Casa Madrona Hotel & Spa Review

Good hotel at a premium price. Fitness room area is excellent. Unique hillside layout is not excellent if you're mobility-challenged or out of shape, as elevators are slow. No pool or hot tub, which is too bad because a rooftop hot tub would be a unique opportunity for a hotel like this.

Casa Madrona Spa and Hotel is a beautiful hilltop hotel and spa with view gorgeous views of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. The Cottage I stayed in could not have been outfitted any better and the service was superb, from the time the car pulled up to the curb to the time we left. THIS PLACE IS A JEWEL, so rather you need a place to stay for a business, a retreat or a romantic getaway, I cant think of a place I would rather be than at the Casa Madrona. Should you want to venture out, the world of SFO is just a short drive a cross the bridge and Napa is just to the north. Sausalito may be the best kept secret out there, but don't miss staying in a the Resort or my favorite, a cottage on the hillside where you can sit in the enclosed glass porch where by day or night you will take in some of the most beautiful views you will ever see. Whenever I am in the bay area, it will be the only place I ever stay again. Business or pleasure.
..
One last note: After reading several of the older reviews, you should know this Hotel has changed ownership, new management and has under gone a very expensive and stunning refurbishment. It has been outfitted with lots and lots of thought about details, both inside and out. So unless you have stayed here in the last 24 months and seen it as it is today, you are truly missing out on a very special resort overlooking the San Francisco bay and a awesome place to escape too..

This hotel has done a good job of propagating and looking for a professional photographer to take pictures of it, but in fact it is a hotel built in a scenic tourist area. The rooms are small and the facilities are old. The newly developed rooms in Houshan are relatively new, but they have to go. Going up, the baggage is inconvenient. It took 400 knives to live in a suite with a balcony. I went into it and said nothing. I have lived in the smallest "suite" in my life. Air-conditioning will be called at night, and the car in the room along the street is very noisy.

I booked this hotel last minute, and paid a fairly hefty price. The location is good as you can walk most anywhere on the waterfront. Our room was spacious and clean. We had a seating area. The staff was friendly and helpful. You can pay $30 to valet park, or I guess you can park on the street after 6 for free and then feed meters during the day. I valeted. Our room had no view whatsoever (see pic) They are doing construction, but I'm pretty sure it would still have no view/daylight even if the construction was complete. Otherwise, everything was fine, and I would consider staying here again.

The hotel itself was nice, but missed simple things for a four star hotel. There was no hand soap given to us. Even worse, they did not reset the alarm, so the previous guests 6AM alarm woke us up on what was supposed to be a relaxing vacation day...Overall, would not recommend staying here.

Hotel was clean and in a great location, great views from the rooms. However, getting to the rooms can be a challenge, up 4 flights on an elevator, the 2 to 3 more on steep stairs. It can be a problem, all the staff was helpful and attentive.

The hotel is located in the heart of Sausalito, an adorable & quaint town just across the Golden Gate from San Fran. It is is great location.

The hotel rooms were average, especially considering the high price point. We had a cottage with "balcony" but the "balcony" was glassed in and the window that provided the best view was nailed shut. We also had to walk up several flights of stairs with our large suitcases to get there - no elevator. Luckily we are young and healthy so this wasn't a huge problem, but for someone more elderly it could be a dilemma.

Since we had trouble with the bags going up, we asked the front desk if they could send someone up to help with our stuff for our departure. They agreed - however when we called in the morning they said no one was available. We had a flight to catch, so we lugged our bags down the many flights of stairs again. Overall, we were pretty disappointed with the staff. Some, of course, were much better than others!!

It's a fine hotel, but for the price I would expect it to be a stellar overall experience. We will likely stay elsewhere if we go back.

Birthday: Called ahead to request two Queen beds. Confirmed. Crossed the Bridge, found the hotel - Arrived to lovely room: with a King Bed. Turns out: There are no Queen Beds. The hideous view from the room was rooftops covered in massive air condtioning and ugly metal boxes. We looked at two other rooms...
Lovely hotel - next door to the wonderful Poggio Restaurant which is our favorite.

Not much to it. Lovely room on a noisy street in a hotel with subpar service and zero amenities. You could do better at a Motel 6. Try the Inn Above Tide instead.

Best view of Sausalito from king balcony harbor view room. Huge two person tub, fridge to store some snacks as no room service during covid 19. Also bring your own glass to enjoy wine watching the sunset over the Bay.

Do not get a room on the top floor of the new building. There's a gigantic air conditioner on the roof that rumbles and rattles 24hrs/day, making it impossible to sleep. Nice scenery otherwise...

Rooms were super overpriced for what you get. View was nice, but at this price point I prefer Cavallo Point nearby personally.

Casa Madrona Spa and Hotel is a beautiful hilltop hotel and spa overlooking Sausalito. The rooms, food, service are all outstanding here. The views are wonderful looking out towards Angel Island and the city of San Francisco. We had a few minor problems with our beautifully appointed bungalow, and an accident involving our computer being damaged upon check in, and the hotel staff was quite responsive and accommodating and made things right with us. All of the people working here were very polite, attentive, and they just made us feel like we were at home.

We would like to recognize the following individuals for providing us exceptional service throughout our stay:

Joel, Zakir, and Lionel all working in the bell and door services roles. Annie--Housekeeping Manager, Fiona at the front desk, Emily-front desk manager. Also, room service and restaurant staff were all wonderful as were the fine folks working in the concierge!

We routinely stay at 5 star hotels such as the Ritz and Four Seasons, so we have high expectations when we stay at other hotels, and we were definitely impressed with the Casa Madrona Hotel and Spa.

I would not hesitate to recommend this hotel and spa to my family and friends looking for a memorable and pleasurable stay. A job well done Casa Madrona!

Sincerely,

Jim Wetta

Beautiful hotel with a spectacular view of the ocean. I stayed in the courtyard section and had a two level suite with the expected amenities. Service was top notch and can't think of one thing I would suggest to them as an improvement. I would definitely recommend staying here.

Super friendly hosts and beautiful rooms. Valet parking is provided (at a small fee of course) and is almost needed as they don't have a dedicated lot for the hotel. If you're looking for a great view, make sure to book early on and keep in mind that some rooms will be facing the courtyard, not the bay. Great hotel; worth the cost.

Boutique hotel. Lovely rooms well designed and spacious. Good front of house staff. Great location close to the ferry and good place from which to visit San Francisco without staying there.

Beautiful view. The event was great and the event staff were especially nice and helpful.

Really nice fresh seafood and well cooked pasta. Staff was friendly and the place has a nice relaxed atmosphere. Thanks for a great lunch!

Attended a wedding reception at the hotel and it was beautiful. The location is amazing and the staff were friendly and professional

Great location in Sausalito. Close to shops and restaurants. 30 minute ferry ride to San Francisco. Breathing views of the Bay. 30 minutes to Napa and Sonoma Valley. 15 minutes to Muir Woods and hiking trails. Something for everyone.

Excellent views of the bay in the heart of downtown Sausalito.

Perhaps my expectations were too high. Dragged suitcases up two flights of stairs. Have to go outside to get to other areas of the hotel. Slug on entry table. Wall AC unit (bad) is loud (worse). Balcony partially overlooks parking lot. Uncomfortable, small room but not in historic section. No full length mirror. Room service ends at 10 PM. Squeaky bed. Nice pillows and linens, though. After seeing the room, I asked my traveling companion: "Were you rude checking in or something?" No. The surrounding area is touristy and predictable. Do your research on the rooms or stay in town.

Very beautiful hotel, staff was lovely only issue is for the price I would have expected a more luxury stay when to grab something from our car in the middle of the night and seen front desk smoking in the car. Came in to smell weed, I know it s legal but I just didn t expect this at such a nice property.

Some of the (bigger and much more expensive) suites (and meeting rooms) are spectacular. I enjoyed my more simple room. The view from the balcony was fantastic. Both room and bathroom were spacious but a bit tired and could do with a refurbishment. I would be delighted to stay again at this place.

Very nice hotel and well equipped rooms with nice bay view. I would have awarded five stars but an employee has not behave customer friendly, so you do not actually know in the US. At first she did not find our reservation through the travel agency, then probably the antiquated card reader was not able to read our two credit cards. Since Madame probably had no desire to deposit the cards manually (which ultimately worked) came the hint we would like to inform our bank. Strange that the card worked before and afterwards in the restaurant without problems.

We went here for a wedding and it was lovely. Beautiful views and attentive staff.

Beautiful location and attentive staff. Attended a corporate event here and was very happy with the accommodations. Comfortable beds and quiet rooms.

Great location in downtown Sausalito. Ask for a room that is higher up for even more impressive views. Attentive staff & good catering for on-site events.

So Disappointing don't plan a holiday at this hotel. No respect for plans that guests make months ahead of time and cancel rooms and do not honor offers.More to come ....

Great getaway from the hustle and bustle of San Francisco. Casa Madrona is quaint and comfortable.

Nice hotel just a few minutes walk from the ferry quay to San Francisco. Nice, attentive staff. I felt very well

The staff was helpful. The place is a little over priced. The air conditioning in our friends room was not working. The hotel is located centrally in Sausalito.

A truly remarkable experience that should be shared by everyone just a fantastic Place everybody is so nice and the facilities are five star all the way

The Mansion suite was awesome. Beautiful room with great views. The family loved it. The kids especially loved it. The grounds are nice as well with a nice meandering walk down to the street (and elevator up). Paid for parking on the roof which was cheaper than expected ($35/night) as there is no valet during covid-19. That was fine but maybe not necessary as we didn't take advantage of the in and out privileges. The ginormous Alexandria Suite below us had a large gathering on their large deck which went on kind of late. The noise wasn't too bad but you could definitely hear.

The location is very good. You will see the bay from your bedroom balcony. Advise you to check in early. In order to experience the afternoon atmosphere, there is a backdrop to the harbor and the people.

We stayed in a hillside cottage and had a great experience. We were first in a room on 4th level, but we could hear our upstairs neighbors running around a lot (assuming they had kids). We called front desk, and they immediately were able to move us to top floor (room 600), which was still a hillside cottage with ocean views, and we were so happy with the switch. Super easy to get around to the rest of Sausalito (<10 min walk from food, the water, and shops). The staff we interacted with were all incredibly helpful as well!

It's a nice hotel in a great location of Sausalito, but currently under renovation. Our window directly faced the ongoing work, so the view was bad. But the rest of the room was great.

The location could not be sweeter, central to everything (even a early morning jog to the Golden Gate lookout). The hotel is historic, with extensive renovations to give the hotel and rooms a charming feel. The rooms have comfortable beds, but are on the small sideband feel cramped.

There are lots of nice nooks and crannies and fountains spread around the hotel, do explore. It can be a maze to get from one side to the other or find your way to the reception, but life is an adventure right?

The staff is friendly and happy to help. Parking is valet only (though in the night if you need to use your car they'll give you the key and tell you where to find it).

Finally you are not at the Madrona because you wanted to save on hotel rates. :)

Beautiful hotel with a stunning location.
Rooms are comfortable and very nice. And the valet parking is very helpful and necessary since there's not much parking around there.
Beautiful view and relaxing atmosphere all around and it's quite and peaceful day and night.
Definitely would recommend for anyone looking for a peaceful pretty San Francisco experience.

This is my all-time favorite boutique hotel! Although the room is not exceptionally large, it is most efficient with a lovely sectionalized bath and large closets that we seldom see in other hotels, regardless of the ratings and price. We stayed in one of the Deluxe Harbor Bayview rooms and the view of the harbor and boat docks is picturesque. We have returned year after year and were especially pleased to see the latest improvements after a three-year lapse since our last stay. Our balcony opened out onto the main street of Sausalito, but still our room was quiet and most comfortable.

What an amazing place Will definitely come back and recommend to others

Exceptional home away from home, suite is amazing, staff was excellent, views are stunning

This was my wife and I third and last stay at the Casa Madrona. Worst experience ever. When we checked in and got to our room I noticed it did not have a balcony. I called the front desk and informed. They advised sorry we re booked and there s nothing they can do. Thank goodness I had printed out what type of room I had booked. I took it to the front desk and showed the attendant Trevor. I had booked a Hillside Cottage Suite with a balcony and it clearly showed that on my print out. I proceeded to show the front desk my print out and my room was supposed to have a balcony, the other attendant chimed in and said you have to specify you d like a balcony very rudely. I ask her to show me where it stated that. After she couldn t she told Trevor to put us in another room that had a balcony. Oh and there was no management I could speak with during this. Was informed there were only two employees available.

The next morning my wife and I wanted to enjoy breakfast on the balcony. We called room service, after being hung up on twice finally someone answered and did not speak English at all! Everything that was on the menu the representative stated they didn t have, again very rude. We got ready and left. Never going back to this place, there are a lot of choices out there and consider that if you are planning on staying at this hotel. For the price you pay you d expect the staff to be friendly and have eggs for breakfast. Not this place

Sincerely,
Craig Smith

Good location in Sausalito but overall service and acomodation is overpriced. We stay 3 days but we couldn t use the spa because it close very early. Cold atmosphere. Rooms clean but not luxury. Looks like a airport hotel. Very bad pillows, were like bricks. No evening turn down. Not even a bottle of water. When we checked out we couldn t know how much they charge because the printer was broken and we never got the invoice by email

I really wanted to love this place and at first I did. The location is perfect, the room itself was clean and bright with a cozy balcony and beautiful views. The reason I am giving them two stars is because of billing issues we had after checking out. My card was charged for a one night stay, but upon leaving my boyfriend asked for my card to be refunded so he could pay instead and they took care of it no problem. Since then, however, my card has been charged three times and refunded only twice AFTER we called and emailed several times over the course of a week. It has now been over a week and my card is still overcharged. At this point, they have been so unresponsive that I've had to file a dispute through my CC company (which is a headache). I wouldn't necessarily discourage anyone from staying here, but just be warned that if something goes wrong, they're not very invested in making things right. I don't normally spend so much on hotel stays this was supposed to be a birthday treat and I had much higher expectations considering the price of the room. Personally, I will not be going back simply because of how poorly they've handled the situation. It's unacceptable for a hotel of this caliber. For a 4-star hotel, you need to do better, Casa Madrona.

UPDATE: They did eventually balance out my card two weeks after our stay.

At $500/night I expect more. Upon arriving, was greeted by plastic covering the side of the entrance as they are remodeling. I had just made the reservation and believe when a hotel is undergoing remodeling, they should say so. Spa also being remodeled. Elevator was dirty; halls to our room was dirty. TV didn't work; called 3 times for someone to come and fix it. Was not informed that they had a restaurant. Pillows were uncomfortable; I slept on a lot better mattresses. We got a room with a patio, which was also dirty. I won't stay there again.

I stayed for one night. First parking was very easy, and convenient with valet parking. The attendants were curtious and fast anytime I needed my car. I stayed in a courtyard facing room. The room was immaculate, clean, and tidy. They do a great job with design and aesthetics. The bed was comfortable. Facility staff were very curtious and catered to their costumers well. I did not try the restaurant, spa, or gym. The only complaint I had was the noise. They were doing construction or renovation above us and there was loud constant drilling, hammering, etc noise for most of the day into the evening. Otherwise I would give it 5 stars. I would come here again and recommend it to others. Next time I will ask for another room if there is construction going on.

have stayed here 2x and the rooms are nice Rude valet we called down for our car and lady over the phone said they would have it right out and came out and valet was just sitting in the closet on his phone my car still not out even though we called almost 30 mins before coming down. We go to poggios for breakfast a lot and I don t like to valet I d rather pay to park but since it free. We have spoken with management before and it doesn t seem to make any difference. I d you come here self
Park don t valet with Trevor. Front desk are welcoming but other than that the rooms seem to always have a issue (leaking, noise) always something.

Nice front desk staff, nicely furnished rooms, and an excellent view! They offer valet parking (extra daily charge) and room service from Poggio Trattoria, a restaurant next to the hotel.

Here's a picture of the view from the bed. I loved it! I'll be back again!

Stunning view of the Bay
Rather complicated room placements though
Modern rooms

I was recommended to use the Spa services here at Casa Madrona and it was excellent! Carol was the massage therapist and she listened to what I needed and performed excellent massage! The staff were all professional and the facility is clean.

Cute little hotel. Beautiful Sausalito location.
However, during Covid, I would NOT recommend this hotel. During our stay we used the provided toiletries and disposed half empty bottles. We expected that, as hotel advertised, it s sanitized and safe for the guests. Only to learn that we were charged $100 for the displaced toiletries. That s when I learn that the hotel refills it after each stay...
not my type of the safely sanitized place during pandemic .

Very up to date rooms with great views of San Francisco. Bathrooms have a separate 2 person tub from the shower.

Excellent rooms and great views. (Poor food service, but you won't eat at the hotel in this neighborhood anyway.)

Really nice rooms, prefer the contemporary side though. Level 4 has great views.

Stayed here this weekend to celebrate my birthday. We were pleasantly surprised upon checking in to be told that our room was upgraded. It was a great start to the weekend. The room was lovely, well equipped with anything and everything we could have needed. We loved having a Nespresso machine in the room. The view was beautiful and one of the main reasons we choose this particular hotel. The hotel staff we interacted with were all pleasant and happy to help. Unfortunately, our stay was a little unpleasant due to the poor sound proofing and extremely loud neighbors. The first night of our stay the guests in the room above us slammed (the doors) and stomped into their room at around 11pm waking both my husband and I up. For the next couple hours they (and a number of other people) carried on with loud music, conversation, etc. It sounded like a party which made it almost impossible to sleep. For whatever reason these guests also couldn't open or shut the door to their room without letting it slam, so as people went in and out we were jolted awake. The noise is further worsened by the wood floors in the building, poor sound proofing combined with wood floors and heels sounds like someone is hammerging on the ceiling. To say we were tired the next day was an understatement. The next night at 1030pm the group returned to their room slamming doors, turning on the radio, stomping around. We were awake so we ignored it for a while but when we wanted to go to sleep at 11pm and the party was still going we called the front desk. Unfortunately the front desk phone went unanswered from 11pm to 1130pm. Once we were finally able to get a hold of someone they said they would send someone to their room. They eventually quieted down around midnight or shortly after. I wish I could say this was the relaxing and rejuvenating experience I was hoping for, but not being able to sleep pretty much negated those hopes. We wouldn't stay here again given the sound issues, it was clear that even if it had been just a quiet guest above us the lack of sound proofing and wood floors would make this hotel noisy. We could hear the neighbors conversations like they were in our room, we could hear the nespresso making coffee in their room in the morning; while yes they were noisy and rude, it's clear that the hotel also lacks the necessary measures to manage the noise. Carpet instead of hardwood would probably help a lot for starters. With other options in the area that are just as nice we'll opt for a different hotel the next time we visit the area.

Great place. Good service. I had requested a nice tub, but I couldn't get enough hot water to fill the tub. Maintenance came and never got back to us, 3 hours later the hot water was hotter, but still couldn't get a full tub of hot water. Disappointing experience at a really nice place. Most amazing massage at this spa!

Great strategic location, everything i need is around it. Glad the price is a little bit high; otherwise no rooms would be available. It seems the area is very popular with tourists.

Considering all of the restrictions during the pandemic, and limited services, we had a wonderful stay. The staff was very pleasant, professional and accommodating. Our room was clean and met our every expectation. We will certainly be returning to Casa Madrona!

2 nights, excellent!!!! Perfect place to stay with your significant other, caring and loving front desk people willing to walk the extra mile to ensure the quality of your stay, Nos vemos pronto Casa Madrona