This hotel was chosen by me as it was in the top 10 on Trip Adviser.
We arrived in San Francisco a day earlier than expected and we called the hotel hoping that they had a vacancy. We were in luck and they were able to accomodate us. We were meant to stay 2 nights and lucky for us it turned out to be three.
What a great experience. The ambience hits you the second you walk in the door. The guys on the desk couldn't be more helpful, and our room was ready at 10.00 in the morning.
The room was a double Queen size and was perfect for our needs.
It is great to see a hotel that cares for the environment and everything is geared to keep you aware of this.
There is a complimentary wine tasting event at 5.30 each evening which I would recommend.
The Saha restaurant (part of the hotel) is fabulous and very reasonably priced.
The hotel is very well situated within a 10 minute easy walk to Union Square.
I would recommend this hotel to all and would definitely go back.
After we left the Carlton we stayed in a an almost new large hotel. It didn't have the character of the Carlton which I prefered.

This nice hotel is very centrally located, and an easy walk to Union Square, various cable car lines, even a long but happy walk to Russian Hill!

I'm a pretty picky hotel user, and I liked the Carlton. I liked that the windows opened; the room was adequately sized; housekeeping very good.

When we checked in, we asked for lunch ideas and were given a not-great response about one place on the corner. Later, I heard a different desk clerk give a great response, which was to go to Polk and turn right, where you'll find lots of restaurants. All other interactions with desk staff were great.

PROS: Location, price (I called the hotel directly and got a better rate than on their website), friendliness and helpfulness of staff, great restaurant--have the fuul for breakfast! Did I mention location? Rooms very nice and very clean! Comfy beds. Windows open for fresh air.

CONS: Hospital Emergency room one block behind, rooms in the back can be very noisy. The area west and south (Tenderloin) can be sketchy for a woman alone at night. Couples (of any gender) will be fine, and it's interesting to see the different neighborhoods.

I don't think these outweigh the PROS.

Once again, the Hotel Carlton catered to everything we needed! This is the fourth time I have stayed at the hotel and everytime, it has been better than before! Don't forget the free wine hour and the master Theo entertaining with his keyboard! If you need room service, just contact the front desk and within seconds, Johnny will arrive at your door with your request. The rest of the staff is always willing and very helpful for any directions or suggestions if you tell them what you would like to do. Stay at SFO's best kept secret and you too will feel like you are at your home away from home!

Thanks again guys!

Having read the reviews on TripAdvisor we booked a three night stay at the Hotel Carlton as part of our US trip. The hotel is nicely situated on Sutter, around 10-15 mins walk from Union Square. We liked the location as it has a neighbourhood feel. Hotel staff were very friendly and helpful throughout our stay and even called the room to make sure we were happy following check in. The rooms were nicely decorated, with some personal touches thrown in which made us feel right at home. For the price this hotel is a bargain and we would recommend to friends. By the way, try Brick restaurant next door. We arrived without a booking and sat at the bench looking straight into the working kitchen. It was a little unusual at first, but really fun and one of the dining highlights of our trip to SF - food was exceptional also. Try Hotel Carlton - you won't regret it.