San Francisco is our backyard, but it’s rare for us to play tourist in our own town. I was ecstatic at the chance to experience San Francisco hospitality this past month during the holidays. There is an enormous amount of hotels in the bay area and dozens of neighborhoods to pick from. Staypineapple is located in the heart of downtown (Union Square) and was the perfect home base to explore what the city has to offer.

Location: 4/5

In terms of location, it’s about 2 blocks off the actual Union Square. While Union Square is a beautiful and clean area, the outskirts can get a little sketchy at night, which can be a bit unnerving if you’re not familiar with the area. This is true for all hotels in the neighborhood (including the big brands like Grand Hyatt and Marriott). Despite the somewhat sketchy nature of the area, some of the city’s best bars and restaurants are within steps of the front door, including my favorite: Bourbon & Branch. Union Square is one of the main shopping and tourism hubs of San Francisco and the classic cable cars pass by just outside, making for a lovely view.

Lobby & Check in experience: 4.5/5

While the reception desk is very nondescript and located in front of the door, the lobby itself is stunning. We were there during the holidays and beautiful decorations adorned the lobby lounge. The Staypineapple yellow color accented the cushions, lighting and decor in a beautiful way. There is ample seating for lounging, working and chatting. It was very homey and cozy, which makes me want to hang out there all day.

The check-in itself was very efficient and friendly. They serve pineapple-infused water as well as water bottles all day in the lobby. They also offer their signature cupcakes every afternoon. We were provided our keys to our 7th floor king room within a few minutes and headed to the elevator to check out our room.

Rooms: 4.5/5

While quite small, the rooms are so cozy and well-equipped. The attention to detail is excellent and it seems they thought of pretty much everything. In our Celebrity King room, there were Staypineapple branded Keurig pods, a bottle opener, ample glassware and a mini-fridge in a beautiful lacquered armoire.

The King bed took up most of the room with it’s lush, fluffy bedding, aptly named “The Naked Experience”. I didn’t quite understand the name until I got into the bed… it was the most comfortable bed I’ve slept in at a hotel…possibly ever. I briefly considered stealing all the bedding (not kidding). The Staypineapple branding continued with an adorable “Sleep with me” pillow and plush dog toy for purchase.

There is a small desk by the window and one chair, which was adequate to get some work done in your absurdly comfortable branded robe.

The TV in the room was massive! While they had many channels to explore, I loved “streampineapple”. AKA, the ability to stream your netflix shows via chromecast. It was easy to connect and worked without issue.

The bathroom, while also small, is beautiful. Marble covers the walls and floor and the walk-in shower had excellent pressure. I loved the Tommy Bahama products in eco-friendly wall-mounted containers.

The room was also very quiet. While you can hear the noise from the street, inevitably, it was not very loud and I was able to sleep well. Overall, the room was beautifully decorated and very well done for its small size. I honestly did not want to leave, it was so cozy.

Facilities: 3.5/5

What the hotel lacks in on-property amenities, it makes up for in unlimited free coffee and water in your room and lobby. However, I do need to point out that the hotel does not have a restaurant onsite or a gym. However, given the location, I would highly encourage you to explore the cuisine of San Francisco anyway. There are so many incredible restaurants in the area, you would be really missing out if you didn’t explore the area.

However, if you simply can’t leave the cozy lobby, they do serve small bites in the bar. We also enjoyed several cocktails at the bar and they were all excellent and trendy. Their wine selection is reasonably priced and delicious as well. The lobby bar is a great stop on your way out for dinner, so don’t miss a champagne cocktail there.

Staypineapple also provides complimentary beach cruisers, so you can explore the city all day by foot! We loved this nice touch and it’s such a fun way to explore San Francisco.

Service: 5/5

The service we experienced was excellent! Housekeeping was thorough and timely and the staff we encountered were very relaxed and kind. The bellman offered bottled water on my way to work one morning and sent me off with a lovely greeting. One afternoon, a staff member even played the piano in the lobby, giving it a really festive vibe for the holidays.

Style: 5/5

We loved the style at Staypineapple! Elegant, classy and modern, but still staying true to their quirky and fun brand. We loved all the custom amenities they had like the Keurig pods, mugs, robes and bedding. The lamps in the rooms were all beautiful and different, which makes you feel like your room is specifically designed for you. The lobby is like walking into a West Elm magazine and we loved that aspect of the brand. There’s nothing more disappointing than half-assed decor and Staypineapple just nailed it.

Overall: 4.25

Overall, we absolutely loved our experience with Staypineapple. They have ten properties around the country and I cannot WAIT for their NYC property to open this year. The service, beautiful decor and to-die-for bedding blew our minds and made for an incredible staycation in San Francisco. Of all the properties we have stayed at in SF so far, this is the one I would not hesitate to come back to.