San Francisco - Best Area/Budget Hotels
 

Need opinions on budget hotels and best area in San Francisco to stay - good neighborhood, conveniently located for sight-seeing, ideally (not required) with several good restaurants in walking distance.

Would love to find a place in the $100 or less range if at all possible (we'd prefer to spend money on attractions/dining over hotel.) Looking for a clean, friendly boutique-style place - complimentary b'fast and/or parking a huge plus.

Many thanks in advance for your feedback!

Check out www.biddingfortravel.com and then bid on Priceline. You can get a nice hotel for less than $100 a night.

Thanks 'Enjoy Life' -

Do you have any ideas on where to stay in SF?

just curious - have you done ANY research by reading previous posts on this board?

Just type in keywords in the search box above and you will get LOTS of ideas.

Or, start with the Destinations tab above and see what the Fodors editors have to say. LOTS of good info there too.

I've posted the following a few times:
"If you want something in the $80.- to 130.- range the motor inns on Lombard would be good:
Coventry Motor Inn, Chelsea Motor Inn and Cow Hollow Inn & Suites are three of them. They have free parking and are in the Cow Hollow/ Marina area."
I've also seen Columbus Motor Inn, mentioned many times with good reviews.

Oh, the three I mentioned are within three blocks of Union street (not Union square) with good dining choices and shops.

There are so many places for every budget! Union square area (but not south!), Embarcadero, Fishermen's if with children, Van Ness corridor - check them out in this order, then come back with hotel list (street and cross street) and the least I can do is to tell you how safe and/or convenient transport-wise.

I just re-read your post, looking for free parking? Start with hotels approximately along Van Ness, north part (the south part close to Market street may be not safe).

Hi Faina- Do the Van Ness ones have free parking or low cost (In San Francisco terms!) parking? I thought I researched it once, and most of them that I know of still charge (Holiday Inn, La Quinta & Cathedral Hill).
Thanks!

Trippinkj - Thanks for the feedback. I'll check the hotels referenced.

Starrsville - Yes, I've done a search on SF but there are too many posts to search thru, many of which don't pertain to my queries. I prefer real member feedback over editor comments, so am looking for real-time, real member suggestions which I always find most helpful :-)

Trippin, not the south part of Van Ness, but the part what is also called Cow Hollow like Lombard near Van Ness. This is the "corridor".

Oh, so there isn't confusion, the HI on Van Ness is called Holiday Inn golden Gateway. As there are other HIs in the city. :-)

Hmmmm... very strange they didn't come up in your "research". I just typed in "budget San Francisco hotels" and in less than 2 minutes read 2 posts they offered the very same suggestions you got here - plus another one that sounded very interesting.

Some like to do a bit of research.
Some don't, it would seem.

Hi Luvs,

It has been several years but my husband and I stayed at the Marina Inn in the Marina District. There were restaurants in the area and it seems like it has gotten more popular since we viisted SF. We paid around 100-110 before hotel tax and we were very pleased, nice clean room, decent size and continental breakfast included. Parking however, isn't free, they had a lot a few blocks away. I would advise from someone who rented a car in SF that it is more trouble than it is worth. Use public transportation or walk because it is a beautiful city and parking spaces are a hot expensive commodity.

Actually, when I researched the parking Starrsville, I hadn't discovered this board. It was via AAA, so I stand corrected. I was very happy discovering the motor inns on Lombard Street, and they do have free parking. :-)

Just the perfect hotel on Post Street..The Andrews..includes a huge continental breakfast on each floor and a glass of wine at night in the restaurant Fino.. We've used the hotel twice...www.andrewshotel.com Might be a little bit more but well worth it.. only two or three blocks from Union Square and Chinatown

Starrsville- I see other ones Buena Vista Motor Inn, Columbus Motor Inn and NobHill Motor Inn, in addition to the Lombard Street ones mentioned (that I mention on this board a lot). I didn't see any on Van Ness that mention free parking. Maybe I'm missing something. Please note: I've stayed in 7 properties over the last ten years in different regions/ districts (Cow Hollow/ Marina, Union Square, South of Market, Van Ness, Cole Valley, Parnassus Heights). I don't process to be an expert, but with all these stays in the city, I have done some research. Thanks for listening. :-)

trip, I was referring to the OP who apparently had done no research at all. (See 1st 3 posts on this thread). Just wondered why there was no research at all on a topic with LOTS of threads on this board.

Thanks Faina, that clears things up.
Starrsville- Sorry about the misunderstanding. I was talking about the same places that you were referencing. LOL! :-)

No problem. Our posts got lost in the shuffle -

S - Just type in keywords in the search box above and you will get LOTS of ideas.

OP -Yes, I've done a search on SF but there are too many posts to search thru,

S - I just typed in "budget San Francisco hotels" and in less than 2 minutes read 2 posts they offered the very same suggestions you got here - plus another one that sounded very interesting.

<i>I'm grouchy. Past time to go to bed. But, I do wish posters would do at least a LITTLE bit of research and reading. Pipe dream I guess.</i>

Starrsville,

Thanks for the tip on putting in added words which narrowed down the search! I only put in SF (duh!) Now I know...