward layout with the bed, desk, night table, and chairs positioned around the dresser and TV stand. I had come in on a flight from Houston, and was a bit tired after an 8 hour travel from my house, and laid down for a quick nap. During the 1 hour I was in the room, I was disturbed twice by room service asking if I wanted a turndown service, which I politely declined. I did find it odd that they would come by not just once, but TWICE in less than an hour to ask if I wanted turndown. I had the "do not disturb" sign on the door, so I'm not sure why they thought I would want to be interrupted.
The room and floor I was on was also very outdated. Besides the (I'm guessing) 30-year-old mattress, the bed had a chipped and broken headboard, the carpet in the room and the hallways looked extremely old, and the chair in my room was threadbare. Not exactly what I was expecting from a $400+/night hotel!
Finally, I realized that I'd eaten at the Laurel Court on my first trek in SF last year, and I was surprised to see that the front to the restaurant was still under construction! Maybe they're going for an "eternity under construction" look, but seriously, it looks awful to have a plywood entrance from the lobby. If finished, I bet it would look grand, but it was exactly the same as when I was here a year ago (November 2012) so I doubt they'll be finished any time soon.