Hotel recommendation requested for San Francisco

[cirdan]

For my upcoming trip I am seeking a hotel in San Francisco.

Criteria include

- interesting and safe area (including at night)

- preferably walkable from an Amtrak bus stop

- BART / Muni / Streetcar / CableCar connection a plus (as I definitely want to explore the historic streetcar line and the cable cars)

- preferably a hotel with some character and individuality rather than a generic chain.

All recommendations, insights and warnings are appreciated.

 

[jb64]

I'll be watching to see your responses as I also have an upcoming trip to San Francisco. Currently I have reservations at the Tuscan Inn because it matches some of your same criteria and because I got a fairly decent rate through priceline (but reserved a "pay when you stay" room to avoid any cancellation issues). If folks come up with a better place, I will cancel that reservation.

 

[boxcar479]

Although it is the Hyatt Regency in the Embarcadero area it has all tje amenities you want with a cable car stop right outside the door. The SFC bus stop is walkable if you don't have alot of luggage. You can buy a streetcar pass at the drugstore right across the street for unlimited daily rides and catch the streetcars just outside the door as well. We got a bayview room on priceline for $ 89. a night really nice place. We were very pleased at how accesssible all the attractions were from this hotel. You really don't need a car in SF with all through public transportation available.Have a good trip

 

[Bob Dylan]

Although it is the Hyatt Regency in the Embarcadero area it has all tje amenities you want with a cable car stop right outside the door. The SFC bus stop is walkable if you don't have alot of luggage. You can buy a streetcar pass at the drugstore right across the street for unlimited daily rides and catch the streetcars just outside the door as well. We got a bayview room on priceline for $ 89. a night really nice place. We were very pleased at how accesssible all the attractions were from this hotel. You really don't need a car in SF with all through public transportation available.Have a good trip

Totally agree with Boxcar817 re the Hyatt Regency! :wub: You also can Google up all the various travel sights, review hotels that fit your criteria, then bid on Priceline for a Good Rate, just remember lots of the lowest ones are Non-Canceable/Non-Refundable!

 

[PRR 60]

The Hyatt is our choice as well, even though it is not a boutique hotel by any measure. It is not what I would call cozy, but the rooms and service are just fine. If you get a upper-floor room with a bay view, there is not a better view from any hotel room anywhere. The architecture is 1970's Hyatt atrium. The hotel lobby, atrium, and elevators were used for location shots in the 1974 movie, The Towering Inferno (one of my daughter's guilty pleasure movies).

Most (but not all) Amtrak buses stop at the door of the hotel (San Francisco Financial - SFF). The Amtrak Ferry Building stop (SFC) is two blocks away. The BART Embarcadero station is right there (with 30 minute access to SFO airport), as is the east end of the California Street cable car line. The F Line historic street car stops at the corner.

A big plus for us is that the area is not a touristy like Fisherman's Wharf. Few if any tee shirt shops or places selling little Golden Gate Bridges. The restaurants cater to locals. Our favorites: Market Bar in and outside the Ferry Building, and One Market, in the former Southern Pacific HQ building.

 

[printman2000]

Wow, I cannot believe that there are still hotels that charge for internet access. The Hyatt mentioned does just that. $9.95 a day!

We are going to SF next summer so I am also interested. Got some idea in this thread.

I am different, though, I prefer a large chain hotel.

 

[reefgeek]

Wow, I cannot believe that there are still hotels that charge for internet access. The Hyatt mentioned does just that. $9.95 a day!

We are going to SF next summer so I am also interested. Got some idea in this thread.

I am different, though, I prefer a large chain hotel.

The most bizarre thing in the lodging business is that the cheapest motels around all have FREE WI FI listed on their signs, and all the expensive properties (I'm talking to YOU, Disney's Polynesian Resort!) charge for it. Some really top hotels get $20+ a day for a service that costs them next to nothing.

 

[reefgeek]

I always crash at my brother's house in The Sunset. But when I used to go on business we would stay here, lots of character:

http://www.hotels-sf.com/html/juliana.html

 

[spot1181]

The Golden Gate Hotel, an excellent bed and breakfast on Bush Street. Great innkeepers, nice breakfast, free wifi, a half block to the cable cars. We walked the distance from the Shopping Center bus stop. Chinatown is close plus the California cable car line is a block away. Make sure you get a multi-day pass which covers both the cable and trolley car.

 

[sactobob]

The Hyatt is our choice as well, even though it is not a boutique hotel by any measure. It is not what I would call cozy, but the rooms and service are just fine. If you get a upper-floor room with a bay view, there is not a better view from any hotel room anywhere. The architecture is 1970's Hyatt atrium. The hotel lobby, atrium, and elevators were used for location shots in the 1974 movie, The Towering Inferno (one of my daughter's guilty pleasure movies).

Most (but not all) Amtrak buses stop at the door of the hotel (San Francisco Financial - SFF). The Amtrak Ferry Building stop (SFC) is two blocks away. The BART Embarcadero station is right there (with 30 minute access to SFO airport), as is the east end of the California Street cable car line. The F Line historic street car stops at the corner.

A big plus for us is that the area is not a touristy like Fisherman's Wharf. Few if any tee shirt shops or places selling little Golden Gate Bridges. The restaurants cater to locals. Our favorites: Market Bar in and outside the Ferry Building, and One Market, in the former Southern Pacific HQ building.

Another hotel to consider just two blocks from the Hyatt would be the Hotel Vitale, which is more like a boutique hotel, and not part of a large national chain. It is located right across the street (The Embarcadero) from the Ferry Building Amtrak bus stop, and of course the ferries to Sausalito or Oakland. The "F" line streetcars stop right in back of the building and in the corner you will find the small San Francisco streetcar museum and gift shop. The Embarcadero BART station is just two blocks away. There are plenty of different kinds of places to dine within walking distance.

 

[trainman74]

The most bizarre thing in the lodging business is that the cheapest motels around all have FREE WI FI listed on their signs, and all the expensive properties (I'm talking to YOU, Disney's Polynesian Resort!) charge for it. Some really top hotels get $20+ a day for a service that costs them next to nothing.

Most of the big hotel chains give Internet access free to their "elite" customers -- it's a relatively easy way for them add an extra "benefit" that might entice people to stay at their properties more often.

 

[MikeM]

I'll toss out another option. We've stayed at the Sheraton Hotel on Fisherman's wharf - it's close to Pier 39, walking distance to two cable car lines, across the street from an IHOP, and near the streetcar line. Amtrak bus also stops near by. One of my favorite features is that they have seating areas outside the lobby with gas fireplaces where you can relax, enjoy a drink, and stretch out. I believe internet is an added charge, but it's decent access. Rooms are comparatively large for San Francisco standards - if you get an upper floor room, they have some that have skylights and the like. Really very nice place.

We've also tried the Radison across the street. Rooms are small, and hallways remind me of a 50's movie. It does have one advantage, an indoor courtyard and a back entrance (requires your room key card) to go right out to the wharf area. Still, it's clean, and could be less expensive.

Have a fun trip, it's a wonderful city. Take reasonable precautions, but I've never felt particularly uncomfortable here, there are frequent police patrols and enough people that things tend to stay under control.

 

[Acela150]

Monticello. Right around the corner from the end of the line from the cable cars and one of the Muni/Bart Stops. Nice area at night. Near the F line. And the Bus stop is a short cab ride away. It's small but nice. The elevator is super small and can only fit two people and one bag Per Person, maybe two if they are a decent enough size.

 

[George Harris]

When thinking getting around in San Francisco, don't just think Streetcars, Light Rail, adn BART. Think Muni Bus service as well. The city is well covered and has faaaairly high frequency on msot routes. Look up San Francisco Muni on line and yuo can get a city map showning all routes plus city route maps as well. Yes, you will see some of the strange a wierd that you see on city buses everywhere in the US, but given a large general ridership they form a fairly small percentage of the total. On the other hand, the total wierdness of the city overwhelms the "normal" wierds. Hey, I live and work here. :lol: