Marina Motel

This is a cute small motel that includes parking in San Francisco. The motel, built in the 1930s, retains a vintage look, but is clean and some rooms have amenties like kitchenettes with all the necessities. The wifi worked well. Though the bedroom was small, it was very comfortable and the mattress was one of the best I've slept on for awhile. All the rooms are upstairs, above garages. The garages are tight and you have to be very careful pulling in and out, although the staff can help. The location is good, in the Marina district near the Palace of Fine Arts. There is a Walgreens nearby that has some food.

I was in San Francisco in early December in town for the Heath Ceramics Make Good Market, and stayed at the charming dog-friendly Marina Motel - built in 1939! It has a beautiful courtyard and we met a charming caretaker who has worked there for decades lovingly attending to the plants and flowers in the beautiful courtyard. All the staff were so great… even a proper Brit making me feel like I was living upstairs in Downton Abbey. I was loaded up with my bronze goods for the market but was able to park in a tiny old-style garage below my unit with a padlock to lock it up. Down the street is a pizza place which was a favorite of local legend Robin Williams. Very fun SF experience… on Lombard Street no less!

We stayed one night as a family and it was perfect. The rooms are small but cozy and comfortable and clean. We loved the secure covered parking. We safely and easily walked many great places. The front desk was incredibly friendly and helpful. The courtyard was so charming. Would definitely stay again!

Shortly after my family and I check into the Marina Hotel we started hearing a person call out to let them in at our front door. When I cracked the door open, it was a homeless person. They asked me to let them in. The homeless person had filthy closes, no shoes, and smelled horrendous. When I asked them what they wanted, they asked to come in. I said no a couple of times before asking them their name. They did not know their name. I asked if they had a family member I could call for them. They did not respond. I repeatedly ask who I could call for them. Again, they did not respond. They were experiencing a psychotic episode and asked me if there was someone right above them or below them. They were sitting on the stairs to our rooms and no one else was there. I stepped out of the room and asked again how I could help only to get the same dissociative response. They appeared to have lost their mind. I went to the front motel office and asked the front desk on duty to due something. They said that they saw the person walk by their office, yet they did not stop them. They made a half-hearted attempt to get the homeless person to leave. After failing to get the person to leave, I called 911 and described to dispatch what was happening. They sent an emergency medical response team who escorted the homeless person off the property. My family felt unsafe so I immediately booked another hotel and we left the property. I attempted to get a refund, but the Marina Motel refused to refund anything much less the $528 I prepaid for my planned 3 nights at their motel. Although they were listed with AirBNB, we didn’t receive the “two room condo” we expected and paid for. It was just two cramped rooms connected by a dinky bathroom, maybe less than two-hundred square feet. Due to the nature of the open courtyard, there was little to no security besides the lock on our front door, enabling that homeless person to approach us in the first place.

Feels like a European hotel in all the good quirky ways, wood armoires, careful selected furnishings. Detailed attention to flowers that bloom everywhere creating a residential vibe. Cool clientele. Courtyard units recommended. Highly personalized attention to individual guest preferences from a small diverse staff. We stayed several weeks and appreciated the full kitchen and nearby Marina Market. This is the opposite of a cheap standard American motel. Worth every penny to reserve a top unit.