Luz Hotel

United States , San Francisco Area - CA
Union Square Area, 725 Geary Street
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75 reviews shown

6/10

Pleasant

01 Oct 2025

Jeffrey

I've stayed here twice and would stay again. An older hotel that needs upgrading, but very clean with a friendly staff. Although in the heart of the Tenderloin, this particular location (Geary and Leavenworth) is very safe and free from many of the problems normally associated with this area. There are numerous dining options nearby. The location is quite far from the BART station at either Powell of Civic center. Difficult walk with baggage.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

17 Aug 2025

Verified traveler

A little old-fashioned, but the bed and shower are really good. Sadly, located in a area with lots of homeless/drug addicts. There is a gate though. For the price it was very good.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

21 Jul 2025

Scot

It’s an nostalgic old hotel, great art deco and ambience…

Business_and_leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

08 Jul 2025

Kevin

Good location
I felt secure
Friendly and helpful staff
Blue for the price

Self

6/10

Pleasant

29 Apr 2025

Timothy

The staff was very nice and helpful. I did not care for the shared bathroom or showers. I wish the bedroom had its own bathroom and shower. The room was small but clean. The bed was very small and not comfortable unless you are teen or young child. The room was cold at night but too hot under all the covers. There is portable fan heater but I was unable able to turn it on or use it. The area around the hotel was not ideal it was a rough area. I asked one of the staff what is the least expensive way to get the airport and he recommended a cab which was around $80 the last time I traveled from the airport to a hotel in the same area. Thank god for google it recommended the bart train which was under $12 it saved me a bundle.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

25 Nov 2024

Kaila

Great location and friendly staff.

Business Friends

6/10

Pleasant

05 Oct 2024

Steve

Great staff with friendly attitude and good suggestions as to where to go and where NOT TO GO. It’s giving hostel vibes with customer service attentiveness. The area around the hotel can turn from tolerable to hella sketchy. Great for solo travelers that don’t mind sharing a bathroom or a shower, bring your own toiletries.

Leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

02 Sep 2024

STEVEN

The real lowdown on this place

Your enjoyment and satisfaction at this place really depends on your familiarity with and tolerance of modern US urban environments. The hotel is a quirky old property that feels pretty safe once you're inside. The immediate area does have a large unhoused population but you are also in easily walkable distance to Union Square and the touristy bits. I'm a street savvy older male so I felt fine but you have to gauge your own comfort level. It is a great bargain to be in the middle of SF.

Self

4/10

Poor

12 Jul 2024

Jien Hua

Got catfished. The hotel is not in a safe area. Room is not clean. The only good thing of the hotel is the staff is good. I will not live here again.

Leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

06 Feb 2024

Sean

Nice room

It was a really nice, comfortable, quaint, room and the front desk staff was great.My only complaint was there were a lot of cockroaches in my room.

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

18 Dec 2023

Bernadette L

The owner was super nice very helpful place is very clean any accommodations for washing your clothes

Business Self

2/10

Poor

18 Oct 2023

Alvaro

The hotel is very old, there are cracks in the walls and paint. There are roaches, smells really bad. I want a refund or a credit.

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

06 Jan 2023

Jeremy

It was great! The host was very responsive and friendly.

Business

6/10

Pleasant

30 Sep 2022

Constantin

Old building, old furnishings, old finishings, and not that well maintained. Everything is at the boundary of ok. Even the floor was inclined in the room, everything rolling from the door to the window... A good new layer of paint would do it good, and new furnishings. The showers were nice and modernized. The toilets less so. Everything was clean.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

31 May 2022

Julie

Hidden Gem

The place is a little run down, needs new carpet, etc. my room was very clean and modern. Had a window overlooking the garden that I could open for fresh air.
Shared bathroom and shower is what it is, but was very clean. Robes were provided for going from shower to room. Place was quiet, service was friendly.

4/10

Poor

23 May 2022

Cedric Huma

They should say that the restroom and bathrooms are sharing

Business_and_leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

07 Feb 2020

Verified traveler

Great value for a short stay

Well located near Union Square and good value for money for a short stay. Super friendly staff at reception brought me a desk so I could do some studying. Many choices of eating and drinking nearby including morning breakfast to different styles of evening dining. All major shops and transport options (bus, cable car) are nearby. Bathroom facilities are shared so long as you don’t mind. Recommended !

Business

8/10

Excellent

07 Jan 2020

Mark

Pleasant staff, room ok for short stay

Does not live up to details or look on website. Not DVD built into the tv not was one in the room. Bed and bedding was nice. Closet is not deep enough to hang clothes. Room walls looked unpleasant. Staff super nice. Very friendly and accommodating with late check out. Security of hotel was good.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

05 Jan 2020

Verified traveler

Okay for the price overall but can’t say satisfied with cleanliness especially in bathrooms

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

23 Nov 2019

Verified traveler

I loved how close it was to union square. In was nice and clean staff were extremely helpful can not thank them enough. Would definitely stay again

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

31 Oct 2019

Verified traveler

What makes this place unique is that it did have my presence there, few places have that rare honor

Business Self

8/10

Excellent

02 Oct 2019

17_stars

I really liked the layout of the room and that it included a t.v., a sink, a chair and small tables. The room was not air conditioned and, thankfully, the weather was nice and in the 70's. However, it would have been nice to have the option of having at least a portable fan inside the room to cool down the room quicker on hot days. I would not consider staying here in the spring or summer. The room did have a heater built into the wall. Also, during my stay for the two days, the light inside one of the shared bathrooms didn't work and the hand sanitizer dispenser was empty.

Leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

18 Aug 2019

Verified traveler

The washrooms and shower were shared amongst rooms. The washroom was small and the blinds didn't go down all the way. The place felt safe though. The TV wouldn't work and would always have trouble finding a signal.

Business_and_leisure Self

2/10

Poor

12 Jul 2019

Peter

Horrible place

Quite a dirty and run down place, the room was cramped and smelled. Separate shower room down the corridor was filthy. The whole place was pretty disgusting and I would not recommend anyone to stay here.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

10 Jul 2019

Verified traveler

The place was a little run down. The location was not in the best location area. Many homeless around. The car parking average daily rate is 30 for a car and 40 for a suv making it pricey

8/10

Excellent

17 Apr 2019

Stefan

Basic Clean Accommodations in SF

Basic rooms for spending the night. TV doesn't really work, but WiFi is fine. Facilities are clean and comfortable. Very cost effective for the area. Would stay again.

10/10

Exceptional

10 Feb 2019

Jeremy

I have to say the bed is super comfy though the space in room is really small. But it is fine. Good enough for a good rest after a long day out exploring the city

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

06 Nov 2018

Jatziel

I wish the tv had better channels or at least better signal. Also I wish they had the room ready before 3pm. But I do appreciate the fact that they let us keep our luggage with them before our room was ready. Overall, it wasn’t a bad experience. Thank you!

10/10

Exceptional

03 Oct 2018

Lindsay

Comfortable, Convenient and Afffordable

This was my first time in San Francisco and I found the Luz Hotel met my needs and my budget.
My room was very comfortable, with a soft bed, very plump pillows and fluffy dressing gowns. I got quite cold walking around the city and it was lovely to come back to a hot shower and a warm bed.
I was a little concerned about sharing a bathroom, but it turned out to be fine, and I was never disturbed. I think the Hotel Luz could charge a lot more for their rooms if they were en-suite and then they would have probably been out of my price range.
It would have been nice to have tea and coffee making facilities in the room, although there are a lot of cafes nearby, as a Brit I do need a cup of tea on waking!
Luz Hotel is conveniently located near Union Square and also Powell Street Station, which will take you to the airport. Despite its central location, I did find it quiet at night and my sleep was never disturbed.
A comfortable bed and en-suite bathroom will not make a hotel comfortable if the staff are not welcoming, and the staff at the Luz Hotel were wonderful and made me feel at home. They were friendly, approachable and full of knowledge and love for their city.
I would certainly recommend this hotel and when I visit San Francisco again I will be checking the Luz Hotel first for availability.

8/10

Excellent

05 Sep 2018

Nicole

Fantastic staff, went above and beyond to be helpful! Room was pleasant, shared bathrooms were fine. I would suggest bringing shower sandals for the shared shower, but they do provide robes which is a nice touch! Overall would stay again because of location and staff.

8/10

Excellent

15 Aug 2018

Verified traveler

Close to the center of the city. Clean beds and nice staff

6/10

Pleasant

09 Aug 2018

Verified traveler

The staff in the hotel were welcoming but the area was not the most comfortable and the bed was incredibly uncomfortable.

6/10

Pleasant

17 Jul 2018

Verified traveler

Location was good, walking distance to union square, It was relatively safe for a place in the city. The staff are friendly and helpful.

10/10

Exceptional

23 Apr 2018

Verified traveler

I recently stayed at the hotel for 3 nights. The staff was very friendly and the room was clean and comfortable. Definitely staying here again.

6/10

Pleasant

05 Apr 2018

Stephen

Ok but nothing special

Ok location for city centre. Kinda run down though. Room was small but comfortable and clean everything at the hotel was old and in need of refurbishment. No bathroom in room was a major suprise. Shared facilities were poor. Lobby and entrance area looked tired. Room rate was ok but nothing special could have found simular rates in other hotels at the time

Partner

8/10

Excellent

31 Mar 2018

Shannon

A stay at Aunt Mabel's

Although it was weird at first to have a shared bathroom, I got used to it really quickly. The shower reminds me of showering at the gym. Not a standard, \"normal\" hotel but it was great overall. Everyone that works there was super friendly and nice!

6/10

Pleasant

22 Dec 2017

Cecilia

Close to the Union Square

Pros
Hotel is very close to the train station and Union Square.
Hotel staff were accommodating and friendly.
Room had plenty of soap, shampoo and moisturizer

Cons
Hotel is a bit old, the amenities and facilities could use a much needed upgrade.
I did not think my room was adequately clean.
I had concerns about the lock in my room
Some areas around the hotel are a bit shady. I travelled alone and I was quite concerned about safety. I made sure I came back relatively early, so that I wouldn't have to walk back late at night.

10/10

Exceptional

19 Dec 2017

Verified traveler

Luz Hotel

Lacks some amenities (shared shower/toilet) and the rooms are small. Who cares when you are going out to see the sights from a central location? Hotel staff were excellent too. With no onsite parking things can be a bit tricky so plan ahead.

2/10

Poor

14 Dec 2017

Jacque Brüggeman

Not For Us..

checked out early. rooms not like photo, was placed in a very small room more like closet.
charged 30 dollars for parking

8/10

Excellent

06 Nov 2017

Verified traveler

Simple hotel with shared bathroom/toilets. The staff is friendly and accommodating. The room is simple, but clean and has a nice touch to it. The hotel provides towels, soap/shampoo and a bath robe. I never had to wait to use the shower. The area is safe and there are a bunch of good restaurants and bars nearby.
Great place to stay at if you're on a budget.

8/10

Excellent

24 Oct 2017

Gemma

Nice staff and nice hotel. Great location, close to union square.

10/10

Exceptional

12 Oct 2017

Verified traveler

An older hotel that has had plenty of use but retains plenty of charm. The staff were very helpful and the amenities were better than expected.

Partner

4/10

Poor

10 Oct 2017

Verified traveler

DON'T STAY

The front desk people were fine. That was about it! The room was dirty, the shared bathroom was mediocore, the shower area was clean, but dark, the tiles were cracked, one of the shower heads was broken. It took about 7 minutes for the water to get cold, the hooks were so far up I could not reach them. The room was dirty, tiles cracked, there was no closet door where the trash can was, the furniture was dusty, the windows dirty, the curtains did not match, there was not hot water in the sink In the bathroom, there was one chair and it was wobbly. The rooms were not cleaned or the sheets/towels changed - and we were there 5 days, 4 nights. I would not refer anyone to stay here. The area is very frightening!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 Sep 2017

Megan

Surprisingly Nice

The Luz hotel isn't in the best part of town. It's located kind of in between Nob Hill and the Tenderloin district. But we were very surprised at how safe they make the hotel. The front door is gated and at night there are two more locked doors before you get to your room (all of which you get a key to). The owner and all other workers were VERY nice! I typically travel on a low budget so I don't have high expectations for any hotel, certain luxeries don't matter to me. There is a sink in the room and two toilets across the hall, all very clean! It was no hassle at all to go across the hall, they give you very nice robes for the shower. If you're looking for a quality place on a low budget and don't mind sharing bathrooms, I really recommend the Luz Hotel! I never even encountered another person while I was there. Very nice hotel for what you pay!

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

22 Sep 2017

Kirsten

Price was right

The price was right at the Luz for my weekend stay. It is an easy walk to Union Square. The building felt secure even though there were some homeless in the streets nearby. If you are scared of cockroaches don't stay here as I had the occasional visitor.

8/10

Excellent

10 Sep 2017

Ajmal

congress

6/10

Pleasant

07 Aug 2017

Joel

for the price its ok

for the area of san francisco its in and the price i paid it was pretty good but wierd . there was no alarm clock (i was told everyone has cells with alarms, but mine is not loud enough to wake me . but someone did knock on my door at the requested time. also there is no phone and the tv is 12in. The door uses keys which is very unusual these days and the knob does not automatically unlock when turned so its easy to get locked out. fortunately i did not close the door all the way when going to the shower.

8/10

Excellent

11 Jul 2017

TravelingFool

Clean, Quiet, and Affordable

The Luz Hotel was very affordable especially compared to the chain hotels around Union Square that were 2 1/2 to 3 times higher in price. The room was small but adequate since I was traveling alone to attend a conference in SF. You have to share a bathroom and shower with other guests. For me, that was not an issue. The room was clean. Albert lives on-site and is very fun to chat with during your stay.

8/10

Excellent

24 Jun 2017

Evan

Cheap alternative to other SF hotels

Cute old-style hotel. Great location. Shared bathroom/shower which is why the price is so low.

Family

8/10

Excellent

24 Jun 2017

Verified traveler

Clean,simple accomodations. Friendly staff. Quiet at night. Good location.

6/10

Pleasant

21 Jun 2017

Money is tight to mention!!

It was not what I expected. More like lodging than hotel but if you can't afford semi luxury anywhere else and on budget then you could manage here. Sharing a bathroom and two toilets among several rooms. ( toilet has no wash hand basin or sanitizer) this should be look into. Bathroom and Toilets are kept cleaned regularly. I had lots of clean towels. Bed was comfortable but my room was single and small. The location is great and in downtown San Francisco and walking distance to many amenities. Finally, the owner very respectable and understanding, all staff and especially Albert!! where great!

6/10

Pleasant

09 Jun 2017

Verified traveler

S.F Hotel

This hotel is at the cheaper end of the market. While the staff were very pleasant and helpful, the location and overall condition did not inspire.

8/10

Excellent

30 May 2017

Verified traveler

Clean and welcoming

Small European style hotel. Very clean and very friendly accommodating staff. Bed and linens were very comfortable. Rooms are simple and basic but are perfect to lead your head at night.

10/10

Exceptional

22 May 2017

Nathaniel

A Good Weekend in San Francisco

It was just the place I needed: a clean place to sleep and shower, to lock up my things securely, in walking distance to various places to eat and drink, and close to bus lines.

10/10

Exceptional

22 May 2017

Naomi

Luz was very comfortable with lots of character. Everything was very clean. I had a shared bathroom which was very clean and I also had the convenience of a sink in my room. My bed was so comfy!

6/10

Pleasant

28 Apr 2017

Verified traveler

Great staff and location to downtown. Shared bath and shower, but knew that going in. Noisy! We could hear people walking, talking, banging about and sirens throughout the night. If you are not bothered by city noises and people noises, it is an economical place to stay in the city. If you are bothered, like we were, I would choose another hotel. We ended up going to Sausalito, where it was more expensive, but quieter, and took the ferry to the city.

4/10

Poor

20 Apr 2017

Verified traveler

Budget friendly with too small room

Very small hotel room with too small attached bathroom, good for one night stay.

8/10

Excellent

23 Mar 2017

Jason

Homey feel

Very clean and great staff, but if your looking for a true Hotel feel this isn't it. It's a more European feel, or a youth hostel.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

06 Mar 2017

Verified traveler

You can tell that they take pride in keeping the hotel nice, but I didn't like: that the bathroom was small and didn't have a sink to wash your hands. Even though it was suppose to be no smoking, you can still smell smoking from other people room seeping into your room.

10/10

Exceptional

11 Feb 2017

Christina

I really did love my stay here at the Luz! The entire staff is so warm and welcoming! They really did make me feel at home. It wasn't far from Union Square and I walked there everyday. Great restaurants around this hotel as well! I will definitely be coming back on my next business trip!

10/10

Exceptional

05 Feb 2017

John

Hotel luz

MY STAY AT HOTEL LUZ WAS NICE. MY ROOM WAS CLEAN,MY BED WAS VERY CONFORTABLE... IT WAS VERY CONVENIENT FOR ME TO GET TO WORK. THE TRANSIT (MUNI) WAS RIGHT ACROSS THE ST. FIVE STARS FOR THAT ALONE.

10/10

Exceptional

30 Aug 2016

Verified traveler

Great hotel for the price!

I stayed in the double room with shared bathroom and for the price I paid it was a great deal! Clean hotel, they provided towels and robes, and even though the hotel was fully booked I never had any problems waiting for the shared bathroom and shower (never even saw anyone in the halls!). Staff is super friendly and they accommodated a late check in at 2 am. I have heard that the tenderloin area is sketchy but it seemed fine to me, easy walk to union square and central to other neighbourhoods. Recommended hotel!

6/10

Pleasant

29 Aug 2016

Nancy

travel with limited budget

I did not have enough budget so needed to find a cheap hotel. I expected the hotel would be as it was. However, I was still disappointed when I checked in, because the room did not look as cozy as the photos shown in the website.

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jul 2016

Priscilla

Very nice and cozy! perfect for couples or singles

it was a very nice stay. I was weary because its shared bathroom but it actually posed no problem at all. Everything we needed at a nice price. Me and my husband aren't fancy and don't need everything handed to us hand and foot, it felt like being at home while away :)

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

12 Jul 2016

Verified traveler

The service was fantastic and would have scored higher however the younger guy let them down with some of his actions/attitude aka sleeping under the reception desk

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

22 May 2016

AJEET

Stay in SanFrancisco

The room was small. The ventilation was poor with a wall right outside the window. Natural lighting was impossible. The neighbourhood had destitute people crawling all around. Commuting to various sites was convenient.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

17 May 2016

Verified traveler

Stayed there 3 nights. Bed and staff were great! First time having a shared toilet and shower in a hotel, but never was a problem.

2/10

Poor

06 May 2016

Leslie

TO AVOID IF YOU WANT TO SLEEP

Well, first of all, i do not understand how this hotel has achieved its current ratings. The staff is nice, there is free wifi and it is close to Union Square. These are the only positive points.
Generally: it is awful! Very very noisy - not outside, but within the hotel itself: you can hear everything, and I mean EVERYTHING!!! Including the springs in the mattresses of the rooms upstairs and next door.
The neighbourhood: close to Union Square but surrounded by homeless, drugs fuelled and some crazy people. Tenderloin is not as bad as it was, but it is still very rough. I didn't feel unsafe but you have to be aware of your surroundings.
Rooms: they are old and could you with some basic repainting and decoration. I was in room 3, next to me was someone who thought it would be ok to shout and watch TV until 4 am, 3 nights in a row. I addressed my concerns after the first night about the noise but nothing could be done. When i left and was asked for feedback, i was told that nothing could be done re. noise, as it is too old a hotel to fix the issue. Well, try asking you customers to be respectful and limit noise levels after 10pm. This is the worst hotel i've ever stayed in. DO NOT STAY THERE UNLESS DESPERATE!!!

10/10

Exceptional

17 Apr 2016

gerald

Good buy in San Francisco

Albert the manager was the best. Very helpful.

6/10

Pleasant

07 Mar 2016

Natasha

Decent Stay in an Ok Area of SF

I stayed at Luz for four nights and didn't have any problems really. The rooms are a bit small but decent for the price and location. There are two bathrooms that are shared by all the rented rooms on the first floor; they were clean and I didn't have a problem getting one when I needed. The shower was different; there is only one for all the guests and I had to wait my turn a few times. Note: give the shower 4-5 minutes to warm up and then it's nice.

I was in room three, which is near the front, and you can hear the voices from street. Ask for a room closer to back if possible. Also the bed dips in the middle so that was a bit uncomfortable. I can't attest to another traveler's comments about bed bugs because I brought my own sheet and slept on top of the duvet.

I will say that nothing seemed wrong with my stay. The staff were super friendly and helpful. If you're traveling from/to the airport, the hotel can call a shuttle for $17, much cheaper than a taxi.

6/10

Pleasant

04 Jan 2016

Verified traveler

It was Ok with a excellent staff, the only problem on our stay was the cable signal other than that went smooth.

4/10

Poor

07 Nov 2015

Brendan

Old and rundown but good location.

The room we had was good, however the rest of the hotel/hostel is pretty run down and needs some work. Good location for the price (for San Fran). Also no matter what time we showered the water was always cold.

6/10

Pleasant

10 Oct 2015

John

Great for solo traveler

The room was small but cozy. It was just right for a single traveler. Bathroom and shower were in the hall. It felt like a boarding house. The staff was amazingly nice and helpful.

10/10

Exceptional

21 Aug 2015

Rachel

My favorite new spot!

I felt SO lucky to find such a gem in San Fran. After reading their stellar reviews, I wasn't too worried about being in the tenderloin neighborhood because I have smarts about me anyways to be aware. IT WAS NOT BAD AT ALL. There is no reason to be worried about where this hotel is! I am a 34-year old single female walking around there and I felt completely safe and fine. You could not be more centralized in this location. It's fantastic!
I loved my little room and the staff is SO relaxed and friendly. It feels like you are staying in their home, because that's how they treat it. You have to share bathrooms and a shower here and I loved that! They give you a lovely robe and the shower is huge! It is incredibly clean.
I truly cannot say enough about this place. I will never stay at another hotel ever again. I slept like a rock, had a cab in seconds every time and walked to so many places that were 10 minutes or less to get to. The bus also stops right outside their door and the BART straight down the street. There is internet, a sink in your room and every room is different, with character from the era it was built in 1959. It definitely feels more like a bed and breakfast, which is what I wanted. When I travel to cities, I like to be immersed in the culture/character of them, not in a Hilton hotel that is the same everywhere and overpriced for the same accommodations. This establishment deserves nothing but the kindest of reviews. I will certainly be returning again.

6/10

Pleasant

15 Aug 2015

Traveling Chica

Cheap Price & Central Location

The hotel is close to many SF highlights. The room was clean & the place was quite during my stay. The bathroom isn't in the room, however the bathroom and showers were always very clean. The rooms also had cable. If you're looking for an inexpensive, no frills SF hotel, it's worth considering.