Modern hotel in a touristy neighborhood: Hyatt Centric Fisherman’s Wharf San Francisco

The Hyatt Centric Fisherman’s Wharf is a solid choice in my least favorite neighborhood in the city I love. It offers modern rooms, a pool, gym and mini-mart in walking distance from the most touristy spots of San Francisco. It’s more stylish than others in the area and decent value, if you must be in the Wharf area. 

Location: The Hyatt Centric Fisherman’s Wharf is located in the most touristy part of San Francisco. While this area is popular with many visitors to the city, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it. It’s far from the airport and from public transportation, the best restaurants, fun bars, shopping and any sights – except Fisherman’s Wharf. A taxi from the airport is about 45 minutes. Public transportation is inconvenient and parking is excruciatingly expensive, to I’d avoid a rental car while in San Francisco. While there are plenty of restaurants in the area, most cater (exclusively) to tourists.

Service: The front desk at the Hyatt Centric was professional in a casual kinda way and had us on our way reasonably quickly – there were short waits at check-in and check-out. I received needed information and toiletries on request. Housekeeping had done a solid job preparing the room and it was clean and fully stocked on arrival.
The Hyatt has a bar & restaurant at the ground level. We finished a rough day at the bar and staff was friendly.
Overall, the service didn’t differentiate the Hyatt Centric in a good or bad way – it was what you’d expect of a hotel in San Francisco in this price category, nothing more, nothing less.

Room: The Hyatt Centric used to be a Radisson Hotel and has been nicely renovated since. The Standard King room was modern, fresh and stylish compared to a Marriott or Hilton hotel. The bed headboard as well as room closets were made of a modern, grey wood and the wall behind the bed had a grey accent wall paper that worked rather well. Under the window is a larges sofa with a side table.

Against the wall is a cabinet with a mini-fridge, pod coffee maker and safe and a large flat screen above it. Oddly, there was no desk in my room – which seems to be trend in US hotels these days. A large closet provided plenty of space for clothes.

The bathroom was equally well renovated, with a vessel sink on a large countertop on one side, the toilet at the center and a large, fully glass-enclosed shower on the other side. It’s all held in modern stone/tiles and looks nice. The provided towels were thick and soft, standard Hyatt toiletries were provided.

The free WiFi internet was reliable, but slow with the speed capped at 3Mbps – surprisingly low for the high-tech capital of the world, but good enough to browse the internet, get some work done and a stream videos.

Restaurant & Amenities: The Hyatt Centric has a small outdoor pool and jacuzzi in a courtyard, surrounded by rooms, a wall and a few loungers. While it “checks the box”, it’s not a pool area i’d want to hang out and relax, but probably enough for kids to enjoy.

The gym has a good selection of cardio equipment, but little weight equipment, allowing a basic cardio workout. The equipment was new and in good condition.

The Hyatt Centric also has a mini market near the lobby, with basic toiletries, snacks and drinks available for purchase, similar to a Courtyard hotel. I find it helpful in suburban or airport settings, but less so in a city location.

The groundlevel bar offers drinks and typical bar food. We only had drinks that were good, but didn’t try any food. San Francisco is known for its excellent restaurants, so you’ll have plenty of choices!

Bottomline: The Hyatt Centric Fisherman’s Wharf San Francisco is a modern hotel and Hyatt fans will feel right at home with the room decor and style. Service was professional and the gym, pool and mini market are all slightly nicer than you’d find at a competing Marriott or Hilton hotel. San Francisco is one of the most expensive cities for hotels and the Hyatt Centric is no exception: We used points for a last-minute reservation and the price of 15,000 points/night is steep for a mid-level hotel in this neighborhood. If you absolutely have to stay in the Fisherman’s Wharf area, the Hyatt Centric is a good choice. I’d recommend to stay closer to the city center, along Market Street, and try out one of the many independent boutique hotels that offer better value and a better location for your visit to the city I love!


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