Trendy. Playful. Edgy. Luxury. Artsy. Tech. Chic. Modern. That pretty much sums up one of the Viceroy Group’s latest luxury boutique hotels — Hotel Zetta in San Francisco. Nestled in the heart of SoMa, Hotel Zetta opened its doors to the public in February 2013 and being centrally located, it’s only steps away from a slew of fantastic dining options, designer boutiques, and iconic landmarks such as Union Square and Yerba Buena Gardens. One of my favorite things about San Francisco is Blue Bottle Coffee, and with a location right across the street, I was perfectly and happily caffeinated during my time there.
Hotel Zetta’s approach to luxury aligns well with San Francisco’s essential style — a perfect marriage between design, art, and tech. It’s an imaginative vision of classy comforts and grown-up gadgets. The S+R lounge in the lobby welcomes you with swanky modernist sofas and chairs, a two-story Plinko game, artsy chandeliers, a backlit repurposed wine bottle wall, and an iMac work station. After a few cocktails from the exhaustive drink list, my friends and I headed up to the second floor to what I called an adult’s playground — a room full of billiards, shuffleboards, and other retro toys and games. With such a broad range of interactive activities in the lobby and rooms, I could have happily spent hours inside the hotel engaging all my senses.
Between the gorgeous display of contemporary decor and the wonderfully hospitable service and staff, my stay at Hotel Zetta was a sheer pleasure and truly inspired my creative intellect.
Pros:
-I liked the clean color aesthetic: black, white, gray, and silver with a splash of light blue.
-Loved my welcome package: chocolate + wine + mineral water + personal note = perfection. A lasting impact is in the small details.
Thank you for the wonderful welcome gift đ
-The service was excellent — can’t find a single fault. The staff was incredibly friendly, hospitable, passionate, and knowledgable.
-I loved the casual vibe of the staff members: clad in jeans, checkered shirts, and newsboy caps.
-Both check-in and check-out were a breeze.
-A 24-hour fitness center was available, but given my busy schedule throughout the weekend, I didnât have a chance to use it.
-The full-paneled mirrors in the bathroom were one of my favorite features.
The perfect vanity mirror
-Given its heavy tech focus, it’s no surprise that there was free WiFi in the public areas, lobby, and guest rooms. There was also a G-Link station for mobile devices and wireless streaming onto smart TVs. Bravo!
-Very much appreciated the Illy espresso machine in the room.
-The modular desks, vintage-hardware lamps, leather headboards, and luxe mosaic-tiled shower spaces were in perfect harmony and created a gorgeous chic aesthetic.
Clean aesthetics and ultra comfortable beds = a good night’s sleep
-Room service was very quick and very accommodating.
-Loved the eco-conscious nature of the hotel as reflected in its decor and furniture.
-The art pieces throughout the hotel and guest rooms were spot on: floppy disk mosaics, fashion collages, chandeliers made out of eye glasses, quirky sculptures, and more.
Loved the artwork scattered throughout the room…took me on a trip down memory lane with the floppy discs.
-The room was very well-lit and during the day, was flooded with natural light, and bouncing off the crisp white furniture and walls, it provided a very airy feel.
-Loved that there were 2 turn-down services: one in the morning and one in the evening.
-The imported goose-down bedding was as comfortable as can be.
-Sandwiched between Market and Mission on 5th Street, I enjoyed beautiful cityscape views of the San Francisco Chronicle and bustling crowds from my 4th floor room.
City views from my room
-Though it didn’t pique my interest, video game consoles were available.
-There was a real, no-nonsense hair dryer. My hair was pleased.
-While in the room, I pretty much lived in the comfy terry waffle monogrammed robes.
-Finding the amazing Neil George toiletries was a pleasant and welcome surprise.
Cons:
-The social media engagement before and during my stay was limited. I would have loved to interact a little more with the staff at the hotel so the experience could have been more personalized.
-When signing in for the WiFi, I didn’t like that I was required to opt in for special offers and emails before connecting.
-Breakfast was not included.
-There was no full-length mirror in the room.
Plinko and cocktails at S+R Lounge in the lobby
Mugshots of Alcatraz prisoners on the wall in S+R Lounge added a certain je ne sais quoi to the ambiance.
Duration: 2 nights, January 17-19, 2014
Bottomline: Though appealing to any crowd, Hotel Zetta particularly attracts the trendy jetsetters, art + design lovers, and tech mavens. It’s everything a luxury boutique hotel should be minus the pretension, with a strong emphasis on a minimalistic design aesthetic, sustainable decor, and the latest tech gizmos and gadgets. With a highly engaging and playful “break the rules” attitude, it’s a creative escape that cleverly tempers the worlds of intense work and serious play.
I would HIGHLYÂ recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a centrally-located upscale, trendy, and artsy alternative to luxury chain hotels.
*Disclaimer: my room was hosted by Hotel Zetta, but views are my own and accurately reflect my stay.
**My policy: there will always be full disclosure about whether my stay was hosted by the hotel or paid for with my own money. And even if the hotel decides to offer complimentary services, my review will never be swayed one way or the other. After all, if my experience was sub-par, and I continue to falsely rave about their services, no one will benefitânot me, not you, not the hotel (theyâll never improve!). So, trust that youâll receive 100% truth in every review.