Hotel Ikon in San Francisco

What did you like about the property?

I appreciated how they were able to preserve the charm of the property. I also truly appreciated how hospitable, thoughtful, and kind the General Manager, Megan, was toward me. Her attitude and genuine concern for guests made a big difference during my stay.

Despite the property being old, Megan’s professionalism and kindness made me overlook many of its limitations. When I checked in, she was very polite and friendly, and she always considered the welfare of guests.

Because the card reader for my security deposit wasn’t working (despite 4–6 attempts to reboot it), Megan told me not to worry and allowed me to rest first in my room. For several days, the card reader continued to fail, but Megan reassured me multiple times that she trusted me and that she would take care of it as the General Manager.

She even approved a late checkout until 5 PM since no incoming guest was scheduled for my room. All these gestures made me feel valued, and I was planning to extend my stay partly because of her excellent service.

⛔ What didn’t you like about the property?

Although the photos looked nice online, the property is actually very old. Housekeeping does not clean often, and the hallway carpets were sometimes smelly. The old heater made it difficult to keep the room warm during cold weather.

More importantly, I experienced harassment and discrimination from one of the staff members, which became the most alarming part of my stay.

Despite my clear arrangement with the GM for a late checkout, a male staff member knocked on my door around 12:00–12:30 PM on Sunday and aggressively insisted that it was past the 11 AM checkout time. I tried to calmly explain the agreement I had with Megan, but he refused to listen. I asked if I could at least take a shower and finish packing, or even pay for an extension, but he said no.

I repeatedly asked him to call Megan to verify our arrangement. He pretended to call someone and then walked away quickly when I tried to talk to him again. I felt unsafe, intimidated, and disrespected.

Because I was alone, scared, and not being listened to, I contacted 911 for assistance. The operator stayed on the line while I quickly took a shower and packed. Two police officers arrived to ensure I could leave the property safely. I was crying because I trusted the GM’s arrangement, but it was not honored by the staff.

After leaving, I called Megan. She was shocked and apologized, confirming that there was indeed an email endorsement about my late checkout. Unfortunately, the staff did not verify anything and chose to escalate the situation in a very unprofessional and frightening way.

This experience was traumatic, and I would caution future guests:
While the location is accessible and the price is affordable, please be very careful. Always ensure everything is documented. No guest should go through an experience like this again.

The staff were great, very attentive since we got there.
The only issues were: the restroom door didn’t have a lock, there was a body hair in the “unused” coffee cup, and a bad odor in the hallways. All in all, the prices were not too bad, but the place can do better.

At check-in no one was at the front counter. I had to sit and wait outside. The bathroom had mold the chemicals that they use for cleaning was very strong in the room. Luckily the windows were accessible to open to air it out the room. I asked for specific service and was denied Was told to contact management management are useless.

The location of the hotel is OK, although it is a bit far from the BART station, it is very close to Union Square. The hotel is shabby and there is no bath liquid (only soap is provided). It's ok for one night.