White Swan Inn

White Swan Inn is a lovely boutique English Bed and Breakfast style hotel on Bush Street near Union Square. I consider it like the British countryside in the heart of San Francisco. The rooms are huge with fireplaces. Breakfast is buffet style, which is very tasty and plentiful. Each afternoon from 4:30 PM to around 6 PM, you get complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres in the lounge. The staff are friendly and helpful, and the hotel feels very clean and homely. Its a few minutes walk from Union Street and about 10 mins walk from Union Square and Powell Street station.
While this hotel is not particularly cheap, the price for the location is comparable to other hotels in the area. I am a huge fan of this inn and have stayed here many times. I found out about this hotel (and its sister inn, Petite Auberge, a French-​themed inn which is just a few doors down) from friends who have spent their weekend getaways in San Francisco. It’s always nice to return to an inn where the staff remember you and welcome you back. I consider the White Swan my home in San Francisco and would highly recommend this hotel.

If there were more «stars» available I’d rate this place higher. Simply the best– great atmosphere, breakfast, and happy hour. Employees are friendly and helpful (Leon will do anything for you!)

We stayed here for four nights in late September.
Room: We had the last room in the corner of the second floor. There was a good amount of city noise (cars, ambulances, people yelling etc) which was to be expected. The front desk stated on the welcome paper that they had complimentary earplugs, but when we asked they said they didn’t have any and we could purchase some at Walgreen’s. We were concerned about the thin walls other people posted about but there was only a few instances where we heard the people above us walking back and forth. The room was larger than I expected it would be. There was a bathroom, small kitchenette, vanity/​dressing room with separate nook that had an ironing board, and the main area with desk, king size bed, TV and fireplace. The water and sodas were complimentary. There was also no screen on the window which I found a bit odd.
Hotel: The front desk staff were helpful. Breakfast was held in the basement area and was usually fruit, oatmeal, eggs, bagels/​toast and meat. The breakfast tends to run out quickly and is not very hot. They have a very old fashioned elevator which is nice to take a ride in once or twice. In general we just took the stairs because if someone doesn’t not close the elevator properly it will not work. You could be standing there awhile waiting! The hotel offers valet parking but at a price of about $ 40 a day. It is also close to some restaurants, laundry mat, Walgreen’s and public transportation.
Overall the stay was OK. not horrible, but also nothing too write home about.

Stayed here last night –RM 24. It was quaint and a nice change from the standard hotel chains. It’s over 100 yrs old so you get: windows that open, funky décor, friendly staff, boutique vibe.
It was quiet but there was no a/​c which usually isn’t an issue unless you are in a heat wave. Which SF is in right now.
All that being said — I’d stay here again. Plus the food is homemade.

Booked using hotel tonight. We got there late and the staff was friendly and accommodating. The room we had was huge with a comfy king bed. There was a working fireplace in the room and we wished it was cold enough to use it.
There is a small kitchenette with a mini fridge and complimentary soda and bottled water. Everything was clean and in working order, just not super luxe since it’s an older building. There were great details like the original elevator and cute decorations in the room.
We were able to leave our bags at the front desk and our car with valet after checkout so that we could get more time in the city. When we returned to get our things the staff was friendly and quick to accommodate us.
We had a great experience and will stay here again next time we are passing through.

Room was ok but many months later their management company has still done nothing to compensate me for the damage their valet caused to my truck camper. Wifi very poor.

Awful choice.
Very old property. Old style quaint elevator that works very poorly.
Central location ok but sketchy street.
Washington Square Inn much better choice but they were booked.
WiFi nearly non existent. Spent half the day with minimal to zero connectivity and the hotel techs attempting to fix I.
Finally told them to replace the router, which they supposedly did
Connectivity improved but performance is sub par,
Common guys, for $ 300 a nite?
Breakfast more like a Hampton inn than a true B&B.
We needed to get breakfast just a bit earlier than 8 am on Sunday as a tour bus was picking us up at 8:15. Sorry but they were incapable of accommodating that request. So my pre diabetic wife gets to start the day at risk. Thanks much.
All in all a disappointment, will never be back.

This is a small inn, decorated to have a British mod feel. Previously the building had been apartments for local workers. The room we had a reasonable amount of space, a fireplace and a small fridge with some complementary drinks. The little fridge was located in a small closet that had previously been a kitchenette. A hot plate had been covered up with a wooden box and a coffee pot put on top. We had a small couch and an armchair and a king sized bed.
However, the walls are very thin and we heard all aspects of the young lovers next door and their multiple evening activities. A bit awkward when we met in the hall the next morning.
We weather was stormy while there, we tried to use the fire place and smoke came out, after a short time even though it was gas. I assume this was do to high winds blowing debris down the chimney, into the room. There are not climate controls, nor screens on the windows, so we had to keep adjusting temps by opening and shutting windows. Not ideal with rain, which ended up coming in.
I had hoped for a nice soak in the tub, but the tub was not inviting. It was not super dirty, but it grungy and stained.
The hotel offers a free breakfast, which we looked forward to. Unfortunately, when we got there, only an hour after the buffet opened, there was almost no food to be found and all the staff were in the kitchen chatting. I finally had to go into the kitchen and ask if anything else would be brought out, since it was supposed to be open two more hours. The staff looked very put out, but several minutes later a metal pan of scrambled eggs and another of sausage patties appeared. There was not a lamp or facility to keep the hot food hot. The sausage patties laid in an unappealing grayish water. When we sat to eat the sausage and eggs, within minutes after it came from the kitchen, we found it cold. It was not even remotely lukewarm, and appears to had been cooked sometime before and just sat in the kitchen with a lack of warming. I was unable to finish my food, it was very unappetizing.
The location of the hotel is not too bad, you can walk or easily take public transport to most places.
Unfortunately we had been out in Union Square for only a few hours when I suddenly became very ill with food poisoning which forced us back to our room for the next 48 hours. My husband was ill as well.
Obviously this made for a very disappointing trip because for the three days there, my stomach never recovered enough to really enjoy the wonderful food we had looked forward to trying in SF. Needless to say, we did not eat any additional food from the hotel.
Pros: For SF, the price is reasonable with a good sized room. You are in a good location to see tourist sites if you don’t mind a bit more walking of are comfortable using buses.
Cons: Thin walls: poor privacy. No real climate control. Really poor quality food which I doubt would pass a health inspection. Needs some renovation to improve things like tubs and windows.
Honestly can’t recommend.

Perfection. There was nothing — NOTHING — that was not an absolute pleasure about this place. They bend over backwards to make your stay pleasant and are accomodating beyond belief. The location is central to everything you’d like to see of a tourist bent and the rooms are incredible, from the fireplaces, to the ultracomfortable bed to the many free goodies — free sumptuous breakfast and always different; free tea and coffee ²⁴⁄₇ and free cookies in the lobby. Each and every staff member is friendly and helfpful and the people that stay here were engaging and conversational. There’s not a snobby air or detached air by any of the guests and there’s a great air of commadarie amongst all. I could not have been more impressed and the price was extremely reasonable. The week I just stayed there the hotel was nearly full but it was quiet as a tomb — no creaking floors or street traffic that I heard at all. None of the very few complaints on Unilocal panned out at all. I encourage you — no — URGE you to stay!

What a pleasant surprise! So glad we found this place. Very cozy, authentically furnished, great service, lovely buffet breakfast, and wine and appetizers in the evening. Would love to return to this charming, comfortable hotel.

People, for some strange reason, have a tendency to rate things positively for simply being small businesses. This hotel is a perfect example. There’s no parking. They charge you like $ 38 a day to park your car. The wifi sucks. The room made my allergies, which have been gone for a year, go crazy.
The free breakfast was pretty good and so is the location.
It’s just… aight.

Very good price for what you get. The rooms are large and rambling with old San Francisco charm. The fireplace adds romanic. Good location and nice people. However…
The walls are very thin so you will hear your neighbors TV or loud conversations, and the floors are creaky, allowing you to hear anyone walking above you. Plus — and my biggest negative — the breakfast is not befitting of San Francisco. With all of the wonderful food in SF, you can not serve average pastries, cold cereal and a small egg dish. Not going to fly in the City of food.

Great hotel with an English theme. It is an older hotel, so you have to take that into consideration. We had a lovely room with a fireplace (but it was too hot outside to consider using it.) I would definitely stay here again. The staff is fabulous and will do anything they can to make your stay a good one. Good location and felt safe. Loved the old fashioned and personal touches.

We just returned from a fabulous visit to the White Swan. We had the two room suite so our daughter could have her own room. She stayed on the couch in the living area while we had the bedroom. We were so pleased that if we return to SF we would definitely stay here. The staff was amazingly wonderful and helpful, with tips on where to eat and how to get around as well as making sure our stay was perfect.
I also really appreciated the wonderful breakfast, with hot egg dishes and seasoned potatoes in addition to pastries and cereal. Having hot coffee (regular and decaf) and hot water for tea and chocolate available all day was a blessing. The evening wine and snack time was also fantastic. We came in from hiking the steep hills to relax with wine or coffee and snacks, with vegetables and egg salad or dip, and cakes daily. I loved sitting by the fireplaces — in our rooms or downstairs, and sipping coffee.
No air conditioner was a concern for us, since we are from Texas and live in the AC, but it wasn’t a problem. The air was so cool at night that we slept well. The décor is beautiful, and we were especially impressed by the church and cathedral replicas in the sitting area.
As for location, we discovered the cable car stop 2 blocks over at Powell and Bush, and used that often. There is a hub of public transportation at California and Powell, but it is up two blocks that are very steep. We actually went downhill to Stockton and Sutter to catch a lot of buses. Between the buses and cable cars, we got around easily. When we wanted to get somewhere quicker, we took a taxi. The hotel would call for a taxi and it was there in just a few minutes.
We were on the first floor, but our daughter wanted to ride in the elevator, since it was the old fashioned kind that you close the door manually, so we did that just for fun. Being on the first floor and facing the street, our daughter had a little street noise but slept well anyway. Our room overlooked the downstairs patio and was quiet.
Overall, this was a haven in a crowded city, and we thoroughly enjoyed the White Swan.

This was our first B&B experience, and we’ve been converted. It’s a cute, British-​themed former apartment house with a staff that takes excellent care of you.

My mom and I like to go to the city once a yr for a mother, daughter weekend.
She found this charming little place and decided to try it out. We loved it!
Yes, the floral wallpaper ect, is a bit much but that adds to it’s charm.
For the price you get great location, free app and wine in the early evening, coffee and tea 24 hrs a day, free breakfast that is quite good, free wifi and nice people at the front desk to boot!
My mom has decided that this is our new hotel every year from now on.
enjoy!

My fiancé and I stayed here back in January after a four day trip to Yosemite and not wanting to go back to his tiny rented room in house with 8 other roommates. We booked the room through the hotels tonight app and checked in about an hour later. We were greeted by a very welcoming staff and told of the free wine and appetizer hour later that evening. While some may find the interior decorating to be a tad outdated, I felt it added to the charm of the inn.
Our room was lovely and large with a nice walk-​in closet with vanity on one side of the entryway, and bathroom on the other side. I enjoyed having an in room fireplace and a fully stocked mini fridge with soft drinks and water. The king size bed was so soft and comfortable especially for him after having slept on couch cushions for four nights! We were able to enjoy the free wine and appetizers before heading out to dinner with a friend which we were able to walk to. The next morning we woke up enjoyed some breakfast and then were on our way out. With our wedding in April, I had been searching for a cute boutique hotel to get ready in with my bridesmaids and booked the suite at the inn for the night before the wedding and know that we will have ample space to get ready in. I will post a second review after that, and am looking forward to my stay then.

Very cute inn in a great area near Union Square. The luxury king room was large with complimentary soft drinks and waters. There are a ton of great restaurants within walking distance. The afternoon appetizers consisted of fruit, cheese, crackers, hummus & egg salad. The reason for my 4 star rating was due to the breakfast. The breakfast is posted to be open from 7−10am. We went down for breakfast at 8:45 and the majority of the hot items were already gone. When we asked if they had more we were told that the breakfast was almost over. I wish when we checked in we would have been told to go early to breakfast so we wouldn’t have only had fruit and cold cereal. Besides that part, our stay was great.

Super-​cute and very decently priced.
Nice old-​fashioned room, though the furniture looked and felt new. Perfect location — away from homeless crowd and yet still close to all attractions you might desire.
Very nice breakfast with fresh fruit and lots of goodies. And yeah, the dining room looks like a movie set — incredibly pretty and with great love to detail.
Would definitely stay again.

Wow. Ich war hier mit meiner Frau, um ein paar Tage über Silvester in San Francisco zu verbringen und das Hotel war wirklich der absolute Treffer. Es liegt so zentral, dass man alle Sehenswürdigkeiten bis auf die Brücke innerhalb von 30 Minuten zu Fuß erreichen kann. In unserem Zimmer, dass in der obersten Etage zum Innenhof hin lag, war es für eine amerikanische Großstadt überraschend ruhig. Die Ohrstöpsel konnten den ganzen Urlaub in der Tasche bleiben. Als eines der wenigen Angebote war hier das Frühstück inklusive und das war wirklich eine gute Sache.
Besonders zu erwähnen ist hier der Weinempfang Nachmittags um 17:30 Uhr. Wenn man dann mit plattgelaufenen Füßen zurück im Hotel ist und sich mit ein paar anderen Gästen bei einem Glas Wein und ein paar Crackern austauschen kann, ist das schon sehr entspannend.
Das Personal war ausnehmend freundlich und hilfsbereit.
Die Zimmer waren geräumig, das Badezimmer sauber, wenn auch alles etwas altertümlich. Doch das war wohl dem «englischen» B&B Stil geschuldet, oder das was sich Amerikaner darunter vorstellen.
In jedem Zimmer gab es einen offenen Kamin, der allerdings mit Gas betrieben wurde. Den Kamin schaltete man — Gipfel der Dekadenz — mit einem Schalter vom Bett aus ein. Er verbreitete auch mehr optische als physische Wärme, machte das Zimmer aber trotzdem sehr gemütlich.
Ich würde hier wieder absteigen.

Pros: beautiful boutique hotel between the historic Lower Knob Hill and Union Square; friendly, upbeat, helpful customer service; fresh pastries all day; complimentary afternoon tea, coffee, wine, and snacks; and a great complimentary breakfast
Cons: none
White Swan Inn is my favorite hotel I have visited in any city. It is definitely not one of the most expensive, one of the cheapest, or the most jaw-​droppingly gorgeous of hotels. What it is, however, is very reasonable, comfortable, cozy, friendly, perfectly located, historic, and quaint. It is a boutique hotel, or a hotel that is both luxurious and quirky or themed. The theme here is British countryside, afternoon tea, and all the trappings of a very comfortable aunt’s house (think rich colors and floral patterns).
I had the great pleasure of staying at the White Swan Inn at the time of a professional convention in the Moscone Center in February of 2012. I had never been to San Francisco before and quickly fell in love with the city, its natural beauty, and all its offerings of food and culture.
The service at the White Swan is excellent. The receptionists at the front desk will be able to answer all questions and offer great advice. I even had the pleasure of getting tourism advice from the eager and helpful manager. One of my favorite things about the White Swam Inn was that they had fresh cookies or some form of pastry near the front desk. Whenever I returned from the convention, I would sit down, rest my feet, and enjoy a cookie or pastry with a cup of coffee.
The food was wonderful. Every morning, the chefs and cooks would be hard at work preparing a delicious complimentary breakfast with a rotating menu. And not just bagels and pastries. They had omelets, quiches, home fries, etc. Throughout the day, they baked pastries and around 4pm, they would have complimentary afternoon tea, coffee, and wine with snacks. The hotel even offered complimentary bottles of water.
The rooms are pretty with nice wood touches, mood lighting, and wall furnaces. Before booking at the White Swan Inn, I did extensive research on bed bugs in San Francisco hotels. I am very happy to say that White Swan Inn had no such problems. The hotel is clean and well maintained, even the beautiful, old elevator off to the side of the lobby.
Next time you are close to downtown San Francisco and looking for a very comfortable, memorable, and accommodating stay, look no further than the White Swan Inn. I cannot recommend this hotel enough.

Es un hotel antiguo y muy hortera pero…
Las habitaciones son chulas, la nuestra tenía chimenea que le daba un ambiente muy romántico, habitación limpia y baños limpios. Las carencias del hotel son suplidas por la amabilidad de los que trabajan allí, además de 17.00 a 18.30 abren el salón de desayunos para invitar a los huéspedes a todo el vino que se quieran beber y algo de picoteo.
Cerca de todo el meollo y bien comunicado, con solo subir una cuesta desde el mismo centro ya estas allí.