My husband and I booked four nights at the White Swan Inn in San Francisco to celebrate his birthday. A few days before our trip we both became ill with bad colds accompanied by horrible coughs. The White Swan staff was excellent, understanding and very patient with us as we tried to decide whether to cancel or not. When we did make the decision to cancel, they were very accommodating and wished us good health. A few days later we received a delightful, hand written get well note saying they hoped we were feeling better and that we could reschedule in the near future. We will definitely make the trip in 2013 and plan on booking with The White Swan. In this day of impersonal E mail correspondence, we were so impressed with the extra care this establishment took to make us feel welcome. Good job, indeed!!! Kathryn Brown

We stayed for two nights recently to enjoy the seasonal activities, shopping, and theaters near Union Square. The hotel is just a few blocks uphill from Union Square, an easy walk. We stayed in the Ashleigh Suite, which had two separate rooms, each with a bathroom, fireplace, wet bar, and TV. The main room had a four poster bed, while the second room had a sofa bed, which was perfect for our daughter (it would also be fine for another couple, as both bedroom doors close).

The building has some historic charm, such as functional single-hung windows (it is a pleasure to have the option of actually opening a window!). The entire place was very warm and cozy, with radiators for heat, along with fireplaces. The furnishings were slightly worn, but the beds were comfortable. The tiled bathrooms were quaint and functional, although also a bit worn (we had to jiggle the toilet valve to get it to shut off, and the shower door did not close easily).

The staff were very friendly and efficient. The included breakfast offered many choices such as a hot entree, fresh fruit, yogurt, cereals, juices, coffee, and tea, and was very good (one morning included a delicious quiche, while another morning included an herbed cheese omelette).

All in all, we feel this hotel offers a good value in a great location, and offers charm and comfort without the large corporate hotel atmosphere. A bit of maintenance and upgrades would be welcome, but even as is we would be happy to stay here again.

I am from England but now live in California and I love this cosy place. We were upgraded upon arrival to a large king room with a fireplace and flat screen tv. In addition to the bathroom there was a dressing room with a vanity area sink and closet, and another separate area with a fridge, wet bar and tea/coffee making facilities. The fridge contained complementary water bottles and sodas. Our room was at the back and was quiet. The windows etc are old but it adds to the charm. There is tea/coffee and home baked cookies available most of the day and we enjoyed the 5pm wine and snacks, so nice after a busy day sightseeing. Wine was of a good quality and snacks were different each day. A pasta dish, cheese and biscuits, and cake one day and vegetables, dip and apple cake the next. Enjoyed talking with other travelers and there are plenty of interesting items on display around the hotel. Breakfast buffet was nice. The two guys at the front desk were nice and friendly, the female not so much. Parking is difficult, as with most of San Francisco, the first day we arrived was a Sunday so we did free street parking but had to move the car 7am Monday morning. We found the least expensive undercover parking lot was a city one a few blocks away. We spent a total of $28 on parking rather than $32 + tax valet per night.

My husband and I stayed here for 1 night in November for his birthday. Not only was the staff wonderful and accommodating (they even were polite when another guest complained about the noise of our loud talking late at night), they left red velvet cheesecake in our fridge for my husband's birthday. So sweet - who does that these days?! We enjoyed the wine/appetizer reception and pretty much everything about our stay. I would highly recommend to anyone staying in the city.