Are there any good budget hotels in San francisco with views of the bay? Hopefully between $70-100.

No.
You're asking for a good budget hotel with a bay view in SF?

Used to know a man who knew seemingly everything. You want three things here: good quality, view, low price. You can have two of three. Only.

Same rule applies to food. You can have fast food that is low price, but isn't good quality. Et cetera.

Do you know how little $70 is in SF? For $70 be happy to just have a door that locks and sheets on the bed. Only a SLIGHT exaggeration.

I know you give a $70-$100 range but I just wanted you to be realistic. Now you might get a nice place using Priceline -- but of course could not guarantee having any sort of views.

Check out the messages at www.biddingfortravel.com for information on successful priceline bids for San Francisco. I have been very happy with the advice this board provides. No promises as to getting a view but you certainly will find a good hotel in your price range.

Sorry, no hotels in that price range, but you could find a motel on Lombard for that price. No view of the Bay though.

That's a TALL order....hotels are pretty expensive in San Francisco. We stayed at Nob Hill Motor Inn...nice hotel, great owners and they have free parking. We paid about 100/night for two queen beds.

http://www.staysf.com/nobhill/

You'd have to luck out on "priceline" for that price within the city. I usually stay at the Andrews Hotel for ~$100 but it's not even that nice of a place and certainly does not have a view (of anything!).

Success on priceline for San Francisco (or any city for that matter) can vary widely depending on how extensively the city is booked conventionally. However, a quick scan of www.biddingfortravel.com in the last month for San Francisco showed winning prices of the downtown Hyatts often in the $70 to 90 range, the Marriott at Fisherman's Wharf at $65 to $75; the Holiday Inn and La Quinta in the Cathedral Hill area at $45 to $60. Again, it depends on how busy the city is when you want to go. Priceline dumps rooms that are anticipated to go unsold. It doesn't always work but I have often had great success.

Two important things to keep in mind: (1) priceline only guarantees space for two people. Sometimes the hotel room so bought can accomodate more than two but it is up to the hotel if they charge extra or tell you to buy a second room. (2) Are you bringing a car? That can add $25/30 or more a day in parking fees at many hotels and the suggestion of looking into a motel on Lombard which may include free parking may be a good one. Buying on priceline does not include parking unless the hotel you have successfully bought provides free parking for everyone and almost none of the downtown San Francisco hotels do that. However, in the suburbs parking may and often is free. However, when one or two people are traveling I think priceline is by far the best choice when saving money is important and I almost always begin a search for a room with priceline.

Perhaps there is a third point. With priceline there is no refund, return or change (in general).

Birdieman,
Take Renee's advice and book the Nob Hill Motor Inn. We've been to SF 3 x's in the past 18 months. We've stayed in 4 or 5 different places including the Nikko. All were fine. BUT: The Nob Hill Motor Inn does offer excellent value. Clean, plenty of room, and the on site managers are extremely helpful.
We will book there again.
Check it out on tripadvisor.com
pete

OH---sorry---almost forgot: No view of the Bay but it is an easy bike ride or bus ride to that famous bay.
regards,
pete

I just went to Google to make sure this hotel was still looking good...you might check it out. My friend and I used to stay there all the time when spending some time in SF. It's the Buena Vista Motor Lodge at the corner of Gough and Lombard. The rooms are still running under 100.00 per night and we used to get a triple A rate. They have free parking under the hotel, and across the street and a couple of blocks up toward Van Ness is a great little restaurant that serves a wonderful inexpensive breakfast. There were a lot of people from the neighborhood eating there as well as a lot of tourists. It's not a very big place but we were always seated quickly. You're only a couple of blocks from Union Street, you CAN walk to the Wharf but we always took a cab..my friend had polio as a kid so extensive walking was not feasible for her..but the cab ride was cheap..the neighborhood where the hotel is always seemed very safe and there are quite a few restaurants withing 3 or 4 blocks of the hotel. Sorry, no view of the bay at this hotel either.

I have gotten the Westin St. Francis for $65 and the Hilton for $70 on Priceline. Both great hotels in super locations although the Hilton is huge, a little overwhelming. No view at the St. Francis but did have a view at the Hilton, although no guarantees.

We used Priceline in July and got the Club Quarters in the financial district for $75 a night. Small, but new and well thought out, chic rooms. Automated check-in. Convenient enough location. We'd go back.

Again no views but I would recommend Columbus Motor Inn or one of their sister properties. Their cheapest room is $90 but parking is free. Of their sister properties, Lombard Motor Inn is the cheapest and the Cow Hollow Inn is the most popular. Go to columbusmotorinn.com and then click on sister properties to find the other locations. This is a good group of hotels, they are well run, clean and are in good locations. Check out tripadvisor to get more comments.

If you don't have a car and there are only 2 of you, then Priceline would work but if you have a car just be sure to add the price of parking to your room rate.