AC Hotel San Rafael Downtown - San Rafael, California

Heather M.

This was my second stay at the AC Hotel in San Rafael, and once again, it did not disappoint! The hotel is consistently comfortable, modern, and well-appointed, making for a truly enjoyable experience every time.

The rooms are clean, stylish, and well-designed, with everything you need for a relaxing stay. The staff is friendly and accommodating, ensuring a seamless check-in and a stress-free visit.

And the location? Absolutely unbeatable! Whether you’re exploring downtown San Rafael, heading to nearby restaurants, or just enjoying the surrounding area, you really can’t ask for a better spot.

I’ll definitely be back again—this is my go-to hotel in San Rafael!

Carlos L.

Great stay! We come up quite a bit to this area as my wife's family and in-laws live in San Rafael area and we always felt the options in area weren't too great. We are so glad this hotel opened up as we are familiar with AC brand. We also were married down the street so it brought back nice memories!||When we stayed here all our expectations were met. We pulled into underground parking on side street (there were no parking spots as we came in late on a Friday night). We walked into hotel and took elevator to level 1 where reception is located. We were greeted by a pleasant young man named Mason who checked us in and was gracious and polite. I asked about the lack of parking spots in underground parking and he informed me that there is an overflow parking area on opposite part of the hotel (via main street I believe on 5th Ave). It actually is open air parking and on ground 1st floor level.||When we checked in he recognized our Ambassador status and asked if we wanted points or a voucher for drinks/food ($10 per person so $20 bucks). We took the vouchers. We also were pleasantly surprised that the bar area was open late on Friday night and weekends (I believe closes midnight). ||The public areas were typical AC chic/modern. There are nice spacious public areas and bar has nice view of street and fireplace area. We were greeted by Mario and we had some small plates and nice wine. Only negative was that at end of night I wanted a double espresso but was told machine was off as he had already began to clean machine. This is only negative because if you are open to 12 midnight you should be able to have everything on menu. The way I would have handled the "sorry we dont have espresso because of machine already has been cleaned and turned off" is I would have said sorry we dont have that anymore but let me comp your sparking waters (would have been $9 bucks) or something like that. Btw food and wine were delicious and they great liquor selection as well (they have Forteleza tequilla!)||The rooms are standard AC fare which are modern chic. There are other similar type/style brands in Marriott family like W or Moxy and we prefer AC (W depends on site and location) as its modern and sleek. The bathroom/vanity is by the entrance and isn't separate room per say but I think its good use of space as rooms felt spacious. We stayed in room 418 which is one of their bigger rooms but in am we heard the stomping of our upstairs neighbor (floors are wooden floors and not carpeted). It wasn't super loud but our neighbor was a stomper at 7 am. We reached down to front desk via app and Rodolfo and Miranda facilitated a move to highest floor and comparable room. Very nice.||Breakfast was great too. Typical European breakfast with something for everyone and healthy food/options with fruit, sliced meats, cheese, and some egg options (I had one egg option with toast and prosciutto which was delicious). Heather our server was great. The breakfast area feels spacious and airy due to layout and is a pleasant place to eat.||We definitely will stay here again when we return to SF area (we come a lot to visit family). Highly recommend!||FYI I read some of the other reviews including some bad ones. I too travel light and travel a lot (business and a lot for pleasure). This is not the St Regis. This is a wonderful affordable elegant option in Marin county and we have stayed in a great deal of hotels in area and this is a gem if not one of best. It is even close enough (50 some mins and you avoid the annoying Bay Area traffic that plagues the Golden Gate area) to Napa (at substantial lesser cost) although I wouldn't recommend especially if you are drinking. This is a great hotel. Take it from someone who travels a lot and you have to put every place in context. It is not the Four Seaons, Belmond or St Regis where you have 5 star services but it isnt spartan like the Courtyard or other Holiday Inn. Its a chic modern place with amazing rooftop bar, nice amenities (i.e. great bar with late hours, great spacious public spaces)||We highly recommend without any reservations!

Arachnis

First the good points: this hotel is well situated in the middle of this very pleasant town off the 101. It is convenient for the bus and train using the Clipper pass system. It is nicely furnished with tasteful modern art on the walls. Our room was large and well furnished with air-con that actually did what it was told, and a fridge for our own free use. It has a well equipped gym and nicely designed bar. The staff were efficient and attentive. So full marks for ambience and an overall impression of luxury. However, there were a fair few minuses, the biggest being NO SLEEP. We were on the 5th floor with the roof, and presumably the plant on that roof, above us. The drone was almost constant and at times (like 3am!) very very noisy, like having the helicopter from Apocalypse Now hovering over your head. The continental breakfast was extra, but not too expensive and generally good quality. However, inadequate quantities - including basics like butter, tea bags and hot water - were put out leading to having to ask for replacements, particularly premium items like prosciutto with a small number of minuscule slices put out at any time (do I get the impression it was expensive?!). They completely ran out of English breakfast tea, so we had to take our own downstairs, which is really not acceptable in a hotel. The catering staff seem far more interested in whisking plates away before you’ve finished with them than keeping the buffet stocked. The bar has an extensive range of drinks, hardly any of which are on the drinks menu, so they can charge you whatever. With a little more effort and attention to these details, this hotel could be significantly better.

Meander785476

We love the AC Marriott in San Rafael. ||The front desk staff - I wish I could remember their names- but every single one of them went above and beyond. We are so grateful for the service we received and the warm welcome everytime we walked in! ||This hotel is modern, clean, with reasonable parking and a great rooftop restaurant/bar. The lobby bar is also fun for an evening stop! Breakfast is a combo of buffet and a unique egg option. We loved it!!! Shout out to Adrian who took care of us every morning! ||The room we got was wheelchair accessible, so modern and perfect t for our stay with plenty of room, good lighting and a great fluffy bed! ||And the gym was clean, brand new equipment and rarely busy! ||Centrally located near downtown- check out the coffee shop across the street, Sana.

Pravin M.

Nice hotel. Beautiful interior and clean modern rooms. I recommend checking that your room has an enclosed bathroom if you're traveling with others as the King rooms have the shower and toilet opening directly into the room. My only pet peeve with this hotel is that it was built cheap - something they cannot fix or improve. The walls are paper thin. You can literally hear "everything". Yikes! Had they just built this right, it would be the perfect business hotel. Love the little corner touches like a hydration station on each floor.

Fiona M.

I love love love visiting the roof top bar. Not only does it feel amazing overlooking San Rafael and Marin - but the staff are top notch. Great drinks, great atmosphere. Funny and knowledgeable bartender. Everyone is very friendly and helpful. ||My old coworkers and I were eagerly awaiting for the building to be ready for customers and we were not disappointed!!! They definitely lived up to the hype! I now live out of state, but have family living in Marin. I will absolutely be staying here on my next trip!

Anne

My experience at the AC Hotel San Rafael was very pleasant. Ann af the reception gave me a warm welcome at the moment I arrived. The room was very comfortable, clean and tidy and had all the amenities. The location is perfect you can park your car in the garage and walk straight into the center. Breakfast is good and the staff is very friendly and helpful. I would definitely come back when I am in the Bay area again 😊

Donald P.

We spent four days in mid-November at the hotel. The hotel is located in a great location in the center of San Rafael. There are lots of great restaurants for breakfast and lunch about a block away. The room was clean and large for a hotel room. It is a very European style with no closet and open bathroom area with separate enclosed shower and toilet stalls. The staff was very hopeful overall. The only complaint is the parking is very limited.