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Anyone been to Pulse San Francisco?

M

markbernstein

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Location
Ann Arbor, MI
We just booked an August stay at MVC Pulse in San Francisco. Does anyone have any first hand experience with it? If so, any opinions, tips, descriptions of amenities, etc? Thanks!
 
markbernstein said:
We just booked an August stay at MVC Pulse in San Francisco. Does anyone have any first hand experience with it? If so, any opinions, tips, descriptions of amenities, etc? Thanks!
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Our first stay was in July of 2019. It is a converted hotel. Very close to fisherman's wharf actually one block away. Convenient to the trolley as it was just around the corner. Loved the location as it was central for a tourist. Watch yourself and family at night. DONOT leave anything in the car visible if you park around there on the street. Saw multiple cars that got smashed and grabbed. Walked by one van that had all their luggage in the back seat slashed open by crooks outside of Pulse. At night there is security on site and doors are locked. You have to use your key card to get into lobby.

When we went, just a couple floors were open and the rest being remodeled. The room had two beds and a metal amoire for a closet. No laundry room them but when we visited Feb 2020 it was available from what front desk told us. There is a family room near lobby. Trader Joe's around the block a short walk away.

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We have also stayed there and the best part of the Pulse in San Francisco is the location for tourists. The rooms are just okay and very utilitarian. That being said, if you are using points or a travel package it is just fine. Agree with frank808 re: cars being broke into, saw many with smashed windows. The Marriott at Fisherman's Wharf is also a good choice if the rates are good.
 
I have no first hand experience with the MVC Pulse, but I know the area well. I definitely would not rent a car for this urban stay, it will definitely be a hindrance. Smashing car windows seems to be a sport now. Instead, get out and walk. San Francisco is such a dense city, you can walk just about everywhere you'll want to go.

You can easily get to the Pulse from the airport using BART to Montgomery station, then a short bus ride from there. Or take a ride share vehicle.

San Francisco just moved into the least restrictive "yellow tier" Covid zone but that still doesn't mean all is open. Many things are still closed, and the places that are open are by reservation only, so if it stays this way, that means planning ahead. Worthwhile museums such as SFMOMA, California Academy of Sciences, and the De Young require timed advance ticket reservations. Some of the urban national parks are still closed. The San Francisco Maritime Historical park that is only 3 blocks from the Pulse is still closed. Golden Gate National Recreation Area, home to Alcatraz, is still closed. I'm sure they'll be open by August however. One thing to note about an Alcatraz visit is that the tours are very popular and would regularly sell out 3-4 weeks in advance in pre-Covid days.

An activity that I always encourage visitors to do is to rent a bike, ride over the Golden Gate bridge, ride and sightsee through Sausalito and Tiburon, then catch the commuter ferry in Tiburon which takes you right back to Fisherman's Wharf. It's a really fun way to sightsee! There are many bike rental places right in Fisherman's Wharf that cater to this trip, they provide maps and sightseeing information as well as bike support if anything happens.

Don't forget the quote attributed to Mark Twain: "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco."
 
jlp879 said:
Don't forget the quote attributed to Mark Twain: "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco."
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Except he never really said that.

But it is cool in San Francisco during the summer, except when it's not.
 
Would not go to SF now - Just a dirty crime ridden town. We used to go up a lot - fly into San Carlos (own plane) - BART/Uber downtown but it is just not safe or fun right now. I read that SF has the highest rate of property crimes of any big city. Agree with no car in SF if you go - buses, uber, Lyft, BART all good but you need to really keep your guard up right now. We have not stayed at the Pulse but have found all of the Ritz and Marriott properties very nice. One thing to think about is that at the Marriotts if you have Bonvoy status you can get in the lounge (not so at the Ritz Club) and save a lot on breakfast. I do not think the SF Pulse has a lounge
 
jlp879 said:
"The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco."
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And this is soooo true. First time I went there, flew from Tulsa where it was as usual over 100 in summer, took shorts and T-Shirt since it was sunny California. I froze. I had to purchase clothes while there, no way I could stand it. I was downtown where the tall buildings funnel any wind.

I realize it's not always that way, but it was while I was there.
 
Steve Fatula said:
And this is soooo true. First time I went there, flew from Tulsa where it was as usual over 100 in summer, took shorts and T-Shirt since it was sunny California. I froze. I had to purchase clothes while there, no way I could stand it. I was downtown where the tall buildings funnel any wind.

I realize it's not always that way, but it was while I was there.
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The sweatshirt vendors LOVE tourists. :D
 
I have not been to any MVC property that has had a concierge lounge like their hotel counterparts.

Even though hotels have lounges, they have been closed or offerings severely cut because of covid precautions. No breakfast, evening apps or evening drinks in most of the lounges I have been to.

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frank808 said:
I have not been to any MVC property that has had a concierge lounge like their hotel counterparts.

Even though hotels have lounges, they have been closed or offerings severely cut because of covid precautions. No breakfast, evening apps or evening drinks in most of the lounges I have been to.

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The only MVC I am aware of that has Concierge Lounge benefits is the Mayflower in DC. The MVC has one floor in the hotel, and has provided lounge access on our previous visits. Its a great perk.
 
Ahh you are right and I am losing it in my old age. Got confused as I have been there on the hotel side and the MVC side. Completely forgot as we got lounge access staying at the Mayflower hotel side and the timeshare side.

Probably due to the fact that the Pulse is a part of the hotel. Rather unique property with a lot of history. Any other MVC property that shares the same building with a Marriott hotel?

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Any other MVC property that shares the same building with a Marriott hotel?
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Surfer Paradise on the Gold Coast - Converted hotel rooms but big nice expanded kitchens - not full but nice especially for breakfast.
It was a very nice stay and just two blocks from a very nice beach. Lots of restaurants within walking distance.
We did not get longe access but never really thought about it 'cause of the kitchens.
 
We plan to go in Oct.

Any more comments on this resort.

We will be 4 - in a 2 bedroom interconnected room.

We might want to go outside of San Francisco on day trips - is there a car rental location nearby (ie Fisherman's Wharf)- I certainly do not want to pay $60 per night for valet parking.

There is a little refrigerator - can we order a microwave from the resort.

Some trip advisor reviews suggest that street noise can be quite loud- so we should take a courtyard view?
 
Just a heads up…Be Careful parking anywhere near the Hotel…Lots of car windows being broken and contents being stolen from parked vehicles..It has been an ongoing issue around the area for quite a long time.
 
seema said:
Some trip advisor reviews suggest that street noise can be quite loud- so we should take a courtyard view?
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I definitely recommend courtyard view. We were in a room facing the street and it was loud - trash trucks in the a.m., etc. My parents had courtyard view and they had no noise.
 
Calling this place a resort is quite a stretch. Rooms are very utilitarian. The location is really good to site see but as mentioned above, do not park on the street for any length of time. Hertz, Enterprise, and Sixt car rentals are nearby in the Wharf area. There is also a Trader Joe's nearby. I can't answer re: microwave. Have a great trip and see lots of things.
 
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