Layne Hotel in San Francisco

The Layne Hotel is very clean and well maintained. Randy and all his staff are very professional and friendly.
Very quiet, charming little boutique Hotel located 2.5 blocks from Union Square and Macys etc.
I had a fabulously relaxing stay and would definetly return in future. Wi-fi included. Many shops, stores, restaurants in walking distance as well.

Let's be clear:
This hotel is at the border of the Union Square district (touristy) and the Tenderloin district (super sketchy, don't go there). There are drug addicts and homeless people in the streets, and the streets are dirty.
Does that means that this reflects on the hostel services? No.

The personnel is sweet and caring. They advised itineraries and streets to avoid without me asking. There is a solid gate and a receptionist 24/7 who makes sure only the guests go in.
The rooms are small but tidy, clean, colorful with furniture and devices that doesn't look like antiques. No dust, mold, dirty bedsheets or stained towels. Choice of pillows, thick mattress, I slept very well. Clean wooden floors. Little soaps for in bedroom sink provided as well as iron table, hangers and hair drier. Fridge and TV.
The building is old but the facilities show very little signs of wear.
Bathrooms and toilets are clean and well maintained.
I've been staying at many hostels in SF and this one is one of the nicest I've been in.

Note: they have rules (no smoking, no guests, etc) and enforce them, there is a $250 deposit, but these are very clear on the contract you sign. I see no issue with business owners caring about their guests and facilities and trying hard to keep a nice environment for everyone, in a neighborhood that may not grant that by default.
I booked via Booking.com, no problem, they were also reactive on the app chat.

You cant beat this price in central San Fransisco and the classic SF style architecture.. The rooms are nicely sized and clean with regular house keeping. The owner and staff are lovely, super friendly and always on hand to answer questions or help how they can (even helping me to get my phone fixed!). Well located to everything, but its on the border of where the town gets more lively/wild.. However the full gates with 24 hour front desk made it feel super safe and homely. 5 minute walk from Union square and a lovely french coffee shop. Really good value for what it is. Will definitely stay again.

I’m glad I ignored the poor reviews. I’ve stayed at many boutique hotels in San Francisco and I usually run into issues with check in process and cleanliness. Layne is great. The check in process is smooth and they are very kind and informative. My room was spotless. Which at this price point you will not find anywhere else. Comfortable bed, clean bathroom, and they have a mini fridge. Most boutique hotels don’t. I saw a lot of location complaints in the reviews. It’s not an ideal spot but I feel safe walking around and the building is very secure. I’ll be staying here next time I’m in San Francisco

My daughter and I had a really great overnight stay at the Layne Hotel. The hotel itself is beautiful and historic, and our room was spotless and exceptionally comfortable. The water and shower head were great in the bathroom and the bed was also very comfy.

Although it has been mentioned before that the neighborhood isn't the best, the location is very central and we were advised which streets were safer to walk, which I much appreciated as an out-of-towner. We felt very safe in the gated hotel.

The best part of our stay was the exceptional service at the Layne. We felt very well taken care of by the hotel staff, and much appreciated their warm welcome and kind advice.

I would highly recommend the Layne for a stay in San Francisco and we would certainly stay again.

Great place to stay at an affordable price. In the heart of downtown San Francisco and easy transit to almost all the tourist attractions.

Nice hotel in a less than nice neighborhood. My only complaint is no bathrooms in the rooms, but shared bathrooms & showers per floor.