I have narrowed down my choice of hotels for our trip to SF in September. Looking for opinions on these - perhaps putting in order of best to worst?

Villa Florence
Le Meridien
The Fairmont
Hilton-financial district

Thanks!

I stayed at the Villa Florance. It's a very european hotel. The rooms are quite compact. The bathroom in our room apears to have been a closet before but you'd be amazed at how cleverly they arranged everything. The bathroom had lovely tiles and fixtures but no real counter space if that's important.

The Villa Florance is in a great location right on Powell, near shopping, dining, cable car and Union Square

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Suzie, bigger or smaller than the one at the JW Marriott?

OP: The main thing is that these hotels are all in vastly different locations. As Suzie said, the Villa Florence is right on Powell. It's a little-bit of a Times Square-ish atmosphere, but if you want to be in the thick of things -- like walk out your door, and Macy's, Nordstrom, Union Square, etc. are all within a couple of blocks, it's great. Quite in contrast, the Fairmont is at the top of Nob Hill. Lots of people like to stay there, but it would be my personal last choice of a place to stay. It's a beautiful grand old hotel, but there's nothing near it except for other hotels and a park. You really can't walk anywhere, because the hills are STEEP. If you want to be where you can walk out the door and have a cup of coffee at the Starbucks next door, this is not the location for you. The Hilton Financial District is right at the edge of Chinatown. It's not an atrractive hotel from the outside, but may be fine inside. The location is good, as it's walking distance from Chinatown, North Beach, the Embarcadero, financial district, even Union Square. Lastly, the Meridien is IN the financial district a few blocks from the Hilton -- the location is a bit quieter as it isn't as close to Chinatown.

The bathroom at the Vila Florence is tiny but the shower is nice size and is the shower bath combo if I remember correctly but if it's not the combo then it's a 5'x3' shower. The bathroom at JW Marriott is huge but the shower is laughably small- I actually paced it off and it was 3 of my feets by 3 of my feets. So that's about 2' by 2'. Go figure.

First stay in SF? I'd vote for the Villa Florence overwhelmingly above the other choices. If you are the type that always has the doorman get you a taxi when you leave the hotel rather than walk anywhere, and if you love huge old hotels, then I suppose the Fairmont would be the next choice.

Well, 2'x2' shower isn't legal in San Francisco, but I get the picture!!

We stayed at the SF Hilton and the rooms were nice - with a big bathroom
It was an easy walk to the Embarcadero - and Coit Tower was just a short but steep walk as well.

We ate at a funky little Chinese restaurant down the street recommended by one of the hotel staff and it was great - he said its where the locals eat - but we talked to someone in line with us from New York who raved about it and says he eats there whenever in town. Unfortunately, I have forgotten the name but will check with daughter who has a younger and fresher mind.

As everyone knows, parking in the city id expensive- although we parked at the hotel, I did notice several parking garages- one was right across the street- that might be worth looking into.

As everyone knows, parking in the city id expensive- although we parked at the hotel, I did notice several parking garages- one was right across the street- that might be worth looking into.

That's the Portsmouth Square Garage:
http://www.sfpsg.com/dailyrates.php

I love the Fairmont hotel in SF but your choices are all over the place..
Did you check out Stanford Court or the Westin St. Francis?

sf7307- thanks for the info

Now do you know the name of the restaurant we ate at- daughter can't remember name either but we think it was The House of --- something.

Its across the street from the hotel and down about 1/2 block as I recall

House of Nanking maybe?

Regarding the four hotels you listed Vcaoffice, I would stay at the Villa Florence as I love the location. As other have said the Fairmont is a beautiful hotel but it is out of the way in that it is on Nob Hill.
I don't care as much for the location of the Hilton you listed nor the LeMeridien.

I do know that the four hotels you listed are all quite different. There are so many hotels in SF you are not limited to these four choices.

I think house of Nanking might be it- thanks

There is a great parking garage at Mason and O'Farrell that we parked in while staying at the Villa Florence and which is right across the street from the Hilton. It's quite reasonable compared to the JW Marriott which was over $51 per night. UGH!

sf7307 what is legal if 2x2 isn't? Was not much bigger than that and it was not 3x3.

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Just to clarify, this is a different Hilton from the Hilton-Financial District.

As for the size of the shower, in residential, it has to be 3X3 unless there was a smaller shower in place before, in which case it can be 2-1/2 x 2-1/2. I'm not actually sure if different rules apply to hotels. I don't doubt it was tiny, I just wonder how they got away with it

Oh sorry about the Hilton confusion. I should have read more clearly.

sf7307 - well it could have been 2.5 x 2.5 but that wasn't the floor of the shower tho it may have been between the glass but that's really fudging.

We had a 2.5x2.5 shower in an "extra" bathroom in our house, and I agree, it is SMALL!!! We're trying to find the room to replace it with a 3x3 version.