San Francisco for Thanksgiving: good hotel?
 

we are braving the roads for thanskgiving, driving from L.A. to S.F., so that we can meet my in-laws halfway (they live in southern Oregon).

I am hoping to find a nice location, concerned that some areas may be deserted (is that even possible in a big city??) for the holidays.

I have never been to S.F., and it's been ages since my husband or in-laws have been there, so they are of no help to me.

any recommendations for a hotel or location? thanks!

The Palace, Four Seasons, Mark Hopkins, Fairmont, St. Francis -- all are nice, to put it mildly, and in areas which will not be deserted. In fact, hoards of people will descend upon SF for xmas shopping the day after Thanksgiving.

The Mark Hopkins or the Fairmont would be the best, especially in terms of location. The St. Francis and the Palace are in or very close to Union Sqaure which is kind of a run down area. I wouldn't recommend it at night. I've lived in SF most of life and I still get the willies when I have to go through that area.

"Treck" would make us all think Union "Sqaure" (sic) is more dangerous than Baghdad. Considering the plethora of high-end hotels and shops in the immediate area, I think it couldn't be that bad, frankly. As you head to the Tenderloin, yes, it's rougher. But anyone who has spent any time in New York City will have seen worse, so don't be too concerned.

Having said that, I'm a huge fan of the Mark Hopkins on Nob Hill. I happen to like walking around SF and don't mind hills, so it's a great location (and close to my clients), and it's a lovely property. You could spend weeks exploring The City-- have a great time!!

Hi, SammyCat!

You didn't specify your hotel budget.

Most of the suggestions are for high end, expensive hotels - unless you can get them on Priceline at a discount.

There are two general areas of hotel concentration in San Francisco. Both of them are VERY safe. One is Fisherman's Wharf (running from about Cow Hollow to the Wharf), which are mostly 3 diamond hotels (AAA rating). You will find all the chain hotels run standard hotels here - Hyatt, Marriott, Holiday Inn, etc. etc. There are some other hotels run by only one owner. Any of these hotels will be fine. Check this board for some favorites.

The other is Union Square (running from about Nob Hill to Market Street) which have a high concentration of 4 diamond and 3 diamond hotels. The hotels around Union Square tend to be "better".

Either area would be very suitable for your purposes.

There are a number of hotels scattered around town, like the Hyatt at the Embarcadero (4 diamond), but I would suggest that you not put yourself in one of these hotels - unless, of course, the price is right!

Hope this helps! And welcome to California!

Jason

rjw: Hi, buddy!

"'Treck' would make us all think that Union 'Sqaure' (sic!) is more dangerous than Baghdad." ROFLOL!

Got as far as Pasadena last week and had a wonderful dinner in their Old Town! Crowds and crowds of people! Fun place!

Jason

Hiya jason!

Glad to hear you liked Old Town Pasadena. That's the kind of downtown revitalization that works. And the whole city is really beautiful, I think. Now that the Gold Line goes up there, I'll grab the train for a visit up there (as soon as the transit strike is over)!

thanks for all the responses! btw, i have been a California resident for about 1 year, and i love it!

as far as budget goes, we are looking for something non-motel, but not super-duper expensive---maybe $200 a night or less? i saw on hotels.com that the rate for the Fairmont for that weekend would be $149 per night, so that works.

my in-laws are not big walkers. we will probably drive if it requires more than half-mile or lots of hills. as long as there are some restaurants within a few blocks so we can grab a bite to eat, we should be fine.

oops--that rate for the Fairmont is 188 per night; still ok for us.

The Fairmont is a grand old gal of a hotel, so you should find it a special treat. Cabs are plentiful and not ridiculously expensive, so you should be good to go without schlepping everywhere in your own cars (parking being a little nightmarish in SF). You'll have plenty of company in The City over the Thanksgiving weekend. For the actual day, you may want to call the hotel to see if they are offering anything special, or if they recommend a particular restaurant. Enjoy!