Pros: close to ocean and walking trails, close to zoo, muni stop across street, very clean,
Free onsite parking
Cons: In "fog belt", older property, so fewer plugs, small bathroom, less soundproofing.
Muni is noisy (ear plugs are provided if you need them; we didn't), ask for a room
In the back away from the street

I was able to make a reservation with little notice and the owner stayed up till late in the evening for us to arrive and was very helpful and friendly, even upgrading our room. It was perfect as a romantic getaway, a little gem set by the sea and away from the hustle and bustle of the main city. It felt like we were transported back to art deco days and added to the atmosphere. We'd happily come here again.

Very pretty little motel, and $150 for a room with a full kitchen isn't a bad deal in SF. However, the two most important things for us are a good mattress and decent water pressure. Mattress seemed both very firm, and lumpy--neither of us slept well all night. (We do a lot of hotel travel, and have rarely slept so poorly due to the mattress being uncomfortable.) And the shower pressure was extremely weak--hand-held shower, with not enough pressure to actually spray, just sort of dribbled.

Apart from these issues, it's a great-looking place, with nice folks at the front desk, and we had no problems with street noise (our room was at the back of the property, so ask for that if street noise is an issue for you). We'd have liked to return, but that bed was a deal-killer.

We chose this motel near the SF Zoo and Great Highway for one night, because everything in or near downtown SF was at $400+ per night due to a conference in town. We also were interested in the historic and art deco architecture aspects of this 1930s hotel with 'streamline moderne' design. The people were great: very friendly and accommodating, quickly switching us to a different (better) room, #3, when a small plumbing problem developed in #19. In both, the room was very clean. While there have been renovations, this motel has not been completely updated in the interior. Rather, fresh paint and new/clean bedding are found in small rooms and tinier bathrooms. #19 is to be avoided unless you are a very heavy sleeper. Just spending a few minutes there when we first arrived we thought the noise of the trams, cars and busses just outside would be excessive, although the motel does offer earplugs on the nightstand. There is a hot tub which we did not visit and a very lovely little garden for relaxing with children's play equipment at one end. #3 includes a kitchenette and was a lot quieter, despite being next to a street. On the plus side as well, they are very dog friendly and have a reasonable fee for your dog. For a small dog it is $10 per night and larger dogs are $25. On the down side, all rooms that we saw had steps up to them, the fewest being the 3 up to our room #3. Anyone with mobility concerns will have a difficult time with the steps as well as the somewhat cramped rooms and doorways and lack of space in the bathrooms. Other guests appeared to be younger and included several families who would make good use of the 2 bedroom units with kitchenette. Being across from the zoo and beach also makes it family friendly. The neighborhood includes a number of art deco residences that have been restored and boast colorful exterior paint. A fun area to explore. For those not from Northern California, this area of SF typically is pretty foggy and much cooler than elsewhere in the city. In the end we really liked this motel for its style, cleanliness, nice staff and pet friendly policies. We, as travelers, are at this point more inclined to creature comforts than this retro little spot can offer.