Beacon Grand

Loved the venue but had trouble with service. Guests had trouble booking rooms under our blocked rooms. Also, there is no day of wedding coordinator available.

My wedding was more than I could imagine. Everything went so smoothly thanks to Allison, the wedding coordinator. She took care of everything. People are still talking about the food and elegance of the wedding! I am a very happy bride!

We held our wedding and reception at the Sir Francis Drake in October and had an superb experience. The hotel is centrally located, which was convenient for our many out of town guests, who gathered and mingled for hours in the lobby bar. The Kimpton Group has maintained the historical feel of the hotel (built in the late 1920's) while updating the furnishing rooms with touches of modernity. The hotel has a dramatic sweeping staircase at the entrance, giant original chandeliers, and dark paneling, all of which feature in our wedding photos. Planning a wedding at the Drake is highly simplified by friendly, helpful and efficient wedding and event staff. The wedding coordinator Robin helped us to walk through all of our details and Jordan provided cheerful day-of assistance. Wedding packages include catering, alcohol, and cake and the food at our wedding was delicious, eliciting praise from even our foodiest friends.

We had our wedding reception at the SFD hotel last April. We could not have been more pleased with the entire process. We really did our research before deciding on a venue and the SFD had a the best wedding package by far. We were really sold on the venue after meeting with Robin. She's quite the professional wedding planner extraordinaire! We knew we would be able enjoy ur special day wiothout worrying about the details with Robin taking care of everything. We hired a personal day of coordinator who did not hold a candle to Robin. Tim, the pastry chef, was also a wonderful part of the wedding team. He made us a beautiful and delicious wedding cake. Tim even made us a special grooms cake in the shape of a Tabasco bottle. The venue is beautiful just as it is. We did not spend a lot on flowers because the ballroom was beautiful just as it was. The food was amazing - it was hard to choose which entres would be our choices, as everything we tried from the tasting was delicious. The food at the wedding was just as amazing as what we tried at the tasting. Robin allowed us to personalize our wedding to make it special for us. While there was a wedding package with a set price, it was all very flexible and customizable to suit our needs. Robin never made us feel like what we were asking for was out of line. I highly recommend this venue to anyone who is looking for a nice, classy, urban, San Francisco style wedding. Thank you SFD!! Thank you Robin!!

I was thrilled with the service and quality of The Sir Francis Drake Hotel, for my daughthers recent wedding reception. Robin Lewis, the wedding coordinator, did an outstanding job, and was a pleasure to work with. I had never planned such a big party, and Robin was so well organized and calm, that I was put at ease whenever we met. Every detail was planned perfectly. The Grand Ballroom was a gorgeous venue for the dinner dance, and The Mezzanine a perfect place for pre-dinner cocktails. The entire Ballroom was magical and everyone had a perfectly wonderful experience at The SFD. The guests raved over the quality of the food and the service. Overall a perfect evening in every way.

I held my wedding reception at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel and couldn't have been happier with how well everything went! Robin, the hotel's wedding consultant was extremely helpful throughout the entire planning process. She worked with us to price out a variety of options for our event so we were able to get the wedding we wanted at a price we were happy with. Everyone from the hotel that I interacted with was so friendly and made planning everthing from the room blocks to the whole reception very easy. The ballroom is a beautiful room and did not require any special decorating. The food and desserts were amazing-we got so many compliments on the whole event! I would highly recommendend using this venue for your wedding!

I am a San Francisco native, born and raised, and knew I wanted to get married in the city. After looking at a dozen venues, even outside S.F., my guy and I walked into the Sir Francis Drake and were amazed at the character the hotel exuded. We were greeted by Robin Lewis (the coolest event manager around) and fell in love with the Franciscan & Empire Ballrooms. The ballrooms already had so much character we were excited at the minimal decorating we had to do. Why hide all the walls with clutter when we also wanted simple elegance. One of the high selling points for us, especially me, was the Top Chef contestant, Jen from season 4, being the exec. chef of the Hotel's restaurant. Being a huge fan of the show and the food at Scala's, I knew I would love the food. When we had our tasting, the food blew us away. It did not taste like "wedding food", it tasted like 4-star dining food. And to our pleasant surprise, Tim, our pastry chef brought out the most moist and delicious mini wedding cakes. Oh and not to mention not only was Tim on Top Chef: Just Desserts, the wedding cake was/is included in the wedding package! We all couldn't believe how good the cakes were. 5 words: Chiffon cake w/ lemon-curd. We were treated with care and confidence and the Sir Francis was the beginning of our dream wedding that was labeled by our florist "Urban Glamor". That is exactly how the wedding felt. Our ceremony was held in the Franciscan Room on the Mezzanine level and our floral designer created large aisle pieces and mini alter pieces that made the room feel so dreamy. That ballroom definitely worked out perfectly as there's a holding area right in the back for the bridal party. I felt no worries that day except for the expected butterflies before any bride walks down the aisle. Then we had our cocktail hour right outside on the Mezzanine level and after pictures we headed up a floor into our ethereal Empire Ballroom! Words can't express how the room turned out beyond expectations. I am a simple girl and not fancy, but that reception room was perfect. If you want to have a no-hassle, gorgeous wedding, do it at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel. Robin will be honest and take care of all your needs and you will feel safe in her experience and care for your big day. And your dream wedding will be at that hotel in the heart of Union Square in S.F., you know the one, the one with the Beefeater guys outside. =D Below is a link to my floral designers blog where she posted some pictures. http://nafisdesigns.blogspot.com/2010/11/urban-glamor.html

I was planning my wedding from the east coast and needed a venue that offered it all. After doing tons of research, the Sir Francis Drake was the best venue for us and they did an excellent job. Robin Lewis, the wedding consultant, was immensely helpful and very organized. I felt comfortable working with her from the beginning and she did an outstanding job making sure the wedding went off without a hitch. All the guests complimented the food, the cake, and the beautiful ballroom. I highly recommend the Sir Francis Drake.

We were so lucky to have found this gem right in the heart of downtown San Francisco for my wedding reception! What drew us in was that it was perfectly located and is an historic landmark hotel. After meeting with Robin and seeing the Franciscan Room and Mezzanine area, we knew we had found our venue. Robin was very attentive and was always available when I needed her. She went above and beyond to answer all of my questions and my concerns on every little detail to make sure everything went smoothly. On the day of, everything went better than I could have ever imagined. The fireplace was going for the cocktail hour on the Mezzanine, the ballroom was amazing and the perfect size, the timing of everything was great, the service was outstanding. The food tasted just like it did at the tasting, and the cake was phenomenal! Shortly, after our wedding, the pastry chef Tim who made our cake was on Top Chef: Just Desserts! We received so many compliments from our guests on the venue. Most who were from out of town and were blown away by our wedding!!! Thank you to everyone at Sir Francis Drake who made our wedding day feel like a fairy tale. I have so many great keepsake photos and fond memories of our special day.

we were married here in november and everything was beautiful! the hotel is a great venue in a great location and robin lewis (wedding consultant) is an absolute angel. she was a pleasure to work with.

Best Place in San Francisco My Husband and I were married at the Sir Francis Drake in October of 2010. We had an average size wedding of 100 guests. We live in Houston, Texas and decided to travel back to where we were raised to get married. We met with the Wedding Cord. And Support Staff in the beginning of the year, and were so happy with our experience hands down…we didn’t want to choose anywhere else to have our wedding. Planning a wedding states away isn’t the easiest thing to do, especially on a moderate budget. The venue is beautiful, something so magical and exquisite. During the Year of planning our wedding, we had the most wonderful experience with everyone who made our day so special. Robin Lewis, our wedding coordinator, was my foundation in helping me with planning the most beautiful wedding ever. The staff at the SFD is very professional, warm, and does everything they can to make you comfortable. All the staff and accommodations for our guests were more than we could have ever asked for. ROBIN LEWIS IS A MASTER IN HER TRADE and has been in the business for many years. She knows wonderful vendors, who make your day go so smoothly and she can convey to them what exactly you are wanting. Robin had no problem understanding my vision for our wedding, and helping me execute it perfectly. My wedding day I was not stressed worrying about things getting done…for I knew that Robin and the Support Staff had it under control. Our Guests RAVED about the WONDERFUL food and bar, provided by Scala’s Bistro. Everything was Magical and perfect. Most brides tell you about everything that went wrong on their wedding day…I can honestly say NOT ONE thing was out of place, and everything was on time. I couldn’t urge you more to keep the SFD in mind for weddings or special events. By far, the Sir Francis Drake is a one of a kind experience that will not break your wallet, and can help you execute the most elaborate or simple event that you have envisioned.

My husband and I were married at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel on 11/20/2010 at 11am and it was beautiful. The hotel is simply gorgeous. It has an Art Deco style that they maintain beautifully. They have numerous wedding options and rooms to choose from. We had a mid-size wedding with 100 people, so we chose the Franciscan Room to be married in, the cocktail hour with passed hors d'oeuvres was held on the mezzanine, and the luncheon was held in the Empire ballroom room. The food and cake were excellent. We were able to talk to both the chef and pastry chef prior to the wedding to discuss what we wanted to serve. Our chef for the day was Chef Philip and he prepared a chicken dish for our guests and a duet of petite filet mignon and sea bass for the bride and groom. Both were delicious. Our pastry chef for the day was Chef Tim Nugent and he created a fabulous four tier cake. Tier 4 was butter almond with chocolate ganache and Tiers 1-3 was red velvet. The hotel staff was very helpful and very friendly through out the entire process. Our event coordinator was Robin Lewis and she is very good at what she does. Without her guidance we would not have been able to pull this wedding off. I could not of asked for a better day as it was perfect. My new husband and I will will cherish the memories forever. Thank you,Nicole P.S. We also had our rehearsal dinner in the Chart Room the night before and it was a very wonderful and a special night as well. The food was excellent and the service was great.

My husband and I hosted our wedding reception at the Sir Francis Drake. Everything went perfectly. Robin Lewis, the coordinator at the Drake was absolutely wonderful. She is extremely thorough and helpful, and a pleasure to work with. She responded to my inquiries immediately during the entire course of our planning up until the big day. The setting of the hotel is gorgeous (very San Francisco!), the food was delicious (we received many compliments on this), and the cake was gorgeous - done by the amazing pastry chef at the hotel! We are so pleased with the Sir Francis Drake and highly recommend it to future couples looking for a venue.

We held our wedding at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel on 5/1/2010. This was our second potential venue when my then fiance and I were researching. I knew from the moment I stepped in that I wanted to have my wedding here. The Drake is beautiful and classic, rich with SF history. From it's guilded ceilings to the Harry Denton Starlight lounge, the hotel boasts "Old 1920-30's San Francisco." Each and everyone of the staff were very accomodating and personable. Our wedding timeline was executed true to schedule thanks to Robin Lewis. She truly turned lemons into lemonade for us. I cannot rave about her enough. Our friends and family are still talking about our wedding.

I can not say enough about ROBIN LEWIS who coordinated our entire August Wedding. Robin was a dream to work with. She was more on top of her game and had such attention to detail than I ever did. Not only did she remember the names of everyone in our wedding party, she had such a calming manner about her that it instantly put the rest of us at ease. She was there from the moment we first looked into the Sir Francis for our wedding all the way to when we got back to our suite and found a hand written note, flowers and champagne there waiting for us. After the wedding I was disappointed that our daily interactions would no longer be part of the routine! ANYONE WHO ENCOUNTERS HER WILL AGREE THAT SHE IS A CUT ABOVE THE REST! I highly recommend the Sir Francis and most of all Robin. Our wedding day was perfect because of her. Kate Jay

My husband and I got married on June 12th at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel. Robin and her team were so helpful and friendly. Robin answered all of our many questions and offered helpful suggestions. We were married in the Franciscan Room and held our reception in the Grand Ballroom. Both rooms are stunning and speak to the rich history of the hotel. The food, dinner service, bar service and cake design were all excellent. Robin was also very accommodating for extra requests and ideas that we had. The location of the hotel also cannot be beat, it's right off of Union Square, so our guests had many options for dining and entertainment during their stay. Our wedding day was wonderful and very well organized thanks to Robin and the wonderful staff at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel. I would highly recommend that anyone planning a wedding in San Francisco consider them as a venue.

I can't say enough about how well the Drake staff and Wedding Coordinator handled our wedding. Thanks to them, no detail was overlooked and we were able to enjoy our own wedding, certain that they were handling everything perfectly. In my wildest dreams I never imagined my wedding would be so seamless - these people are wedding pros! Guest after guest approached us to say that they'd never been to a more streamlined wedding, or one with better food. The venue is beautiful and the service is spectacular. How many wedding coordinators check to make sure the bride's engagement ring is moved to her right hand just before she goes down the isle? Stellar all around. A word on the wedding coordinator, Robin: she is the real reason we decided on the Drake. The hotel is lovely, but she really knows how to plan a wedding, from coordinating with florists and musicians to seating floor plans and arranging the flow of the entire evening. She is amazingly responsive to calls and emails, never panics and always knows just what to do. She even has suggestions on hair stylists, officiants and babysitters for guests with children! This place is a STEAL when you consider the fact that you're getting (i) top quality food (our guests raved and raved), (ii) a pastry chef who will help you design your cake, (iii) a spectacular and iconic venue, and (iv) your own wedding planner. Technically, she's a wedding "coordinator," but trust me - she will make your life a million times easier and your wedding will be a dream. I would recommend this place to my best friends in a heartbeat.

It is an old school hotel. A lot of beautiful wood in the lobby, great staircases for pictures, beautiful colors. They were able to use the reception site for our ceremony which was very important for us. We also loved it is in the heart of SF...our favorite city!;Because it is a hotel, other people are watching you. I loved the attention, but other's may prefer more privacy. Our ceremony and reception was very private though.