I love historic buildings and the unique experiences that come with them.
That said, there's a right way to do historic and a wrong way to do historic.
This was the wrong way.
Historic bathrooms are never going to be the most convenient but there is no excuse for fluctuating water temperature. Going from ice cold to scalding hot is not acceptable no matter how old your plumbing is.
I like antique furniture but there's a difference between classy and shabby. The furniture in my room was beat up with nicks and dings. A coat of paint would have done wonders on making classic pieces look great instead of sad. It really speaks to the lack of effort put forth by the staff when simple, low cost fixes are ignored.
I expect old buildings to be noisey. What I don't expect is to be awoken at 6 am by the staff talking on their phone outside my room. Again, it's another example of the management being lazy and out of touch with their customers.
On top of this the front desk was rude when questioned about the billing. Again, poor management and customer service.
Here's the bottom line, historic hotels that get it, put their guests first. They do everything they can to make the stay enjoyable because they know that the accommodations aren't the most convenient.
The Hotel San Carlos does not do that. I really hope that they get their act together because the historic building deserves better.