Editorial score of 9.2 of 10, the composite average of the three factors above (Rooms, Service, Location). Method at our methodology page. Affiliate disclosure: booking links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you, and never change our verdict.
Why is the St. Regis the top hotel in San Francisco?
The St. Regis is our number one San Francisco hotel because it does the two things this market rewards most, service and design, better than anyone else, in the most useful location in the city. It opened in 2005 in the lower floors of a 40-story tower designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, at the corner of Third and Mission in SoMa, directly across from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. That address puts the city's cultural and business core on the doorstep, and the hotel leans into it with a serious art programme of its own, so the interiors carry a weight that most luxury hotels in the city do not attempt. The service is the throughline of nearly every guest account: the signature St. Regis butler operates 24 hours, and reviewers repeatedly describe the valet, concierge and butler team as the best they have experienced.
The rest of the offer matches the reputation. The 260 rooms are among the most polished in the city, the two-floor Remede Spa is one of the most complete hotel spas in San Francisco, and a renovation added an indoor pool, which is rare for a downtown hotel of this footprint. The business facilities are genuinely built for the technology sector that fills these rooms: high-bandwidth connectivity, meeting rooms wired for AV without a separate vendor, and a concierge team with the standing to secure hard reservations. For a traveller who prioritises service, design and a central address over a scenic view, the St. Regis is the strongest all-round luxury choice in the city.
What are the best rooms to request?
Request a high floor and, if the budget allows, a suite, because the St. Regis rewards altitude and space more than any single view orientation. The 260 rooms and suites are dressed in a warm contemporary palette with floor-to-ceiling windows that frame either the bay or the downtown grid depending on which way the room faces. Beds carry Frette linens and pillowtop mattresses, the marble bathrooms have deep tubs and separate showers, and every category comes with the 24-hour butler service that is the detail guests remember most, whether it is unpacking, a pressing before a meeting, or coffee delivered on a punishing schedule. The suites step up considerably in space, and the top categories such as the Astor Suite add a separate living area, a dining space and the room to entertain or settle in for an extended business stay.
The honest note is about the view rather than the room. This is a dense downtown block, so a low or mid-floor room can look into the surrounding city rather than out over the bay, and the outlook is not the reason to book here the way it is at a waterfront tower. Ask for the highest floor in your category, request a bay orientation if you want water and light, and treat the room as a beautifully run base in the middle of the action rather than a picture window. On those terms it delivers with very little to fault.
Give the butler team your schedule on arrival and let them pre-set the room to it, from wake-up coffee to a pressed shirt before a pitch. Book a couples treatment at the Remede Spa for the morning after arrival, and ask the concierge to line up a hard-to-get restaurant table while you settle in; this is exactly the kind of request the team is built for.
What is the dining and the bar scene like?
The hotel's restaurant is Astra, serving contemporary American cooking built on California's seasonal produce, in the ground-floor space that once housed the Michelin-starred Ame. It is joined by the St. Regis Bar, a polished room for a cocktail or a working drink, and by the Salon, which serves the brand's signature afternoon tea on weekends. This is an honest place to set expectations: since the Ame era ended, the on-site dining is very good rather than a citywide destination in its own right, and that is the one area where the St. Regis trails a hotel like the Palace with its landmark Garden Court. The upside is that the location fixes it, because some of the best restaurants in the city are a short walk away and the concierge can get you into them.
Does it have a spa and pool?
Yes, and this is one of the St. Regis's real advantages over its rivals. The Remede Spa runs across two floors and roughly 9,000 square feet, with cedar saunas, eucalyptus steam rooms, a salt room and quiet relaxation lounges, and a couples suite that makes a natural centrepiece for an anniversary. A renovation added an indoor pool bathed in natural light, an unusual amenity for a downtown hotel of this size and a genuine reason to choose the St. Regis for a stay that mixes work with wellness. Together with a well-equipped fitness centre, the wellness floor makes the hotel a retreat as well as a base, which is a rare balance for a SoMa tower.
Signature amenities
In the cultural core of SoMa
SoMa · across from SFMOMA and beside Yerba Buena Gardens
What's nearby
- SFMOMA
Modern art museum1 min walk - Yerba Buena Gardens
Galleries & green2 min walk - Moscone Center
Convention halls4 min walk - Union Square
Shops & theatre8 min walk - Ferry Building
Marketplace & bay12 min walk
The tower, the rooms, the spa
Tower
City-view room
Remede Spa
SuiteHow does the St. Regis compare with San Francisco's other five-star hotels?
Against the field, the St. Regis is the modern design-and-service benchmark, and the choice comes down to what you want the setting to be. The Four Seasons at Embarcadero is the view-led rival, trading SoMa for bay panoramas from altitude. The Ritz-Carlton on Nob Hill is the traditional grand dame, better for a classic celebration than a design-forward one. The Fairmont is the 1907 landmark with the Tonga Room and the history. The St. Regis's own trade-off is that its setting is urban rather than scenic, and its on-site dining is very good rather than a citywide destination since the Ame era ended. What it wins on is service, rooms, the spa and pool, and a location in the middle of the city's culture.
| Hotel | Style | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| The St. Regis San Francisco | Modern SoMa tower | Service, design, spa & pool, culture | Urban setting; dining not a citywide draw |
| Four Seasons at Embarcadero | High-rise on the waterfront edge | Bay views, altitude, service | Highest rates; less central to culture |
| The Ritz-Carlton San Francisco | Nob Hill grand dame | Club Level, occasion, tradition | Classic rather than cutting-edge; the hill |
| Fairmont San Francisco | 1907 Nob Hill landmark | History, the Tonga Room, the lobby | Rooms vary; no spa or pool |
Frequently asked questions
Is The St. Regis San Francisco worth it?
Yes, if you want the city's best combination of service, design and a central cultural location. It offers 24-hour butler service, a two-floor Remede Spa with an indoor pool, a notable art programme and a SoMa address across from SFMOMA, and its service is widely praised as the best guests have experienced. The trade-offs are top-of-market rates and a dense urban rather than scenic setting.
Where is The St. Regis San Francisco located?
At 125 Third Street at Mission in SoMa, directly across from SFMOMA and beside Yerba Buena Gardens, within walking distance of the Moscone Center, Union Square and the Ferry Building.
How many rooms does The St. Regis San Francisco have?
260 rooms and suites in a warm contemporary style with floor-to-ceiling bay or city views, Frette linens, marble bathrooms and 24-hour butler service. Suites such as the Astor Suite add separate living and dining space.
What are the restaurant, spa and pool at The St. Regis San Francisco?
The hotel's restaurant is Astra, serving contemporary American cooking in the space that once housed the Michelin-starred Ame, alongside the St. Regis Bar and weekend afternoon tea in the Salon. The two-floor Remede Spa runs to about 9,000 square feet with saunas, steam rooms and an indoor pool, and is among the most complete hotel spas in the city.
How much does The St. Regis San Francisco cost?
Rates sit at the very top of the San Francisco market, from around 450 US dollars a night and considerably higher for suites and peak dates around major conventions. Confirm current pricing directly before booking.
Other luxury stays in San Francisco
#2 · EmbarcaderoFour Seasons at Embarcadero
#3 · Nob HillThe Ritz-Carlton San Francisco
#4 · Nob Hill