This hotel is amazing. We felt like royalty. The staff attends to your every need - whatever paper you want, whatever temperature you like... We had a great view of the bay bridge and could walk to Chinatown, the Embarcadero, Union Square and cable cars. It is a longer walk or a quick bus ride to Fishermans Wharf but that was fine with us since it was so crowded. We had better restaurants near us including the hotel restaurant. I thought this type of personalized attention only came in $1000 a night rooms. makes for a very special visit.

The Vitale was a total, total disappointment. The location is very good and the facilities are fine. But service was just bad, very bad. They try hard, and are personally nice, but really can’t get it right. For the price they charge, the level of service delivered is unacceptable. I have stayed here for 11 nights (tonight is the last night, I am actually posting this from the hotel), so I believe my view is based on a good sample of what happens there, and not on some fluke (positive or negative). Here is a list of what went wrong. You judge for yourself.

Day 1: I arrive with my son on July 4th for a 12 day stay. Upon check in I ask whether there is any place in the property where we could see the fireworks and are told “no.” Next day we go to the 8th floor and see that indeed there was a terrace from where one could see the fireworks. But maybe it was taken for some event. So, we understand. I also notice that despite the fact that we are staying for 12 days, our room has no view (note a bad view, but no view – windows into a tiny courtyard/service area). Fine, I think, it corresponds to wat I was paying. None of these two events constitute bad service, but they did not build any goodwill with me. Not a problem if things run smoothly. We will see.

Day 2: We go for breakfast at Americano, the Hotel’s restaurant and arrive at about 8 am, there are two tables already eating and we are the third. We are told to seat wherever we wanted. Service is horrible. It took 10 minutes to get a menu. My son’s order arrives after 10, and mine (two eggs and toast) never come. After he finishes eating, I ask for the check (and then my eggs arrive). I leave without breakfast and decide not to use the restaurant again.

In the afternoon we decide to take a cab from the hotel to go to a Jazz Festival. We walk out and I ask the bellman for a cab. He is moving cars, which are parked in front of the hotel. I look at my watch and realize that after standing there for 6 minutes, nobody has even called a cab. So, we walk out, and find a cab for ourselves.

Day 3: I call at 6:15am or so and order breakfast in the room, to avoid the restaurant service and to see the Wimbledon final on TV. They say it would be in my room by 6:50. At 6:35 I get a call from Penny saying they are having problems in the kitchen and it will take longer for the breakfast to be ready and that it will be in my room at 7:15. Fine, I say. It does not arrive by 7:15. So, I call the guest service line at 7:20 and Tania – without checking – tells me it is on its way. I ask her to check and she says she will call me back. Penny calls me back and says the order will be in my room by 7:30. It arrives at 7:35am. The nice woman who brought it either was not trained to deliver room service (did not offer to open the water bottle, put tray on desk in the wrong way, did not leave cart/table in the room to serve as a table for the two of us to be able to eat, etc) or was in a hurry to do something else. We did not get what we ordered (some toast was missing), but we ate it anyway, as we were starving.

Day 4: We order breakfast in the room for two people. They come and deliver a tray without a cart. So, one of us has to have breakfast standing. The person who brought the breakfast told me he could not leave the cart in the room, did not offer to open the bottle of water for me (at this point I don’t expect this level of service anymore), and did not notice that there was only one glass. I called to complain about it, but the second glass arrived 20 min later (we already had eaten breakfast)

Day 6: I have to stay a bit later working in the room. At 11 I leave the room, stop by reception and ask them to get my room cleaned. I come back by 2:15 and the room is still not clean.

Day 7-Day 11: We basically did not use any hotel services and got used to lousy, sub-standard in room service for breakfast. It is pretty clear that the people delivering the service are just not trained to deliver service corresponding to the hotel rates.

Day 11 at night: I knew I might have to take a later flight after checking out, so I went to the front desk during my stay and asked if I could check out at 4 pm (I would be willing to extend my stay for a day if that were not possible). I am told there will be no problem, just to confirm with the front desk the night before departing. So, I just went downstairs and asked if I could have a late check out. They said they are fully committed and I cant. I then ask if I can stay one more day, and they say that I can’t (but they would store my luggage for me – aren’t they nice?).

Anyway, for the price they change this is certainly a sub-standard hotel. I will not come back and do not recommend it. If you will stay in the hotel for one or two nights as part of a leisure trip it is probably OK, but if you will stay for longer or will be in town for business and need good levels of service, probable best to stay away.

This was our second stay at the Hotel Vitale and will certainly not be the last. The hotel enjoys an excellent location across from the ferry building. Public transportation is easily accessible whether by streetcar (which travels along market as well as to fisherman's wharf), buses, cable cars, BART and the muni. We use BART from the airport and are dropped off 2 blocks from the hotel. The rooms are contemporary and comfortably furnished. We have stayed in both a waterfront room as well as the urban studio room. The spa is compact but features excellent therapists. We used the hotel restaurant only for breakfast which was efficient and delicious. We typically dine at Boulevard (located across the street) and Slanted Door which is located in the Ferry building. San Francisco is a city of neighborhoods and in picking a hotel, you must decide on a surrounding ambience whether it is by the water (which we like), high up on one the hills, in the middle of shopping like union square or in a more residential area like the marina district. Overall our stays at the Vitale have been relaxing and enjoyable and we certainly plan to return.

My wife and I periodically stay in SF and have really enjoyed the Vitale.

The location is excellent -- right on the water next to the Bay bridge. What's more on Saturday's you are then right across the street from the fantastic farmer's market -- you can cruise through and get a great and quick breakfast from one of the vendors with some really great coffee.

Meanwhile, the hotel is set up in sort of a green, spa sort of vibe. Muted colors and soothing settings all over.

Be sure to try the soak tubs on the roof, as well as the view rooms looking right at the bridge.