About The Bay: Checking Into Infamous San Francisco Hotel

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - Surveillance video from the Henry Hotel along seedy Sixth Street in San Francisco has emerged as a central element in the SFPD'S explosive officer misconduct scandal.

The attention is not uncommon for the gritty facility, though in the past it was well-known for different reasons. Specifically, the skid row hotel often was subjected to visits from police trying to stop criminal activity in what was considered, in some circles, "one of the cleanest crack houses in town."

Curious about the Henry Hotel, KCBS' Mike Sugerman recently checked in, in order to check the facility out, during his travels About the Bay.

KCBS' Mike Sugerman Reports:

Sugerman paid $40 for overnight room privileges, which included a towel, a roll of toilet paper, and a room key - in his case, to unit 308.

He described it as a simple 8 ft. x 12 ft. room, which appeared to have freshly-painted walls. There was a sink in the room, a twin bed with a flowered blanket. He pulled the blanket back, and although he didn't see any obvious bugs or soiling of the bedding, he noticed some hair on the bed.

In short, Sugerman declared that he wouldn't feel comfortable settling on the bed. Still, he reported that he was surprised by the general cleanliness of the room.

Residents and hotel regulars weighed in, too, making reference to rampant drugs and prostitution. One woman suggested that the facility was run by slumlords.

The topic of mental health also came up, prompting another woman to suggest that many people who check into the Henry Hotel struggle with behavioral issues.

Ironically, the very thing that touched off the SFPD's alleged officer misconduct controversy is the one thing a female resident declared was helping to make her feel safer at the Henry Hotel: the security cameras.

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