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Discover San Francisco from new heights at Hilton San Francisco Union Square. Soaring above the city, we offer the highest guest rooms, the highest balconies, and the highest sky bar in town-giving you an unmatched perspective on the sights below. Step outside and find yourself in the heart of Union Square, surrounded by world-class shopping, dining, museums, and iconic attractions like the historic Cable Cars. Take in breathtaking panoramic views from Cityscape, our top-floor sky bar, or wake up to stunning skyline scenes from our exclusive balcony rooms. And whether you're unwinding by our heated outdoor pool and spa, grabbing a bite from Herb N' Kitchen (our 24-hour coffee shop and market), or savoring our full breakfast buffet in Poached, your stay is designed for both comfort and adventure.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
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Nestled in the heart of San Francisco, the Hilton San Francisco Union Square draws mixed reviews from its guests. The hotel's central location is celebrated for its proximity to local attractions, yet concerns about safety and noise from nearby strikers are noted. While some guests admire the modern ambiance and impressive views, others express dissatisfaction with the value, citing steep prices paired with subpar service and disrupted amenities during strikes.
Service experiences vary, with commendations for staff friendliness contrasting reports of delays. Rooms offer comfort and views, though cleanliness and maintenance issues are points of contention.
Location
Central
Atmosphere
Modern
Rooms
Dated
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Mixed
Noise level
Noisy
Service
Inconsistent
Amenities
Underwhelming
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This hotel does not live up to my expectations for a Hilton.
As of the writing of this review, the hospitality workers' union (Local 2) was on strike, including this hotel. The people responsible for keeping the hotel running are doing a poor job.
It's obvious my room hadn't been dusted cleaned in quite some time. My allergies were triggered badly enough that I couldn't sleep well at night. When I checked, the headboard was covered in dust, as were other surfaces. I'm told by several of my colleagues that their rooms were also dusty.
The food was over priced. The nearly $50 USD breakfast buffet was no better than the free breakfast buffet offered at hotels that charge 1/2 this Hilton's nightly rate.
On a positive note: The linens and towels were fresh and the coffee/tea service was fully stocked when I arrived. Front desk staff were friendly.
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Date of stay: November 2024Trip type: Traveled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from General Manager, General Manager at Hilton San Francisco Union Square
Responded Nov 15, 2024
Dear Cathy, Thank you for your review. We sincerely regret to learn of your disappointment with your experience despite our hospitable front desk agents and well-stocked room amenities. Please know regarding the strike that we are working towards a resolution that benefits everyone, though we understand how this impacted your stay. Your feedback will be shared with our team to ensure our high standards of cleanliness are being met and to seize any opportunity to improve. We hope to welcome you back in the future for a seamless stay worthy of a perfect rating.
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This seems to be the go-to hotel for our San Francisco conferences so we've stayed here a few times and have another stay coming up next year. I'll get this out of the way first: it's not in the best area since the Tenderloin is right there. It's really a shame since Union Square is also really close and there are some nice restaurants nearby as well and we have always felt safe in the hotel. That being said, it's a pretty good hotel overall. The service has been good each time we've stayed here and our room and the hotel overall has been clean. The bathroom is small, but has very good water pressure, so that really makes up for the size. Parking is crazy expensive ($75/night), so I'd avoid parking here if you can avoid it. The breakfast buffet is also very expensive (~$50/person), so we skipped that, but they have a great selection of pastries and coffee in the lobby, so that made for a good quick breakfast for us.
It's a clean hotel with good service and a solid place for a conference. It unfortunately has the Tenderloin as a neighbor, but that's why we use Uber to get around.
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Date of stay: November 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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This hotel is good for all practical purposes. Location is good and it has a sprawling lobby with a cafe which take away options and a bar. There are water dispensers everywhere too.
I stayed on the 15th floor of tower 3. It was a small queen size room with one window that overlooked the city. The room was clean but the decor is very dull. The bathroom was compact but the shower was great.
Drinking water is not provided in the room which i thought was really strange. So remember to bring a bottle in when you check in. Inside the room, the only drinking glasses are disposable paper mugs provided for coffee. A glass and spoon is the bare minimum they should provide.
Breakfast was probably the dullest experience for me as I have a gluten allergy and the gluten free food is repetitive and extremely limited.
Also if you're providing the hotel address to receive couriers the hotel will charge you anywhere from $5 - $20 based on the size of the package to receive the package on your behalf.
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Review collected in partnership with Hilton Hotels & Resorts
Date of stay: June 2023
Value
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Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I love this hotel ! I visit my aunt every year from Scotland and like to stay at the Hilton Union Square as it has everything I need as a solo lady travelling. The staff are all very friendly especially Lepe on the front desk. I always ate breakfast (take away) from Herb Kitchen, freshly made latte and a croissant. You can buy anything in there, so handy. My room had a balcony which overlooked the city, nice to wake up in the morning to that view. Because of the strike I never had housekeeping but that was fine with me as I was just there for 4 nights. When you are inside the hotel or room you don’t hear anything from the strikers so there was no impact on me, I love shopping and this hotel is 5 minutes walk from Union Square and Macy’s so returning from my aunts I shopped in Macy’s, I never felt unsafe walking back to the hotel. Thanks to everyone for a lovely stay, see you next year.
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Date of stay: November 2024Trip type: Traveled solo
Room Tip:Turn right as you come out of the hotel to get to Union Square, great fresh coffee in Herb Kitchen
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from General Manager, General Manager at Hilton San Francisco Union Square
Responded Nov 26, 2024
Thank you for taking a moment to review your stay. It is a pleasure to learn you enjoyed your experience with us, particularly highlighting our friendly team members, delicious breakfast, and gorgeous views. Having you as a guest was a delight, and we look forward to welcoming you back to Hilton San Francisco Union Square.
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The hotel is in a social, very questionable location, as you are surrounded by drug addicts and most seriously criminals. The hotel was struck, which in itself should not be a major problem. Only the management's reaction can be reproduced here: The management has failed in its entirety! Nobody can blame for a strike however – we expect as guests if we have to pay full also the full service. A hotel that is struck does not pay its employees money – think – the hotel makes a profit in a strike! Because the employees do not hold any money for this period! Nevertheless, the guest pays the full price. I'm not ready for that. Here the management would have been quite asked to say in the form: there is no room service and for those who accept this there is a free breakfast, or who have booked breakfast anyway, a voucher for two drinks per person in the Skybar, or a wellness voucher for cheerful something! The impact was as follows: All comforts offered in a four-star hotel are eliminated. Starting with the fact that there is no hotel bar. Access to the hotel is only possible through two doors instead of four. Unless mine smuggles in through the side entrance. Room service is not available. For stays of more than four days, there are no new towels unless explicitly requested. Also, the beds are not made and the resulting one is not disposed of in the garbage. As a result, eventually you choke on the same thing. This is helped by the fact that the air conditioning in our living room did not work as it shut itself off after 90 seconds. Oh yes, and the room window could be cleaned of the grease missed children's fingers, too.
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Date of stay: September 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Gibt bessere Hotel nebenan, kennengelernt Bein Abendessen im Tratto !
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Local 2 currently on strike. Hilton claims to be in negotiations, I do believe that to be false due to the fact that members are actively striking. If negotiations were in fact happening this would not be the case. Hilton makes enough money to give employees hours, Hilton is still operating on covid hours for their staff. You will not receive housekeeping while staying in this hotel, you will be harassed daily by strike members. You will be kept awake by the strike members noise at every entrance. I fully support there efforts and hope that Hilton and local 2 will reach a deal.
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Date of stay: October 2024
Value
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Location
Cleanliness
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Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled on business
Room Tip:Bring an air purifier as your room will constantly be covered in dust from the AC system
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from General Manager, General Manager at Hilton San Francisco Union Square
Responded Oct 8, 2024
Dear Jesse, We at Hilton remain committed to providing exceptional accommodations and guest service, and with regard to employees, to working towards a resolution that benefits everyone. We are also always appreciative of feedback in this space about our property that can help us elevate the Hilton guest experience. If you have any specific suggestions, we are eager to receive them, and we hope to welcome you as a guest in the future.
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I honestly don’t have enough words to describe how utterly disappointed we were with our stay at the Hilton Union Square San Francisco.
From the moment we arrived, we were greeted not by a warm welcome but by the loud, intimidating sound of ongoing strike action right outside the hotel. Around 50 people were banging metal on metal, making it impossible to think or even hear ourselves speak. As we approached the entrance, the noise got even louder, clearly meant to make guests uncomfortable. What was even more surprising is that the staff inside made absolutely no comment on this situation. No apology, no explanation—just an attempt to act like everything was normal, when it was anything but.
The lack of staff due to the strike severely affected the quality of our stay. In our 8-night visit, our room was ‘cleaned’ only once—and that was after we specifically requested it. As an apology for the lack of housekeeping, the duty manager offered free breakfast for the four of us. Unfortunately, the breakfast was abysmal. Cold, rubbery French toast that looked like it had been sitting out for hours, and stale pastries. It was honestly the worst breakfast we’ve ever had.
Adding to the frustration, when it was time to check out, I wanted to settle the bar bill with cash but was told that this wasn’t possible because the cash machine behind the front desk was broken. It’s unacceptable that a hotel of this supposed caliber couldn’t accommodate a basic request like this.
What’s most disappointing is that the hotel didn’t inform us about the strike action beforehand. It feels like they’re willing to accept poor reviews rather than address the obvious problems and provide compensation for the substandard service. Management is clearly aware of the issues caused by having no staff, yet they fail to take responsibility.
To the management reading this: If you truly care about your guests’ experience, have the decency to inform them of the ongoing strike action before their stay. Allow them to make an informed decision rather than dealing with unhappy customers who were blindsided by the lack of service. It’s about common courtesy and transparency—something this hotel seems to have forgotten.
Would not recommend and will not be returning.
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Date of stay: October 2024Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from General Manager, General Manager at Hilton San Francisco Union Square
Responded Nov 13, 2024
Thank you for sharing your experience. We regret that your stay was impacted by the challenges surrounding the ongoing situation, and we apologize for the disruptions you encountered. Please know we are actively working toward a resolution that benefits everyone involved. We are also disappointed to hear about your concerns with the housekeeping and dining experiences, as they do not align with the standards we aim to provide. Your comments regarding communication and service will be shared with our leadership team to ensure these areas are addressed. We truly value your feedback and hope to have the opportunity to restore your trust in the future.
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Rooms are very small for the price, payed almost 500$ for a night and the marriots bathroom was arguably better than the whole room. I would never try hilton again as they’re very capitalistic and think more about profit than services. My advice always go to a marriot or a holiday inn atleast you get what you pay for
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Review collected in partnership with Hilton Hotels & Resorts
Date of stay: June 2023
Value
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Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This hotel is within walking distance of Union Square, easily accessible by public transport. In terms of environment, this is not the best neighborhood. Towards the shopping centers/Union Square it is ok, but going the other way is not recommended. It is an old hotel that is in need of a makeover, like most hotels on our road trip. The room is old, furniture is dated, windows are noisy (single glazing!), no full-fledged shower (shower in the bath with a shower curtain). We had booked a standard room through the travel agency, these beds are far too small and too short. Not spacious enough for 2 adults or 2 teenagers. We were already offered the upgrade to queen size beds at check-in, and after looking at our room we understood why. Upgrade was $30 per night, not cheap but sleep is important too. Breakfast buffet is ridiculously expensive, breakfast in the shop downstairs is also very pricey (6 dollars for a croissant). Staff is very friendly, wifi free.
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Date of stay: July 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Neem geen standaard kamer tenzij je klein van gestalte bent/alleen reist. Standaard bedden zijn...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We have written to the manager and CEO of the Hilton. The current strike action of staff is totally unacceptable. Strikers are noisy and intimidating when guests enter or leave the hotel. The bar and lounge in the lobby are both closed and it is so noisy with the protestors that you cannot use the lobby area, let alone speak to the minimal number of staff. No porters either, so have to manage own luggage. The initial 2 rooms assigned were in poor condition the carpets and furniture were ripped and the rooms were not clean, nor were the outside areas. 2 new rooms allocated are not clean, can’t get towels, water or toilet tissue. Last night there was 1 member of housekeeping on duty at 7.30pm there were 101 outstanding requests for housekeeping. Rooms, are not cleaned, no towel or bedding changes. No water tea or coffee. No toiletries or toilet tissue. Totally unacceptable as the strike action has been going on for sometime and the Hilton made no attempts to notify us in advance of our stay. Meaning we had no alternative but to book in being unaware of the impact the strike would have on our 7 night stay. We have evidence of the noise encountered throughout the day from 07:00 hrs onwards until very late in the evening. The rooms are well below standard and with no ancillary services we do not believe that we should be charged the full daily rate, let alone the tourist tax which has still to be paid. Had we been aware of the strike action we would have cancelled the booking and made other arrangements, however having had no notice we were not able to do this. This is the last stop on a once in a lifetime trip. We feel extremely let down by the Hilton group and would hope that the hotel goes some way towards recompensing us for such a horrid experience.
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Date of stay: September 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
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Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip:Contact the hotel to ensure that all services advertised are available. Ask for upper floor in...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi
I visited from the UK in July. We didn't receive any food, vouchers or spend against the $25 we paid. It worked as a destination tax and we didn't get any funds refunded after we departed
There are more places to choose from in the San Francisco area.
PRICE RANGE
₱11,233 - ₱17,194 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
hilton san francisco union square hotel san francisco, hilton hotel san francisco, san francisco hilton
LOCATION
United StatesCaliforniaSan FranciscoDowntown San Francisco / Tenderloin / Downtown / Theater District
NUMBER OF ROOMS
1,921
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect nightly room rates, including any mandatory fees. Taxes not included. Please see our partners for more details.
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HILTON SAN FRANCISCO UNION SQUARE - UPDATED 2025 Hotel Reviews & Price Comparison (CA) - Tripadvisor
Frequently Asked Questions about Hilton San Francisco Union Square
Which popular attractions are close to Hilton San Francisco Union Square?
Nearby attractions include San Francisco Magic Theater at the Marrakech (0.1 km), San Francisco Urban Adventures (0.2 km), and San Francisco Playhouse (0.3 km).
