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C$308
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About
4.5
#26 of 238 hotels in San Francisco
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Welcome to Kimpton Alton Hotel, a refreshing retreat in Fisherman's Wharf. Our spirit matches our vibrant city: energized and worldly yet approachable, and you'll feel it the moment you enter our living room. Greenery-draped skylights and classic rock and roll set the scene for a mellow evening with friends, or watch the world go by from the patio of our restaurant, Abacá.
Time to call it a night? Turn in to chic, retro-inspired guest rooms outfitted with Victrola record players, sumptuous furnishings and bay views.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
This summary was created by AI, based on recent reviews.
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Nestled in the heart of San Francisco, the Kimpton Alton Hotel emerges as a popular choice for its prime Fisherman's Wharf location, making it a convenient hub for city exploration. The cleanliness of the hotel earns high marks from many guests, who also enjoy the charming, well-furnished rooms, despite some noting their compact size and occasional noise.
While opinions on value vary due to extra fees, the eclectic atmosphere and exceptional service consistently receive praise. Amenities like the complimentary social hour and on-site restaurant are appreciated, although guests miss having in-room coffee makers.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Eclectic
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Friendly
Amenities
Satisfactory
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First time in San Francisco, we found a Great hotel, great location. All reception staff were really friendly, and attentive, the rooms clean, and bonus is Free coffee or tea in a morning and a happy hour on an evening. Would recommend.
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Date of stay: June 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled 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 Emily Nichols, General Manager at Kimpton Alton Hotel - Fisherman's Wharf
Responded Jul 13, 2023
Thank you for the great review! We hope to welcome you back again in the future.
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I discovered this hotel through Hotel Tonight a little over a month ago, and as of yesterday, I just booked my third stay there! I'll be returning in less than two weeks and am already looking forward to my stay, hopefully in a King Bed Room.
I visit San Francisco frequently for my business, up to 10 times a year, so I have stayed at what Hotel Tonight deems "Hip" and "Trendy" hotels all over the Bay Area. I've probably stayed at close to 15 different hotels, and the Kimpton Alton is my current favorite.
It was recently renovated, but there are already some signs of wear showing. If you let the front desk know though, they make notes, close off rooms, and make the changes for future guests.
The rooms are nicely furnished in a modern and minimalist way, and if you're able to, request a King room - they have nicer bathrooms than rooms with two beds.
The rooms come with record players (with records in room and a library downstairs), mini-fridges, and you can request hot water kettles and a Nespresso machine. They have a complimentary house coffee, happy hour with wine, and you get a $5 credit to their little shop each day you stay there. They just upped their shop a few days ago to include robes and more snacks. They give away these little amenities because they're required to charge a resort fee, so they try to make up for it, which is nice.
I would say that one of my favorite parts about staying at the Kimpton Alton would have to be the location, the feel of the hotel, and the people that work there. They seem so genuinely nice! Edwin at the front desk during our first stay was a delight, and this time during our stay, Mary was even nicer!
We checked out with Jacob during our first stay, and when I asked him if he happened to know who made the artwork in the hallway (on the way to the bathroom on the first floor) he connected me with Emily Nichols who sent over their portfolio of artists! I think that alone was above and beyond.
Paul has helped us with our bags a few times, and is so very helpful too!
If you're looking for things to eat in the area, Surisan is great for Korean food, Codmother's for fried seafood and french fries, and Palette is only a short walk away for Michelin rated Dim Sum. If you're looking for snacks, water, etc., there is a Trader Joe's, Safeway, and a Walgreen's all within walking distance - just don't forget your reusable bag/backpack!
I'll be back, very soon, and I've already started recommending this hotel to our friends and family members.
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Date of stay: November 2021
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Travelled on business
Room Tip:There's no ice maker on the third floor. It's available on the 4th and 5th floor though!...
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 Emily Nichols, General Manager at Kimpton Alton Hotel - Fisherman's Wharf
Responded Nov 21, 2021
Thank you so much for the extremely thoughtful review. We are SO honored that we are your favorite SF hotel. We are always so happy to have you stay with us and hope you come back again soon.
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What a pleasant surprise - the Kimpton Alton was the perfect hotel for our family trip to San Francisco. We usually stay in the Union Square/SOMA areas but decided to try the Kimpton in Fisherman's Wharf this trip. We were so thankful that we did.
First off the staff from the front desk to the valet were sincerely friendly and warm. Second the location is right next to the F Trolley stop (for trips to the Ferry Building and Market Street) and about two blocks from the cable car turnaround. It is also a few blocks from a Trader Joes. Chinatown and North Beach are a fairly short walk as well. So it was a perfect location to explore the city.
The room was nice and clean and the kids loved the turntable in the room and checked out albums from the front desk. The kids also enjoyed the hot apple cider in the evenings and the hot chocolate in the mornings.
The only downside is the cost of valet parking. It is expensive at every hotel in the central part of San Francisco so not only an issue at this hotel.
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Date of stay: December 2021
Value
Rooms
Service
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 Emily Nichols, General Manager at Kimpton Alton Hotel - Fisherman's Wharf
Responded Jan 3, 2022
Thank you so much for the wonderful review. We hope to welcome your family back again soon, Happy New Year!
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Family decided to enjoy 4th of July firework show at Pier 39. Booked on IHG app for 2 rooms with Alcatz 2 queen rooms (assume it is called premium 2 queen rooms).
Before departing for San Francisco, Jacob, the assistant manager of the hotel reached out and informed the upcoming road closure due to the upcoming firework show. This is highly appreciated.
We managed to arrive at the hotel in early afternoon. The vallet parking is a bit steep $60, though offered a piece of mind as not sure the other option parking the car on street near pier 39 during firework night would be a better idea.
The check in experience turned out to be quite a journey. Gina? the front desk staff informed us that the booked room detail was not relayed properly to the hotel. As such, no such room available to check in. Not only losing the Alxartz view room, we also lost the chance to stay in a room with water view. And only one queen room available in the most inland row of hotel is available. No doubt this was a super frustrated experience. After further communication and escalation to jacob, we were offered two more king size rooms to compensate the missing 2 queen Alcatraz room. Although we appreciate the kind gesture from the hotel staff and management to have 3 rooms for a four members family, the overall experience has not been so pleasant, and missing the feeling of close knitted family vacation.
To be fair, the hotel is just one month old brand new look after recent innovation, has a great feel of boutique hotel. It is 9 mins from pier 39 and very close to various tasty streetfoods. Pandemic impact still could be felt but business in this area definitely on the way back.
The temperature is kind of chilly especially at night. Very unique things about the famous "cold" summer in San Francisco.
Firework were shot up from both ends of the piers and walk to join the crowd to enjoy the experience.. not too bad experience though a bit loud. The crowd is definitely very upbeat.
The sleep quality is very good and the room setup also quite nice.
Checkout process also smooth and quick including getting the car from the bell boy.
Overall experience is mixed with initial struggle of check-in and room assignment, later part good experience softened the bad taste a bit.
Unlikely my family would return to same hotel again but would recommend the hotel to any travels looking for luxury 4 star hotel experience a stone throw distance from pier 39.
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Date of stay: July 2021Trip type: Travelled 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 Sinnga Lao, Guest Services / Front Office at Kimpton Alton Hotel - Fisherman's Wharf
Responded Jul 11, 2021
Dear 12seahawk, Thank you for taking your time to share your feedback with us. I am sorry to hear the incident that occurred upon your arrival and the inconvenience that we have caused you with your family during your stay. I am glad to hear you enjoyed the holiday weekend in the fisherman wharf neighborhood with your family. I hope you will give us a second chance for your next visit in San Francisco when our restaurant is opening in this summer, and I will ensure your stay will be VIP. Thank you again for staying with us.
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The Alton is a spanking new hotel that just opened in May, having been converted via a complete makeover from an old Holiday inn. My wife and I and a couple of friends who also live in the Bay Area spent a night there on a short stay in SF.
We all loved it! Friendly and efficient staff; comfy, quiet rooms with wonderful beds and, as an extra touch, an old-style record player with a few albums in the room and more available from the front desk; good wifi; great lobby; a nice bar/restaurant area (that's only open in the evenings as of now, but might be opening during the day soon); wonderful location; easy access to the cable car line that takes you to the SF ferry building downtown; and a free wine happy hour starting at 5 pm.
As of now, perhaps in view of Covid, just free coffee and some pastries in the restaurant in the morning, though for a few bucks more you can get fancier concoctions such as cappuccinos.
We had no trouble getting Ubers and Lyfts from the hotel.
In sum, very highly recommended! For future mini-trips into the City, we'll be back!
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Date of stay: September 2021
Location
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.
Response from Emily Nichols, General Manager at Kimpton Alton Hotel - Fisherman's Wharf
Responded Sep 30, 2021
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave us this awesome review! We are so happy to hear you and your friends had a wonderful time. We hope to welcome you all back again soon.
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Due to weather in FL we did not arrive until late morning on Apr01 but I had called the hotel the evening prior and explained our delay and to please hold our rooms. The front desk agent was very helpful and our rooms were ready when we arrived the next day.
All of the rooms have a actual turntable/record player with albums available at the front desk to borrow if you wish. A nice theme.
The rooms we had were considered premium and quite spacious for a normal hotel room. The rooms were very clean and well maintained but our only complaint is the lack of a hand held shower.
The staff was wonderful and always willing to please and greet with a smile.
The Abaca restaurant if a Filipino modern style with excellent food and the bar makes some wonderful cocktails. The 2 bar tenders Raul and Spencer we sat with several times were great and honestly artists at their craft.
The location on Beach street is 2 blocks from our fave The Buena Vista and 2 blocks from Boudin's which we walked to each morning to get coffee and pastries.
The hotel does provide complimentary coffee in the morning and they do have a evening wine drink (which we did not partake in).
I cannot say enough how pleased my wife and I and her Sister and Husband were with this hotel. We like the nice casual type of properties and Kimpton has always come through for us.
Definitely would stay at this hotel again in the future.
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Date of stay: April 2022
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Try to get at least a premium category room for the additional space.
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 Emily Nichols, General Manager at Kimpton Alton Hotel - Fisherman's Wharf
Responded Apr 13, 2022
Thank you for taking the time to write this detailed review, it is much appreciated! We are so happy to hear you enjoyed our vinyl collection, spacious/clean rooms, wonderful restaurant and central location. We look forward to welcoming your family back again soon.
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The room was looking tired as the rest. Of the hotel requires upgrading. We had problems of items incorrectly charged to the room. The cafe/restaurant area was clean on the three mornings we used it for breakfast we asked for it to be charged to the room each time asked for different information the staff didn’t seem to know the procedure to charge to the room. Food was cold and overpriced, To add to the insults they automatically charged 20% for the poor service. No facilities in the room for coffee making we had to ask for a kettle and coffe,we would expect this as standard given the cost of the rooms Would we stay again definitely not
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Date of stay: September 2022
Rooms
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.
Response from Patrick S Director, Guest Services / Front Office at Kimpton Alton Hotel - Fisherman's Wharf
Responded Sep 13, 2022
Thank you for this valuable feedback! We will pass along the notes to the appropriate departments to better train our teams. We strive to give the most unforgettable memories, and apologize that your experience fell short. Please feel free to contact me at your convenience: 415-510-0718
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This is a comfortable tourist class hotel in a seedy rundown area. Rm 514 has view of Alcatraz in the distance and parking lots up close.
Concerns: City taxes to stay in Fisherman’s Wharf, a now seedy area with many vacant businesses, exceed $40 per night. Not safe to walk alone after dark.
Hotel’s $33 a night fee covers giving you $10 a night credit in snacks, a free glass of wine, a DJ in the lobby at happy hour and access to the gym. The lobby is small and often filled with exhausted overseas passengers who landed too early to get into their rooms. Bus tours also stay here.
No in-room safe, no coffee or tea maker. The hotel did send up a Nespresso machine so that helped. The in-room fridge was empty (yay!) so could use it to store my sodas and snacks. Must get up to turn off the bedside lamp and lighting is dim if window shade is down. A/C blows cold air directly onto the bed so placed a towel over the vent to block it.
My package included breakfast at the restaurant, Abaca, but it’s seated/must order and painfully slow. I used my $40/day credit for a latte ($7.50 including 20 percent mandatory tip and city fees). Much faster and cheaper to go to Boudin Bakery down the street.
On the plus side the Abaca Filipino gourmet restaurant just made the Michelin Bib Gourmand list so it is packed at night. My dinner seated at the bar was outstanding and the portions are huge. Squash fritters are amazing as was the Bang Bang cocktail made by Kenneth, a great mixologist.
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Travelled on business
Room Tip:Do not walk alone at night
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 Emily Nichols, General Manager at Kimpton Alton Hotel - Fisherman's Wharf
Responded Jul 4, 2022
Thank you for taking the time to leave us this feedback, we certainly appreciate it! All rooms have a safe in the drawer in the closet. We are glad to hear you enjoyed ABACA and other hotel amenities. We hope to welcome you back for another visit in the future.
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I stayed at the Kimpton Alton for 5 nights and I can’t wait to go back! The front desk staff was friendly and couldn’t do enough to make me (as a solo traveler) feel comfortable! The room was large and spotless-in these post COVID times this is a MUST! My compliments to the housekeeping staff! There is a definite sense of nostalgia having record players and albums in each room. I was also able to swap out albums at the front desk. The location is perfect for early morning walks along Fishermans Wharf, North Beach and all of the wonderful restaurants!
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Date of stay: October 2021Trip type: Travelled solo
Room Tip:Make sure to check with the front desk on Album options!
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 Emily Nichols, General Manager at Kimpton Alton Hotel - Fisherman's Wharf
Responded Nov 1, 2021
Maria, Thank you so much for the fabulous review. We are so happy to hear you enjoyed our staff, rooms, record players and central location. We hope to welcome you back again soon!
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Our trip to SF with my husband & cat has been delightful. We traveled from the heart of the bay (Hayward,CA) and was stunned by how well everything went for us. We stayed on the 5th floor where we were amazed by how clean the room was and how excellent the customer service that was provided through our hotel ph & in person. We stayed for 1 night and will be coming back since I have absolutely nothing to complain about. For me it was the cleanliness and the customer service. If I could rate this stay more than 5 stars, I WOULD. Next time you’re staying in SF, don’t forget to stop by the Alton for a night or 2. You won’t regret it.
Not to mention the location and the aesthetic of the hotel. Modern style that has many photo op’s around to snag that Instagram pic. The location being 1 block from the wharf was perfect for us in the morning since we were craving clam chowder and lobster rolls for brunch. Make your reservation now if you’re looking for somewhere to stay. I’ll be back 100%.
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Date of stay: February 2022Trip type: Travelled 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.
Response from Emily Nichols, General Manager at Kimpton Alton Hotel - Fisherman's Wharf
Responded Feb 28, 2022
Thank you for this fabulous review. We are so glad to hear your family had a nice experience. We look forward to welcoming you back on your next trip to San Francisco.
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There are more places to choose from in the San Francisco area.
PRICE RANGE
C$312 - C$434 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Holiday Inn San Francisco-Fishermans Wharf
LOCATION
United StatesCaliforniaSan FranciscoFisherman’s Wharf
NUMBER OF ROOMS
248
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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