The Glass Elevators

The views here are amazing. It’s harder to get to ride then it used to but really not that hard, Just hop on and ride along. No one has ever seemed to mind. The views across Union Square and beyond are great. I do miss when you could just ride it without a key though.

So apparently this used to be easy and no room key required. A friend brought me here and assured me years prior it wasn’t like that and you could go right up. Well that wasn’t going to stop me she made me walk all this way I was going up! LOL so we found a mother daughter that were heading up to their room and asked if we could get a ride to look around and they were fine with it so we did just that and asked them if they knew what the top floor was… since obviously we didn’t do any research. We picked up another passenger on the way up and he seemed to think there was a bar at the top but that proved not to be the case it was just conference rooms. Great views and photo ops in here though from the elevator as well as the windows from the upper floors.

So glad that friend recommended me Unilocal app. Thanks to that I read about this place. BEST VIEW EVER! I don’t think you can score better view around here. Just walk in and ask for tower elevators or follow sings and you will be there in a second. What you will probably need is somebody with a card though :/​I guess it became too popular and they now have elevators working only with a hotel card. What I did is basically waited for first free elevator to open and hopped in. It turned out that is going only to second floor, lol. Fortunately enough this couple, when I asked about pictures and place, just used their card and pushed «30» so I went up and oh boy! Speed of this elevator a bit scary at the beginning, but today worth it! It’s just a attraction for about 5 minutes, but nothing beats this view, and yes — I’ve seen SF from bridge or bay!

So, I went here not too long ago, couple months actually. (depends on what your definition of long is)
Yes, it’s only for hotel guest only with room keys.
BUT! My friend & I lucked out & got on with a father & son seeking the same adventure we were & a hotel guest with keys! muahahhaha.
The view we had was BEAUTIFUL at night.
I am glad I got to see the view at least once because unless you run into some hotel guests that don’t mind, it’s quite the task :)
A check off of my SF bucket list :)))

As others said, you can’t use the elevators unless you have a room key. Sad but true.
I thought about trying to find stairs or something, but I was wary of someone working there noticing me so I invited myself out on my own.

Was in the bay area past weekend, and had a friend with me from the valley that hasn’t been to the city since she was 5, so I remembered how last year I went to the glass elevator to get a great view of the city, and it cost me nothing by time to do it.
So we headed off to the elevators, and 1^st thing I noticed, you have to put your room key in 1^st then punch in what floor you are wanting.
Well I don’t give up that easily, we waited until someone came down, sneaked into the elevator, and road it up to the 21^st floor! UUUGGGHHH!!! The view is at the 31^st floor!
Plan was foiled!!! People got into the elevator; we rode it back down to the ground and left the place as fast as we could. haha
I guess now you have to find someone with a room key to get a good view of the city!

HOTEL GUESTS ONLY NOW.
Unless you have a room at St. Francis or unless you’re sneaky and lucky, you won’t be able to go up the elevators anymore. The hotel changed the rules for security purposes. To use the elevators now, you have to swipe in your room’s key card which then takes you only to the floor your room is on. Sometimes there is also someone watching the elevators and telling people that the elevators are now only for hotel guests. He tells people to go to the Grand Hyatt, Cheesecake Factory, and some other tall hotels nearby if they want to see the view of Union Square.
My friend and I didn’t know that the rules changed so we hopped on a random elevator with a couple staying at the hotel. There were no buttons for the floors inside the elevator, so I realized the change and acted dumb after the elevator started moving up, «Oh no, we forgot to swipe in our cards… It’s okay we’ll just go back down again.» The couple just happened to be going on the 28^th floor hahah so we got lucky and got a nice view from the 28^th floor for a few seconds before someone else on a lower floor called the elevator down.
Sucks that this elevator isn’t public anymore, but I’ll still give it 5 stars!

Sweet ride. It’s a bit gut-​wrenching when the elevator comes back down and you think you’re gonna crash in to the roof.
If you enter from Powell street, you have to pass the main elevators and continue. They’re in the back right corner pass the concierge. It’s a set of 5 elevators marked Tower.

Love on an elevator — going down?

Oh wow it makes your guts drop, just a bit, like a roller coaster.

Definitely worth a ride if you can find it. We may have gotten a little lost but it is a big place. First off, it is free and that is just wonderful. Second, you get one of the best views of San Francisco that you don’t have to buy. My daughter loved it and if she hadn’t insisted on pushing every button we may have done it again.

Absolutely movie cliché breathe-​taking.
The trip to the elevator itself is a mission:
You have to find the elevator, which is all the way in the back on the lobby. The lobby itself is exquisite. The day I went, there was a gigantic gingerbread castle display that was halfway up the the ceiling.
You need to have access of a higher level room key or attending an event in order to pass a guy that’s standing in the hallway that leads to the elevator.
When you enter, you first see brick walls and buildings. Nothing special. Then… BOOM!
— — -C I T Y — — –
— — -L I G H T S — — -
— — -T W I R L I N G. I C E. S K A T E R S — — -
Completely magnificent and a picture perfect city view.

One of my favorite places to bring friends and family from out of town, I’ve been coming here since I was a kid.
Just past the Concierge desk, elevators A through E zoom up to the 27^th floor and offer stunning views of Union Square below, The City, and on a clear day, the Bay.
After you’ve had your fill, drop all the way back to the ground floor at speeds just fast enough to make your heart skip a beat.
Last Friday night we enjoyed watching the ice skaters spin little circles and the glow of the huge christmas tree on a brisk night in SF.
We brought my 4 year old niece, and she rode up and down with us 4 times before she’d had enough. Wifey was done after the first trip up and down, so she waited patiently on the comfy couch on the main floor. Or maybe she stopped by the bar for a minute and came back before we’d noticed. We were having a pretty good time.
Thanks Weston St. Francis!

Wheeeeeee! This is fun! After enjoying the Christmas lights at Union Square it occurred to me that we could see it even better from these elevators… so, off we went! After asking two different hotel staff, and taking the wrong set of elevators, we finally found the correct set of elevators. Let me tell you, A) the staff were not surprised at all by our question. So, they get asked this all the time B) we were not the only non-​hotel-​guests riding this cheap thrill.
Yes, as others have mentioned, it is a million times more fun when you can ride it to the top, and then back down again without stopping.

EPIC! Even on a gloomy day!

A great way to see a gorgeous view of the city!
The elevator moves pretty fast so its a bit scary on the way down — at least for me, since I’m a chicken when it comes to heights! A fun little adventure when staying at the Westin or sightseeing near Union Square!

ATMOSPHERE:
This is pretty cool. Goes up to the 30^th floor and overlooks the Union Square. No security to go through, no need for a room key, no other people like me waiting only to ride the elevator. haha… So from the top, I’ve seen better views from day or night time. Get to look down on Union Square though. Might be more interesting if Union Square had an event, and all the lil humans can look like ants. But still, this is pretty neat. Plus the inside of Westin St Francis is soo nice. I would love to come back for it’s lounge or restaurant ^_​_​_​^

I’ve been taking rides on this elevator since I’m about 11. When I have people visiting from out of town I instinctively bring them here during their shopping to see one of the best views in SF, and kind of creep them out at the same time.
Not being a fan of heights myself this is just enough to give me the chills but also that giddy feeling of sheer joy.
Tip: You have to start from the top floor and to go floor 1 without stopping!
If someone gets in and stops the ride you have to do it over again.
Its different and you get this cool sensation from something neat that you’ll just have to find out.

This was fun for about a minute. Then it got awkward with people coming in and out with luggage and us just «oohing» at the view. Bill B.‘s directions are accurate. Just walk past the concierge desk and into an elevator.

St. Francis Scroo (ges) SF’s Christmas traditions
As of this holiday season, you can’t ride the glass elevators to the top to view Union Square in all its festive glory — St. Francis has blocked everyone but paying hotel guests from this decades-​long tradition during the holidays. First the mechanical holiday scene displays are gone from the store windows, and now this. Nothing says Christmas like a guy with a velvet rope saying ‘not you.’

In the back, right corner of the main lobby, past the Concierge desk are the elevator banks and a chance to see the city in a different perspective. I brought an out-​of-​town visitor up for the view and we both enjoyed it. The elevator lights reflect on the glass a bit much, but it was nice that they automatically dim once you rise above the surrounding buildings, making it a bit easier to see out without a reflection.
For a quick, free, fun attraction near Union Square, it’s a good option.

The best Free Ride in Town!
I come here at least once a year by myself, with kids, or out of towners.
It is an amazing view of all the bay and down town. The ride up is scary and exhilarating as the walls are glass and you go above the rooftops, way above. The ride down can be even worse. Look out for the metal bars that appear to be ready to poke.
On rare occasions it has rained and we have moved faster than the raindrops and they appear to hover in mid air. magical.
to get to the elevator enter on Powell. Walk straight through the hotel past the stair until you get to reception on your left and the café on your right. go to the far right corner of the room and make a left to the elevators. You don’t need a room key or anything. Just look like you know where you are going and use a fake English accent if questioned. Ride up and down until nauseous.