San Francisco hotel
 

Hello!
I'll be in San Francisco for 3 nights and would love some hotel recommendations. I stayed in Fisherman's Wharf about 8 years ago, but I don't necessarily have to stay in that area again. Would Union Square, Nob Hill or North Beach be good places to stay? I'm looking to spend no more that $130/night. Any advice would be most appreciated.
Thanks!

Check the TA forum for SFO.
We used to stay at the Marines' Memorial and more recently at Ren Stanford Court, but we're doing the bargain Executive Vintage Court and Hot. Chancellor going to and returning from China in the Spring.
M

Given your budget, if you don't might staying in the Fisherman's Wharf area again, I would suggest the Best Western Tuscan Inn.

I posted the reply to your Napa question. I also have a suggestion for San Francisco. We stayed at the Golden Gate Hotel. It was a cute Victorian with a birdcage elevator in it, and rattan furniture. They also had afternoon tea and croissants in the morning. It was right across from the entrance to Chinatown and is considered to be in the French area of town. I really enjoyed it and the price was around 100$ at that time. PS we had a claw-footed tub in our bathroom, what a hoot!!

SFO is the code for the San Francisco airport, not for the city.

I would say Union Square if you are more of a shopper or North Beach if you want something with a more neighborhood feel. If you choose Union Square and areen't picky about which hotel that you stay in, you might want to try priceline. You would probably be able to find a better hotel within your budget.

Also Parking can be pricey, especially near Union Square. On Lombard Street (noisy though) in the Marina/Cow Hollow district not too far from Fisherman's Wharf, there are several properties with free parking and they run $79.- to $89.- a night most of the time. Here's a few: Coventry Motor Inn, Chelsea Motor Inn, Cow Hollow Inn. A bonus of these places, is 3 blocks up a slight hill is Union Street. It's great for shops and restaurants. I stayed at the Coventry Motor Inn for two nights in November, and really liked the place. :-)

We stayed here and loved it.

http://www.warwicksf.com

>> We stayed at the Golden Gate Hotel. It was a cute Victorian<<

That area was entirely wiped out by the '06 earthquake & fire The Victorian building period ended prior to 1900. May have been Edwardian style.

Stu Dudley

Stu Dudley

Chrissem:
I went through priceline and got the Hilton (4 Star) in Union Squre for $79.00 keep in mind that most of those charge for parking (thought about it after)good luck

Dear StuDudley,
Please, please, please excuse my obvious ignorance about it being a victorian. You didn't have to be so rude. So what if I got the time period incorrect. I will still say that the hotel we stayed at was cute. This is a free country and I can say as I please. I suppose you have nothing better to insult people's responses. I was just replying to a post, after all.

Insulting & rude???? Now way was I intending to be insulting or rude. Sorry if you took it that way - I aplogize. I had my wife read my response & she didn't think it was insulting or rude at all.

We are very proud of Victorian homes here in San Francisco. Both my wife & I are active members of Victorian Alliance. My wife is a volunteer guide with SF City Guides (sponsored by the public library) and leads two walking tours - "Victorian San Francisco", and Landmark Victorians of Alamo Square". We also lived in, and restored a Victorian in the Noe Valley.

Visitors to SF may want to stay in a Victorian. If they read your post & follow your advice, they might be disappointed if the style of the hotel was not really Victorian. That was my only reason for commenting about your post.

Next time you visit San Francisco, I invite you to take one of the 30 different free walking tours offered by City Guides. You can find info about the walks and the schedule at:
www.sfcityguides.org
If you are interested in Victorians, the "Landmark Victorian" walk usually starts with a tour inside one of the most "acclaimed" Victorian interiors in the City. It's featured in many "coffee table" books, Architectural digest, etc.

Stu Dudley

Stu,
I am sorry, but I really felt like I was being "put down". I have lived and traveled all over the world and am quite well educated. I did take offense because I am glad you clarified that it was not a victorian, but it was just the way you put it. My context in my post was highlighted. I just wish you had put it in a kinder way. And I realize that people that live in San Franciso are very proud of the architecture as I am of plantations we find in the south. Maybe I am being a little sensitive. And yes, I will visit your city again in the future because I truly love it.

StuDudley is never rude! Informative, yes, but not rude. As you read the text only it's easy to be mistaken.

Hi Marymg, sometimes it is easy to misunderstand the written word.

I have been on Fodors for some years now and I just wanted to say that Stu Dudley is one of the finest gentleman (along with some others of course) on Fodors. He is never rude.

I noted that he apologized if he came across that way..very few posters on Fodor's ever apologize.

Stu is a wealth of information about SF and spends so much time giving very valuable information to visitors to SF.

Having had family in SF since right after the Civil War I didn't pick up on the fact that the hotel could not be a Victoria..so I found his comment interesting..and I should know better.

Taking one of the Victorian walking tours would be most interesting to you the next time you are in SF I would imagine. Something I should do one of these days. Best wishes.

Go to hotelres.com (this is the site for San Francisco reservations.) Yesterday I got a corner room with a canopy bed in the Warwick Regis for $109. This hotel is on Geary Street (theatre district), two blocks from Union Square. We have stayed there before. It is quite charming. On this site you do not pay up front, just a refundable deposit. From there on you deal with the hotel, following its cancellation policy, and you pay when you check out.

whew. makes you not want to try to help anyone out. nothing Stu said was rude. so what's wrong with gently correcting wrong information? some people just can't stand to be kindly corrected I guess.

Hi Stu,
My BIL's family owned the Haas-Lilienthal house until his G'Mother's (Lilienthal) death in the early 70's.
I have always thought that "Victorian" rather than "Edwardian": which is correct?
Thanks.
M
PS: Underhill - always easier to abbreviate cities by a/p codes - first time I have seen a comment viz same.

Wow - the Haas Lilenthal house is probably the most famous Queen Anne style Victorian house in the City. Been there many times. They give tours of the interior on Wednesdays & Sundays. I'll check with my wife, but I think many of the interior furnishings might be from your BIL's Grandmother.

Stu Dudley

Stu: You are a SF info treasurehouse, missed you at the 1/6/06 SF GTG!

On the 6th, we were with our closest friends (the ones who have the house in Tuscany) celebrating her 60th birthday dining at Aziza on Geary. The next night, her husband paid for rooms at the Queene Anne Hotel for us & 6 other couples for a "gala" & a catered dinner by "Straits Cafe" in the Queen Anne's dining room. Saturday afternoon, I led a "Stairway Walk" through Russian Hill for all 16 of us. On Sunday, my wife led the "Victorian San Francisco" City Guides walk for the group of 16. The friends stayed with us for a week (they now live in Maine), and my wife & her hit my wife's favorite knitting stores (best was the one Imaginit on 18th & Sanchez). One night for dinner, we indulged on Dungeness Crab we bought at Half Moon Bay. On a prior day, the "girls" had a lunchen for our friend's former work associates at the R&G Lounge in the City, while the "guys" had lunch at the counter at Tadich and visited some old "haunts" in the Financial District on foot.

Life in the Bay Area is a struggle!

Otherwise, I would have joined you. Perhaps next time.

Stu Dudley

Oh Stu, do you ever have the Petrale Sole at Tadich? I love it. Grumpy employees and all!!

Bonsoir Stu,
" Life in the Bay Area is a struggle" LOL

I would like to bring the Yankee to visit and offer him the choice of that sort of suffering :)

"That area was entirely wiped out by the '06 earthquake & fire The Victorian building period ended prior to 1900. May have been Edwardian style."


yea, see what you mean Chrissem, that's about as rude as a post can be.

shame on you stu.

say what?

sorry, i meant marymg, not chrissem.

>>Oh Stu, do you ever have the Petrale Sole at Tadich? I love it. Grumpy employees and all!!<<

I cook Pertale at home all the time - had some last night. I usually order Rex Sole or Sand Dabs at Tadish, along with clam chowder and creamed spinach. Had Rex Sole on this last visit.

We were at Sams a couple of days after Christmas. Had the Rex Sole there. I'm sure the raw fish was the same quality/freshness at both restaurants, but Tadish was definatly better. Most people cook sole too long - which I think Sams did, or left it under the warming heat-lamp too long. I also thought the clam chowder was better at Tadich, but the spinach was better at Sams. Sams also has the best tarter sauce.

Up intil January, there was a moratorium on Petrale in the area - so no fresh stuff was available - only frozen. Same with Sand Dabs. This was the first moratorium on Petrale that I can remember. We get it year-round here.

I usually sit at the very first counter seat past the "cocktail" seats. I always get the same waiter - I think he's German or perhaps eastern European. This is probably over 10 years that I've always been served by him. He is very efficient & always keeps my tarter sauce dish full and also my wine glass.

It's a great place to people watch. You can go there and just get a bowl of clam chowder.

Stu Dudley

OK,
Everyone, I get the hint. I just felt kind of put down. Maybe I was overly sensitive. See, I'm big enough to admit that I'm wrong. I'm sorry, also. Next time I won't take it so personal. I also thought that there were still victorian houses and hotels built after that fire. I knew about the fire but didn't know that that was the case. Anyway, if anyone will listen to me now, the Golden Gate Hotel is a really cute hotel and I don't know what period it is, but they have a website. Now, can I still post on this website?

MaryMG, I think every poster had some kind of mis-haps here on Fodor's. Welcome to our crazy cyber-community :-o

The next step for you is to learn to use the smileys \:D/

Yes, how do you use the smileys?

Stu, I did not know there was a moratorium on Petrale, know I know why I was not able to buy it!! I cook it at home also. Just bought some Petrale the other day, a beautiful piece and enjoyed it so much. And I agree, it is important not to overcook it. It is so easy to cook however I don't know why more people don't prepare it.

BTW, regarding Sam's. Do they have new owners now (last couple of years)? A friend said they did..I was curious. Thanks.

>>Do they have new owners now (last couple of years)? A friend said they did..I was curious. Thanks.<<

Yes they do - they took over in December or November, I believe.

Stu Dudley

Marymg, when did you stay at the Golden Gate Hotel? It's one of the places I'm considering for our 2007 trip.

Lee Ann

EleniiDillPickle,
We stayed at the Golden Gate Hotel 4 years ago. It was run by a really nice retired couple. Hope it works out for you.

it was very big of you to admit you were wrong, marymg. now it's time for me to admit maybe i'm being overly sensitive about people being too quick to leap. ever since this place turned into a "let's see who we can ban today because he's crossed us (the editor)" i spend less and less time here. everyone seems to be on the edge these day.

I will agree with you that everyone does seem to be on edge. I always do admit when I'm wrong. I only wish more people I come in contact with would also. Anyway, enough of that, this should still be a San Francisco Hotel thread.

Hola Stu,
If you have nothing on your calendar for Tuesday 4 April, send me an e-mail and we'll buy dinner.
M (SMdA, Gto.)
[email protected]

I used Priceline last summer (my first time) and got a rock-bottom rate at the Hotel Palomar in Union Square.

A first-rate throughly modern hotel was had for $85 a nite!

Of course, having a car in SF can be more of a liability than an asset!

Thanks for answering, marymg - it looks like a lovely, friendly place. I suspect, though, that we will probably end up staying in the Marina/Cow Hollow area since we will have our car, and many places there have free parking.

Lee Ann

marymg-"Over sensitive" on the Fodor's board????
I've never seen it. :^o:^o:^o

M'mo-You in SF that week?!?!?!
"Gentlemen-Start your livers"!((B))

Kal,
I admitted a long time ago that I was wrong. Am I going to have repent for my sin for the rest of my life? I promise I will behave from now on.