San Francisco hotels
 

As a first time visitor to San Francisco I want to stay in a hotel close to Union Square. What about Hotel Nikko on Mason St , the Grand Hyatt on Stockton , or the Hilton San Francisco on O"farell St. ? There is also a small hotel The Maxwell, how is it ?

Check previous psts about staying in SF. They were extremely helpful to me!

You can get great deals on Priceline for 4-star hotels near Union Square. Park Hyatt and Grand Hyatt for $50-$55/night. Go to www.biddingfortravel.com and scroll down to SF hotels to see successful bids. Moderators at that site will help you construct your bid. Well worth your time to learn the PL ropes.

Betsy, will you give the constant touting of Priceline and Biddingfortravel a rest? It's not the answer to everything and it's not for everyone. I'm beginning to think you're getting paid by one or both of these websites.

we stayed at the maxwell a year ago. the location is terrific, a half block from union square. i was disappointed in how the lobby looked but our room was just fine, with an in room safe, nice bath, terry cloth robes, king size bed, etc. if you can get a room at a great rate, i'd do it. otherwise, i have heard that the nikko is wonderful.

Nestor-<BR>We stayed at the Sir Francis Drake over the 4th of July and really enjoyed it. Even though the rooms were a bit small, we had a great rate through quikbook. Everyone at the hotel is very friendly and the location was very convenient. There was a cable car stop right in front of the hotel and we were in walking distance of Chinatown and North Beach.

Nestor,<BR><BR>Although I can't comment on the hotels you've mentioned, I thought I might put in a good word for the Hotel Monaco near Union Square. Hotel Monaco is a wonderful "boutique" hotel about three blocks from the square. <BR><BR>The rooms are French-influenced and quite beautifully appointed. The hotel itself is full-service and features a good restaurant (the Grand Cafe) a really neat old bar (the Corner Bar) and complimentary wine and cheese each afternoon in the lobby.<BR><BR>We have stayed at the Hotel Monaco three times and haev always been pleased with both the rooms and the service. We have also found the location to be quite convenient for getting around the city.<BR><BR>Hope this helps,<BR><BR>Davidcs

SF Hilton is huge---mostly a business convention type place. Location is OK if you're careful to walk toward Union Square and not the other way. The Prescott is a very nice hotel on Post between Mason and Taylor so near Union Square but not as noisy. Their restaurant is a Wolfgang Puck and you will get preferred reservations.

The Hilton (though most people don't care for it's atmosphere) and the luxury Westin St Francis, have been having some low rates recently on the discount sites. I have seen the St. Francis as low as $119 plus parking. <BR><BR>Don't forget with the discount bookings, you usually can't cancel or change your plans. <BR><BR>boulevards.com has a good city guide to San Francisco and their hotel booking link sometimes comes up with good rates.

I stayed at the Westin St. Francis this past May for $125 a night - it looks out over Union Square so the location couldn't be more perfect, and the hotel has interesting historical significance. I got this rate through Hotwire. I also recommend the Hotel Argent, which is just a few blocks south of Union Square in SoMa near the terrific Museum of Modern Art.

As a first time visitor to SF, you may not want to stay in Union Square due to the decrepit conditions of the area. Unfortunately, much of SF has been on the decline.<BR><BR>Living and working in San Francisco, I have seen the streets deteriorate at an alarming rate. <BR><BR>Everyone who lives and works in this city knows the situation on our streets is impossible to ignore. We?re all sick of stepping over garbage and human waste, averting our eyes to people shooting-up on doorsteps and the heart-wrenching stories of single mothers who can?t find a place to sleep while shelter beds go empty every night<BR><BR>City leaders allowing the homeless problem to worsen. Those with the power to change things aren?t willing to work together to do something.<BR><BR>

Pat, absolutely have never made a dime from any recommendation I've made on this board. I'm just a very satisfied PL user. The bargains in the SF hotels are incredible for those who want to take the time to learn to bid.<BR><BR>Please skip my posts if you're not interested.

Nestor,<BR><BR>Pay no attention to xxx. He/she bashes San Francisco on nearly all posts and yet never has the guts to post under a real name; xxx is a coward.<BR><BR>San Fran is a great town and you will have a blast!<BR><BR>Tom

Nestor,<BR><BR>I would have to agree with xxx about the sad state of San Francisco. I too found it to be quite dirty. You may want to reconsider spending your vacation there.

Sisters were in SF last week during the hideous hot spell in the central valley. They took Bart in from east bay, spent the day and came back after 10:00 pm. Had a blast. Saw all the regular tourist spots including coit, china town, Lombard Street, Fisherman's Warf. Took cable car and other mass transit. Had 6 kids with them and they all had a great time! GO!

We love The Prescott Hotel whch is on Post Street just two short blocks from Union Square. It's a lovely, elegant boutique hotel with charming, well appointed rooms, excellent service, a great cozy bar and one of the best SF restaurants, Postrio. We usually stay on the Club floor. We've stayed her at least a dozen times and higly recommend it.

You walk down Market Street and step over<BR>comatose bodies, debris and human waste. It's just not a pleasant experience<BR>I used to make regular overnight visits to San Francisco for dinner and<BR>theater, but now I usually go elsewhere. <BR><BR>Leave politics out of it. Leave all the issues of needy folks out of it. We're talking about hygiene here. It's where people walk and take their kids. It's<BR>dirty and nasty and not healthy. <BR><BR>City officials say they've done their best, they are spending more than $200<BR>million this year on the homeless, about the same as San Francisco spends annually on its Fire Department. Still, they admit they haven't put a dent in the<BR>problem of visible homelessness. There are about as many people living on the city's streets today as there were a decade ago. San Francisco's total estimated homeless population 12,500.<BR><BR>Some of the things I have <BR>observed in Union Square, the downtown area of Market Street and its side streets, in the Mission, the Castro, the Haight and on Potrero Hill include:<BR><BR>Public urination and defecation, <BR>blatant drug dealing and use, with vendors calling out their substances - <BR>marijuana, crack cocaine, heroin - on street corners, and addicts sticking needles into their veins on the sidewalks, drunks sprawled across sidewalks, sometimes in their own vomit; delusional sidewalk ranting by mentally ill men and women and aggressive panhandling.<BR><BR>First-time visitor from Huddersfield, England said she and a friend were frightened and saddened when they left one day and saw numerous homeless people waking up on the sidewalk. <BR>"It was awful, really," she said. <BR>"It's vomit and feces, every day," said a street sweeper for the Union Square Busines Improvement District, wearing plastic gloves as he cleaned the sidewalk in front of the old Emporium<BR>building on Market Street. <BR>"I was disturbed by it for a week," said Embarcadero resident, recalling the day she saw a man defecating in the street near Fisherman's Wharf. <BR>

Well, I was in SF for a day this past March, and didn't notice 1. an overly large number of homeless people, 2. anyone relieving themselves on city streets, 3. any more dirt or grime than any other major city anywhere in the US, 4. unhealthful conditions.<BR><BR>I walked all along Market Street, then up to Chinatown, and all the way up to Fisherman's Wharf, then back again. (and, yes, walked - no trolley, no taxi, my own two feet) Had a thoroughly enjoyable time and felt completely safe. (was alone) Even went down Broadway (I think?) where there were adult bookstores and strip clubs, and still felt safe and did not notice any drug dealers or homeless people.<BR><BR>Either the homeless and drug dealers were on vacation that day or some of these posts are an exageration. SF is a big city, and it has the dirt and grime of any large city. But its charm far outweighs any of that. Go and enjoy!<BR>

Michele,<BR><BR>Actually SF is not a big city. It's population is about 750,000. <BR><BR>To say that you saw no more homeless people, trash, or grime that in other cities of similar size means that you must be blind. I am in SF on a regular basis and constantly have to watch where I put me feet so that I do not trip over homeless people in the street, their belongings, or worse yet, step in their waste. The odor on many of SF's streets and sidewalks can be unbearable at times. It is really too bad that SF has become so bad.

We were in San Francisco for a week last fall. And found it no worse than any large metropolitan city.<BR><BR>Stayed in Union Square and roamed all around. Saw nobody relieving themselves in public, minor panhandling and had no interference with our enjoyment of the City.<BR><BR>Sure, we saw bums. It's a problem. But there's no easy solution. Just don't let it get in the way of your enjoyment of a very special place.