Hi,

JMWF - The 4 star Union Square hotel on hotwire is $229 and then there are 2 3.5 star Union Square hotels for $189. Some are in Union Square East and some West. Is one area better that the other?

NWWanderer, I hear what you are saying about hotel choice being important. I think that's why I'm a little skeptical about booking my hotel via priceline or hotwire. This trip is a big deal for me and sort of a gift to myself. The airfare was free due to years of accumulated mileage. I can't believe that I had enough for a roundtrip first class ticket to San Francisco. I want this trip to be memorable and I want pillowtop mattresses :-).

I may just need to splurge and work some overtime :-).

Stormygirl, I will check out Coit tower and do that walk.

I'll make a decision soon on lodging in the city. You all have any recommendations for hotels in Carmel, Sonoma and Napa? We will have one night in each area before the 4 nights in the city.

Thanks,
Linda

linda,

i can't really comment on east / west union sq. but i assume the further west you go the more likely you are to be in the tenderloin...

one other option i just thought of is sign up for the Fairmont President's Club on their website - it is an email sign up with no criteria, they were advertising SF Fairmont (beautiful hotel in nob hill) for $129 a night if you book before feb 8 i think.

good luck

Look at Inn at Sonoma, in the town of Sonoma. This is just half a block from the lovely historic Plaza, is quite a new property and very comfortable.

http://innatsonoma.com/

Just because your friend has her heart set on both Carmel and the wine country doesn't automatically make it a good idea. Why spend your whole vacation fighting traffic?

There are some wonderful wineries in Carmel Valley. Spend an extra day enjoying the area. Then drive up the coast to Santa Cruz for another great beach town. From there you could visit Ano Nuevo State Park for its hordes of elephant seals and Big Basin Redwoods State Park for more massive redwood trees than five Muir Woods put together. Heck, the Santa Cruz Mountains has its share of good wineries, too. Ridge Vineyards is one of the best in the country.

As for San Francisco, if you like good shopping and good food then Union Square is the place for you - Fisherman's Wharf has neither.

Hi,

jtrandolf - I checked the Inn and it looks great however they have no rooms with two beds. They will do a rollaway but that does not seem appealing. Hmm, I would love something similar and the price is great. Thanks for the suggestion.

bobludlow - Thanks for he info as well. I know those first few days of the trip will be packed but we want to hit those areas even if it's just for a taste. I'm sure we'll go back. As far was staying in Sonoma and or Napa, I'm thinking maybe staying in Sonoma for two days instead of one in Sonoma and one in Napa. My research on wine country is still very raw so I'm not sure if I can stay in one area and travel across to Napa without wasting too much time etc. There are certain wineries she wants to visit - I'm still waiting for the list and a hot air balloon ride is a must.

I'm happily overwhelmed with all the tips - thank you.

Stu where are you? You are the resident expert on San Francisco :-)

Hi, Lindain,

We were there a year and a half ago ago and paid about $200 at the Marriott on 4th Street. It was a good location for getting to places and near Union Square. For us, it was a novelty to have a hotel room on a high floor like that. We also liked the pool and hot tub area.

I notice for your dates, they are asking $249, but if you called they might come down closer to $200.

We also really liked Coit Tower and did the tour that shows you all of the murals; I believe you link to to the tour dates through the public library. Some of the murals are in a locked area you won't see otherwise. Fascinating stories.

Congrats on your big trip!

Hi,

5alive - thanks for the information.

Choosing a hotel in the city is not easy :-(.

Hi,

I booked the Villa Florence in Union Square for the city portion of our trip. It looks really nice and the price was right.

Now I'm going to focus on Carmel and Healdsburg.

Thanks again for all your help.