You have a very interesting choice. It pretty much depends on what you'll do while you're here. . If you'd be happy exploring the upscale Marina district and going to the GG bridge and not wandering downtown too much AND the room as you say is on the quiet side of the building, I'd say go for the Chelsea If you'd rather be around downtown, short walk to Union Square, buses to CHinatown etc and excellent bus/streetcar connections otherwise then I 'd go w/ the Mosser. the shared baths are SPOTLESS.

Are you planning to tour Alcatraz? It's a lot of walking.

I also never heard of "tea at the Plaza"? Could you mean the Palace? If so the Mosser is just a couple of blocks away.

Further - the Chelsea is in the heart of tourist central. The Mosser is definitely downtown with all the variety of humanity that entails. I love the Mosser location and management but it's definitely more core urban.

Yes! I DID mean the Palace. I said the "palace" once to my girlfriends and just got a blank stare so I thought I mispoke replacing "palace" for "plaza." (Memory like a sieve.)

Okay... I'm getting a better sense of the locales. They both sound fine but easy bus/streetcar connections will be important for my mother.

Oh, and I've been told I have to have breakfast at someplace called 'Momma's' but to go on a weekday morning.

I didn't really know that about Alcatraz. I'll give that some thought.

More urban is good for us. I hear horror stories of the homeless there and have heard that for years. Even when my coworkers from my San Francisco office come to Chicago, they say the same. Hoping for the best. Chicago's got its share of panhandlers and lost souls, but after almost 2 decades here, I'm generally good at "reading" them and they aren't what I consider aggressive. Hoping they won't be too unpleasant in California. (Though I do recall the homeless in San Diego as being really aggressive). Thanks very much for the info. I feel better about the Mosser, at least.

it's spelled Mama's

The main thing downtown is that it's a mix of homeless and young tough kids which is a hard mix for some. But I never feel nervous in the area and I'm a weenie when it comes to being streetwise.

Ahh - Mama's - where we used to line up for the great Brunch on the weekends and enjoy the sun and even throw the frisbee around in adjacent Washington Square/Park. Of course, back then we had already enjoyed some champagne and "natural" herbs - so waiting in line was no big deal. Hey - we wuz young. http://www.mamas-sf.com/

If you get on the 41 Union bus (about two blocks up from Lombard/Chelsea Motor Inn - at Union St and Filmore) - you get right off at Washington Square. And/or catch the 45 Union/Stockton to get to Washington Square and/or continue on to Union Square/downtown.

Now - for convenience sake - you could also go to La Bolangerie on Union St for coffee and a delicuous French - pastry, http://www.laboulangebakery.com/ or walk a block down to Chestnut St and saunter down that lovely/authentic SF street - and have a sandwich from Lucca's Deli, or their daily hot soup special. http://luccadeli.com/

http://tinyurl.com/coaavyp

http://tinyurl.com/26g5hrg

http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=chestnut+street+restaurants&find_loc=San+Francisco%2C+CA

BTW - along Lombard and Union St and Chestnut Streets - is NOT tourist central. Yes, there are some motels along Lombard - but it's mostly residential neighborhoods and a lot of San Franciscans live in the Marina/Cow Hollow area, where we did for years.

And if you don't go take the tour to Alcatraz, you might take a ferry ride from the Ferry Building (downtown - at the Bay end of Market St.) - and still enjoy a great view of the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, looking back at SF's skyline - and you could walk around Sausalito a little bit (or Tiburon) and then ride it back to SF. http://www.goldengateferry.org/

The other advantage of the Mosser (I've stayed there myself and often recommend it to others) is that you're just a few blocks for the convention center, as opposed to having to bus across town twice a day if staying at the Chelsea.

And the Ferry service to Tiburon is with a different company - the Blue and Gold Fleet - http://www.blueandgoldfleet.com/ferry-services/ferry-schedules/ - which also has service to Sausalito - out of Pier 39, down on the Wharf area. http://www.blueandgoldfleet.com/ferry-services/ferry-schedules/

I've heard they have carts, like golf carts, on Alcatraz for those with limited mobility, so don't worry about walking there.

For location, I'd pick Mosser. Added bonus - easy access to/from BART, don't need a taxi. Maybe at the check-in you can ask if they are not fully booked, they can "upgrade" you to a room with private bath?

Another hotel that is reasonable, and probably won't be booked by the business crowd is the Hotel Cornell.

http://www.cornellhotel.com/

It is also downtown.

There are excellent breakfasts at Sears Fine Food, on Powell, just north of Union Square. Warning: cash only.

please someone make tomsd stop - his knowledge is years old or gleaned from yelp.

Well, Tom is right that the neighborhoods bordering the Chelsea aren't touristy at all - but the street where the Chelsea is is motel row (more than a few motels on Lombard Street, but also other businesses and some restaurants).

I personally wouldn't like a shared bath situation, but given the choice of locations, I'd definitely pick the Mosser because you walk out the door and there's stuff around you. The best thing about the Chelsea location is that there 's tons of restaurants nearby.

I see lots of homeless people, fewer panhandlers, and almost no "young tough kids" in downtown SF.

I have stayed at The Mosser and will do so again in a few weeks; again at Christmas time.

We had a queen room with private bath the first time and it wasn't super small, but each is a bit different. It was very quiet inside with double double windows.

These next two times, we've opted for the Queen with shared bath. I am a real pill about bathrooms and have a low "skeeve" tolerance; I I checked them out when we were there last time. The were very clean [and cleaned several times a day]. The savings was significant and I would rather use the money for other things.

I prefer the location to that of Chelsea. I like being close to Market and using the historic F street cars to get around, along with buses and metro. As was pointed out, easy to use BART to get from airport to hotel, too.

Sorry - I meant to add: don't count on an upgrade, especially if there is a convention in town. Which leads me to the issue of the issue of homeless etc. That stretch of 4th has a pretty safe feel to it due to the proximity of the convention center. There is a major bus stop near The Mosser, which has a lot of "locals" using, but again, it has not been an issue for us in the times we walked that stretch.

TO clarify -
1) the "tourist" designation at the Chelsea was to designate that LOTS Of people ride the buses on Lombard to get to the GG Bridge, stay in the cheaper hotels etc. The Marina itself is not often tourist filled.

2) I am downtown near the Westfield Center shopping area a couple time s a week and I am ALWAYS shocked how many more tough kids and young adults hang around than used to be the case before the Bloomingdale's mall opened.

I have stayed at the Chelsea several times. A short walk (1-2 blocks behind the hotel) to restaurants and shops. Rooms were oldish, but clean and good size. We had no problem with noise (had a room with two double beds on the side of the hotel). We always have our car, but it is a decent motel for the cost. Public transportation is near by. Buses are easy too take. The drivers and locals are very helpful.

It's all about choices. Do you want to stay in the middle of a concrete jungle - with riff raff on the street - yet be closer to the Convention Center, or stay in a very nice neighborhood/residential area, where you can easily to get to buses that take you where you want - without normally having to even transfer?

As for riding buses - people rides buses all over SF - and the lines I mentioned are a couple of of the best - and that brings to mind - you can also take the 30 Stockton - catching it one block down Filmore/toward the Marina Green at Chestnut. http://www.sfmta.com/cms/asystem/routedesc.php?rted=30

Rode them all over the years, both when I was commuting to my office downtown and also when I was going to Law School at UC Hastings. You can get from the Marina to Wash Square/Mama's in about 15 minutes and another 5 or so to Union Square.

And myztery: My information is current - and last year - I walked up and down Union St and Chestnut St at least 3 times on various visits. How many times have you been there lately?

And SF7: Not to give you too hard of a time - but haven't you said before that people/other bloggerrs - say you are sometimes a bit oblivious to the street situation downtown?

Yes, that's why I've paid more attention lately. Mztery is absolutely right, specifically on Market Street outside San Francisco Centre, the crowds of young people ( who aren't there to shop) are significant. I wasn't thinking about that block when I responded, I was thinking of the block where the Mosser is.

Just posted this on another blog about where to stay in SF and I think it's applicable here:



Just for discussion sake - "Cow Hollow" refers to an area/neighborhood extending from Lombard St going toward Pacific Heights, http://sanfrancisco.about.com/od/neighborhoodprofiles/ig/sfmaps/Marina---Cow-Hollow-Map.htm - so named because dairy cows used to once graze there. (I was not referring to a motel that was named Cow Hollow Inn.)

What I had mentioned were several places that were off Lombard - including the Del Sol ( http://www.jdvhotels.com/del_sol/ ) the Union St Inn - http://www.unionstreetinn.com/index.html - and a bit further - actually in the Presidio - the Inn at the Presidio - http://www.innatthepresidio.com/accommodations.php - which don't receive any significant traffic noise.

Further - I stayed at the Chelsea Motor Inn http://www.chelseamotorinn.com/ (nee Coventry Motor Inn http://www.coventrymotorinn.com/ ) - where I also did not hear any traffic noise.

To be totally safe at the Chelsea (and probably also at the Coventry) - you might ask for a room that does not front Lombard.

In summary - the Chestnut St/Marina area - including the beautiful Marina Green http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marina_Green and Palace of Fine Arts - http://tinyurl.com/cupnwov

AND the Union St/Cow Hollow area - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Street_(San_Francisco

are two of the nicest areas in the city, even if Lombard St is a busy street.

BTW - the 41 Union and 45 Union bus lines are the only ones that go over scenic Russian Hill - to get to the North Beach/Chinatown and on to downtown/Union Square, etc, about a 15 minute bus ride to the North Beach area.

I had the same experience during a big convention and my favorite hotel was double the usual rate. I booked an inexpensive hotel, checked in for the first night, and was MISERABLE. That night I checked via my laptop - and my usual hotel was LESS than their usual rate. I moved the first thing in the morning - literally. I moved before 8am and they had a room ready for me. So...book something you can cancel now and keep looking when it gets closer to the trip. 60,000 people were expected at the conference going on when I was there and a lot of rooms were blocked out for attendees all over the city. Just like every conference, once the date for the conference rate at the hotels is passed, thos hotels open up the unbooked rooms for the rest of us. It's worth a ry anyway.

starrs has a good point. As blocks of rooms are unsold you may find something else.

Just put this on another post - where a family of 4 asks where to stay in SF - and it's particularly germane to this Q also - about choosing between the Marina's Chelsaea Motor Inn or the downtown Mosler.

Since the topic of traffic noise being a "problem" with Lombard Street hotels has been raised by a number of SF posters - just how much traffic noise do you think one receives on the third floor of the Coventry? http://www.coventrymotorinn.com/index.htm

It looks like a relatively modern building, I'm guessing with double pane windows - not an L shaped older/two story style - open to the street - which would echo more of the traffic hum.

I guess if you are a light sleeper - or only travel first class all the way - some traffic noise could be bothersome - but hey - just have a couple of nice glasses of vino before you retire - while admiring the great view of the Golden Gate - and you should be fine.

While you always have a few complaints from user reviews - for the most part these reviews don't mention that much about traffic noise at the Coventry. For those who don't really know Lombard - the traffic slows down later in the evenings, and doesn't really start up heavy again until the morning commute - say 6:30 AM or so - by which time I am already up enjoying coffee while reading the paper.

And again for the record, I stayed at the Chelsea Motor Inn - a couple blocks up the street at Filmore and Lombard - where I had no noise. http://www.chelseamotorinn.com/

"There are dozens of relatively cheap motels along this section of Lombard Street and this seems to be one of the better ones. Nothing fancy, but clean, heated, not too noisy - and free parking, which isn't always the case in SF. "

Another - entitled: Surprising comfortable - friendly staff:

"A great experience overall. Friendly Staff. Bed were more comfortable than 4+ star hotels I experienced before. Room was very clean. Close to Russian Hills and other SF attractions."

A 3rd:

"Just right!"
Reviewed by a Hotels.com guest
Very clean, quiet location. On site parking. Close to Marina and Cow Hollow. Really enjoyed my stay here. Friendly staff that wanted to help. Will use again when in

(My Note - if you ride the 41 or 45 Union - or 30 Stockton buses - 15 minutes to North Beach/Washington Square - and five minutes more to downtown/Union Square - you can avoid expensive taxi rides. )

(4) Reviewed by a Hotels.com guest
The room was convenient, quiet, and clean. We wish we had scouted out the city bus routes immediately, because we spent a lot on taxi fares during our three-day stay. We needed to meet several times a day with family who were staying near Union Square. Taxis added so much to the cost of our stay that we could have booked a hotel near Union Square and […] skipped the taxi expense. We realized too late that the city bus stops on the same street corner as the Coventry Inn. You can even take the city bus to the SF Airport, if you don't mind wrestling your luggage aboard the bus and you allow plenty of time.

And here are 3 more reviews from yet another source:

“Great Hotel at a reasonable price!”
Reviewed July 24, 2012NEW
1
person found this review helpful
We had the pleasure of staying at this hotel for our niece's wedding the weekend of July 20th. It was very clean, and since we had an interior room, very quiet! The front staff(Sue and Tony) were so helpful, getting us cabs, and suggesting restaurants to eat at that were within our budget. My husband and I were so happy...



Great room, great price”

Reviewed July 22, 2012NEW
Expecially considering the cost of San Fran, this motel offers excellent value. The room was pretty spacious and clean, parking free, and the neighborhood was perfect. Chestnut Ave offers excellent restaraunts. And we were a block away from busses that took us to North Beach, Chinatown, Union Square, etc. Great place.

Was this review helpful?Yes

snowbunny33
2 reviews
“Extremely impressed!!!”
Reviewed July 22, 2012NEW
I can't say enough about the Coventry Motor Inn! Our rooms were great - extremely roomy with nice amenities (someone said the furniture is a bit dated but the whole rooms have been painted with nice white cove moldings and nice bedding) Bathroom was very nice also and the whole place was very clean. We had requested a rollaway (really...More

Was this review helpful?Yes

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g60713-d119601-Reviews-Coventry_Motor_Inn-San_Francisco_California.html

http://www.hotels.com/ho230701/coventry-motor-inn-san-francisco-united-states/?gclid=CPvnvqr5vrECFSEJRQodCk8A5Q#reviews

http://www.hotelsone.com/review/san-francisco-hotels-us/coventry-motor-inn.html

Why do you feel the need to keep trying to justify your suggestions? State your suggestions and then let the OP decide. iF one didn't know better ,would would think you have some stake in this. Really, you need to let things go; a dog with a bone approach isn't helpful.

I don't feel the need to justify my suggestions. I feel the need to dispel incorrect information posted about Lombard St, etc - by others.

And no - I don't have a stake currently in any properties now in San Francisco - haven't for years, and never owned anything Commercial in the Marina area, such as a Motel.

Just lived in the Marin/Cow Hollow are several times over the years and loved it - but I also lived in Pacific Heights, Russian and Nob Hills, out in the Avenues (briefly) - and over in Marin/Sausalito - and also owned a house and condo in the East Bay but only lived there briefly - as they were more for tax write-offs/appreciation.

And my wife was born in the Bay Area - and has/had family in Palo Alto, Saratoga, over in Walnut Creek and Danville - and my two sisters went to USF and lived in various places in the Bay Area.

However, the first time I mentioned the Lombard St Hotels - I was deluged with negative comments - which included incorrect information.

Yes, some are older/noiser Motels - mostly at the far/Golden Gate end of Lombard - but there are some good options - where you get a lot of bang for your buck - and it's in one of the nicest areas in SF - which apparently is properly appreciated by some.

We always stay at the Chelsea or Cow Hollow Inn or Columbus when in SF. We love nearby Chestnut Street and Union Street shops and restaurants, as well as streets like Steiner between Lombard and Chestnut. It is easy to get to the North End (Italian area), Chinatown, the Embarcadero, Union Square, or Golden Gate Park museums by bus, and the Fillmore bus (right outside the Chelsea) will take you up the hill to the start of the interesting Fillmore Street area.

SF has the best (the only good?) public transit in CA.

Thanks to all for the information. My mind's at ease with either location now and I see the hotel choice will be made as I solidify the rest of my itinerary.

Thanks to all.

Have a great trip!

Good grief!

tom: I have had relatives/friends live in almost every part of San Francisco. Right now, some of my relatives live at the top of Nob Hill while another set is esconced in the heart of the Tenderloin. They are living there NOW, not 30 or 40 years ago. The only ones whose information on San Francisco would be somewhat dated would be those who are buried - upright - in Colma.

Your recollections of San Francisco may be wonderful, but SF has changed since you lived there.

There's a reason why all of the new hotel developments have not been along Lombard Street. The traffic is not anything like what it was 30/40 years. You have to make allowances based on the changes which have occurred, not base your recommendations on your memories of 30/40 years ago.

The properties along Lombard Street have two values: free parkiong and less expensive prices. Otherwise, it's better to stay somewhere else.

If one were to recommend hotels not in the center of the city nor at Fisherman's Wharf, why not Japantown? Or the Castro District?

Please try to give the OP good advice, not dump on them with a lot of extraneous stuff.

Well, I live and work in the Bay Area NOW, and I don't entirely agree with either of you Lombard Street itself is a busy commercial street, not attractive, but not a bad "neighborhood" either. The thing is it isn't actually a neighborhood, it's just a busy commercial street that happens to bisect two GREAT neighborhoods (Cow Hollow and the Marina). I think it could be a great place to stay to be near those two neighborhoods, particularly if you're going to have a car.

particularly if you're going to have a car.

Why are you disagreeing?

In this case, it's "Boss! da car! Da car!" not "Da plane!"



SF is full of wonderful neighborhoods, even the Tenderloin with all those ethnic restaurants. One could advise a traveller to just park himself/herself in one of the HI hostels there and better spend money eating his/her way through the Tenderloin. I'd like to park myself in Japantown sometime and eat my way through Japantown, listen to jazz in the Fillmore and go to movies seated in the luxury seats in the Kabuki.

BUT, we are halfway trying to match the OP with a suitable neighborhood, are we not? Or are we trying to match the OP to our personal memories and personal favorites?

Easytraveler - as you well know - I get back to SF just about every year - if not a couple/three times some years and Lombard has not changed all that much. And SF7 - think you are splitting hairs about your description of Lombard St - but you are more courteous than some of the other SF posters - most of whom themselves no longer live in the city.

The places I mentioned - the Chelsea Motor Inn, even the Coventry - one of an affiliated group - and the places off Lombard are all fine for a very nice stay - and you are in/near two of the best neighborhoods in San Francisco (the Marina and Cow Hollow) - bar none.

What's that again - you are waxing on about the Tenderloin? Now that is a holy load of baloney. The Tenderloin is still a dumpy area - and still reeks of urine, and I drove around the 'Loin a bit just last year when I visited my old law school - UC Hastings.

As for the Mosser - it sounds like a decent place - but I would prefer not stay in the busy downtown/urban jungle - which surrounds the Mosser, and btw - it gets noise according to some of the reviews.

If you wanted to be near Union Square and closer to the convention center (although you can take a bus up Van Ness from the Marina area) - I would go with what Rastaguy has recommended: http://www.cornellhotel.com/

et: So he's finally driven you over to the dark side w/ the rest of us

janis - you are the dark side. Where do you live again? Outside of the city?

Yes, Lombard itself is a busy city street. Except for walking a few blocks on it to get to the needed bus stop or to get to Chestnut, Fillmore, etc. it should not be regarded as important. We have often walked Lombard or Union to Van Ness and thence down to Market or across Post, for example, to get to Union Square. Those less inclined to walk can do any of that, as well as exploring our beloved Fillmore Street by bus. The section of Lombard where the motels people have mentioned are located is commercial but not "sketchy."

tom: I believe you have something of value to contribute to Fodors. It's just that you tend to overdo it and more often than not you are dragging people into a past that no longer exists, no matter how many times you return to SF each year.

Except for the times staying with my relatives who live in SF, I have never lived in SF, but I have been driving into SF from the North, East, and South Bay areas for over 40 years both for personal and for business reasons. The City has changed a great deal in that time. We never saw the homeless and the panhandlers before. Market Street used to be a vibrant street where one could do a lot of shopping and window shopping. Most hotels didn't charge for parking. The Castro didn't exist then, not as a district and certainly not as vibrant. One of our favorite restaurants used to be the Crown Room at the top of the Fairmont, where we'd ride the outside elevator and be wowed by one of the best views of SF as the elevator rose to the top - the Crown Room/Restaurant is no longer open except for very special events. Union Square had an entirely different look. Glorious Davies Symphony Hall didn't exist back then. Nor did AT&T Ball Park. And so on.

It's a different city today. I hope you'll bring your information more up to date, as you do have plenty of value to add to these forums.

janisj: Because of my penchant for "adopting stray puppies", I've never lived on "the light side".

easyt: My information IS up to date, or did you not read that I return to the city every year?

No idea why some of these SF posters - most of whom now live outside the city - and some have even said they don't go in there much anymore - take such exception to it - except for the fact that none of them seem to have lived in the Marina/Cow Hollow area. And please - while I do appreciate your effort to be more "interactive" - it does have a certain patronizing attitude, OK?

Also - no idea where you have drawn a supposed timeline - but when I lived in SF - in the 70's through the early 80's - the operative word being lived - not just visited - (I starting visiting SD in the 50's) - the Castro certainly did exist and was happening for some (not that I hung out there much), there certainly were panhandlers/druggies/homeless in the Tenderloin, among other places in SF, and the Crown Room/Fairmont had already been surpassed by the elevator at the Bank of America Building and their restaurant on top/52nd floor.

Glories Davies Symphony Hall was fully built/completed before I left SF (and I did follow the fund raising effort - as I knew some of the players), but A T & T Park, and the mega-development south of Market was mostly future speculation, although some of my friends were building/resurbishing there and also - starting SOMA night clubs.

And as for Filmore - D_Claude: Parts of Filmore are great - and others - further toward Geary - shall we say - are still a bit "rougher" - oui?

Hey - I even had a roomie who ironically worked as a waiter at "The Scene" if you remember that restaurant.

easyt: Permit me to amend my last response:

I do appreciate your concilatory effort.

tom: I'm not trying to be patronizing, I'm just trying to get you to be aware that advice from years ago may be very accurate for years ago but doesn't apply very well to today's world. You, OTOH, are getting very defensive when others disagree with your positions. If someone disagrees with you, more likely than not, you come in and bombard the thread with posts to bolster up your position.

As a traveler, whether to New York, Chicago, Paris, Vienna, Hong Kong or Bangkok, personally I would not really appreciate it if someone who USED TO LIVE in one of those cities 30/40 years ago came in and started very long posts and started crowding out the locals and their more current information.

Right now I have two trips that I'm asking specifically for Fodorites' help. Almost uniformly, I've gotten invaluable support for my questions. It's going to make a big difference in how I plan my trips.

You're a smart man, tom. You should be able to figure out how to make your posts more relevant to a traveler's needs, rather than making the reader feel like you're pulling him/her down your memory lane with you. There are ways to make your contributions much more relevant and valuable.

I'm not into rudeness and I seldom comment on how any one traveler poster posts, so with that, I'll leave you and the others to have at it.

ChgoGal: do enjoy your trip, San Francisco is a wonderful city! And welcome to California!

east: Once more I ask you: Did you not read that I get back to San Francisco at least once annually - and sometimes two or three times, and lasty year - I walked down both Union St and Chestnut at least 3 times, in addition to being in other parts of the city, and I stay up with what is going in San Francisco.

And Lombard St has not added any new traffic lanes in past 40 years as far as I am aware.

My info is not out of date - but some in here - who themselves no longer live in the city - nor appreciate the Marina/Cow Hollow areas - take exception to what I provided, and that's when I provided more "documented" information.

And also look at the content of how some others in here - and you know who I mean - disagree with my posts. They are very rude, period.

exhausting