I am going to SF Apr. 20 - 23. Need help on the hotel selection. Has anyone stayed or has an opinion on Renoir Hotel or Hotel Valencia. Location, rooms, etc.?
Thank you,
Alex.

I am unfamiliar with those two hotels, but having worked on a project that took me to SF monthly for 3 years, I found the Chancellor Hotel on Union Square to be perfect. It's affordable, right on the cable car line and definitely central to Chinatown, Union Square shopping and dining, etc.

It is a smallish older "European-style" hotel with small, slow elevators, but the rooms are large and quite nice.

If you do decide to stay there, go across the street to the Holiday Inn and have a cocktail at their rooftop lounge to watch the fog roll in in the afternoon. The view is spectacular.

Alex, I don't know either hotel but if you give us an address maybe we could advise as to location. You need to be cautious sometimes in SF as the neighborhoods can go from charming to seedy very quickly. Also, check on sfgate.com for hotel recommendations.

I live in San Francisco, so I can't tell you about the rooms. However, I can give you some help on the locations of the hotel.

The Renoir Hotel is located on 45 McAllister Street, very close to the Civic Center area. I would not recommend that area if you plan on going out at night. There are many transients who hang out in the Civic Center area. City Hall is close by, and quite beautiful (it's been completely renovated). However, it's only open during the day. The other major attractions nearby are the War Memorial Opera House, Davies Symphony Hall, and the Main Library. The shopping district is about four to five long blocks away from this hotel.

I checked the phone book and called the operator, but there is no listing for a Hotel Valencia or Valencia Hotel. There is a Hotel Verona. Can you check the name of the hotel and give me the address? I'll give you some feedback.

I absolutely agree that you should avoid a hotel in the Civic Center area. I was booked into one there by my company travel office and could barely get a cab out. Walking at night was definitely unpleasant and there were no places to dine nearby.

Alex:
I recently stayed at The Inn at Union Square and absolutely loved it. It's across the street from the big and noisy St. Francis, but a world apart--in both quality and class.
440 Post
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Several excelletn restaurants (Farallon, et al) are in easy walking distance and, yes, it's safe to walk around this area at night.

Another vote for the Chancellor. We stayed there in 98 and were very satisfied...Would do it again.

Another vote for the Chancellor. The rooms are all for two, however, so it's not a place to go with kids. You didn't say in your post how many would be traveling. The staff was quite nice and the location at the top of the Union Square area is good.

We attend SFS concerts as well as opera performances every year. There are many wonderful little restaurants in the Civic Center area--some are my favorites in all of SF. That said, I don't think I would stay in that area. While it's perfectly safe to walk up and down Van Ness, the heart of after dark SF is over at Union Square. Be aware that you will see our homeless people in Union Square as well, but relax--they don't bite! San Francisco is a city, not Disneyland!

I would go with Hotel Valencia

I use a great website. www.hotelres.com I just booked the Donatello for four nights at 119/night! I have been using this web site for 5 months now and have loved it! Give it a shot and let me know
JOHN

The Donatello at $119/night is a great price. Perhaps you should look at the website. This hotel as well as the Chancellor are in great locations. Understand that there are few bargains in pricey San Francisco.

Thank you very much to all for the info. I ended up booking Hilton and Towers for $129/night. I am also thinking about St. Francis Drake at $145/night. Any thoughts if it worth $15 extra.
Thank you,
Alex.

The Hilton is on the edge of a rather seedy area, but if you turn the correct way and head to Union Square, it's fine. Inside it's a Hilton--big, big, big. The Sir Francis Drake is a very old hotel on Powell a couple blocks uphill from Union Square. It was totally redone a couple years ago and was everybody's favorite medium priced hotel for a while. I rarely stay overnight in the city, so have not stayed there for 30 years--no information since renovation. I would say it's in a slightly better location than the Hilton, but only you can determine if that's worth $15/night. If you are willing to pay $145, have you checked what you could get at the Inn at Union Square or the White Swan Inn. Probably more, but worth a check.

Does anyone have any current information about the Serrano Hotel in Union Square? Thank you.