Aloft San Francisco Airport

Paper thin walls, noisy neighbors, and takeoff sounds from the nearby airport that practically shake the room. Barely got any sleep. The lobby is modern but definitely gives off a youth hostel vibe, as does the rest of the hotel. Staff was friendly enough but paying $30 to park overnight is a bit of a bummer. The location is convenient and at least it was cheap I guess.

As a road warrior who logs over 250K air miles every year, and spends 100+ nights in hotels (for both business and pleasure), I’m pretty familiar with what constitutes a “good” hotel. I’m a Marriott BonVoy Lifetime Gold Elite member (and should be Lifetime Platinum, but that’s another story), and I will always remain a loyal Marriott customer. But this property doesn’t live up to Marriott’s usual standards. As a Gold Elite member, I am entitled to a “complimentary room upgrade, when available” upon check-in. My “upgrade” in this case was a dingy room overlooking the freeway in desperate need of maintenance. The charging ports didn’t work, and the headboard on the bed looked as if a three year-old had run amok with a can of white paint! Normally, I’d return to the front desk and request a quieter room, but I was exhausted after a long day at work. And my room was a LONG way from the front desk! The Aloft brand comes from the merger with Starwood several years ago. It is targeted for “millennial business travelers” who like to socialize, etc. This property is less than a decade old, but the concept - and the hotel - haven’t aged well. The guest rooms are dark and strangely designed; the entryway and bathroom take up most of the space, and the sleeping area seems almost like an afterthought (perhaps millennials prefer to spend more time in the bathroom?) There is very little lighting, either in the sleeping area or in the bathroom. The only window coverings are black-out shades, so you either leave the windows wide open or completely blacked out. The only place to sit, other than the bed, is an uncomfortable plastic desk chair or a strange wall-mounted “couch” which is equally uncomfortable. The lobby is meant to be a “gathering space”, and in pre-COVID times they’d often host a live DJ. Now it’s just a huge empty room that resembles an IKEA outlet store. The elevators are dark and throbbing with techno music (and “No Smoking Marijuana” signs). The corridors are also dark and threatening; I often find myself looking over my shoulder and peering into corners, afraid someone might jump out at me. If you’re hungry - good luck. They have embraced a “self-service” dining concept, similar to a college dormitory. They have even installed vending machines! You need to walk across the parking lot to the Westin hotel just to get a decent cup of coffee. The only positive thing I can say about this property is that it is one of the few hotels still offering complimentary airport shuttle service. And the rooms ARE pretty cheap. But the best part of my stay was getting up and leaving very early the next morning!

We arrived late from a transcon flight, but had an early connection the following day. We chose this hotel because of its proximity and free shuttle. The shuttle runs every 30 minutes on the hour. On departure day, we did have a full load. The bus also collects pax from the Westin. Unfortunately, he had to turn away some passengers. Side note: An Uber will cost ~$15 from hotel to airport. The rooms are hip and stylish. I loved the Bliss amenities and the mod cons including free WiFi and outlets next to the bed. We didn’t take advantage of other amenities including the bar or gym. Grab-and-go food is available but if you’re looking for something heartier, UberEats is your friend. Staff is super friendly. I had limited interaction with them but they were sweet and accommodating. Aloft SFO is a perfect overnight hotel.

Van service is a mess. They are only running every 30 minutes. The van fills up at the first airport pickup and then can’t pickup anyone else. The poor driver has to stop at each stop and tell the frustrated travelers that it’s going to be another 30 minutes. I heard several people say they waited over an hour. The hotel itself is nice. My room was spacious and clean. A few restaurants within walking distance. Nice running trail nearby. Staff was friendly.

My family and I stayed here for one night in October before an early morning flight to Cabo. The hotel had a fun vibe and was very clean. Our room was spacious and clean. We had a great view of the airport. The only food option during our time of stay was grab and go style in the lobby. We walked across the parking lot to the Westin and got take out for dinner (which was very good, fresh, and still hot by the time we got back to our room). We hopped on the first shuttle of the morning (4am) and got to the airport quickly and without any troubles. We would definitely stay here again.