San Francisco Hotels
 

Booking last hotel on 2 week california trip. Our last stop is in San Francisco the first week of August. Any suggestions on hotels and which area to stay in. Friends of ours suggested staying in Fisherman's Wharf. Is that the place to be? Have it narrowed down to the Marriot in Fisherman's Wharf, Hyatt Fisherman's Wharf and the Sheraton. I think the hyatt and sheraton have outdoor pools, not sure about the marriot. Anyone with suggestions?

Alot depends on what you like to do...go out at night or lay on the bed watching tv? I am not that crazy about FW area. I much prefer Nob Hill, and many people prefer Union Square. Give us alittle more info on what you want out of the area you'll be staying in.

Remember, early August is in the middle of our foggy season. You will probably be wearing a sweat shirt more than swimming trunks. I think you won't be using the pool much (if any).

If you have a car, many Lombard St Motels offer free parking, and the area (Chestnut St & Union St) is definatly more interesting then Fisherman's Wharf (tacky, tacky, tacky).

Stu Dudley
San Mateo (San Fraicisco), Ca

I recently spent a Saturday night at the Argonaut Hotel, right next to the Cannery at Fisherman's Wharf, and we liked it very much. I know it had some sort of spa or health room that may have involved a pool, which we didn't need (too cold, as usual in SF), but our room was reasonable and pleasant. Also, they had a very interesting nautical museum on-site, as well as offering a welcome afternoon glass of wine by the fireplace in the lobby. (And yes, August in San Francisco can be quite chilly.) At the wharf, you are close to the Hyde Street cable car (which will take you toward Union Square, Chinatown, etc.) and many of the waterfront attractions worth visiting, such as the Liberty Ship Jeremiah O'Brien (restored to its forties spendor, including the steam engine used in the movie "Titanic" that is fired up on one steaming weekend each month; you can tour the ship when the engines aren't running any day), the Hyde Street Pier with its sailing ships, and the submarine Pampanito. You can check out the Argonaut on the web at http://www.argonauthotel.com/. I hope you have as much fun as we did.

I've stayed at the Marriot and the Sheraton. Both were fine, but the Marriot was nicer - more comfortable beds, nicer linens, and that sort of thing.

As far as the pool is concerned - as others have mentioned, it is likely to be foggy in August and not particularly good pool weather, so I wouldn't base my hotel choice on the pool unless I was planning on just using the pool for exercise.

Location-wise, the FW area is close to a lot of the tourist attractions, but not the nightlife and things like that. So whether it is good or not really depends on what you want to do.

We have two children 8 and 12 so I'd say nightlife really isn't going to be an issue. We're more interested with things to do in the day and sights to see. Also heard about a safari about an hour away. Anyone ever been there? Is it worth it?

There are so many seals hanging around that the city had rafts built out in the water for them to lull around on in the Fisherman's Wharf area (sort of seal crowd control). They are free to watch and just a hoot. The kids would love that. I also think ALcatraz is well worth the tour. Think the younger one is old enough to absorb the info. And of course it includes a boat ride!

There is a park across the street from the hotel we stay in. It's small, but very kid friendly. People gather for tai chi in the mornings. Grace Cathedral is also across the street. It is lovely and there are informal tours available. The cable car also comes by. All of this is Nob Hill area, which we love. We stay at the Huntington Hotel which has very roomy suites. The staff is great, and they have a car to run you to neaby locations. We turned in our rental car while there and the hotel took it back for us, then when we were ready to leave they took us back to rental agency to pick up another car. (Didn't need one while we were in SF).

I personally don't know anything about a safari but sounds interesting.

I think you must be talking about Safari West, which is in Santa Rosa, about an hour north of SF in Sonoma County. They have a private game reserve; you need reservations and it isn't cheap, but I've heard good things about it. Their web site is http://www.safariwest.com/

I just returned from several nights in San Francisco (business). I stayed at the Hyatt near Fishermans Wharf and the Palace in the financial district.

I prefer neither (even though both are fine hotels, particularly the historic & grandiose Palace). When I visit for pleasure, I stay in the Cow Hollow/Marina area, and it is the best in my opinion.

Our family stayed at the Argonaut last summmer-everyone was happy there. It was alittle too close to the Fisherman's Wharf area(it's at the end of all that) but that made it very convenient for doing the things we wanted to do. The hotel is quite nice and some good places to eat nearby.

We are staying at the stanford court rennassaince last week of March with two kids 10 and 12. I will report back when I return and let you know how we liked it.
There is no pool at this hotel. I believe the Marriott downtown has one. I figure this is a touring the city kind of trip so forget the pool. I understand the location of Nob Hill is a nice one. I believe it is a very nice area to stay and in the middle of things. I have bought the cable car passes so that is how we plan to get around.

I forgot to mention, the Hyatt at Fishermans Wharf has an outdoor pool and jacuzzi. The pool is in a center area, however, so I doubt it gets much sun.

(The Palace has a beautiful spa/pool, indoors.)