San Francisco accomodation
 

Hi everyone

I ahve been reading previous threads regarding accommodation options in San Francisco and I think I have confused myself!

We will be in San Francisco (no car) for 4 nights in mid August. Can anyone suggest a good area to stay in that is close to attractions and cable cars, but not right smack bang in the middle of the most touristy areas? We would like to get a feel for the 'real' San Francisco and I think location of our hotel is important for that.

Any thoughts?

If you want to be close to the Cable cars and attractions you will be in the middle of touristy areas. Would not stay in Fishermans wharf. The other areas that meet your criteria are probably pretty close in their tourist ambience.

mjs, not a challenge, just a question, why would you not recommend staying at Fisherman's wharf? We were looking at the Argonaut.

We will be staying at the Columbus Motor Inn next week. It gets great reviews on trip advisor and I will give it a thorough run down on my trip report. We partially chose it for the free parking, a rarity in SF, but it wont be an advantage to you.

We stayed at the Ritz Carlton which was just a couple of blocks from the Cable stop and easy walking (if you don't mind hills) to some pretty good restaurants and shops. The immediate area was not what I'd call touristy, although the entrance to China Town was not far away.

Perhaps if you gave us some idea of your budget you'd get more recommendations.

Thanks for the ideas so far... our budget is around $200 - $250 a night for San Francisco (not so much in other places)... happy to pay less though :-) Mostly want clean, central place that has a good reputation.

Personally I like the hotel locations near the Embarcadero (Le Meridian, The Palace, Hotel Vitale). I also don't mind staying in the Union Square area as another option - I like to see all the people and it is fairly central. Parking is an issue as Shanek above mentioned...it is very very expensive if you use the hotel service. Since we typically just park our car and for the most part use taxis unless we do day trips or are leaving the city, we usually find a garage near whatever hotel we are staying in that is more reasonable.

We love the Galleria Park. A member of the JDV hotels.
On Sutter between Kearny and Montgomery. Short walks to Un Sq, Embarcadero and a nice walk to Chinatown, No Beach, Financial Distr. Nice restos nearby too.

I am also planning a trip to San Fran and the wine country. I will do some more research but was wondering how many days should one plan for - is 5 nights enough? My DH doesn't like to stay away from home too long, but we both are interested in going, and splitting time between the city and the wine country. Any recommendations for which vinyards to visit? Which are the closest to San Francisco?

Didn't mean to hijack your thread Lakesidechick...

Fisherman's Wharf is "tourist central" (in the Disneyland sense). But mjs' second comment, "The other areas that meet your criteria are probably pretty close in their tourist ambience." is simply not correct. Stay in the Embarcadero area (try Priceline or Hotwire) and you will be in a "working" area of San Francisco (I work ON the Embarcadero, across the street from the Ferry Bldg., next door to the Hyatt Regency, which is ON the cable car line, as well as muni and BART). My office is 10 minutes walk from Chinatown and North Beach, 20 minutes to Union Square, 25 minutes to AT&T Park and Pier 39 (in opposite directions). Sure, there are plenty of tourists here, but only because it's such a great neighborhood, not because there's any particular "attractions" here.

I think that the next time I go to SF I would like to stay in the Embarcadero area myself - at the Hyatt or a the Casa Madronna Inn which is in Sasaulito <sp>.I have stayed @ Fisherman's Wharf a few time and Union Square a few times - I prefer Union Square over Fisherman's Wharf.

The St. Francis last time (last August) and it was a wonderful hotel.

Ditto what sf7307 has posted.

Thanks so much, that was quite helpful. I have the Vitale (still a little expensive) and the Hyatt on the list.

For cmcfong: the Argonaut is a great hotel to stay in. It's not "smack bang in the middle" of Fisherman's Wharf but way over on the West Side of the Wharf area along with the Maritime Museum, the Buena Vista Cafe, the turnaround for one of the cable cars and next door to Fort Mason (good for a casual stroll up that hill!).

One clarification about Fisherman's Wharf lodging (with the exception of the Argonaut) - these are usually rectangular, 3 or 4 story buildings without much character, just basic needs. It could say "Hilton", but think "Hilton Garden Inn" would be more appropriate. The rooms are slightly larger, which is why the hotels at Fisherman's Wharf are ideal for families and is the number one hotel destination in San Francisco (This is a generalization. I'll probably get slammed by someone saying they got the tiniest room in SF while staying in a FW hotel). The hotel prices are not as high as elsewhere in the City. Best of all, they are not as noisy as the hotels closer to downtown.

If you're young or don't have kids along and want to be in the middle of action and be in the more sophisticated areas of SF, then choose either Union Square (east) or the Embarcadero. The Embarcadero is quieter.

Priceline is a good suggestion. If you've not used it before, come back and ask before you place your first bid.

OK to cmcfong to answer your question about the Wharf. As sf has posted it is tourist central and although some of us actually work in the areas (including me), it is not an area that bears any resemblance to the real City. Most stores and restaurants exist almost solely to attract tourists; lots of tour buses, t-shirt shops, fast food places , overpriced "seafood" restaurants, bike rentals, car rentals, mid-range hotels, and places purpose built to attract tourists--Pier 39, Wax Museum. The Wharf is an OK option for families with kids, or if you need a hotel deal--it's not a place I would recommend without kids.

And ditto what SAB said!

Hey sf--tourist season is in full swing down here at the Wharf; the Duck Boats, Hop on buses, and various tour buses are plentiful; the Segway riders are blocking traffic; there is a line out the door and In and Out; off-key street musicians are plying their trade; and I had to ride the effing F to work this morning--what a terrible way to commute!!!

I apologize for having essentially hijacked the thread. I didn't mean to do that. The responses you have given me are quite helpful. I am planning a group trip for twelve of my friends from high school in April. It looks like the Embarcadero is a good choice for us. Thank you for all the help and again, I am sorry for having dragged the discussion off track.

I just stayed at the Vitale this past weekend and LOVED being down on the Embarcadero. I've always stayed in Union Square but it was great having a different experience this time. If you're into food/restaurants, it's fantastic being right across the street from the Ferry Building. For the OP, I'd say it's the best balance between being reasonably close to sights and cable cars (the less crowded California line) but not being overly touristed.

I would definitely recommend the Embarcadero area as well. To me, it's the ideal location because it relatively close to many SF attractions (Union Square, Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf, etc) but it's not as hectic. I also love being by the water and the close promixity to the Ferry Building is great. I usually stay at the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero (there's a cable car pick right by it as well).

For restaurants around this area, I'd recommend Taylor's for a good burger(watch out for the garlic fries! They're potent!) and Slanted Door for a nice dinner. Reservations are tough to get at Slanted Door so I would recommend booking early.

Thank you so much for your help everyone.... really appreciate it. Off topic but easytraveler suggested Priceline... and bidding suggestions to a newbie?

The first thing to do if you want to use Priceline is to go into biddingfortraveldotcom.

However, the best thing to do is to start a new thread and specify that you need help with bidding on Priceline for San Francisco. This way you'll get more responses from Fodorites.

Please don't make a bid until you know how to navigate through Priceline.

<<<Slanted Door for a nice dinner>>>

I really like Slanted Door, but I prefer lunch, because I like the daytime view of the bay. Of course, if it's summer, it'll be light late enough to still enjoy the view at dinnertime!

I think the Omni is a good choice. Ncie hotel, with good servcie, in a safe location. The California cable car line goes right past the hotel-and you can transfer to the other cable lines. You can walk to Chinatown, Union Square, and the Ferry Building (great if you are there when the Farmer's Market is open). Just my opinion

I think the Omni is a good choice. Ncie hotel, with good servcie, in a safe location. The California cable car line goes right past the hotel-and you can transfer to the other cable lines. You can walk to Chinatown, Union Square, and the Ferry Building (great if you are there when the Farmer's Market is open). Just my opinion

According to me you have to check its cost once a time because I think that you will be more comfortable with van rental San-Fransisco..........

Cow Hollow might suit you. Google "cow hollow hotels."

HTTY

We keep threatening to stay in the Cow Hollow/Marina area. Stumbling distance to A16, Tipsy Pig etc...

I was also very pleased with the Galleria Park.

Kal... I would like stumbling distance to A16! My stepdaughter wants to go back again for her 17th birthday (we went last year) working hard on trying to pull it together...

The Palace is a beautiful, old-world choice, with very comfortable beds. Brunch in the Garden Court was a treat.

MomDD....we better get a heads up!

We stayed at the Palace for the Bay to Breakers. First time since they reopened years ago. Yes. VERY nice place.

I will I will ~ Hopefully we can make it work out this time. :)

I think we will stay @ the Hyatt this time. I liked that location right across from the Ferry Building.

We have been to San Francisco twice, for 10 days each time, so I can give you a good "tourist" point of view. I would avoid fisherman's wharf for sure unless you have young kids, love a carnival atmosphere, or are in need of 100 t-shirts for $50! We have stayed at the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero, and the Vitale. Hands down (price aside) the Vitale is the one. The Hyatt is ok too, but they nickel and dime you for every little thing, so if the price is similar i'm sure you will LOVE the Vitale.The rooftop patios alone are priceless. It's our favourite hotel anywhere.

You would be right across from the Ferry Building (i could live quite happily inside it's walls). Great food, and great views. Nice area to walk around too. We always take home some olive oil from Stonehouse. The saturday farmers market outside is a must if you're there that day.

The f-line stops all along the embarcadero from fisherman's wharf and goes up market street to the castro area. For most things except the golden gate bridge and the painted ladies it's pretty much the only transportation you'd need. It's very simple and only $2.00.

If there are 2 people or less, BART is a good option to get in from the airport. There is a station stop right between the Hyatt and Vitale. If there are more than 2 people, it may be more economical to cab it.

Book Alcatraz tours in advance. I loved it, and my wife was kind of bored. I still think it's a must for a tourist. Cool views back to San Francisco from there.

Union square is basically a huge upscale shopping district, lots of hotels, not much else for the tourist in my opinion. Maybe a 15 minute walk from Hyatt/ Vitale. Some great local restaurants in the general area like Tommy's joynt and Dotties true blue cafe.

We rode the f-line to the Castro and strolled around what is one of the most unique neighbourhoods we've ever been to. We then walked over to Tangerine and had a great dinner. Try the spicy corn fritters.... you'll be intrigued at what shows up at the table... not at all what i was expecting (in a very good way)

You can catch a bus from union square on sundays that takes you directly to the golden gate bridge... just ask a concierge where to catch it. It's the best way to get there without expensive cab fare.

There is a cable car stop outside the Hyatt, but it is the most unpopular leg and i'd recommend the other 2. They are way more of what you'd be expecting with the rolling hills and packed full of people. Again, only 15 minute walk from the Hyatt/ Vitale. (assuming you're capable of a little uphill walking... it's really not that bad in that location, don't worry. )


Hope this helps.

Just one clarification -- Tommy's Joynt is nowhere near Union Square!

The cable car stop in front of the Hyatt is the California line, you can take it up California to Powell to catch the more popular Powell Street cars.

Thanks again everyone for your amazing help and advice... much appreciated.