About this stay
This is my 3rd hotel visit in a series of one-night stays that I booked in San Francisco. I was excited about this one because I’ve never actually stayed at a Four Seasons property before and spoiler alert, it did not disappoint.
Booking this stay
I booked this stay through American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts to receive the following benefits:
- A one-tier upgrade, subject to availability
- Daily breakfast credit of $60
- A $100 food and beverage credit to be used during the stay
- Early check-in, subject to availability
- Guaranteed 4pm late checkout
I booked their base room, which is a superior-skyline room. It was a pretty expensive nightly rate, but my American Express Platinum Card comes with a $200 FHR credit per year, so that automatically took $200 off my stay. Nice!
Check in
When I checked in, the agent at the front desk let me know I was double upgraded to a Deluxe Bay-View room, which I appreciated and attributed to booking through American Express. I asked about a complimentary upgrade to a suite, and he let me know they could upgrade me to a corner suite for $75++. I opted to stick with the complimentary upgrade and forgo the suite since I was only staying for 1 night and didn’t have my family with me. Still, I think it’s good to always ask and know what options you have when checking in. I also ended up loving my room!
Deluxe Bay-View Room
My room, 4005, was on the 40th floor of the hotel, and it had stunning views of the city. I posted a full room video tour on my Instagram, which you can check out below:
The room was spacious, with a wide entry way that had a closet on the left and bathroom on the right. The bathroom had a single vanity sink and a toilet that was not separated from the rest of the bathroom, which made me think they built this hotel with solo business travelers in mind. The amenities were from Codage Paris and had a subtle almond scent, which I loved. The amenities in the room were full-size, but they brought me some minis when I asked if they had some I could bring home.
There were plenty of places to sit in a small entertaining area with a fully stocked mini fridge and bar. And finally, there was an infamous king-sized Four Seasons bed, which was very comfortable.
I could see almost every SF landmark from my hotel, it was truly incredible. The Transamerica building, Coit tower, Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, Palace of Fine Arts and Sutro tower were all visible from my room.
Hotel property
This is actually one of 2 Four Seasons properties in San Francisco, and this newer Four Seasons opened in 2020 before shutting down briefly because of the pandemic. The check-in desk, lobby, and restaurant, Orafo, are all located on the ground floor.
The rest of the hotel occupies the top 11 floors of the building, except the fitness and business centers that are on the 3rd floor. As I mentioned earlier, the 40th floor has observation patios.
Food and beverage
I arrived around 130pm and ordered a cheeseburger and fries for lunch to the room. One of the things I like about Four Seasons is that you can easily reach the team through the in-app chat or text message, which is how I ordered my food.
The cheeseburger was delicious.
For dinner, I had a prosciutto flatbread and pesto pasta. Both were really yummy.
Service
Service was quick and attentive. It was clear that every person I interacted with had a lot of training and that a positive customer service experience was important to them. My only issue was that I wanted to watch the sunset from the patio/decks on my floor, but was told they were closed for the “windy season”. Miraculously, the next morning the “windy season” was over because they were unlocked up for their complimentary yoga class offering.
Considerations
This is a really great hotel in San Francisco – from service to room design the Four Seasons Embarcadero executed perfectly. It’s definitely one of the most expensive rates per night and might not have all of the amenities you’d be looking for such as a pool and spa, so it would be important to know that ahead of booking. After this stay, I’m looking forward to checking out more Four Seasons properties in the future.
