hotel in San Francisco for $100 including parking? Mission Impossible?
 

Is it possible to get a nice, safe hotel in San Francisco for $100 a night, including parking? My husband and I will be staying 2 nights (9-11 and 9-12). We're currently booked for Comfort Inn and Suites in San Bruno for $80 with free parking, and were planning on driving in to the Union Square/Chinatown/North Beach area on Friday and parking somewhere, knowing the average price seems to be $25 for over 6 hours. On Saturday we'll be driving around to many different sites.

I've checked into a lot of the TravelZoo deals and places are either still too much or sold out for our dates.

I don't guess it matters what part of town it'd be in (attraction wise), since anything is closer than San Bruno. We've stayed at this hotel in San Bruno before so we know it's nice and we're just not having much luck figuring something else out.

thanks for any input!
Sharie

Here's my chance to recommend the Cow Hollow Motor Inn! The name isn't very pretty but really, it's a good deal. Under $100 with covered, free parking. It's on Lombard Street and easy to find and get around. They also had good reviews on TripAdvisor and Yahoo.

When I checked in, they gave me a coupon for a cup of free chowder at a little restaurant up the street (very good!) I thought the room was perfectly comfortable, and better than most for the price.

http://cowhollowmotorinn.com/

Darn! sounded promising, but it isn't available for both our nights (and the cheapest was $140 anyway). The weekend rates are going to get us. Thanks anyway!!

Bid on Priceline for a 4.5* hotel in Union Square and it was for the St.Francis hotel for $70 a night and they had a parking structure across the street for around $40+ a day..so you really are only out $10..what a great hotel!
Also, check last minute deals on Expedia.com
Next to the airport at SFO has great deals for $80 for a 4* hotel and you can take the BART into the city.

wow, that is a great deal for the St. Francis, ksucat.

I would try Priceline.... I have gotten the Sheraton Fisherman's wharf for $65/night; with parking, I would think you would be right around $100/night.

Have you tried Columbus Motor Inn, it is in the North Beach area and has free parking. Has good reviews also.

Priceline. I have never paid more than $75 for a good hotel.

The Cow Hollow is a local chain which includes Cow Hollow, Chelsea, & two others. They used to have a combined website. Also nearby on Lombard (@ Steiner) is a nice Travelodge that we stayed at.

Bidding on PL for a 4* in the Embarcadero area has always gotten us the Hyatt Regency for a $70 to $80 bid, unless there's a convention in town. Is there any way you could pick up your car after your visit to SF and before you strike out to other sites? If you're only sight-seeing within SF, you won't need a car at all.

Check your dates for conventions at this site:
http://www.sfcvb.org/convention/calendar.asp

<<<Next to the airport at SFO has great deals for $80 for a 4* hotel and you can take the BART into the city.>>>

Actually, you can take BART from San Bruno, too, which wouldn't be a bad idea, especially if the hotel has a shuttle to drop you at the BART station. However, this might be an opportunity to drive around the parts of San Francisco that are more difficult to get to without a car. What are you planning to do while in the city?

I did indeed check all the "sister sites" to the Cow Hollow Inn, and only one of them had our dates available, but the rack rate was $140.

Following the link about conventions, looks like there are 2 big conventions that weekend. It seems we'll be surrounded by dentists and microbiologists!

Priceline.... unchartered territory for us, but there's a first time for everything! Maybe we'll give it a whirl. Sure sounds promising for good rates, but it always makes me nervous not being able to research a place first!

We sort of looked into taking BART from San Bruno, but the hotel said it'd be about $5 to get downtown, so for both of us, both ways, it'd be $20. For that we could park downtown and have access to our car.

Friday we're planning are visiting Union Square, Chinatown, then meeting up with my sister's friend who will show us around a little for the evening, like Coit Tower, dinner in North Beach, and some Victorian houses. On Saturday we're going to try to follow parts of Stu's driving tour and visit Treasure Island, the Farmer's Market at the Ferry building, Postcard Row, Golden Gate park, Lincoln Park area, the Presidio, so we'll need a car for those places.

Thanks so much for everyone's input!! Keep it coming, if you're up to it!!

If you're planning on staying out all day Saturday and Saturday evening, and don't care about returning to your hotel at all during the day, then staying in San Bruno instead of the city isn't that big a deal. I, too, would drive into the city.

Really? Well, of course really, or you wouldn't have said it! Know of any great, cheap garages for Friday afternoon/evening?

Really, because if you're not going back to your hotel anyway, what's the difference where you stay? It's only 20 minutes to San Bruno from downtown by car. If, on the other hand, you want to be able to return to your hotel for a rest before dinner, then I would say you definitely want to stay in the city.

There are no cheap garages, but Embarcadero Center garage does validate on weekends (Sat. and Sun.). I'm not sure what the terms are - you can look it up on the website.

Thanks! That's partly what we were thinking when we originally decided to stay in San Bruno, but recently I started doubting our decision.

You guys are great!

Sept 11-12 are Fri-Sat nights, unless you use Priceline, you will be in some terrible place. Or youth hostel.

Parking in SF is expensive, but you can try to find street parking. I know my kids usually find some place :) Just check the meters, in some areas, you pay on Saturday and Sunday.

yep, that's what we're afraid of! (terrible place)

street meters... we have had luck with street parking in the past, so maybe we'll be successful again.

Just remember to bring LOTS of quarters :)

If those Priceline deals do not work for you, check Castle Inn located in the Russian Hill area. We stayed there and were well satisfied. It has free covered parking. There are bus stops up the street and a cable car stop 2 blocks away. Fisherman's Wharf is about a 20 minute walk. Chinatown about the same.

Eh with a big convention I think just stay in San Bruno.

Lots of people who live in the Bay Area visit SF without sleeping downtown.