mclaurie

There will be a family wedding taking place in San Francisco with some family members coming from England. The wedding venue is Fort Mason and the bridal couple have given recommendations for hotels nearby (Comfort Inn by the Bay,
Hotel Kabuki, the Argonaut Hotel). The Fairmont Heritage in Ghiradelli Square looks amazing and convenient, but not at $450/night. Last time I was in SF, we stayed at the Clift which I loved for both location and hotel. I can book that for $200/night or less. So questions. Assuming no car rental:

1) If you were going to this wedding, what area/hotel would you stay at if you planned on doing some sighseeing as well as attending the wedding?

2) Is the Clift location still a good one?

3) For those interested in doing a wine tour (either day trip or overnight) is there a good tour option or is it best to do it on your own?

TIA for any and all advice.

sf7307

Yes the Clift location is still a good one.

Will you be going to Fort Mason only for one event? If so, I would take a cab there and back and not let it dictate where you stay.

LoveItaly

Hello mcclaurie, I just read your hotel question and was going to post my thoughts but our sf7307 all ready has so I will just say "ditto" to her suggestion. I don't have an opinion regarding wine tours but I will say I have had friends hire a limo that has taken them to the wine country so no one has to worry about driving. I don't know what limo services they used however. If Fodorite's can't help no don't the Cliff Hotel can advise you. Have fun!

mclaurie

Thank you both. There are some other events planned but we haven't been given any info re locations so I'm also inclined to stay where the best hotel/deal is.

sf7307

Needless to say, I haven't done this, but I understand priceline often has great deals in San Francisco. Think about staying in the Embarcadero area (Hyatt Regency, Hotel Vitale, others) -- the location is excellent for public transportation, restaurants, walking along the bay, near the Ferry Bldg., and an easy taxi ride to Fort Mason.

mclaurie

Do you really think the Embarcadero area is better than Union Square sf7307?

sf7307

They're totally different. Union Square is the prime shopping area in San Francisco (the "5th Avenue" of San Francisco, although laid out in a grid, not a straight line) - all the department stores and top-shelf stores, both chain and boutique, along with actual vertical shopping centers, are in the area. The square itself is very nice now (it used to be populated by "undesirables" - drug deals and the like, but it's been completely cleaned up in a good way), and is bounded on all four sides by retail and hotels, but the shopping and hotels spread out from there in 3 directions (actually all 4 directions, but you only want to go west for a couple of blocks and then it becomes less of a desirable place to stay).

The Embarcadero is still urban, but not frenetic urban. On one side of the Embarcadero is the bay itself, along with piers, restaurants, the Ferry Bldg., and open space (a few miles north on the Embarcadero and you will "hit" Fisherman's Wharf). On the other side of the street (where I work) are office buildings, both tall and not-so-tall, restaurants, hotels, open space.

So, it really depends on the atmosphere you're looking for. Both are good in terms of restaurants and public transportation, and there are great hotels in both locations.

starrs

I'd go to the Hotel Monaco, but that's just because it's my favorite hotel. It's at Union Square.