My husband and I are planning an anniversary trip to San Fran in May 2000. Neither of us has been to the city and we are looking a good hotel. Our budget is $150-$200 per night. I have heard the Westin St. Francis is nice but expensive. Any suggestions??

Both the St. Francis and the Mark Hopkins on Nob Hill, and I'm sure many others, are available in your price range. It will be a standard run of house room but both are among the best hotels in the city. Check the individual hotel websites and also quickbook.com.

Both the St. Francis and the Mark Hopkins on Nob Hill, and I'm sure many others, are available in your price range. It will be a standard run of house room but both are among the best hotels in the city. Check the individual hotel websites and also quickbook.com.

casey-

i've stayed at the westin st francis, the palace, and the hilton near union square. the st francis was far and away my favorite. best location, most beautiful accomodations - rooms in the main (or historic) building have the most beautiful furnishings but it may be a toss-up if you can get a room with a blow-you-away view in the tower building - and the staff was incredible from check-in to the bell boy to the concierge to the doorman at the curb. i could not say enough good things about the place when i left and i cannot imagine staying anywhere else when i go back. to be fair though, i have heard many great things about another hotel there - either the ritz carlton or four seasons, they may not even have both. anyway, you should be able to get a room at the st francis with your budget (assuming $150-$200 is your hotel and not total budget) and i highly recommend it!

julie,

thanks for the advice!!

casey

Casey - My husband and I are staying at the Westin St.Francis in October. This is our first trip to SF, so I hope everything is as beautiful as everyone says.

EMAIL me if you'd like and I tell you of our experiences when we return.
Fran
email [email protected]

My wife and I are also staying at the Westin in October. We did a lot of research (TV, forum pages, travel books, etc.) and the Westin comes highly rated. Speaking of rates, you can get a room at the Westin within your range through www.hotelres.com. We ended up using a certificate from flier miles, but before we did, we got a rate of aprox. $150 for a room. If you would like a report about the Westin upon our return (going 7th to the 12th), e-mail me.

Hi there! My husband and I just celebrated our 5th anniversary in San Fran. We stayed a boutique hotel called the White Swan. It is run by the 4 Sisters inns. It has about 12 rooms and they have four-poster beds, fireplaces, etc. The serve a wonderful full-breakfast and have an afternoon tea each evening where you can talk to other guests ( if you so desire) and this is all included in the price. Prices start at 159. per night but we were lucky enough to find a buy one get one free coupon which we used for our stay and it ended up being 159. for 2 nights!! I would highly recommend the White Swan or their sister hotel the Petite Auberge. Check them out at www.foursistersinns.com or e-mail me fo more info.

The White Swan is so special that I was hesitant to post it here as too many people might find out about it. I've stayed here at least 20 times. They have 26 rooms, but the feeling is that it is very, very small. They have one suite, but I don't know what they charge for it. Book far in advance, they are always sold out. The Petite Auberge, two doors down, is nice too, but not as nice as the White Swan. Just one block up hill (a VERY steep hill) is a wonderful little French restaurant called Rue le Pic -- reasonably priced with excellent food.

I live in SF on Nob Hill. The Westin St. Francis is on Union Square and is a National Historic Landmark. I know the White Swan Inn very well and it is charming. (there are many smaller great hotels in "The City"). The Mark Hopkins and Huntington Hotel on Nob Hill are both worth checking out. Currently the Fairmont hotel is undergoing renovation so they most likely will be offering some price specials. The Ritz Carlton is of course wonderful. The Four Seasons Hotel is in construction and will have Condos at the top upon completion in 2001. The newest hotels to open are the "W" Hotel near the Convention center and the Palomar Hotel on 4th Street at Market. Contact the "City" web site and visitor center for a full list of hotels, inns, B&B's. I'm sure of one thing....you will love our wonderful city. San Francisco is an International destination and America's favorite city. P.S. NEVER call it "Frisco"! Have a great time!

Anyone else ??? Also considering the Clift, the Donatello, and the Hilton as well as the Westin...

Casey,
I stayed at the Clift last November and it was horrific. Scroll down a bit until you come to my report on the San Francisco Clift Hotel Horror, dated 4/23/99.

I have stayed at a number of hotels in my 20+ business trips to SF. The Park Hyatt is very nice, but also very expensive. The Hotel Nikko is a terrific hotel and is much more reasonable than the Hyatts. It is extremely clean and quiet and the staff is courteous and efficient. Try to obtain a corporate rate, which should come in under $200.

Since we live very close, we don't often stay in the city, but our favorites are the St. Francis and the Mark Hopkins. The Fairmont is another SF institution, but I'm not sure of the rates. Also, check on the Sir Francis Drake also on Powell just uphill from Union Square and recently remodeled. It was everybody's "find" about a year ago. There are many wonderful hotels in SF, but there are also some very disappointing ones. Take your time and do your research to make this a wonderful trip. For a honeymoon trip I would look at the Archbishop's Mansion, if you don't mind being a bit out of the center of things. It's a wonderful small "European" hotel. Your budget is at the low side of good hotels in SF, so if it looks like a bargain, you probably don't want to go that way. I would plan at least 175-200 per night and then you have to factor in the tourist tax. Enjoy.

I visited the Westin St. Francis last week to join a walking tour (Victorian Home Walk) and can tell you that the location is fabulous and the public areas are fantastic! We stayed at the the Vintage Court (half a block east of Union Square), a "boutique" hotel for $169 corporate. We were disappointed, not so much with the place, but with what was "promised" in the brochure. The service was perfunctory, our phone did not work, and the room was tres compact (with a tiny bathroom) with a view of airshafts. We're the sort who don't believe in spending much for a shower and a bed, but, sometimes, a few extra dollars results in a far superior experience. So, you may want to just go for it. If you e-mail me, I'd be happy to share the highlights (and not so worth doing) of our trip.

I second, third and fourth the recommendation for the Archbishops Mansion. My husband and I stayed there the night after our wedding before we left for Italy, and it is a very nice, romantic B & B.