Hello, I will be traveling to SF late August. I won't have a car for part of the visit. I am traveling with my 2 sons 12 and 15. I need a hotel that is centrally located to all the touristy attractions. Someplace safe and not too expensive.

You need to be specific as to how much per night, including tax. How many beds/rooms? Basic type place or somewhat upscale?
Best not to have a car IN the city; get it when you leave or if you want to do a day trip. Parking is usually VERY expensive at most hotels.

All of San Francisco is centrally located Transportation is excellent.

Maybe this is what you are looking for? http://www.sfhostels.org/downtown
You can't beat the location or price.

$130 a night 2 full/queen beds. Basic is fine.The hostel won't work only 2 twin beds

Actually that hostel has private rooms with shared bath that will sleep 3, but it is shared bath.

You are not likely to find much if anything at $130. With tax at about 15%, you are talking about a room for $115 or so before tax.

>>$130 a night 2 full/queen beds.

Cow Hollow has 2 queen beds at $165/night plus tax. Great place, highly recommended on this board, and you can catch the 130 bus on Chestnut street to Fisherman's Wharf, China Town and North Beach, as well as downtown.

SG.

That $165+tax is a good rate for the location and quality of that property which is a nice motel, not a downtown hotel.. So stephaniea, as you can see, $130 isn't all that realistic for sleeping 3.

We stayed on 7th Street near Market Street, i wouldnt recommend the area as it was a bit rough, especially at night. However as a general point, we did have a car for the 4nights we were there and never used it. We were able to walk/cable car everywhere we wanted to go easily.

Sister properties of Cow Hollow are the Chelsea Motor Inn, Coventry Motor Inn and Lombard Motor Inn and those 3 are running just a little less at $155 plus tax for two beds. I was going to suggest their other property Columbus Motor Inn as it is close to North Beach (Little Italy) but their rates are higher at $195. This group of hotels is a good one. The hotels have no amenities or frills but rooms are good size and clean. They are all on Lombard Street within a mile of each other. Lombard is a very busy, noisy street so ask for a room in the back. Coventry Motor Inn is the highest rated on Tripadvisor but all of these hotels are very similar. I stayed at the Lombard Motor Inn last year and it was fine. You really are never in your room anyway.

I would book a cancellable reservation soon as August is a busy time in SF and rates will just go up and up.

There are 3 HI Hostels in San Francisco plus 1 north of the GG bridge near Muir Woods.
Maybe this one would meet your needs? Private rooms sleeping up to 4 people! http://www.hiusa.org/california/san-...shermans-wharf
Fort Mason and Fisherman's Wharf are places you want to see.

Tom-That hostel looks good but seems like you'd have to call them to book a private family room. Looks like there are 4 bedded rooms but not co-ed, so couldn't book a room for Mom an sons at least online. Worth investigating.

stephaniea - To give you an idea of hotel rates in SF, I checked with another hostel that has private rooms, the Adelaide, close to Union Square and good location. For August their private room for 3 was $165 so same as the Cow Hollow and more than the others. If you have AAA, the group with Cow Hollow, Chelsea Motor Inn, etc do give a discount. I think you have to ask them for it, usually 10% which will at least cover your tax.

You do need to be careful about the address of some of the hostels. They are in the Tenderloin District, not a place you want to be especially with kids. If you give us an address, we can let you know about the neighborhood.