SFO hotels

Hi Folks,

I have just booked my next lot of UC flights to SFO for September, however, I wonder if anyone is able to reccomend a good hotel? I'm looking for something that is central, stylish/quirky but doesn't cost the earth.......any ideas???

Thanks

Pete )

Depends on what you mean about not costing the earth ... you might get some interesting enough deals in these places right now. Must confess as a local I haven't lodged in any of these places, but go by 'facilities' I like to use:

The Clift Hotel since I like the Redwood Room a lot

Hotel Vitale for the waterfront location, again a great bar, will be more expensive than the Clift, probably around 200 quid a night.

The JDV hotels (of which Vitale is one) are certainly quirky, nor your usual chain hotels, some are in 'interesting locations', shall we say, bordering the Tenderloin or some of the less savory locations in SOMA, but are priced at all points. They give you a good idea of the range of potential prices for not so typical hotels, and where you might need to stay in SF to pay the price you want.

EDIT - you may well have been before, but it's worth pointing out that getting into the central area from Pacific Heights, say, is very quick, and some of the JDV places there can be had for less money. SF itself is a small place.

I've stayed at the Hotel Triton a couple of times - it's very central, opposite the Chinatown arch. It's quirky, not too expensive, and has a nice complementary wine hour early evening. If you're lucky it might last two hours like it did once when I stayed at Halloween! It's a Kimpton hotel, and they have nice little features. Here's the website:

http://www.hoteltriton.com/

The rooms are OK, nicely furnished but maybe a little small. But you can also get good packages that may include in and out parking if you are driving. Parking costs in San Francisco are OUTRAGEOUS. So having in and out priveliges can be very handy.

I have stayed in lots of central hotels in SF, and I have to say that sometimes I've found cheaper rates from the big chains including Hyatt. The Hilton was the worst experience I ever had there but most of the others (including the cheaper ones) have been excellent.
Very happy to go into more detail if you want it.[:)]

[Darren Wheeler]

Have a look on places like Netflights, expedia etc as sometimes they have deals on. As is mentioned above, parking is extortionate within the city so unless you can get parking included, don't bother with a car. Cabs are fine and the Muni is great for getting around on too. Walking is surprisingly easy too unless you have an aversion to hills.

If you're only staying in the city I agree with Darren. A car can be good for getting out to places like Muir Woods, Half Moon Bay and Napa though. Best to maybe only hire one for a day or so if staying in SF, and plan to use it to its maximum. You can do overnight parking relatively cheaply, but you have to retrieve it quite early.

On my last trip three yeas ago I stayed at the Hotel Rex which is on the JDV site that markedman posted above. Its very central - just off union square and a short walk down to market street. There is a cable car stop almost outside of the hotel.

The room I has was quite small even for one person but the hotel was generally clean and the staff helpful and it had a couple of PCs offering free internet.

I've stayed a couple of times in the Harbor Court on Embarcadero which has great views of the Bay

It's a Kimpton boutique hotel and they have some good offers on at the moment

The hotel has a town car which will transport you on request and there's a good Japanese restaurant and bar next door. It's also a short walk to the Farmer's Market which is great

Free internet in the lounge and wifi

The rooms are small but I didn't go to SFO to stay in it for long periods

Definitely stay away from hiring cars, agree with the above. Again, it's a small city with lots of good transport options. You could go totally funky and stay at a place like this and still be in the city center on Muni in about 10 minutes from the time you get on the tram - or catch a bus and hang out with the local (dead)beats [;)]

I definitely recommend short walks to the Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market - perfect jet-lag beater on a Saturday morning, watching the sun rise over the bay bridge with coffee and your pick of the goodies ...... so any place by Embarcadero would probably get my vote. But again, you're really looking at a 15/20 minute walk to the Ferry Building from Union Square, so you can't really go wrong if the price fits your pocket and you like the sound of the recommendation.

I can second the recommendations for Harbour Court and the Triton. The Bay View rooms at the Harbour Court are perfect if you like waking up with a smashing view, but yes, it's an older building so the rooms are on the small side for a US hotel room.

Another Kimpton, the Palomar is also decent, though not as quirky as the former two. A friend stayed in the Serrano and said that was very pleasant.

Not tried the Vitale, and I can confirm that you should avoid the Hilton.

Take a look at the reviews on tripadvisor.com.

Mike

I'll recommend the Chancellor Hotel, it's not expensive and it's on Powell St (cable car route) overlooking Union Square. It's a Victorian era building but just to be warned it doesn't have air conditioning but you may not need it.[y]

Also, get a City Pass, it includes 7 days of travel on the MUNI and cable cars.

[Neil]

We stayed at the new Intercontinental on Howard Street and that was very nice and only a 5min walk to Union Square.

quote:Originally posted by DarkAuror
Also, get a City Pass, it includes 7 days of travel on the MUNI and cable cars.


Also worth considering is the San Francisco Pass - more expensive and dosent include 'feee' muni but it does include a lot more things and may work out better value. They have regular sales so don't be tempted to pay the full price!

http://www.smartdestinations.com/san-fr ... fo-p1.html

If you want to visit Alcatraz I'd recommend the 'night' tour if it's operating when you are there. It is less crowded than the day time plus they show you additional things.

This is official ticket site - don't be tempted to buy elewhere and pay premiums.

http://www.alcatrazcruises.com/

I agree with Tontybear, the night tour of Alcatraz is much better. When I went there was a storm and it was all very dramatic...

A great place for a drink is the bar at the top of the Grand Hyatt. The drinks are reasonable, they give you snacks, and the views are incredible. It's better than the Starlight Room at the Sir Francis Drake by far. And don't forget the Tonga Room at the Fairmont....

Mods, please can you move posts to the right forum? Otherwise we may as well just have one ... I think this is a general point at the moment, forum synchronization seems to have gone out of the window [:I].

As to the previous posters, the Kimpton or the Clift may meet your needs. Def, do the Alcatraz at night and for drinks go to the Mark Hopkins!

Another vote for The Chancellor here, had 4 nights there over the last weekend, and having prevously staying there in 2005, the services is still impeccable. Rooms have now been renovated with flat TV's and decent furniture. Bathrooms are a little dated, but clean and functional.

When in SF I stay at my father's place in the Marina, but always have my guests stay at the Chelsea Motor Inn. It's not stylish or sexy in any way. However, it is very inexpensive, has free valet parking, the rooms are huge, and as it's fantasticaly close the the bay and easy to get downtown from. For something nice, at a price, stay at the Clift.