kendu

Hi, please help! I have narrowed my stay in February down to these two places. We are a party of six. Getting two rooms at the Miyako would be about the same price as a huge suite at the Sir Francis. Which is a better location?
Thanks
Ken

itswoody

Depends. If you want to be right in downtown S.F. near cable cars, etc., then choose the SF Drake. The Radisson is in Japan Town about a mile west of downtown, if I recall.

Sabrina

Stayed at the Drake recently and loved being in this area, as it was convenient. There is a wonderful restaurant connected to the hotel. The name escapes me at the moment, but dinner there was great. I don't know about the other hotel.

Treesa

I stayed at both hotels though some years ago. I would definitely prefer SF Drake as you are in the center of everything. My room at the Drake was rather tiny but loved the location. Have breakfast at Sears across the street. (Not related to the department store). By the bye, does the suite at the Drake contain two baths? I would not want to share one bathroom among six people.

kendu

Two baths. It was just that parking was expensive and breakfast can get pricy too. I appreciate all comments.
Thanks
Ken

donnasand

I have also stayed at both hotels and the Drake is old, historical and really nice. The Miyako is fine, but nothing special.

Shar

The miyako is more than a mile from downtown. It is a nice hotel with a great japanese touch but it is not near the heart of SF. If you want quieter then stay at the Miyako but if you want to be in the middle of it all then the Drake. Scala which is The restaurant at the Sr. Francis Drake hotel is very good - bistro style. Noisy but good food. IN fact we were there just last night on our way to the theatre. Have a great time in the City Shar

kendu

Dawsen, I appreciate you comments. I got an unbelievable deal at the Drake. However, I want to listen to you. It really is a much poorer location? Is the Miyako a fine location or is it just better of the two? Also, do you happen to know if Grosvenor Nob Hill is genuine Nob Hill or if it is not a good area also?
Thanks
Ken

kikahead

Go for the Drake. The Miyako is in Japantown which means you will have to take a bus/cab/drive to get ANYWHERE. The Drake in general is just a nicer hotel--right on the cable car line. The area is walking distance to everything--while Japantown is cool, there is nothing there. There is parking up the street from the Drake (Sutter St garage). Getting a suite at the Drake for the same price as two rooms at the Miyako sounds like the deal of the century. Have a fantastic trip!

Shar

I live in SF and go downtown at night quite a lot and do not feel unsafe. It is a major tourist area and lots going on. Yes, as a major league city it has its problems and the closer you get to Market street the dirtier the streets are but The Drake is in a great location; a few blocks from the theatre district, wonderful restaurants, right on Powell, great shops are right at your fingertips and the charm of the cable cars...what more can a tourist want and Union square has been totally renovated ,,, the Fairmont... Saks..... Frankly,I would feel more frightened in Japan town then downtown SF. Go for it...Shar

E

Union Square "one of the most depressing parts of SF"???? Dawsen, that's just nuts. Kendu, Shar's description of the area the Drake is in is much more accurate. My husband and I love to visit Japantown, but it is not centrally located--you will indeed have to take a bus or taxi to go anywhere. Stay at the Drake, you won't regret it, it is *not* in a bad part of town by any stretch of the imagination!!

kendu

Thanks everybody! However, help, I am going crazy! The opinions, even though everyone seems so genuine are so varied. I will be with four young kids. I come from NYC and will not be shocked at seeing a homeless person. However, I don't want to face the situation on a regular basis. How serious is it?
Thanks
Ken

kikahead

Homeless do exist in San Francisco. However, I have never felt threatened by any. Union Square is the heart of downtown San Francisco. You can walk right out your door and there are a million things to do right there.

The Drake is just a nicer hotel (star level, etc). The cable car goes right out front, you can walk to Chinatown (although maybe not with the kids--they may get tired). The Miyako is located in a small commerical/residental neighborhood that is DEAD at night.

Dan

I've never stayed at the Miyako but I wouldn't choose such a remote location. The Sir Francis Drake is on Powell, making it convenient to most SF attractions. I visit San Francisco twice a year and usually stay either at Union Square or on Nob Hill. Most of the nicer hotels are in one of those two areas.

FainaAgain

Ken, coming from NY you'll find SF homeless enterntaining, not threatening. Drake's location is much, much more convenient. However, the convenience of 2 bathrooms may be concidered. 4 children - are they teenage girls who spend hours putting on makeup? If not go for Drake. Parking? In the city you don't really need a car, buses are dependable. Just get a good MUNI map, not this free tourist crap.

Mel

Ken:
You will be fine at the Drake. Truly. There are homeless people around Union Square but they are generally not aggressive and you can easily ignore them. As you move to the northwest (around 5th and Market) things start to get seedy and you are moving into a different neighborhood, the Tenderloin. Simply avoid this area.

If it helps, I'll point out that I am a professional woman in my twenties, and I have walked around the area without a problem hundreds of times: during the day, during the night, alone, in groups, tourist season, slower seasons, etc.

As for opinions being genuine, I'm sorry to report that there is at least one individual who is known to post under several, constantly-changing screen names when it comes to questions about San Francisco. The multiple screen names are used on the same post, to make it seem as though there are multiple people in agreement. If you are still unsure what to think, I would suggest you click on the screen names on a few posts and see what else they have posted.

I would be less likely to trust the advice of someone who has only been posting for one week, has posted advice on only one topic (plus maybe a couple throwaway posts) many times during that time period, and has never posed a question of his/her own.

Enjoy your trip to San Franciso!

RSebastian

Yikes, I've lived in SF for a number of years. Despite what some people on this board may say, I would definitely not stay at the Drake. The hotel is fine, and during the day Union Square is marginal enough, but at night I would not want to be there. Especially since you have young children, the large number of homeless can be intimidating. number of times I have seen street people harassing tourists for maoney, even to the point of following them down the street. The link to an article in our local paper explains the problem we are having here.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...2/BU133124.DTL

The Miyako is in a very safe area about a mile from the center of town with plenty of public transportation close by. Many of my relatives have stayed at the Miyako and they loved the service and location. The cafes and shops on Fillmore St. are in walking distance as well as a farmers market.

Berkshire

I also concur with the advce of staying at the Miyako. Downtown SF used to be such a nice place to be, but ever since the panhandlers practically took over the area, I prefer not to stay there any more. I was just there last week during the day and saw a young woman have her purse snatched by a street person. I was just amazed. It's bad enough seeing them use the sidewalk as their public restroom as you walk by.

Have you also considered the Cow Hollow Motor Inn. If you will have a car, parking is included with the room rate which is a big plus. Cow Hollow is in a great location in the Marina area and close to major attractions.

www.cowhollowmotorinn.com/

moneygirl

Just got home to Pismo Beach from my "big night in the city" and guess what? We walked through Union Square after the ball game Friday night and didn't see one single homeless person in the square!!! We walked from Pac Bell Park all the way to the Chancellor Hotelat 10:30 PM(not fancy, but $99.00 including parking for a small, clean room that was just perfect for spending 16 hours in The City!) and yes, there were street people out, but NOT in Union Square! Ken, stay at the Drake, you'll be so glad you did. Hope this helps!

RSebastian

Oh Moneygirl, your too funny. All of us SF locals know that Union Sqaure is basically homeless central.

Kendu, I would urge you to not stay in Union Square for the reasons previously mentioned. It's okay to visit during the day, just be careful, however it's not the place to be wandering at night. Unfortunately there are some people on this board who get their kicks out of misleading unsuspecting tourists. I really like Berkshire's suggestion of the Cow Hollow Motor Inn. There is also Columbus Motor Inn run by the same outfit. That property is in the North Beach area.