I stayed at the Clift for five nights. This has been my fifth Ian Schrager hotel and I have to say my least favorite. Yet, all in all, it was still pretty good. The service at the desk was very attentive and not at all snobby. I had a corner room which was considerably quieter than I understand the other rooms to be. There were cigarette burns on the carpet and a big very noticeable burn on the bedside table. I don't understand why they didn't at least replace the table. The cleaning women clearly worked very hard but I spilled conditioner on the bathroom floor the first night and the remnant stain was never wiped up. It became a spectator sport each afternoon to see if the floor would actually ever get wiped clean. It never did. The one thing that I found inconsistent with other Ian Schrager hotels was the doormen. In five days of coming and going, the door was only held open for us twice. They seemed completely inept at working the door of a city hotel. The subleties of coolness and attention to detail are lost on them. I fear that this chain has just stopped trying. The rooms aren't as 'shiny and new' and the staff don't seem as compelled to excell. I hope I am wrong.

Probably one of the most overrated hotels I've ever stayed in -- the Clift makes a great "E!" Network backdrop but is overpriced, impractical, and thinks it's way cooler than it is.

I've never felt insulted and ignored in a restaurant while ordering a $40 breakfast before, but there's a first time for everything, and the Clift's Asia de Cuba definitely delivered on the "you're not cool enough to be here" theme.

The guest room looks like something out of architectural digest -- great in pictures, but not so great for real human beings. If your idea of fun is trying to figure out how to work the lights in your room, or guess where the hair dryer is, the Clift is for you -- design definitely trumps usability in this hotel.

This isn't to say The Clift doesn't have anything going for it; the bar is swanky and entertaining, and I've eaten at the Asia de Cuba at the Mondrian in LA, and the food there was good. But the Clift is one of those hotels that makes a better side trip than a principal destination.

My advice: stay at the Hotel Monaco next door, and journey over to the Clift one night for drinks. The Monaco offers complimentary wine and cheese, massages, ethernet, and workout room, and its restaurant is a lot more down to earth. The Clift offers complimentary attitude, and charges you a premium for the privilege.

I called the Clift and spoke to a manager about relocating my small group to the Clift. She was fun to talk to and she did an excellent job of selling me on why I should stay there. I moved the group and my guest were pleased. They assited me in getting the group into the bar on a busy night and the bar management was all over the group as if we were VIP's. The W does a good job but the Clift went above and beyond for me. I'll stay there again.

We try to go in to "the City" from our home in the 'burbs on a regular basis for a bit of culture and good food. We splurge and spend the night at the Clift afterwards (which also allows us to have wine with dinner). We've stayed here with our teenagers on several occasions, and we all agree that it is a fabulous, fun place. The beds are wonderfully comfortable, the price is reasonable, and the location is excellent for SF theaters, jazz clubs and shopping. We all love the decor and the kids relish the opportunity to get into the Redwood Room, skipping the line at the door as a hotel guest. We've had nothing but great service here (including an offer to track down tickets to a sold out show). I can't wait for our next visit!