Grand Exterior, Fancy Lobby, Ordinary Rooms and Snotty Service
I got a great deal for a bridge/city view room for a last minute stay in SF ($176/night on Hotels.com). That alone made it worthwhile. The Fairmont has never done me wrong, so I decided to run with it. The hotel is extremely old world elegant, which isn't really my thing. I prefer sleek and contemporary to gilded and gaudy, but it does come off as high end, if not a bit pretentious and stuffy. 
The room was okay - decent size, comfortable bed, nice view and an adequate (though undersized) bathroom. In general, the room was just average. EVERYthing related to the room comes at an extra charge, and I mean everything. Wi-Fi, parking, coffee, even bottled water was egregiously priced at $7. It's clear they try to get you in the door and then take advantage of the fact that you will spend extra money just out of convenience. Lame. 
But what really ticked me off was what happened after I returned to the hotel with my friends. We had been out having some drinks and decided to go to the hotel bar for a nightcap. Well, the bar was closed (early) so we thought maybe we'll just order wine and some snacks from room service and proceeded to the elevator. Just then, hotel security approached me and cross-examined me about the nature of my business in the hotel. Right in the middle of the public lobby. When I explained I was a guest, they asked me to show my room key to prove it. Really? Totally insulting. 
Finally, after I checked out, I left my bags with the porter while I roamed around the city before my flight. When I returned to collect my bag, they couldn't find it, despite the fact that I had the claim check they gave me. It got so silly that they invited me into the checked bag area to "see if I could find it." Were they going to just let me take any one I chose? Fortunately, I found my bag and as I was walking out, there was another woman coming in to look for HER bag that they couldn't find. Clearly, my experience wasn't isolated. 5 star service? I think not.