San Francisco: Hotel G boutique hotel offers new Union Square option

Hotel G in San Francisco opened in early May, but the two-year renovation of the vintage building isn’t quite complete. Hence the note on the hotel’s website that tells visitors it’s still undergoing “light renovation through late summer and offering our hotel with limited services.”

That might account for the mixed reviews on TripAdvisor, which so far number 14 in Hotel G’s short life. Some visitors gush over the 153-room boutique hotel at 386 Geary St. near Union Square. Others complain about a lack of service. As of late May, the fitness center and restaurants weren’t opened.

It has trendy cousins: the Residence G Hong Kong in the Kowloon area and the Opposite House in Beijing. In an opening announcement, the “lifestyle hotel” says it combines “residential sophistication with a laid-back, authentic local vibe complemented by tailor-made services.”

The building started life as the Fielding Hotel in 1908 and was most recently the Hotel Frank. You can read an entire history on the website.

Hun Aw Studio in New York provided the upgrade that plays on the building’s original features and adds “fog-colored walls” (a San Francisco treat?) as well as earth tones in the color palette that produces a “crisp, simple and functional” feel. Victorian settees and vintage writing desks round out the retro look.

There’s plenty of new stuff too: Nespresso coffee makers in each room (which one TripAdvisor reviewer loved), flat-screen TVs, docking stations and free Wi-Fi.

There’s a nice give-back twist. The hotel has partnered with a San Francisco nonprofit arts center for developmentally disabled adults that provides accents and artwork for guest rooms. The artwork is for sale, and proceeds go directly to Creativity Explored.

Room prices typically range from $250 to $500 a night, but the hotel currently offers a 30% discount off regular rates (known as the G Stops Here) because of the ongoing renovation. The offer is good through Sept. 30. Book by July 15; blackout dates apply.

Info: Hotel G San Francisco, (877) 828-4478