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Washington Square Inn: Traveler Reviews

3.0 of 5
1660 Stockton St., San Francisco, CA 94133
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Washington Square Inn
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212 reviews from our community

Traveler rating
    152
    46
    8
    3
    3
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Families
20
 
Couples
131
 
Solo
18
 
Business
22
 
Rating summary
  • Location
    5 of 5 stars
  • Sleep Quality
    4.5 of 5 stars
  • Rooms
    4 of 5 stars
  • Service
    4.5 of 5 stars
  • Value
    4.5 of 5 stars
  • Cleanliness
    5 of 5 stars
Date Rating
New York, New York
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
“To be honest - disappointed”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed October 6, 2012

We wanted to stay in the North Beach area. Everyone said stay here. It was definitely a convenient location for this area, but we would never stay here again. The staff was nice. The rooms were clean, but dark and to be honest a bit stale in decor. If you stay here make sure you don't get rooms on the first level, try to get rooms upstairs. Our first room was smaller than a postage stamp (not kidding - we were SO bummed), I believe that was room 6. And, when you are spending that much money, you want a bit more. They were nice enough to move us to room 4, which was a pinch larger. We were so unhappy that night. Thank goodness there was another room available for the next night across the hall, which was a larger (room 2). This really is a B & B and not a hotel, which we did not realize, even though it says Inn in their name, how silly of us! If someone comes home late at night they must ring the bell to get in. I heard the bell every time somebody came home, because our room was located on the first level right above the main room. This main room is where you register, eat breakfast (which was very nice by the way) and hang if you don't want to sit in your room. The main room is the only communal area of the hotel. If the sofa is occupied, there is the dining room table you could sit at which would be somewhat awkward or there is a small set-up near the sofa with two nice chairs and table. My husband slept through the night time bell when it rang, lucky him! I am a light sleeper, so I heard everything going on in the main room. They have a nice spread of wine and cheese in the afternoon. There is one dining room table, so if you are shy, you do share the breakfast table with other guests, which we did not mind. You could have breakfast in your room. They leave a breakfast card in your room every night for you to fill in for what you want for breakfast the next day. You must choose a time as to when you want to eat. It was nice when we sat down at the table, our breakfast was ready and brought to us at that time. We would not stay here again. Feel badly writing this but wish we had known all of this when we booked the room.

Room Tip: The Park Tavern Restaurant is right next door. Make a reservation. The Pork Chop was absolutely del...
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  • Stayed September 2012, traveled with family
    • 2 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 2 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
washsquare, Owner at Washington Square Inn, responded to this review
October 7, 2012
We are very sorry you did not enjoy your stay with us.
But we would like to address a few statements you made; our front door is always locked for security of our guests, but - every guest’s room card also opens the front door which everyone is told at check in.
The Washington Square in is an older building and we only have 15 rooms, all in different sizes and we list the dimensions on our website under each rooms description, so that guests can know the exact size of the room. In fact you probably should have looked over our website a little better as we have a lot of information about our Inn, from the room size to the breakfast, the wine & hors d'oeuvres to all the events and attractions in and around the entire city as well as the fact that we are NOT a hotel.
We are an Inn, not a hotel and not a typical Bed & breakfast either. We try to make it very clear that we do not offer the services of a big hotel - although unlike many other Inns we have a 24/7 staff and offer many amenities for the size of our property. Throughout our website you will also find the words "Bed and Breakfast"
Lastly, all our rooms are equipped with ear plugs, as we well realize guests coming from a quieter area are not used to all the noises of a bustling city.
We try very hard to give our potential guests all the facts prior to their making the reservation, both verbally (as much as we can) and we always refer them to our website where so much more information is listed. We want our potential guests to know who and what we are because we want all of our guests to feel comfortable, happy and knowing that we care. (Which we really, really do) Future guest please hesitate to ask us any questions you might have.
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Winter Park, Florida
Contributor
13 reviews 13 reviews
7 hotel reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
“Great alternative to big hotels and super pricey boutiques”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed October 5, 2012

Given many prior good reviews, this may be redundant, but I enthusiastically concur. I would take issue with a previous negative comment regarding breakfast. I found it to be very good and if you ask to have it in your room it will arrive on the minute you designate. The staff is excellent and the location is incomparable.

Room Tip: I will not reveal my favorite room since I've never been able to book it even several months in...
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  • Stayed September 2012, traveled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 1
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
washsquare, Owner at Washington Square Inn, responded to this review
October 6, 2012
Thank you so much for your review, our staff really appreciates your comments on our service and we appreciate you mentioning us as an alternative to the big hotels.
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Irby, United Kingdom
1 review
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
“STAY HERE!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed September 10, 2012

If you really want to get a feel for San Francisco there is surely no better place to stay. This was our second trip to SF and being based in the Washington Square Inn was just perfect: this establishment not only met my high expectations but exceeded them on every level.

Having been entombed in the twilight world of intercontinental travel, the rather rarefied atmosphere of departure lounge, twelve hours in the air, passport control (!) and then ferried out to the centre of town via shuttle without our feet touching the ground, we had no doubts we had arrived in San Francisco the moment we got to 1660 Stockton Street. We had barely rung the bell when the ever exuberant, and utterly brilliant, William embraced us and drew us into this wonderful establishment. Within minutes, we found ourselves on a comfortable couch with a generous glass of wine in hand. We were on holiday and were in no doubts from this point in!

The Washington Square Inn is a very special place. The location is brilliant, in the heart of North Beach/Little Italy, to my mind, the very best of this wonderful city. The hotel itself is quite charming, the rooms, whilst not the biggest (mind you, in this city, the last thing we wanted to do was to be sitting about in our room), are spotlessly clean, well-appointed and furnished with furniture with character and charm. However, above and beyond this, what makes this so special is the “quirky” little features. The breakfast around the communal table where you can pick up tips and ideas from other guests, the central meeting area but most of all, the evening wine and nibbles: another chance to catch up with your fellow guests and learn of them and their day. In the latter case, we were lucky to have this overseen by the inimitable William for much of our stay: a superb host and raconteur with extraordinary energy. He was a real high-point and memorable feature of our two week sojourn to California.

To all intents and purposes, this is a perfect place to stay in one of the friendliest and most wonderful cities in the world. STAY HERE!

  • Stayed August 2012, traveled as a couple
    • 5 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
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
Was this review helpful? Yes 2
Ask David C about Washington Square Inn
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
washsquare, Owner at Washington Square Inn, responded to this review
September 11, 2012
Thank you so much! We are so happy you enjoyed your stay with us and appreciation for William’s enthusiasm to serve our guests...
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Perth, Australia
2 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
“A Great Start After a Long Flight!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed August 27, 2012

San Francisco was our first stop on our 30 day holiday. After a 25 hour flight it was a godsend to have arrived at the Washington Square Inn. Fantastic location to walk to everything, no need for a car. An authentic San Francisco experience. Rooms were always clean after we got back from a long day of walking to all the sights. From the start William made us feel so welcome I hope the employers appreciate what an asset they have here. We are goimg to miss the chats at wine & cheese time! Next time we'll stay longer.

Stayed August 2012, traveled as a couple
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Dedham, Massachusetts
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
6 hotel reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
“A Perfect Ending to a Perfect Trip”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed August 9, 2012

My husband and I recently spent three nights at the Washington Square Inn. While we were planning our trip (we drove to San Francisco from Seattle), we agreed that we should stay in a special place for the San Francisco portion. The Washington Square Inn did not disappoint. As soon as we arrived, Josiane told me how to get to the garage the inn uses. I was pretty stressed out since my husband was waiting in the care out front. But, in fact, the process was very easy. Jonathan took our bags and put them in our room so we would not have to carry them. When we returned from the garage, we availed ourselves of the many goodies provided every afternoon. The food and wine were wonderful. Our breakfasts were fantastic, too. There was an impressive array of choices, and we enjoyed every bite (and sip -- there was plenty of fresh juice and coffee, too). ALL of the staff members were lovely, including the owner, with whom we chatted on a couple of occasions. Josiane, Jonathan, and Shabier were always extremely pleasant and helpful (I hope I did not misspell his name!). Our room (2) was comfortable and beautifully furnished. The inn is located in an excellent neighborhood. There is plenty going on there, but we truly walked all over the city. It's a great base. I can't wait to return to San Francisco. Until I do, I will enthusiastically recommend the Washington Square Inn to others; we look forward to staying there again.

Room Tip: We stayed in Room 2, which was very peaceful despite its proximity to the lobby. The inn thoughtfull...
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  • Stayed July 2012, traveled 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
Was this review helpful? Yes 1
Ask Les2tous about Washington Square Inn
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
washsquare, Owner at Washington Square Inn, responded to this review
August 10, 2012
Thank you for your detailed review, we especially appreciate your comments on how we handle parking. We try to make it as easy as possible for our...
Report response as inappropriate
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
 
 
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Additional Information about Washington Square Inn

Also Known As:
Washington Square Hotel San Francisco
Washington Square Hotel
The Washington Square Inn San Francisco
Address: 1660 Stockton St., San Francisco, CA 94133
Phone Number:
Region: United States > California > San Francisco
Amenities:
Free Breakfast Free High-Speed Internet Room Service
Hotel Style:
Ranked #8 of 67 B&Bs / Inns in San Francisco
Price Range: $
Hotel Class:3 star (3*)
Official Description (provided by the hotel):
The Washington Square Inn, a San Francisco bed and breakfast Inn in the city’s legendary North Beach neighborhood, welcomes its guests with all the charm and comfort of a small European hotel. Whether traveling to California for business or recreation, amenities offered with your stay at Washington Square Inn include free wireless Internet access, complimentary breakfast, afternoon tea, evening hors d’oeuvres and wine, and full office services in the lobby. Rooms feature European antiques, cable TV, soft robes and private baths. Some rooms have sitting areas in bay windows, while others offer a cozy atmosphere with private fireplaces. Ideally situated in the very heart of the vibrant North Beach neighborhood, our historic hotel boasts beautiful views of Coit Tower, Russian Hill, Washington Square Park and the Cathedral of Saint Peter and Paul. Washington Square Inn is one of the best San Francisco hotel deals available, offering exemplary bed and breakfast lodging and service at rates ranging from $179 – $329 per night. ... more   less 
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