Rates

From $279.

Basics

The Axiom Hotel aims to reflect the city that it’s in. Being tech-forward is the focus of this six-story, 152-room hotel, which opened in February 2016. Developed by Host Hotels & Resorts and managed by Kokua Hospitality, this property in the heart of downtown San Francisco opened as the Axiom after about a yearlong renovation of the 1908 building once home to the Powell Hotel. The tech touches are laudable — iPad check-ins, fast and free fiber-optic Wi-Fi and breakfast tables featuring places for each diner to plug in a gadget, for example.

Location

Two blocks from the restaurants and shops of Union Square and steps from the historic cable car turnaround at Powell and Market Streets, the hotel is centrally located. About 20 minutes by car from San Francisco International Airport and near the Powell Street BART stop, it’s also a short walk from Moscone Center, the convention and exhibition complex, and the Financial District.

The Room

My “Nano Queen,” the basic category, had the feel of a dimly lit box. The queen-size bed took up most of the room, which had cream walls and nondescript brown furnishings on a sleek dark floor. My solo slender window looked out on an internal courtyard, open to the sky. Though optimistically labeled the Light Well, the courtyard cast only a scant amount of natural light into the room. The alarm clock, kitted out with plugs for charging various devices, and the comfortable robe made of sweatshirt-like fabric were nice touches — as was the ability to order room service and sync your phone to listen to your own music via the 48-inch LED Smart TV.