Hotel San Francisco

I couldn't believe how inexpensive the rooms were when I booked the San Francisco. There was one reasonable review and the photo made the rooms look ok, if a little basic. But no. Just no. Despite the low cost, you still don't get value here. The hotel is old, the rooms are tiny and prison cells probably have bigger bathrooms. And there isn't a single extra. The room I shared with a friend had one piece of furniture other than the two creaky beds - an old wardrobe. There was no safe, no TV, no bedside lamp. Nothing. The bathroom was bare as well. The shower (which provided only lukewarm water) had no glass or curtain and it was right next to the basin which was right next to the toilet. There wasn't a single shelf to put anything on and you are asked to place used toilet paper in a waste basket. Our room also had a broken window frame and this brought more noise in from outside. As the hotel is on a main road, it was extremely loud at night. The door was so warped that everytime I locked it I feared I wouldn't be able to open it again. There is a common area with a TV. It is quite small and also used for the (meagre) breakfast buffet. The hotel wifi worked best out there - it barely worked at all in the room. The hotel's location isn't great either. It's a busy area but you aren't particularly close to anything noteworthy, except a defunct stadium that was once used by one of Porto Alegre's big soccer teams. (The cab driver we had on arrival had no idea this hotel existed and seemed surprised that there was accommodation in this particular part of town.) You need transport to get into the central business district but fortunately there is a bus stop out the front of the hotel. Perhaps not surprisingly, there is car parking at this hotel. Given its location, it is probably most convenient for people who are driving for business or their holidays. The car park has a large secure gate as well. The only thing that saves the San Francisco from just one star is the lovely staff. When we arrived it was late at night and my friend was hungry. There was nothing open nearby (the hotel is in the suburbs) and, on seeing the problem, the receptionist found some food for him. And for the rest of our stay, the staff were friendly and helpful. I'm sure it's not their fault that the place is so run down and bare.