NICE LOCATION: I liked the fact that this place was very accessible, walking distance from Union Square and you can hop on a bus from this location. One of the reasons I chose this place was because it had good reviews and the host had promised to allow me keep my bag in the sitting room (even before check-in time).
FAIRLY DECENT SPACE: The pressure of the shower was a blessing. Even from my 3rd room floor, the water pressure was great and I took solace in the quality of the shower I had 2x daily. It is an old home with old furniture and a slightly gothic feel. Although those did not appeal to me, it may appeal to a few.
However, I did not enjoy my stay here at all and here are the reasons below.
MISREPRESENTATION OF THE FACILITY AND AMENITIES: If there was opportunity to upload pictures I would have loved to upload pictures. First, the listing had a Queen size bed. But the room I was given had a small bed (full size). The beddings were very rumpled and did not look well laundered. The sheets were close to white but the comforter looked very dirty and had a pale dirty off-white look that put me off.
LITTLE OR NO INTERNET CONNECTIVITY IN MY ROOM: The room had no working wifi. I was at San Francisco for a business meeting and needed access to the internet. The host gave me a code and password that could not maintain internet connectivity for more than 40 seconds at a time. When I complained, he said it was due to some ongoing construction near the property but this problem was not disclosed anywhere. I was really sad when I could neither sleep (because of the repulsive bed) and I could also not work because I had no internet access.
POOR COMMUNICATION STYLE: This host communicated a lot (a little too much) but in a way that wasn't pleasing, given that I had complaints about my stay. He bugged me with so many unnecessary texts while I was attending an important conference and was very defensive during verbal communications. He would rather spend time boasting about prior reviews from prior guests, than make an effort to understand and address the concerns of the host he has before him. I truly feel that at the rate of nearly $200 a night (incl. taxes and fees) in this downtown SF location, this host has the resources to make this room a haven for guests.
Finally I almost passed out when I walked in at night and saw a huge statue (maybe a Buddha statue) right in the hallway. For the 3 nights I stayed here I still could not get used to that statue. It was really scary.
HINDSIGHT: Prior reviews from tourists suggest that the host was very helpful to them. Looking back, I see that prior reviews appear to be largely from tourists who enjoy the fact that the host showed them where to get food and how to get around SF. However, those perks don't work for guests like me who are not tourists but have come into San Francisco for real business. All I needed as a business visitor, was a CLEAN, DECENT ROOM and a GOOD HOST. I am a cancer researcher and came in for the conference of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) which held at the Hilton at Union Square. I wasted so much precious time within my 3 day stay talking and chatting with the host about multiple problems and talking to Airbnb customer service. I truly wished I paid the extra $$$ to stay at the Hilton.
To summarize, if you just need A PLACE to stay in downtown SF and you care less about a room's appeal or access to the internet, this may be a good place. If you are a tourist and place higher premium on the host's guidance as opposed to ALL of these things I complained about, this may work for you. It may be that my expectations exceed those of an average traveller. BUT I AM LUCKY TO HAVE ENJOYED VERY NICE AND COMFORTABLE AIRBNB STAYS IN THE PAST.