Great location and staff
I generally don't do too much work in San Francisco, but when I do, I enjoy being near Union Square or Nob Hill. This part of town has rapid BART access from the airport and is on the cablecar route which makes for fun after work exploration. I do my best to keep my loyalty to the Marriott Family of hotels, but do have Hilton and Starwood accounts too. So far the best place in the Marriott group is the Renaissance. It offers the federal government rate for rooms, especially if you check a couple weeks out. Too far in advance, you can't see that rate for some reason. The staff is very friendly and helpful. Check in is a breeze and everyone..from doormen to bell boys know the area and offer great advice. I asked for some recommendation for a place for dinner in neighboring Chinatown (about 2 blocks from the front door). Great recommendations on that front too. The staff also offered information about complementary car service in the area around the hotel in the morning starting at 7 am. First come, first serve, a great way to get to office buildings in the financial district, city hall and the federal buildings.
The hotel is an older style on the outside, but has large rooms with stone countertops in the bath room. Rooms are very clean and functional. I'm on the east side of the 5th floor with a great view of the Coit Tower, TransAmerica Building and the Bay. The only minor ding against this hotel is the lounge for Elite members. The Club Lounge has a decent view of the financial district, but is a bit limited on food selections compared to other Renaissance Hotels.