San Francisco Hotel help
 

My family is going to be in San Francisco for 3 days at the end of November. I have 2 kids, 4 and 7 years old. What hotel would you recommend that is in the middle of all of the activities and excitment? I was looking at Parc 55 Hotel - looks nice and it is a good price. Does anyone know anything about this hotel? Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

The Parc 55 is OK. It's in a downtown location and is more for business or adult leisure travellers. It is in a not very exciting location. To be in the DT area and be near "activities and excitement", a hotel closer to Union Square would be a better choice.

However, I think for your purposes, Fisherman's Wharf would be the best location. Look into the Argonaut Hotel. FW is "touristy", but that's what you want. It's located near the piers where the boats leave for Alcatraz, Sausalito, Bay cruises, etc. It is near the Maritime Museum, Ghirardelli Square and the Cannery on one side and Pier 39 - a total family destination - at the other end. In the middle is Fisherman's Wharf itself; your family will enjoy watching how the crabs are cracked. All of the above are destinations that people have to travel to Fisherman's Wharf area to enjoy anyhow. The hotels and restaurants are more family oriented. E.g., Ghirardelli Square has the Chocolate FActory where the kids love to watch how chocolate is made.

FW is the number one hotel location in SF, and Union Square is number two. Of the two, FW is better for families.

We stayed at the Parc 55 a year ago. We liked the location and our room was decorated in a pleasing way; however, the room was not as large as we like. If your room is the same size as ours, it will be a squeeze for two adults and two children.

The hotel is located near Powell and Market (near the cable car terminal).

Everything at Fisherman's Wharf can be enjoyed in an afternoon's visit and I see no reason to stay way out there.

When I stay in a great city, I always prefer to stay IN THE CITY. If you don't like city life, Fisherman's Wharf may be right for you.

I wasn't aware that Fisherman's Wharf is located outside the City of San Francisco.

I would strongly agree with the Argonaut. It is a great "tourist" location, especially if you have kids. A hotel that I often recommend is the Hyatt at the Embarcadero. Although not super fancy (which it probably was in it's heyday), it is very nice. And although the location isn't necessarily great, the hotel is extremely convenient to all types of public transportation. Right outside the door, you have a bus stop, a subway station and the end/beginning of a cablecar line where it it is much easier to get on than the ones on Market or at the Wharf. And actually with the completion of the Ferry Building, the area has much impproved since we stayed there.

If you want a carnival atmosphere and a tourist ghetto, Fisherman's Wharf is for you; if you want to experience San Francisco, stay elsewhere.

If you were looking at the parc 55 for the fact that it is a marriott brand, the Rennassaince is in a nice location. We stayed at the Stanford Court Rennassaince in the Nob Hill area. The trolley is right on the corner to take you around the city. Chinatown is just down the hill. We had 4 in our room and had plenty of room. We liked the location and the fact that it was quiet at night. It was also a very safe area.

If you want a really interesting city experience, check out this place on Nob Hill: http://www.grosvenorsuites.com

We stayed there a couple months ago in a one-bedroom apartment on the 18th floor. The city views were spectacular.

<SIGH>

The Parc 55 is a perfectly nice hotel in a good location. You are near all kinds of transportation...just around the corner from the cable car turnaround and also a BART Station.

The Fisherman's Wharf vs. Union Square debate goes on and on.

I, frankly do not like the carnival atmosphere if the Fisherman's Wharf area with its blocks of cheap souvenir stands. I don't find it in the middle of activities, either.

I have lived in the Bay Area for years and years and they have completely ruined this part of the city so that it looks like a cartoon.

Your kids can enjoy the activities and excitement without your having to sleep there. Just go there.

The Embarcadero area is another place you should check out. The Ferry Building has been turned into shops and restaurants. One of the piers has sea lions on it, as I remember. Ask. The kids would love that.

Your kids are pretty young, otherwise, to have much of interest for them. the 7-year old might like the Exploratorium which is in the Marina District in the Palace of fine Arts which was built for the, ummmm....1907?"...Exposition. Hands on stuff.

If you want to read reams of information on where to stay, go over to tripadvisor.com, scroll down the right hand side of the home page until you find "go to forums now". Find the California forum and ask away. Lots of info and opinions, etc.

They also might have advice on what the kids would like.

Here is an important tip. Try to get a high floor corner room in the Parc 55. It is incredible, with views to die for.

Enjoy your trip.

I can understand why easytraveler suggests the Fisherman's Wharf area since you have kids that young, but it is more of a carnival atmosphere than a hotel closer to downtown. I personally love the Westin St. Francis that is right smack in the middle of Union Square. The cable car drops off right in front of the hotel. There's plenty of department store shopping in the area, it's very close to Chinatown and not far from Little Italy. Up the street from this Westin is the Sir Francis Drake hotel, which I believe is a bit cheaper than the Westin. The Westin faces the square, which I believe the city turns into an ice skating rink around the holidays. You might want to look into that since you'll be there in late November. Have fun - it's such a great city!

You must stay near Fisherman's Warf!

Well let me think, what would a 4 year old and a 7 year old like better? Something with a "carnival" atmosphere or shopping downtown at Macy's? People can say what they want about Fisherman's Wharf, but I find it as appealing part of the city as Union Square. Mind you, I find Union Square a very nice downtown area, but I would hardly call it unique. I can find shopping districts that are better in several cities across the country. But me. I love walking down along the bay where all the wharfs and boats are. I have been going to San Francisco since the 70's and have been about 10 times, and i must say that I remember the boatrides in the bay (including to Alcatraz), the seafood vendors along the Wharf and the view from the Wharf, a lot better than I remember the men's department at Macy's. But maybe I should ask you what it is that you actually want to do while you are there?

Who offered Macy's as an attraction in San Francisco?

Just another 2 cents here...I have taken my kids to SF quite a few times and we usually stayed in Union Square and Nob Hill and liked both locations very much. Fisherman's Wharf seems kinda crazy, crowded, and tacky to me. We walked around down there but preferred to not to sleep there. You can easily take the cable car down there.

It boils down to a matter of preference.

On a quick visit to NYC some people opt for taking a boat around Manhattan while others hop a Subway to Chelsea and spend the same time exploring from there the Meatpacking Neighborhood, Greenwich Village, SoHo, and perhaps Chinatown.

I prefer the latter; however, if others are more comfortable looking at Manhattan from a distance, it's o.k. with me.

"Who offered Macy's as an attraction in San Francisco?" The same person who characterized Fisherman's Wharf as a "carnival" and a "tourist ghetto"? :)

Again, personally I would suggest foregoing the Parc 55. It's a bit too close to the many homeless who wander Market Street. Furthermore, the street Cyril Magnum, is a madhouse because it's very short and Ts into a one-way street. There's a confusion of cars and taxis there every time I travel that short street. It is not one of my favorite streets in SF.

As for Union Square, there's a lot to do in Union Square, but I believe that teens like Union Square better than younger children. You can't get the teenage girls out of those shops that sell cosmetics and fragrant soaps. But, when they closed FAO Schwarz, I gave up on Union Square as a destination for very young kids.

Union Square is definitely more upscale and more expensive.

I like Fisherman's Wharf because it's more relaxed when with young children. It's hardly a "carnival". There are some very serious educational but fun things for young children to do - Hyde Street Pier has a number of ships and boats tied down and ready to visitors, including the tall ship Balcutha which you can see from many locations in San Francisco. I've seen young school kids absolutely love roaming around this tall ship and even the adults seem like they are on their second childhood.

The Argonaut is a very fine hotel and has the sea as its theme - light shades shaped like scallops shells, etc. Kids love to stay in this hotel. Part of the Maritime Museum is housed to one side of the Argonaut Hotel. I don't consider the Maritime Museum as being anywhere close to a "carnival".

Fisherman's Wharf is no slouch when it comes to fine dining. Gary Danko, frequently rated as one of the top if not THE top restaurant in San Francisco, is located there. As is Ana Mandara, a Vietnamese restaurant, a gorgeous restaurant with mixed food reviews, depending on how deep one's understanding of Vietnamese food goes. For ice cream: there's no other ice cream shop like the Chocolate Factory for me. Friends of mine who visited from England years ago still talk about the impromptu trip we made there. When they return in the next couple years, their first request is to go back to the Chocolate Factory. And these are adults!

At the other end of Fisherman's Wharf is Pier 39. Again, the kids love to watch the California sea lions - not in a zoo setting but in their "natural habitat", coming and going as they please, all the while honking aloud.

Although the hotels at Fisherman's Wharf are rated 3*, they're not exactly Motel 6s. There's a Hyatt, a Sheraton, a Marriott (Courtyard now).

People who characterize Fisherman's Wharf as a "tourist ghetto" either haven't spent much time there or hadn't bothered to visit the more interesting family attractions.

<b>Whatever</b>

I live in Berkeley (across the bay from SF) and have two young boys. We frequently take the kiddos over to the city for a day or a weekend. We never go to Fisherman's Wharf (too touristy - too many t-shirts embroidered with the golden gate bridge and plastic tchotchkes), but opt for more interesting and real places where San Franciscans actually go. When we go for a weekend, we love staying at the Hotel del Sol in the Marina http://jdvhotels.com/del_sol/ The kids love it because it's cheerful, kiddo friendly and has a pool. We love it because it's reasonably priced and within walking distance of both Chestnut and Union streets (great restaurants, great shopping, interesting people watching). It's also close to Lombard street (touristy, yes, but my boys love it), Crissy field beaches and parks, Fort Mason, and the Palace of Fine Arts.
It's a fun, friendly, happy little hotel.

We stayed at the Marriott at Fisherman's Wharf in December 2006. It was very close to all the sites that kids will love: Ghiradelli Sq, a main trolley stop, Fisherman's Wharf, etc. The Marriott was clean, very quiet &amp; comfortable (we were there for NY's Eve).

It was also near an In &amp; Out Burger place! Bonus!

I would stay away from Fishermans Wharf. Its a bit crazy and loud. SF is rather small, and to get from the finacial district to Fishermans Wharf is only a 20 minute cable car ride. It can even be walked in 30 mins at a nice steady pace. I'd stay somewhere in the financial district (by all the buildings). Theres much to do there and much better restaurants!

The La Luna Inn in the Marina District is a great place for families and a good deal. It's retro and kid-friendly. Here's a good article with suggestions for kids in San Francisco, too:
http://www.crshotels.com/view_article.asp?ArticleId=77

Stayed at the Sir Frances Drake hotel a few weeks ago for 4 days, it was great. Free wi-fi (although a little slow/spotty), clean nice room and a great view (ask for a room on the Union Square Side above floor 10). Would definitely stay again.

I personally prefer staying in the Union Square area, although I don't have small children. I see easyt's points about Fisherman's Wharf for young kids. The main tacky area is a 2 block stretch of t-shirt and tacky gift shops. The rest of the FW area is very enjoyable.

At the time of year that you are going, Union Square would be great for the kids. There are lots of holiday events and decorations. I'd book soon though as a lot of people stay in that area over the holiday season.

margy

ddpatrick7 has 2 small children ages 4 &amp; 7. A &quot;30 minute walk at a steady pace&quot; is going to tire the kids out before they get to the fun. The fun stuff for kids in SF is in the Fisherman's Wharf area:
Pier 39
Ripley's Believe it or not (silly but fun)
Ghiradelli Sq (chocolate &amp; ice cream)
Harbor Cruises nearby.
A nearby trolley stop

And so on. If the trip is meant for the kids to have fun, then staying close to the fun should be a consideration. Nobody wants to drive in SF, so they would need to take a cab to the fun activities if they are staying far away. Lines for a trolley can be long (30-45 minutes at peak times). Standing in line is no fun for small children.

Here is something I wrote &amp; posted 3 years ago about the Wharf.

I visited the Wharf recently for a survey. It's worse than I remember from my last visit (I’m a SF native, and have lived in SF or very close by, for 31 of my 57 years). The storefronts were loaded with bracelets, hair bands, key chains, placards, etc with people’s first names on them. I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I claim that more than 50% of the shops are T-shirt stores. On the main “Boardwalk” (on Jefferson between Leavenworth &amp; Taylor) there are the trinket shops, the T-shirt stores, a McDonalds, In-N-Out Burger, Hooters, Wax Museum (featuring a wax statue of Brittany Spears out front), a Ripley’s believe-it-or-not , a place called “Rainforest Caf&eacute;” that looks like a theme restaurant but when I looked in all I could see was t-shirts. I’m not just “cherry picking” the most “gawd-awful” places and describing them – what I just mentioned accounts for probably 85% of the stores along the Wharf Boardwalk. I did not make it over to the Ghirardelli Sq – I hopped on a cable car &amp; got away from the Wharf as fast as possible. Also, there seems to be a lot more parking lots right in the middle of the Wharf than I remember – not very scenic at all.

OK - this is 7/12/07 now. Earlier this year I read a story in the SF Chronicle that Ghiradelli Sq is undergoing a complete renovation. Last time I was there, almost all the shops in the Square were vacent, except the ice cream place. The Chronicle said that the place will be converted into luxury timeshares. Most locals don't go to the Wharf, Pier 39, or the Cannery. I guess the tourist trade wasn't enough to keep many if the interesting/unique shops in business. I'll drive past Ghiradelli this weekend &amp; see how things are progressing.

Stu Dudley

We stayed at the Argonaut last year with our kids (7 and 10). They loved it. The hotel is nice (queen beds rather than doubles), funky decor, and we heard no noise from outside. The kids get to pick a toy from a pirate's treasure chest when you check in. We chose Fisherman's Wharf because of the &quot;kid-friendliness&quot;. Our kids don't care much for shopping or dining, but they loved the outdoor stuff, cable cars, sea lions, parks to run in, boats to crawl around in, etc.
We live outside of Boston and the kids could care less about Newbury St. and Back Bay (a favorite area for me), but love the Faneuil Hall/New England Aquarium area, so it really depends on what kind of vacation you want to have.

indietraveler2 is here marketing his/her website.

Hey indie, PAY for your ads you bum!

Personally I did not like staying in the Fisherman's Wharf area. Since I last visited 20 years ago the area has gone from fun to trashy. I was very disappointed.

I live in SF burbs and work in the city (right next door to the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero). I personally would prefer to stay in the Union Square area, but think the Fisherman's Wharf area might be better with kids. As for Ghirardelli, the Cannery and Pier 39, locals do go to Pier 39, less so to Ghirardelli and the Cannery. I had no idea they were converting Ghirardelli to apartments, and I live here!

Will you have a car or rely on public transportation?

FWIW, I would not stay on Nob Hill, because it's all residential/hotels -- there are no shops, sights to see, etc. And, true to its name, its the top of a VERY steep hill, i.e. no walking with small children other than around the block.

Also, the annual ice skating rink is behind the Hyatt Regency (and my office building), not at Union Square.

DMlove, there is an ice skating rink (enclosed) opened all year at Yerba Buena (Mission @ 4th St, on the next block past the carousel and bowling).

The Embarcadero skating rink is an open-air ice skating in winter.

Faina, I totally forgot about that rink! If I'm going to ice skate, I prefer outdoors, though.