Renovation Was A Mixed Blessing
The Handlery is a perfectly situated Union Square Hotel across Geary St from the grander Westin-St. Francis, but you should consider other options. It is an old family owned hotel which has been renovated in recent years to bring it up to a modern standard, though the tradeoffs for the traveler are debatable. The pre-renovation hotel showed its age and wear, but was spacious and very affordable. The renovated hotel has shrunk room size, upgraded its appointments and added a much needed restaurant, but become so expensive that the value proposition is doubtful. Rooms here are about 70% pricier than before the renovation and there are many other alternatives in the area to choose from. The renovated rooms provide a very small bathroom, and its amenities are thin and the layout is poor. My single Queen room's bathroom had a pedestal sink and no surface large enough for a shaving kit. A blank wall above the toilet provided ample room for a shelving unit which could have accommodated supplies and towels and glasses, etc, but they cheaped out and didn't bother to add one. My experience was that the bathroom was too small for one person and would be a real trial for two to have to share. The decor of the room itself was attractive with a large screen TV, nice furniture, Wifi and good comfort, but it was of minimum size and only adequate. They charged stiffly for Wifi which to me is gouging. Many area hotels have complimentary Wifi and charging for public goods is akin to charging separately for electricity, heat or water and simply unacceptable. The hotel's restaurant is convenient and a significant addition, but it's priced astronomically for it's mid-level quality. My room service for one amounted to about $67 per night including gratuity (appetizer, entree, dessert, no wine or coffee) and the food was good, but not great. The restaurant itself is large and attractive, but expensive and noisy with an extremely obnoxious selection of Las Vegas style show music blaring each morning which makes talking difficult, reading the paper nearly impossible and gets the day off to a really bad start. Of course, breakfast also costs about twice what it's worth and one feels abused by the whole experience. My conclusion is that for the money one should have better bathroom facilities and amenities, affordable food, complimentary papers, and free Wifi. When you leave feeling like you've been overcharged at every possible opportunity, you know you could do better elsewhere. My recommendation is to research neighborhood alternatives and remember that even if the room rate appears higher than the rate at the Handlery, the cost of your stay may not be once the Handlery's overcharging is taken into account.