Last November, I ventured away from Hawai’i for the first time in three years. This hastily planned trip was used to burn my Southwest Rapid Rewards points in the face of upcoming changes. But, for hotels, I redeemed points, too, to keep costs down. The first hotel of this trip ended up being the 1 Hotel SF booked via Chase The Edit.
I haven’t traveled out of state for a few years because, well, my new financial reality. But, with Elliott’s relentless and ill-informed changes at Southwest, I wanted to divest myself of the Rapid Rewards points I still have while they’re still worth something. Hence, a quick trip to the Bay Area, to follow up on some things we didn’t have a chance to do when we were last there in 2022.
Naturally, this meant staying as close to the Ferry Building Marketplace as possible, as much of what I had planned for our time in San Francisco revolved around this area. That, of course, severely limits your hotel options, and dramatically increases the price. So, an award booking was the only way this was going to be possible.
Booking the 1 Hotel SF
As the title of this post suggests, I used Chase’s “The Edit” to book my room at the 1 Hotel SF, which is part of the new Starwood Hotels family of brands. No, not that Starwood, though this hotelier is founded by the same guy at the top of the old one. Unfortunately, 1 Hotels Mission program isn’t a traditional loyalty program in that you can’t earn free stays. So, if you want to stay at one of these properties for free, currencies like Chase Ultimate Rewards and Amex Membership Rewards are your only way to do so.
For this particular stay, I had actually wanted to return to the Hyatt Regency San Francisco. Unfortunately, that hotel was sold out on my dates. So, I opened up Chase’s portal and looked around.
My options in the area, aside from the Hyatt, were the Four Seasons, this hotel, and a Taj property. Of them, the 1 Hotel was the closest to the Ferry Building, and it was also one of the cheaper ones.
As you can see, this stay cost me 65,000 points, plus $161.77. I opted to pay that small amount of cash to even out my points expense and to keep my balance over a certain threshold. However, this booking was less expensive that it usually is thanks to a Points Boost promotion on this property. Moreover, the stay came with a free room upgrade based on availability upon check-in, a $100 property credit, and free daily breakfast. Unfortunately, The Edit redemption stays still results in a $45/night amenity fee, $79/night valet parking fee, and several state and city taxes. In total, I ended up paying an additional $297.44 for all of these upon check-out.
1 Hotel SF Arrival Experience
The 1 Hotel SF is a valet-only property, which is both good and bad. On the bad side, aside from the exorbitant cost, is the fact that the hotel has a TINY porte-cochere. Only three-ish sedans can fit in it, and those who hire black car services, especially those that operate Lincoln Navigators, often choked the area, making it difficult to even walk into the front door. Alas, the valets usually were able to clear things out quickly, and were prompt in retrieving our vehicle. However, they wouldn’t offer to assist with bags – only the doormen would. Not that we needed help, but it was an interesting observation for a property of this caliber.
The lobby area of the property is a small, but inviting space immediately beyond the entrance. We were warmly greeted every time we entered the lobby, and never had much of a queue. While 1 Hotels has a mobile app, it doesn’t accept Chase’s confirmation number, so I couldn’t check-in online. But that’s ok, the service was quick and fantastic.
Upon check-in, I was provided with a letter from the property manager just for Chase guests, explaining our benefits. Moreover, I was offered an upgrade to a waterfront room, up from the base-level room I had originally booked. My room keys were also issued, which are wood disks.
1 Hotel SF – Room 206
The 1 Hotel SF isn’t a tall hotel. Yet, when we got our room number, 206, I was a bit apprehensive about how noisy the room might be. After all, the waterfront side of the hotel looks directly onto the Embarcadero. But, more on that later.
For these rooms, you’ll tun left when exiting the elevators. Our room in particular was about halfway down the waterfront corridor on the second floor.
As you can see, the corridors here are quite interesting. Outside of each room is a moss wall, along with a little platform. From what we saw, each room might have a different item for its do not disturb sign. Ours was a rock, though we saw another room with a plant.
Entering the room, you’re greeted by a bare wood wall with a wooden bench and coat rack on one side, and the bathroom on the other.
The bathroom in our room was quite large, especially for a city like SF. Our bathroom at the 1 Hotel SF featured a large vanity with a single sink, Bamford Spa toiletries (which smelled strongly of natural lavender), and a glassed in shower stall with a handheld wand and a rain shower head. As you can see, the toilets don’t have a bidet, which I feel is a missed opportunity for a property that so strongly advocates for sustainable practices.
As you can see in the above photo, the shower controls are right under the shower, opposite the door. Usually, I’m not a fan of this setup, as it results in getting blasted with cold water. But, at the 1 Hotel SF, there’s a hole cut into the shower stall glass panel that lets you turn the water on from the outside of the shower stall. Fortunately, this feature didn’t result in the toilet getting wet while we showered.
Oh, and there’s a sign in the bathroom encouraging you to hang your towel up to re-use the following day. However, there was only one towel bar available to hang your bath towel, and it was really only big enough for one. Seriously. I have no problem doing this, but if you want guests to do this, at least give us space to do so.
Beyond the bathroom, the main portion of the room was decently sized. Here, you see a king-size bed up against a leather headboard, which itself is up against a wood feature wall. Two nightstands flank the bed, with a large sofa just under the window.
Retractable reading lamps also surround the bed, with a set of standard, USB-A, and USB-C outlets on either side, too.
A small desk with chair sits under the TV, which is flanked by two closets and a shelf with wicker cubbies. 
In the right-hand closet is a yoga mat, two sets of robes, space to hang your clothes, and a large safe. The right side features a Nespresso machine, iron, ironing board, ice bucket, and a fridge.
Luckily, we didn’t need any fridge space, as the fridge is filled with mini bar items, as was half of the desk space.
By the way, everything you see here, save for the two bottles of Evian and the jar of trail mix carried a rather high fee.
Recycled wine bottles make up the in-room drinking glasses on the left nightstand, and a cordless phone on the right one.
Though there was an ice bucket in our room, I never did find an ice maker. However, a convenient bottle filler was located near the elevator.
1 Hotel SF Waterfront Room View
As our room category name suggests, our room did kind of have a view of the water. However, being that we were only on the second floor, it was heavily obstructed, as was our view of the Bay Bridge.
What wasn’t obstructed, though, was our view of the Ferry Building’s clocktower.
1 Hotel SF Room 206 Noise
As I mentioned earlier, street noise was a big concern for me, especially given how close to the street we were. Luckily, the 1 Hotel SF has FANTASTIC insulation! We really couldn’t hear street noise at all, save for the loudest vehicles. Even then, though, the sound was adequately subdued as to not be bothersome. This was such a pleasant surprise compared to what you experience in Waikiki… Even from the 20th floor.
Corridor noise was also very well controlled, with the only sounds coming into our room being that of our neighbor’s door closing.
1 Hotel SF Comfort
The beds at the 1 Hotel SF are very comfortable. Unfortunately, the HVAC wasn’t as great. In an effort to save energy, the property installed thermostats that shut the system off if people aren’t present. That meant our room could get quite warm while we were out during the day, and even got pretty warm at night while we slept. For me, that’s highly problematic, as I don’t sleep well in warm, stuff spaces. The HVAC was also a bit noisy when it was on, but is far from the worst I’ve heard.
Water pressure is surprisingly good for a California hotel, and the water temperature here was exceptional. However, that attractive basin in the bathroom is a bit impractical. Water frequently got all over the vanity when I washed my face in it.
Oh, and before I forget, the day before we were due to check out, I messaged the front desk and asked for late checkout. I was granted a 1 pm checkout time, which is an hour after the standard time. We needed to leave around that time, so I was grateful for that.
1 Hotel SF, Final Thoughts
The 1 Hotel SF is, as of now, one of my favorite hotels in the area. Its location right across the street from the Ferry Building Market, its outstanding staff, and nearly silent rooms, all make this a fantastic option for anyone looking to stay in the area. Just be aware that the HVAC can be annoying and the additional fees you’ll pay are quite high. In fact, next time we stay here, I may skip a rental car altogether.
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