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Hotel Drisco: Traveller Reviews

3.5 of 5
2901 Pacific Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94115
Hotel amenities
Hotel Drisco
Ranked #2 of 239 hotels in San Francisco
5.0 of 5 stars 593 Reviews
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593 reviews from our community

What travellers say about this hotel
  • Very nice(10)
  • Dining room(7)
  • Fresh fruit(4)
  • Pacific Heights(4)
  • Cheese receptions(4)
  • City view(4)
  • Fillmore street(4)
  • Other guest(3)
  • Evening wine(3)
  • Top floor(3)
Traveller rating
    487
    76
    14
    12
    4
Only show reviews for Family (80) | Couples (306) | Business (71)
Date Rating
Breaux Bridge, Louisiana
Senior Contributor
45 reviews 45 reviews
Reviews in 26 cities Reviews in 26 cities
17 helpful votes 17 helpful votes
“Beautiful and comfortable, great service”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 7 February 2012
1
person found this review helpful

I am generally wary of staying at hotels that call themselves "boutique" because this is too often a euphemism for small and run-down. The Drisco is a wonderful exception. The lobby and sitting areas downstairs are elegant and inviting, as are the rooms. I hadn't asked for a room with a view, but I could see the Bay, the Presidio, lots of interesting houses, and a little corner of the Golden Gate Bridge. Everything was just about perfect: the bed, the bathroom, the amenities, the free wireless, the breakfast, the wine and hors d'oeuvres in the evening, and especially the courteous and helpful staff. The only reason some travelers might not want to stay here is that it's quite far from San Francisco's excellent subway/light rail system. But taxis are readily available, as are inexpensive airport shuttles. And walking in Pacific Heights and surrounding areas is fun as long as you don't mind hills. After one short visit the Drisco has become one of my favorite hotels.

  • Stayed November 2011, travelled on business
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask AssimilatedCajun about Hotel Drisco
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
John Spear, General Manager at Hotel Drisco, responded to this review
9 February 2012
Dear Guest,

Thank you for your very kind comments. You are absolutely correct that our location should be a consideration when choosing to stay at the Drisco. If you are interested in stepping out your door and having all manner of attractions (shopping, dining, cable cars) within a few steps, there are some nice hotels in the Union Square area we can recommend to you. However, if staying in a peaceful neighborhood filled with elegant homes away from the hustle and bustle of downtown appeals to you, there is no better choice than the Drisco. When it comes time to shop and dine, we are just a few blocks' walking distance from the delightful Sacramanto, Union, Chestnut and Fillmore Street districts. And if you are venturing farther afield, we offer complimentary chauffeur service on weekday mornings, neighborhood parking is free and plentiful if you have your own vehicle, and two of the major North-South and East-West bus lines come within two blocks of the hotel.

Thank you so much for staying with us!

Kind Regards,

John Spear
General Manager
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
“An English experience with great service!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 4 February 2012 via mobile
2
people found this review helpful

Unmatched in respect, personal care, and quiet surrounding in my 23 years of travel in the US for a mid size hotel. This place used to be a boarding house for the rich and famous mistresses a hundred years ago, today it stands charming and elegant very much like an English boarding house. The staff and the guests (some of them stay for long periods) are courteous and dignified. Quiet, clean, and first class personal service. The receptionists paid extreme attention and responded on every encounter. Complimentary Breakfast also include cold meats, yougurts, and variety of jams, in a den like cozy atmosphere, tea room (24 hour complimentary tea and coffee) is marvelous. Decor is elegant and early 20th century British. Drisco is fully renovated but looks and feels old world. My room was spacious with large and luxurious bathroom. My bedroom was equipped with sound box with meditative sounds, MP3 player box, and modern audi/visual gadgets and a large flat screen TV. It had a great view of San Francisco. This is a great quiet place to rest on top of Pacific Heights. There are daily personalized (complimentary) to Union square and other locations. Disco is a go-back-to place!

  • Stayed January 2012
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask Farhad21 about Hotel Drisco
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
John Spear, General Manager at Hotel Drisco, responded to this review
9 February 2012
Dear Guest,

I am so pleased you noticed all our little English touches! I used to travel to London frequently and have lived there in the past as well. As an admitted Anglophile, it just didn't seem civil to me to offer currant scones at breakfast without also offering clotted cream and lemon curd. Our guestroom closets would be incomplete without a long-handled shoehorn and a brolly (umbrella). And even though we do not serve our tea according to proper English custom, we do offer twelve varieties of high quality whole leaf tea in our Sitting Room 24 hours a day. And, in the near future, our suites will be outfitted with mahogany Oxford Valets.

Thank you for your very kind comments. I look forward to welcoming you back.

Kind Regards,

John Spear
General Manager
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Seattle, Washington
1 review
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“Amazing Hotel!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 3 February 2012
1
person found this review helpful

My husband and I stayed at the Hotel Drisco in January for our elopement to City Hall. When we arrived, we found that the staff had upgraded our one-bedroom suite to a suite with a city view. We walked into our gorgeous room, with fresh fruit and chocolate cookies waiting for us, and saw the city view looked right at City Hall! It was perfect. Throughout our stay, the staff went above and beyond our expectations. They brought me a steamer so that I could steam my dress, brought us chocolate truffles on our wedding day, and we think they even polished the rails out front in anticipation of the wedding photos taking place. The location was ideal -- right in the middle of an upscale neighborhood. We absolutely loved the breakfast and the happy hour (all complimentary). The breakfast was a great way to start our day and head out into the city, and then we would head back to the hotel for wine in the early evening, and then head back out on the town at night. All the little touches made us feel really welcome and at home. We look forward to celebrating our anniversary here for years to come.

  • Stayed January 2012, travelled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask Camille D about Hotel Drisco
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
John Spear, General Manager at Hotel Drisco, responded to this review
9 February 2012
Dear Newly-eloped,

I promise that we will polish the brass rails out front every time you come back for your anniversary! Thanks for staying with us, and see you next year!

Kind Regards,

John Spear
General Manager
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New York City, New York
Senior Reviewer
10 reviews 10 reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
“Worldclass boutique hotel”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 3 February 2012

Hotel Drisco is the PERFECT place to stay while in San Francisco. You feel like you're visiting a close friend--the staff are friendly but not intrusive, very helpful.The rooms are beautiful and clean, mattresses comfortable and superb bathrooms. Hotel Drisco is nestled in one of the nicest neighborhoods of SF--grand, beautiful houses atop a hill, close to the Presidio. I felt comfortable walking around even at night. We walked everywhere--Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown, Golden Gate Park, even over the Golden Gate Bridge. Great exercise! Ice-cold water waiting in the reception's living room when we returned. I will definitely return!

  • Stayed January 2012, travelled with friends
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes
Ask Wanderlust1771 about Hotel Drisco
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Sydney, Australia
Contributor
16 reviews 16 reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
“Please don't stay here....I won't be able to get in when I need to.”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 31 January 2012

Great place. Well located away from the noise and stress of the city but surprisngly close to everything. Fishermans Wharf is an interesting walk down the hill, The Presedio is a walk away, great resturants and shops a couple of blocks the other way.

Amongst some of very expensive homes it was an different exerience everyday.... and the views from every window were fanstastic.

We spent 6 days in San Fran and used the Drisco as our base to discover this great city. The Drisco team were freindly and helpful, the rooms bright and clean.

Highly recommended. We'll be back and a few friends have gone after us.... all the way from Oz.

Room Tip: corner and the higher the better
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  • Stayed September 2011, travelled with family
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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See 4 more reviews by Glen H for San Francisco
Ask Glen H about Hotel Drisco
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
John Spear, General Manager at Hotel Drisco, responded to this review
9 February 2012
Dear Glen,

When I read the first part of the title of your review my heart skipped two beats! Thanks for waking me up. I am so glad you enjoyed your stay. I must tell you though, that we will continue to provide warm, welcoming and customized service, and as a result you may indeed encounter many dates in the future when we are completely sold out. The solution is to try to plan ahead to make sure you can get in!

Thanks again for staying with us, and I look forward to welcoming you again soon.

Kind Regards,

John Spear
General Manager
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Additional Information about Hotel Drisco

  • Drisco Hotel San Francisco
  • Drisco San Francisco
Address: 2901 Pacific Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94115
Price range (per night):* 286 AUD - 579 AUD

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