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Axiom Hotel, San Francisco

28 Cyril Magnin St, San Francisco, CA 94102, USA (show on map)

The Axiom Hotel is a fantastic example of how San Francisco blends its rich history with a modern, tech-forward spirit. Originally constructed in 1908 following the city’s devastating earthquake, the building once operated as the historic Powell Hotel. Today, it has been reimagined as a boutique destination designed specifically for the digital-first traveler, sitting right at the crossroads of Union Square and the SoMa district.

What makes the Axiom truly unique is how it honors its past while embracing the future. While the hotel features high-tech amenities like speedy Wi-Fi, ambient mood lighting, and even an “arcade level” with vintage video games, it purposefully preserved original architectural elements. You can still spot the building’s historic steel columns, classic molding, and ornate iron railings that date back over a century.

The location is arguably its best feature for tourists. Being just steps away from the iconic Powell Street cable car turnaround, you have instant access to one of the city’s most famous landmarks. You are also within walking distance of the bustling shopping hubs of Union Square and the vast array of dining options in the downtown core.

Whether you’re visiting for business or leisure, the hotel provides a clever nod to the city’s industrial roots—its design was even inspired by Andrew Smith Hallidie, the inventor of the steel cable system that powers the city’s cable cars. It’s a stylish, convenient, and historically grounded home base for exploring everything San Francisco has to offer.

Expert reviews

New York Times review:

“The Axiom Hotel aims to reflect the city that it’s in. Being tech-forward is the focus of this six-story, 152-room hotel, which opened in February 2016. iPad check-ins, fast and free fiber-optic Wi-Fi and breakfast tables featuring places for each diner to plug in a gadget, for example.”

Fodors review:

“Green, pet-friendly, and equipped with fiber-optic wireless Internet, the tech-oriented Axiom—a splashy refresh of a 1908 hotel—nimbly provides a boutique experience business and leisure travelers applaud.”

Featured as Fodor’s Choice in San Francisco.

Telegraph review:

“The downtown location of this ‘tech-savvy’ boutique hotel is especially convenient: guests can step out of the building and right into the queue at the Powell-Hyde Cable Car turnaround. Contemporary rooms and vintage arcade games make for a fun and fashionable meeting of old and new.”

Guest rating

4.3 out of 5.0

Ranked 11th in San Francisco


This an aggregated guest review rating of Axiom Hotel, 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 guest review rating of at least 4.0 out of 5.0


What guests liked


Value for Money

86.77 %

Ranked 10th in San Francisco


We use a smart algorithm to determine the value for money each hotel offers. The score is based on a combination of aggregated guest review ratings and the average nightly rate. The higher the percentage, the better the overall value you receive for the price you pay.


Location

Recent guest reviews

4.5
Oliveira

9 February 2026

I liked it!

I liked the price and the excellent communication with the staff. When I needed support, the team was very attentive and committed to helping. They responded to emails promptly and provided frequent updates.

It is not a very new building, but that was not an issue for me. However, in my opinion, the neighborhood needs some attention particularly at night, as I did not feel completely comfortable walking around.

3.5
Diana

27 January 2026

Pleasant

The room was comfortable.

Make up of a room is on order, it is not done automatically. I ordered make up of my room but anybody showed up the whole stay. I complained, but even after that nobody came.

3.5
Reyna

26 January 2026

Overall will definitely be back!

I loved the location. Super close to almost every place we went to.

I wish there were more options for room service. It seemed to only be the cafe that was in the lobby.

4.0
Julie

17 January 2026

Really good experience

Very well located in San Francisco, nice hotel, comfortable and well decorated

My room was pretty small

4.5
Saori

12 January 2026

Fabulous

Room is good. It has a fredge, a coffee maker, extra paper cups, plastic bottles for water station. ALmost clean. Location is good. Near Powell station.

Detailed clean up (ex. at the corner of the room, under the bed,) is recommended. But almost acceptable.

4.5
Antonio

7 January 2026

La mejor ubicación

I stayed at the hotel for 5 days and 5 nights, and overall the experience was excellent. The attention from the staff, the quality of the service, the facilities, and the location were all perfect. Everything was well maintained and met my expectations.

The only point I would mention is that the housekeeping staff was quite noisy and very early in the morning. For guests who are staying to rest and not necessarily for tourism, this can be a bit disruptive. I could hear doors being slammed and a lot of noise in the hallways during early hours.

3.5
Roberta

5 January 2026

Great centrally located stay

Location, large bedroom, comfortable bed, very clean

Old A/C unit, old tv, noisy at the lowest floors

4.0
Jialin

5 January 2026

The prices are very competitive and the convenience is top-notch.

I booked the Disability King and it was incredibly spacious. Reception allocated me a room near the street but I requested a quieter room instead. The location is perfect, right next to Powell Street Station. The security is up 2 standard and requires a key for access after hours. I’m satisfied with my room and my friend booked a similar room and found the price very competitive.

The building has been renovated but my room specifically has a mouldy smell coming from the old floorboards.

4.0
Swati

1 January 2026

Very good

The hotel was good, clean and fairly priced for a prime location.

The rooms were very small.

4.0
Amy

26 December 2025

Perfect holiday getaway

It was so clean and the staff were so friendly/accommodating!

No parking (booking.com had misinformation about parking at the property)

4.0
Christopher

19 December 2025

Very good

Location is perfect

4.0
Corina

29 November 2025

Great location and rooms

Location, rooms, service

The food situation - breakfast at a counter that also takes non-guest customers, selection not great

3.5
Mbakhesh

26 November 2025

Pleasant

Location

it didn't feel like 4 stars hotel

3.5
Csermelyi

8 November 2025

Pleasant

Location was fantastic right next to cable car turn around and subway station.

Tv old, room was a little small but adequate.

4.0
Khoa

25 October 2025

Acceptable stay for a quick trip.

Spacious and clean room. Really like the filtered water and the coffee pod machine.

Location was near the "Tender Loin" area, so not the most ideal. Valet parking only, and can be a hassle to retrieve the car in a timely fashion ( we had 1 instance when we had to wait at least 45 minutes). The portable air conditioning was very loud to sleep at night.

4.0
George

25 October 2025

Decent stay in a convenient location at a good value

Great design, friendly staff, easy check-in/out, sumptuous bathroom, Illy coffee maker, water policy

Room was tiny, difficult to open armoire doors and impossible to use desk chair, located far from elevator, airshaft view, no bar or restaurant on premises, location was convenient but very close to the Tenderloin

4.5
Diana

20 October 2025

Fabulous

Very friendly staff. Very helpful with all our questions. Would definitely be coming back.

N/A

4.5
João

8 October 2025

Fantastic place to stay in the city center

Great place to stay in the city center! Fantastic conditions, with one of the biggest attractions right outside the door (the tram!). The subway is also right there, and there are multiple stores to shop along the avenues. The room was good and I loved the conditions! Very comfortable bed!

The only issue I would point out is that the room I got had a door connecting it to another room for families, and this door didn't isolate the sound from the other room. However, it wasn't a big issue; otherwise, I'm sure they would've given me a new room.

4.5
Carlos

6 October 2025

Fabulous

Located in the center of San Francisco's downtown. One of the Cable Car starting points. Buy the 3 day passport and enjoy the best sightseeing at your own pace. The breakfast at the Axiom is excellent!

4.5
Nick

1 October 2025

Fabulous

Super pretty. Super comfortable. The concierges were so lovely and efficient. They wouldn't hesitate to help us out, with a smile. We loved the location. While it wasn't the most comfortable at night, we were only a few feet from the train station, which was amazing.

The hotel is a little older and we had issues with the electricity. The circuits would consistently fail and we'd have to call the front desk to have them fixed. Most nights we'd make 3 separate calls, just to make sure we had A/C and could charge our phones.

3.5
Jose

28 September 2025

Pleasant

bed was uncomfortable

4.0
Celine

22 September 2025

Central and cozy

Extremely central location in Union Square. Room was small but cozy, clean and had everything you needed. I loved the smell of the Lather products.

AC wasn’t working, and they had put a standing fan in my room but it was very noisy.

4.0
Carol

20 September 2025

Good stay great location right beside the train station

location was super!

House keeping serviced our room leaving the door open for the day our passports were in the room plus our luggage we reported this but got no apology or follow up

4.0
Danielle

4 September 2025

Clean place to rest at night.

Clean facilities and friendly staff.

Location proximity to Tenderloin. Portable ac unit took up a bit of space. Valet took 30min to bring car at 530am the day we were leaving to catch a flight with no others waiting.

4.5
Artem

3 September 2025

Fabulous

The hotel is very cozy and has friendly and helpful staff. The location couldn't be better: all possible ways of transportation are literally in front of the hotel.

It'd be nice to have a bit more of the storage space in the room.

4.5
Daniella

2 September 2025

I would return if AC were provided.

Nicely designed hotel, excellent location and front desk staff.

No AC in room made it very uncomfortable.

3.5
Volkan

20 August 2025

nice place to stay in the heart of SF

location was great, right in front of a cable car station. the hotel was clean, and we were happy to stay in Axiom.

our room was facing a wall, which wasn't good for those who want to see daylight.

3.5
Bjoern

18 August 2025

Great location but not as comfortable as we were hoping for

Location was great to explore San Francisco and surroundings.

Aircon not effective and windows could not be opened due to smell from the kitchen. Sofabed close to not usable as very uncomfortable. Unfortunely this could not be fixed despite us asking for support multiple times.

4.0
Abhinav

18 August 2025

Great boutique hotel in great location

Fantastic boutique hotel in the heart of SFO..close to many attractions and restaurants. We enjoyed our stay. Rooms were nicely appointed

Nothing

4.0
Sara

17 August 2025

Nice stay, great location, clean and comfy

Location, comfort and clean service are great!

Location is great to visit the city, but the addicts who stay in the nearby at night and early in the morning make you feel a little uncomfortable. Also, the staff at the reception was nice, but during my check out they didn’t manage properly multiple guests’ requests at the same time, thus making me wait an exaggerated amount of time for a simple customer service and causing a long wait and a long line.

4.5
Yiben

13 August 2025

Fabulous

Location is great! Clean and comfortable. The price is reasonable given its location.

No breakfast

4.0
Zheng

11 August 2025

Seeing the trams gliding by downstairs truly made me feel the pulse of the city.

great location

no

4.0
Ralph

9 August 2025

Great location.

Room, especially the large bathroom with walk-in shower. Location was perfect, right by Powell St station.

A proper breakfast room. The food was OK from the 'cafe' but there were only a few seats in the lobby.

4.0
Aldo

4 August 2025

Ok stay. Would explore other options.

Location. Seems recently renovated, they had filtered water available at no extra cost.

Took me 3 trips to front desk to be able to get into my room. First was given a room someone else was already in, found out by opening the door while their stuff was in bed.

4.0
Elisabeth

3 August 2025

Great value if you spend a lot of time visiting outside!

Well located for shopping and for transit. The coffee and drinks bar in the hotel was practical. The check in and check out machines were great for late arrivals or early departures. There is a hub to have calls or work, which was practical with the small rooms. Really enjoyed the gym. Great value

Rooms are very small and not a lot natural light.

4.0
Hayat

26 July 2025

Overall, my stay was pleasant, and I found the staff to be courteous and accommodating. However, there are a few aspects

Location

Location

3.5
Brendan

24 July 2025

Pleasant

Room was clean had towels and cups

Noise from the AC outside the room. It didn't matter if the AC inside the room was turned off.

4.5
Kaylene

24 July 2025

great hotel, with good location for getting around

so close to the BART, spacious room, close to cable car and downtown area, great bed, in room gym, staff fixed a mix up with my booking very quickly and graciously

the shower was not good and water pressure poor, tv did not have normal channels, needed to link through own device

3.5
Hirra

24 July 2025

Pleasant

The location is excellent, very convenient for tourists. It is very central but we hardly heard the hustle and bustle outside. Bed is very comfy and the cleaning of the rooms was exceptional I must say. Has all amenities you need in a room, ours was access friendly which we didn’t ask for so maybe larger than the others. Staff are pleasant. Useful ice machine and black out blinds.

Some previous reviews mention the shower pressure and sadly it’s true the pressure of the shower was poor and it didn’t feel piping hot. We did have an older shower/bath combo though. It was too inconvenient to ask to change rooms and I’m not certain the showers in those rooms would have been better?

3.5
Mirene

23 July 2025

Hotel was very clean and good quality. Staff were very friendly and accommodating. Food options were great. Location is

Hotel was very clean and good quality. Staff were very friendly and accommodating. Food options were great.

Location is not the best if you don’t know the area

4.5
Cristiana

22 July 2025

Fabulous

Very convenient price for the location, very nice hotel.

nothing

4.5
Marvin

17 July 2025

A GEM, DESPITE FIRST TIME ISSUES

Always a favorite boutique hotel, very conveniently located to city transportation services.

This is the first time, having stayed here a least a half dozen times since my cousin told me about it, I’ve experienced a television on the blink in my ‘complimentary upgraded’ room (it would turn off unexpectedly even after maintenance tried to correct it) so was graciously changed rooms but after a day in the new, realized the refrigerator was not working and my room safe low battery so unable to lock and reported the problems early morning. I was told maintenance would be up in a little while but never did, so checking with the desk was told they’d be there in 20 minutes but didn’t. I went out for the morning and when I returned shortly after lunch, the problems was still not resolved so when I called the desk to let them know, maintenance did show up about 15 minutes later and resolved the problems within 10 minutes. It was nice that the hotel gave me one complimentary night for inconveniencing me. After I checked out, I told them the drapes we’re missing from my room (but did have a pull-down shade, and just outside my room the ceiling had a large gap, obviously missing a panel to hide pipes and wiring which was unsightly. I was told by the manager both items would get corrected, so look forward to my next stay here despite the issues experienced just during this stay.

4.0
Eduardo

15 July 2025

Nice value

Location, Cleanliness

Weak water flow in the shower, No embedded streaming on TV, Low light intensity on Ceiling

4.5
Thomas

27 June 2025

Fabulous

Dhali at reception was incredibly helpful and friendly! The location next to the BART station and Muni stops and the Cable car is great, with lots in walking distance too. I had a good room for a solo traveller.

The room was a bit cramped, having to squeeze around the bed.

4.5
Mariusz

25 June 2025

Fabulous

4.5
Akrm

20 June 2025

Perfect

Location price

Nothing

4.0
Beril

20 June 2025

Very good

Perfect location, clean and efficient for specially for business trlps. The staff is really helpful. I had very bad experience with booking, but the hotel backed me up thanks to Dhali. Very well recommended! Go direct with hotel not with booking!

4.0
Jenelle

17 June 2025

Nice hotel downtown

Nice hotel, coffee and restaurant downstairs, comfy beds and right downtown!

Parking is expensive, we found a parking garage about 5/10 minutes away that was a little cheaper. Room had a slight smell but wasn’t horrible. Nice hotel if you want to stay downtown in the city, but it is a city so you get to experience that, good and bad!

4.5
Marta

15 June 2025

San Francisco sightseeing

Cosy and clean room. Quiet and comfortable. Easy access from the airport. Nice staff. We came earlier than check in time, and got the room, as it was already available. Thank you for that :)

4.0
Anahnarciso

8 June 2025

Good alternative close to Moscone Center, comfortable beds, area is not the best.

Clean enough room (just some minor hairs in the pillows), close to the Moscone Center. Cleaned the room every day except one day, but promptly cleaned when remarked. No fuss, you get what you pay for.

Area is not the best, but it's the best of the worst :) Breakfast not included, and only at the bar with limited options. Windows do not isolate a lot of the outside sound. AC at the max fan and coldest (18.5 C), but room is still too hot.

Hotel facilities

Food & Drink

  • - Restaurant
  • - Bar
  • - Breakfast in the room
  • - Special diet menus (on request)
  • - Wine/champagne (additional charge)

General

  • - Room service
  • - Non-smoking rooms
  • - Facilities for disabled guests
  • - Family rooms
  • - Lift
  • - Safety deposit box
  • - Packed lunches
  • - Heating
  • - Allergy-free room
  • - Non-smoking throughout
  • - Air conditioning
  • - Shared lounge/TV area
  • - Pet basket
  • - Pet bowls

Business facilities

  • - Meeting/banquet facilities (additional charge)
  • - Business centre
  • - Fax/photocopying

Reception services

  • - 24-hour front desk
  • - Express check-in/check-out
  • - Luggage storage
  • - ATM/cash machine on site
  • - Concierge service
  • - Invoice provided

Activities

  • - Fitness centre
  • - Games room
  • - Happy hour (additional charge)
  • - Live sport events (broadcast)

Cleaning services

  • - Dry cleaning (additional charge)
  • - Ironing service (additional charge)
  • - Trouser press (additional charge)

Entertainment & family services

  • - Indoor play area

Accessibility

  • - Wheelchair accessible
  • - Toilet with grab rails
  • - Visual aids: Braille
  • - Visual aids: Tactile signs
  • - Auditory guidance

Miscellaneous

  • - 24-hour security
  • - Key card access
  • - Security alarm
  • - Smoke alarms
  • - CCTV in common areas
  • - CCTV outside property
  • - Fire extinguishers
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