We will be there for 4 nights 5 days. Looking for a nice hotel and the hot spots of the town. Heard that walking is the best way to go in San Fransico - is that true? Any insights would be much appreciated, thanks.

what price range must this "nice" hotel fit into?
if unlimited, the Ritz and Mandarin are tops. Sherman House is very nice too for an intimate occasion but not as convenient by location.
seeing all the major sites necessitates a car. Golden Gate, wharf, Alcatraz, Sausalito, redwoods, Carmel/Monterey would all be on my list and that's a lot of territory.

I haven't been to San Franciso in many years; however, I remember that it was very romantic to ride the trolley @ night through an affluent downtown neighborhood. It was gorgeous to see the city all lit up on the hills.

You do NOT want to rent a car--only if you want to get out of the city say up to Point Reyes or Marin and then just for the day. Ferries go to Sausalito and Tiburon and cable cars and MUNI goes everywhere else. The price ranges for hotels in SF vary widely. Very, very romantic hotels for a honeymoon are Archbishops Mansion, Petite Auberge, the Sherman House,White Swan Inn and if you like big hotels, the Fairmont, Mark Hopkins or St. Francis. Check out sfgate.com for "hot spots"--there are too many, but a drink at the top of the Mark Hopkins always comes to mind for a special event. Enjoy

You can't go wrong w/ SF. Our favorite place. Favorite restaurants: Hawthorne Lane, Eos (but loud), Moose's, McCormick & Kuleto's, or Kuleto's (by itself, Union Square), Rubicon. Try "drinking with a view"- walk from bar to bar which are atop hotels and tall business buildings- Carnelian Room atop the BofA bldg, Equinox at the hyatt, cityscape at the Hilton, Top of the Mark, View lounge at the Mariott. Also, don't miss Lou's for Blues down at the wharf. Go there during the day for some great music and a beer. Enjoy!

PS- I forgot the Slanted Door for Vietnamese, and you MUST go to Ton Kiang at 5821 Geary Blvd for the absolutely best dim sum (though my sister in law likes Yank Sing on Batttery). We go to Ton Kiang every time we're there- last time just 2 wks ago. I haven't been there, but everyone I know up north raves about Rosa Pistola in N. Beach (Italian).

Thanks for all the pointers. I do appreciate them. For those who would like to reply I will add some more info. We Will be there in the middle of July and I am looking to spend about 100 to 140 a night. Thanks again for all the ideas and help.