Clean and comfortable in a good, though tourist-focused, location that may not be the best fit for everyone
I'm a fairly frequent traveler to SF, and have stayed here several times when I'm driving and need straightforward access to Hwys 1 and 101 (the valet parking system is fast and efficient, and the attendants have great attidudes). The Sheraton provides good access in clean and comfortable surroundings (the beds, commonly used across the Starwood chain, are standouts here). The Starwood Preferred program often runs very good deals for the Sheraton, making the hotel cost-effective in a pricey city, and staff is uniformly pleasant. What's missing are the touches that elevate a hotel into a semi-luxury, luxury or business-focused choice. There are no in-room fridges, the hotel is close to a lot of tourist sites but not close to the city's main business centers, and most of the offerings (restaurant-wise, etc) in the immediate area and recommended by the concierge are very (overly) tourist oriented. In addition, the hotel tends to host a large number of groups of varying sizes, so navigating the lobby and driveway entrance involves navigating through standing clusters of people milling about, and there are always lines to check in, check out, and at the bellman's desk. That crush, in turn, takes its toll on the hotel, which is a bit worn in places, though overall bright and cheerful (and the fire pits are a plus). These are not necessarily all bad things per se - after all, a bulk of guests at the Sheraton are tourists who specifically selected a hotel near Fisherman's Wharf to be in the heart of the tourist district. As long as you keep that in mind, you can have a pleasant enough stay (which I did). If you don't, you are likely to be disappointed or frustrated. Put another way, I'd rate this hotel very differently for those traveling with small children who want ready access to the Wharf and the heart of tourist SF (I'd go up to four stars) than for either couples looking for a more luxurious hotel or those traveling solo, for whom the location perhaps isn't as ideal.