An excellent little boutique hotel, in some ways it is more like a bed and breakfast than a hotel. Definitely for those looking to get away from large charm-less chain hotels and who prefer something with character and quirks.

The location was fantastic, five minutes away from the centre of SF but in a quiet street with convenience stores, cafes and restaurants. It is a great base for a short stay in SF.

The rooms are small, clean and comfortable with, in our case, a tiny but functional bathroom. There was some noise from upstairs but no more than you would expect in an old building. The fireplace was excellent and warmed the room up; being able to open the windows was great to cool the room down again. Our room overlooked a small courtyard garden between two buildings so the room was private and light at the same time. The hotel serves wine and snacks in the guest lounge from early evening and breakfast is served overlooking a small courtyard in the morning.

The reception is only part time and you need to go next door to the White Swan when the Petite Auberge reception is closed (from early evening) – however, this did not present any difficulties. I do think they need to be a bit clearer about this arrangement on their website as this arrangement may not suit everyone.

We thought the hotel was great and good value, we would definitely stay there again.

Great for a couple. Stayed here four nights for a SF tourist visit. Very nice breakfast with lots of choices. Pleasant and convivial wine & hors d'vours hour. Great location. Negatives: can be very noisy (street noise) as you have to open windows for coolness and with late arriving / early leaving guests. If you want something off the beaten path, this is it. Other reviews are very accurate.

I'll start with what made this a great value for under $150 a night: Spacious room (on the quiet 5th floor), gracious staff, and comfy bed — plus the gas fireplace for taking the winter chill off. I'd recommend the Petite Auberge for a theater weekend or tourist visit to San Francisco. I made the mistake of booking it for a business trip, and it was just not streamlined enough. The tiny mirror on the inside of the wardrobe door — which didn't stay open unless you wedged it against the bed — was not what I needed to check what I was wearing, and the vintage wooden desk wasn't what I needed for a workspace. Lighting was dim. The location is in a neighborhood that's still transitional — I was with my male partner, or I wouldn't have walked on the street at night by myself (daytime is fine). The buffet breakfast offerings were varied and decent — both traditional breakfast foods and low-calorie options. (The only disappointment there is the tea — the water in the pre-heated container was not really hot enough, and had an off-taste that overpowered the teabag.) We were a bit miffed that our bill automatically charged us for a daily donation to a charity — giving us the option to donate, rather than forcing us to opt out would have been much classier.

My sister and I recently spent 4 nights here. This is definitely a European style hotel; small rooms, older building, no heat in the hallways, tilting and somewhat creaky floors. All that being said, we loved our stay and the charm of the place which is why we chose it. Would definitely recommend a room with a fireplace if your going during the colder months and also ask for a top floor room as we moved from our second floor location due to the ceiling above use creaking noisily every time the occupants above us walked across their floor.
The breakfast buffet and wine reception are very nicely done and set in the cozy space downstairs from the entry area. We didn't have a lot of interaction with the staff but everyone we encountered was very nice and helpful.
The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is the bed is probably one of the worst I've encountered in my travels. Every time one person or the other moves or turns over the entire bed moved and shakes and neither my sister nor I are restless sleepers. Needless to say, we did not have a restful night of sleep in our 4 days. The other slightly negative mark is the lighting is very difficult. They are using cfl's which I completely understand for environmental reasons but there are new, better models available. The lighting in the lamps over the beds cannot be dimmed so if you wish to read you feel like you're under a spotlight; the bathroom lighting is difficult until you let the lamps warm up to reach their full brightness. Other than that, would stay there again if they get new mattresses.