Going to San Francisco in October (2 couples) and considering these hotels...any suggestions on these or others would be appreciated! Hotel Monaco, Hotel Rex, Hotel Adagio, White Swan Inn. Thanks...

We have stayed at the Rex twice. May '07 and June '08. It is one of my most favorite hotels ever! The bartender who mans the complimentary wine in the library bar treats every patron as if he/she were a treasured guest.

The rooms have an art deco type ambiance that manages to be sophisticated, cheery and relaxing all at the same time. We have rarely stayed in a place that so goes out of their way to make you truly feel welcome. One example is that the wine hour is from 5-6, but as were checking in the front desk said, "Oh, don't worry if you don't make it back in time. Any time all evening is fine."

It is a great hotel!

Thank you for your recommendation! The Rex is now at the top of our list. If anyone has other recommendations, we would love to know!

I've stayed at the Monaco twice, most recently this past May, and really liked it.

We have just stayed at the Hotel Monaco and absolutely loved it. The hotel itself was stunning and the food in Cafe Grande excellent. The location too was spot on and we did not find it proximity to the Tenderloin an issue.

The only downside, if you are looking for one, was the room size was smaller than any other we encountered during our trip to the States.

We also visited the hotel Adagio duing our trip. It was located just across the road from the Monaco and we ventured there for dinner one evening. The food was delicious and the hotels common areas were beautiful.for me I would go with the one in which you can get the best deal.

Have a great time.

I know Rex by location only - prime and safe.

I cannot help but add that when we stayed last at the Rex, there was a "woman of a certain age" (which of course always means older than me no matter how the years are flying!) who was having dinner at the library bar. While I was waiting for my glass of wine, it became known that she was from the neighborhood and eats there frequently. I can imagine how lovely that must be for her in the cozy and charming atmosphere of the place.

A pair of newlyweds were also seated at the bar and the bartender had just made the young woman a chocolate martini. I remarked on how interesting it looked and before I knew it, there was a small glass of chocolate liquid in front of me. The bartender had emptied the last little bit from the shaker and wanted me to taste it. The young woman looked over at me, smiled, and said, "That is how I got introduced to them last night!"

It was just such a lovely time there. As I said, I love this hotel!

We enjoyed our stay at the Adiago. We got a good rate and thought it was in a good location to get around SF.