Several people traveling to San Francisco for Bay-To-Breakers, and have considered staying at Beresford Arms near Union Square. Our main concerns are (1) safety (2) good night's sleep (3) vicinity of transportation as we are going to sightsee (Muir Woods, F.Wharf, Alcatraz, etc.) (4) <$140 a night. Tripadvisor ranked it highly but have heard conflicting stories of safety and comfort. Other hotels rec. were Petite Auberge, Maxwell, Golden Gate, Beresford, Orchard. Any recommendations from experienced SF travelers?

There was a post here earlier about the Maxwell and I believe it was favorable. I can also recommend The Andrews on Post St, and the Cartwright - neither are fancy but very clean with a nice staff. The Andrews rates include a continental breakfast and the Cartwright includes a nightly wine reception. Both were quiet as far as being able to get a good nights rest, and both are close to transpiration (bus and cable car lines)

The Union Square area is where I always choose to stay when I am in SF; I have always felt safe (use common sense) even walking back to the hotel after late night post theater dining.

Also there have been some very good rates at quickbook.com friends of mine booked the Pan Pacific at $149/night, and currently the cartwright is at $74. Good Luck!

Margie, thanks for your input. The safety factor was/is a big one as I had heard from others that just a few blocks in the Union Square area can make a big difference. I will look at the quikbook.com site.

Hi, yes a few blocks can make a difference, as you do not want to be in the Tenderloin area. For instance, if you choose the Beresford and you wanted to go to Market St, you would NOT want to walk down Jones or Leavenworth to get there (it gets a little seedy) instead you would go down Post towards U. Sq. and turn right on Mason or Powell. Be certain to consult you map while booking a hotel and if you are not sure of an area or street, just post back and I'm sure people here will be willing to help.

Thanks...the info such as that about the "tenderloin" district is what I am interested in. Are you speaking of Beresford, or Beresford Arms? My impression was that Beresford was in a better area.

Sorry, I was referring to the Beresford Arms on Post. You are fine there - just don't wander in the wrong direction! (see my post above) We stayed near the BA on Post at The Andrews and had NO problems. I would stay the Andrews again, but the Cartwright was more convenient (for us).

Find anything good on quickbook.com?

Philsbert, you might also want to check out the user reviews of the hotels you are considering at Tripadvisor.com. I think most all of the hotels you are considering got good reviews, but since many of the reviews are pretty detailed, reading them may help you decide which hotel's strength's are the right match for your group. As well as noticing good reviews for the Beresfords, I looked up the Maxwell for someone who was asking about it here, and found that 13 of the 15 reviews were highly favorable. They rank the hotels based on the reviews, and I remember that the Orchard was or near the very top of all hotels, so it must have gotten fantastic reviews.

About your concerns as to the area--like it's also true in another very compact, densely populated place, Manhattan, in S.F. a couple of blocks can bring a world of difference in atmosphere. The Tenderloin district is vastly different from the Union Square district, but lies just to the southwest of it. The areas to the north and directly west of Union Square, where the Beresfords and the other hotels you mentioned are located, are fine places to stay.

If you are going to walk south to Market Street, the diagonal street which is San Francisco's "Main Street," from these areas, Margie has given you good advice to jog east a block or two and use Mason Street, or to go one block further east than that to the much more interesting Powell Street (where the cable cars run,) if you are going to walk south to Market.

From these hotels, since Market Street runs diagonally, you can also walk straight east to it along any of Geary, Post, Sutter or Bush streets and have no concerns about the neighborhood.

It's just that tourists sometimes want to walk straight south from their hotels in these areas all the way to Market Street, and it's a good tip not to do that. In addition to the seediness you;d go through, it's longer than the other two ways Margie and I have described, because, being diagonal, Market Street is further to the south every block you go west.

If you have a map, look for the corner of O'Farrell and Mason streets a little southwest of Union Square. Just avoid blocks that are both south of O'Farrell and west of Mason, and you'll avoid the Tenderloin.