Seeking a reasonably priced hotel near Union Square or near a BART station in San Francisco

The $134 rate at the Best Western already includes the AAA discount.

You can try following options
Hotel Union Square at http://www.hotelsavings.com/booking/1037019 with $135 as starting room cost
or Park 55 at http://www.parc55hotel.com/ with starting rate of $149
and one more option is there: http://www.bookability.net/b2/hoteltop.php?siteid=523&hnum=737&nightstay=1

may be these resources can help you.

This map might help. It has Muni/BArt lines, cable car lines and the Fisherman's Wharf line as well as hotels.

You might have to walk alittle and I would call SF Visitors or SF Convention staff to get some help...aso some hotels like Grand Hyatt Union Square offer specials that include parking.

http://aresdirect.com/clients/BART/BART_Hotel_Map_2010.pdf

www.betterbidding.com check calender of wins bid priceline.com for that area up to 80% off 4 stars always works for me or hotwire.com great secret hotel deals for no bid.

Try http://columbusmotorinn.com/

They are in North Beach, so it isn't as close to your meeting, but they have free parking. So saving $$$ that way would help offset the cost of using public transit to meeting.

I don't know what they cost, but in the past, people have recommended the Chancellor and the Galleria Park as nice moderate hotels. They may not have parking in the hotel but there will be public lots nearby.

Hotel Frank (Union Square)
Hotel Fusion (Union Square)
Hotel Rex (Union Square)

We noticed the Hotel Frank recently while walking in the area, and although I haven't been inside, from the outside, it looked very nice, including the lobby.

I have stayed at the Chancellor several times- it is a great location for the downtown area - its not a fabulous place to stay but clean and comfortable and right on the trolley line.

Check out Travelzoo. There are several options at reasonable prices.

Be sure to check out bed bug reports for your preferred San Francisco hotels. There seems to be a somewhat higher incidence in SF, and some high-end hotels are affected as well as budget hotels.

I have stayed several times at the Courtyard Marriott Downtown (at 2nd and Folsom) and quite like it as a good value option. It is either very new or recently refurbished and has a very nice lobby/bar area, as well as large, comfortable rooms. My recollection is that it's about a 10 minute walk to the Union Square area, about a mile from the Hilton.

How do you check out bed bugs at hotels?

If it is a solo trip I would consider the HI Hostel.
http://www.hihostels.com/dba/hostels-HI---San-Francisco---Downtown-060009.en.htm

If you put on a clean sheet yourself at the hostel you are quite sure that you won't have bedbugs on the mattress.
In a hotel you take the corner of the sheet off the corner of the mattress and examine the seam to look for the little black bugs. You can save lots more money if you cook in the hostel kitchen.

Not sure if seniortraveler's question was about looking for info on bed bugs before you reserve a room or looking for the bedbugs themselves once you are there.
Tripadvisor may be one spot to look for follow-up reports on bugginess in a given hotel.
I live in the bay area and have not heard any recent news about big bed bug outbreaks in downtown SF, but presence in the news may not be an indicator....perhaps someone has recent info?
Regardless, these days it is always good to check
Once in a room, here is what some say to do...
"
-- When staying at a hotel, immediately look for signs of bedbugs, especially in and around the bed. Pay close attention to the seams of the mattress, and look behind picture frames , behind the headboard, and under telephones and lamps. Look for actual bugs or signs that they've been there, including small, dark spots. If you find bedbugs, immediately ask for a new room.
Keep your luggage away from the hotel bed. The bathroom may be the best place for it - that room probably gets the most thorough cleaning between occupants."

Columbus Motor Inn, if the price is right, is an okay choice, walking distance to the cable car line and you get get off at O' Farrell and walk a couple of blocks to the Hilton. The Columbus is as close to the cable car line as the Hilton is to the bart station, you'll have a few blocks walk either way.