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Beacon Grand, San Francisco

450 Powell St, San Francisco, CA 94102, United States. (show on map)

Expert reviews

New York Times review:

“Beacon Grand, formerly the 96-year-old Sir Francis Drake Hotel, reopened in 2022 with a new name and an extensive remodel. Its location in the heart of downtown, overlooking Union Square, along with its elegant bar, the Starlite, and whiskey lounge, the Hidden Library, evoke the hotel’s glamorous history.”

CN Traveler review:

“Enter Beacon Grand, the rejuvenated embodiment of the landmark Sir Francis Drake Hotel. Elevating one of San Francisco’s most famous historic hotels into a modern destination for the 21st-century traveler, the hotel has been updated and rebranded. Combining legacy with ambition, it’s still the social focal point of Union Square.”

Fodors review:

“This 1928 landmark—renovated and reopened in 2022—welcomes guests in its ornate, high-ceilinged lobby and classically elegant rooms that come equipped with 21st-century tech amenities but evoke the hotel’s heyday with gorgeously restored wood plank floors and plush white comforters.”

Guest rating

This an aggregated customer review rating of Beacon Grand, San Francisco. We have taken customer review ratings from hotel booking sites, search engines, the official hotel website and other travel platforms. This is the average of all those ratings. We only list places that have a customer review rating of at least 4.0 out of 5.0

4.3 out of 5.0

Ranked 12th in San Francisco

129£115$160¥16960C$124A$124HK$1252S$211SFr150¥1016kr1320kr966kr1246

What guests liked

All you need to know

Beacon Grand (formerly the Sir Francis Drake) is a seriously cool spot right in the heart of San Francisco’s Union Square. The building oozes old-world charm, think marble staircases, vaulted ceilings, chandeliers, but it’s been totally reimagined for modern travelers.

Their rooms mix elegant craftsmanship (European oak floors, high ceilings) with contemporary perks like high-speed internet, Chromecast TVs, and eco-luxury toiletries.

When you’re not crashing in your room, there’s plenty to do: The Post Room is their cozy all-day lounge spot perfect for breakfast, dinner, or a cocktail, complete with local live music on weekends.

And for a bit of glamour, head up to Starlite on the 21st floor. It’s got a storied past as a rooftop bar and now spins vinyl nights, creative cocktails, and killer views.

 

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Location

Recent guest reviews

4.5
Magnea

8 April 2026

Great stay in the city

The location is perfect for a stay in the city. The rooms are spacious and clean. The staff is very welcoming.

3.5
Drake

8 April 2026

Definitely recommend staying! Don’t recommend eating there. Pay attention to valet cost.

We stay there every year because it’s a beautiful place in the location is absolutely ideal. Adorable, comfortable rooms & staff is always great!

The valet parking has gotten almost unaffordable, has went up nearly double in the last few years. Also got four hot teas and two very small desserts to go at the restaurant and it was the most overpriced place we have eaten in San Francisco. Especially for the quality. I was so disappointed in that. Being able to look right in the bathroom with the door closed is another downfall.

5.0
Anna

6 April 2026

Perfect location and accommodation for a stay in SF

Fabulous hotel. Rooms were luxurious and the bar and restaurant were gorgeous.

5.0
Jonathan

5 April 2026

A fabulous hotel in a great location

The location; the entrance lobby

The building work that woke us up in the first morning but that was more than offset by the change of room with upgrade

4.5
Julie

4 April 2026

Super Location for an SF stay!

Beds and room were super clean and comfortable

4.5
Hiromichi

2 April 2026

Perfect and reasonable hotel in Union Square

Location. Cleanness. Spacious room. Quality of the service of staff.

Nothing.

4.0
Carine

31 March 2026

Very good

Bed and pillows are very comfortable. Room is very clean and nicely decorated.

3.5
Jie

30 March 2026

The hotel has done well in many aspects but there is definitely room for improvements to make the rooms more livable and

I appreciate the interior design of the hotel and it was a nicely decorated cozy little room that we stayed in. The window was wide to light a great amount of natural light coming through. TV works well and the desk inside the room is very functional.

Since it was an older building, you can expect to hear noises from your neighbor rooms and from the hall way. The standard room was on the smaller side, especially its tiny bathroom (can fit up to one person at a time and there is no room for your change of clothes or storage for your toiletries). It wasn’t the most comfortable bathroom to be in when the shower was only half enclosed and the bathroom sliding door doesn’t close properly. The lack of ventilation can make the entire hotel room feel humid after each shower. My least favorite part about this hotel is that no matter you are sitting in the lobby or standing in front of the hotel waiting for your ride, you can always expect to smell cigarettes. I think it has something to do with the fact that entrance doors stay open throughout the day and the hotel not having a rule set in place for designated smoking area to prevent the smell from traveling into the lobby.

4.0
Isabel

29 March 2026

Very good

san francisco is unpleasant in general good hotel tho

5.0
Carla

28 March 2026

Exceptional

This hotel is beautiful, clean, and the staff were friendly and welcoming. 10/10!!

5.0
Prior

24 March 2026

This is our go-to hotel in San Francisco.

We love the location and the restaurant. The gym is excellent and the rooms and beds are always comfortable.

4.0
Karen

23 March 2026

Nice hotel. Would stay again but in a different room.

Beautiful old hotel built in the 1920’s. Beautiful lobby and welcoming staff. Very clean. Nice touches in the room such as a coffee maker and hand steamer for clothes. Lovely thick towels. We were in King room 409. It was basic but clean.

The bathroom is tiny. The main issue was the noise outside at night. Sirens, car alarms. I think the issue is the window is jammed ever so slightly open, so all the noise filtered straight in. Ask for an interior room. I think it might help.

4.5
Ellie

22 March 2026

The perfect place to mix work and play.

A stunning refresh of a historical property, the Beacon Grand has all of the appointments you’d expect of a modern new hotel but with all of the grandeur of a different time and place. It’s both incredibly warm and inviting while feeling upscale and chic. It’s walking distance to all of the important sites and sounds of Union Square, but nicely situated to efficiently get to anyplace you might want to go in San Francisco proper. The Post Room is a great place to have a solo working breakfast, or host a group cocktail hour for work colleagues. The rooms are well appointed, with great blackout shades and Chromecast on the TVs.

The internet was intermittent during my stay, which made it very challenging to do work or unwind with a good Netflix binge after total mental overload work day.

5.0
Oksana

22 March 2026

Recommend

Staid there for my birthday trip. Team was kind enough to upgrade my room. Great location. Nice, clean, cozy rooms. Quiet.

4.0
Frank

18 March 2026

We had a wonderful time. Great location!

Location, Classic design, staff, bedroom

Pillows

5.0
Michelle

17 March 2026

Perfect

Staff were lovely, room was great, breakfast amazing

5.0
Susan

16 March 2026

Exceptional

Cost of valet parking :)

3.5
Stuart

14 March 2026

Good hotel in the heart of union square

Great hotel and location

Small rooms reception staff abrupt during checkout in

4.0
David

11 March 2026

Great location, friendly staff and nice rooms

Great location, neat rooms

30% service charge at hotel bar, lack lustre bar service

4.5
Octavian

7 March 2026

Charming hotel in an amazing location.

The location is amazing.

The room facing the interior courtyard was a bit noisy because of the MEP equipment.

5.0
Nicole

7 March 2026

Exceptional

Staff is excellent! From valet to check in to cleaning. Rooms are as described, clean and charming. The 21st floor bar, lobby and post room are great for photos and can accomadate large groups. Rooms have clothing steamers that work great!

Just a note. Some of these rooms have a sliding bathroom door instead of a closing style door and no fans in the bathroom.

5.0
Renata

5 March 2026

Exceptional

I had to do a last minute check in and came into the hotel to do so - Alma, at the front desk was super helpful and assisted be quickly and professionally. My room was excellent - clean, bright and nice view. The hotel bars such as the one downstairs and Starlite were also amazing - great staff, highly recommend to stay here.

4.0
Cheryl

5 March 2026

We had a very nice stay.

The lobby and the cocktail lounge were beautiful and comfortable.

I have no complaints about the property.

4.0
Kelsey

3 March 2026

Very good

Very comfortable and beautiful hotel, excellent location

Shower was not great, the pressure was not as good as hoped and it left quite a puddle on the floor after each shower

5.0
Anastazja

2 March 2026

A great place to use as home base in SF

Great location, easy check in, the rooftop bar was excellent.

Nothing

4.5
Mattee

27 February 2026

Fabulous

The bed was so comfortable , I slept like a baby.

One worker was rude when checking in. Others were excellent during my stay.

5.0
Howard

24 February 2026

Exceptional

Beautiful room. Classic hotel. Excellent room service, security, wait staff. We have deliveries sent to us at the Beacon. When they arrive, they are brought up to our room. This is our third stay here.

3.5
Veronica

23 February 2026

Nice stay but wish the rooms were bigger.

Starlight ,

Rooms too small, no closet space or bathroom space. Bars too expensive.

5.0
Christy

22 February 2026

Excellant as usual

We always stay here

Nothing valet is kinda high price

4.0
Magdalena

22 February 2026

Very good

very unprofessional service in the restaurant

5.0
Geoff

20 February 2026

Exceptional

Central location is excellent, room was very clean and comfortable. Staff throughout the hotel were very welcoming and professional.

Can't fault the hotel - i was very happy with everything there and hope to be back.

5.0
Hermogenes

18 February 2026

Exceptional

Location!

5.0
Robin

17 February 2026

Excellent stay at the Beacon Grand

Beautiful hotel, comfortable bed, and very friendly staff.

Everything was great!

3.5
Elizabeth

16 February 2026

Was looking forward to this stay and it gave elements of luxury with wonderful bedding but soo many downfalls of bad bat

Fabulous grandness to foyer but scaffolding cover the entire front of building was disappointing. Location was wonderful bedding was very good!

Scaffolding was awful, bathroom shower was so bad and water pressure was a joke. No woman wants a shower head so high it’s unreachable and wets her hair every shower. Hand held or adjustable heads are the best. The noise of the bar upstairs and across the road was sooo loud until late into the night and the windows didn’t close completely which let in noise.

4.5
Aimee

16 February 2026

A clean and comfortable stay in an ideal location.

Courteous and helpful staff

4.0
Mendoza

14 February 2026

Great place to stay for comfort and peace of mind

Staff was amazing, super friendly and helpful. We ordered room service, food was amazing! Beds were super comfy and everything was clean.

If you don’t want to walk from a parking garage to hotel, vallet is $75. Kinda steep but I have little ones so parking far wasn’t an option. The shower was ok. Hardly any pressure and kind of uncomfortable since there’s only a partial door. Other than that, everything was great!

4.5
Kathryn

12 February 2026

Wonderful Union Square hotel

This was my second stay here, the staff is all very helpful and friendly, rooms are comfortable, some smaller but it is SF. Valet is great, and they have good amenities like water refill stations and in room nespresso. Proximity to Union Square is one of the main reasons we love it here

Valet feels expensive, but again it is SF, to be expected

4.5
Bb

11 February 2026

You won't be disappointed!

Great hotel in a great location. Staff were friendly and accommodating. Rooms were clean. Beds and pillows comfy. Many food options and convenience stores in walking distance. Close to subway and department stores. Cool rooftop bar but you do have to book to secure a table. Would stay here again.

5.0
Kenny

8 February 2026

Exceptional

The room that we were assigned on check-in upon arrival, we noticed that the bathroom door was faulty so we reported this to reception and were given the choice of either waiting on maintenance or being relocated to another room which we chose. Our luggage was moved for us and we were put onto a higher floor! Great service from the reception staff.

4.5
Barbara

7 February 2026

Great choice!

Great location, beautiful building with spacious common areas. Very good breakfast and friendly staff

4.5
William

6 February 2026

Fabulous

I really like being able to use the complimentary clothing steamer provided in the room. Beats ironing any day.

Mostly very clean, but an improvement would be more frequent dusting of all surfaces, including tops of picture frames, floor molding, etc.

4.0
Meri

4 February 2026

Very good

Location

Cleanliness

4.5
Mark

2 February 2026

4 Star charmer In Union Square

Lovely 4 star hotel located just off Union Square and right on the Cable Car line. Beautiful lobby and entry way. Very courteous staff. The room was vey nice with Coffee maker in room safe and smal refridgerator. Very comfy bed and very quiet with the room being nicely appointed as well. A trip to the top of the hotel and the Starlight Room (reservations reccomended) is a nice experience as well. Definitely our go-to Hotel in Union Square area.

bathroom , while very nice was kind of small.

3.5
Steven

2 February 2026

Nice area. Older hotel, paper thin walls. If you’re a light sleeper it’s not for you.

Location

Rooms are tiny with paper thin walls.

3.5
Itay

1 February 2026

it was ok.

good location

Old hotel

5.0
Mcgee

30 January 2026

The Beacon in Sanfran was a special part of my travels around the US. It was first class in my opinion. Well done guys y

It’s elegance.

Nothing

5.0
Aldo

29 January 2026

Very comfortable, very minor things we had issues with.

Clean and very welcoming

Shower is too small in the room we had. No microwave in the room. Deposit is per day of the stay. Other hotels are $150 to $200 for entire booking or some like the Marriot vacation club will not charge one if the booking is paid in full.

3.5
Tad

28 January 2026

Liked the old Hotel better. This was nice but not like the old place .

Great location at Union Square. All but one staff member was extremely helpful and nice.

Small rooms. Dinning room staff. (not the server)

3.5
Noelle

28 January 2026

Nice place, small rooms

I initially booked the hotel because of the ambience and aesthetic appeal for what I was wanting for our stay.

The rooms were very small, initially I was under the impression I had adjoining rooms that would give us more breathing room, and I learned prior to my arrival they did not offer that service, although the two rooms I was given was recommended for my group size – two adults and four children.

4.5
Delves

27 January 2026

Fabulous

everything was great the room clean and comfortable, staff was very helpful

food prices was a bit expensive when you pay $10 for a coffee.

Hotel facilities

Food & Drink

  • - Restaurant
  • - Bar
  • - Wine/champagne (additional charge)
  • - Coffee house on site

General

  • - Room service
  • - Non-smoking rooms
  • - Facilities for disabled guests
  • - Family rooms
  • - Lift
  • - Safety deposit box
  • - Heating
  • - Non-smoking throughout
  • - Air conditioning

Business facilities

  • - Meeting/banquet facilities
  • - Fax/photocopying

Reception services

  • - 24-hour front desk
  • - Tour desk
  • - Luggage storage
  • - Concierge service

Activities

  • - Fitness centre
  • - Fitness

Cleaning services

  • - Laundry (additional charge)
  • - Dry cleaning (additional charge)
  • - Daily housekeeping

Parking

  • - Parking garage

Miscellaneous

  • - 24-hour security
  • - Key access
  • - Key card access
  • - Smoke alarms
  • - Fire extinguishers
Check availability 129£115$160¥16960C$124A$124HK$1252S$211SFr150¥1016kr1320kr966kr1246