Review of Campton Place, by Danny Sriskandarajah

Campton Place is an upmarket hotel that enjoys the chicest of locations in the chicest of cities. Step out of the hotel and you are smack in the middle of San Francisco’s prime retail area around Union Square packed with a who’s who of American consumer culture - Nike, Levis, Disney, and Macy’s. The central location is also great for sight-seeing and well-connected to public transport, including the city’s famous streetcars.

Regularly ranked amongst the top hotels in the US, Campton Place certainly caters for those who enjoy the champagne lifestyle - so much so that the ice-bucket is refilled every evening just in case. The hotel has all the amenities offered by the large chains but also that special boutique charm of a smaller establishment.

The staff seem to go out of their way to retain that special feeling: they will happily sow your buttons on or even draw your bath. We also loved the Mrs Fields cookies left at turndown, the supply of own-label spring water, and the lavender bath salts. The hotel’s restaurant, with its award-winning chef, is also gaining a reputation as one of the city’s premier dining establishments in its own right.

The rooms did seem a little small but this is perhaps to be expected given the location. That said, the clever use of mirrors does make it feel more spacious. The fitness centre only has a limited range of equipment but well worth it for the city skyline views (it’s actually an open terrace many stories up). If you are lucky, you can watch the infamous San Francisco fog roll in through the skyscrapers. The bowl of fresh fruit and the fridge full of water also helps.