Go Back  Fodor's Travel Talk Forums > Destinations > United States
Reload this Page >

SF- Cow Hollow Motor Inn vs/ Columbus Motor Inn

SF- Cow Hollow Motor Inn vs/ Columbus Motor Inn

Old Mar 5th, 2004, 02:46 AM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
SF- Cow Hollow Motor Inn vs/ Columbus Motor Inn

Travelling in August with our 2 daughters (12 & 14 )to San Francisco. Need help deciding on those 2 hotels. Are they both nice and good located ?
nota is offline  
Old Mar 5th, 2004, 04:09 AM
  #2  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 76
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
These are both nice properties with a good,safe location. Columbus Motor Inn is in the Marina and Cow Hollow Motor Inn is, in well, Cow Hollow as the name suggests. The free parking is a big plus.
Lake is offline  
Old Mar 5th, 2004, 05:52 AM
  #3  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,749
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I think Lake is a little confused. The Columbus Motor Inn is not in the Marina but is on the edge of Little Italy, and close to Fisherman's Wharf on Columbus Ave. Cow Hollow Motor Inn is on Lombard in what is called Cow Hollow, which is adjacent to the Marina District, in fact most people include that part of Cow Hollow as being part of the "Marina".
Both places are owned by the same parent company and are very similar. Fairly spacious rooms. Nothing fancy, but nice, and as Lake says, the free indoor parking is a big bonus for both. Your decision would depend on the location you'd prefer. I personally think the Cow Hollow one is a little more of a "neighborhood", but you won't go wrong with either.
Patrick is offline  
Old Mar 5th, 2004, 12:57 PM
  #4  
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 108
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Actually the Columbus Motor Inn is on the edge of North Beach; Little Italy is in NYC. No biggie...

If you are considering the Cow Hollow Motor Inn you should also check out the Coventry Motor Inn two block away also on Lombard. I don't know if they are part of the same parent company, but they are virtually identical from the outside. If you choose to stay on Lombard St. you should make sure the room is well sound insulated. I drive on that street everyday and you need to know there are six lanes of traffic (it is really HW 101). That being said, the location is perfect to explore Chestnut, Union and Fillmore shopping/restaurant streets and you can easily walk to the recently restored Crissy Field area (the promenade between the bridge and the yacht club is spectacular). By the way, there are no steep hills in this part of the city.

You might also consider the Hotel Del Sol, which is located off Lombard on Webster Street (it's really a motel). It may be a little quieter over there and your daughters may think it's a cool place; it's definitely different.

Have fun inthe The City.
BelTib is offline  
Old Mar 5th, 2004, 01:24 PM
  #5  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,749
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
OK, forgive me. I thought that Lake was a bit confused. The same company also has the Chelsea and the Coventry Motor Inns which are both in or near the Marina, so when I looked at their web site to double check THEY say they are on "the edge of North Beach, San Francisco's Little Italy". I just used that phrase when I posted.

You can go to www.cowhollowmotorinn.com and you can click onto sister properties and check all their properties for rates at one time. They are all pretty similar, with the exception of the beautiful large apartments called Cow Hollow Suites -- quite deluxe.
Patrick is offline  
Old Mar 5th, 2004, 02:55 PM
  #6  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 76
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
You tell him BellTib,

There's no "Little Italy" in SF, I don't care what the website says.
Lake is offline  
Old Mar 5th, 2004, 03:03 PM
  #7  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,749
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I can't believe I didn't say North Beach which is what I always call it. Guess I got distracted by that blurb on their website.

But let's be honest here Lake, my saying it was on the edge of Little Italy, close to Fisherman's Wharf and on Columbus Avenue is a WHOLE LOT closer to fact than saying it is in the Marina!!!! Just shows we all make mistakes.
Patrick is offline  
Old Mar 5th, 2004, 03:18 PM
  #8  
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Posts: 13,480
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Columbus has one larger, family-size unit that might be available.
clarkgriswold is offline  
Old Mar 5th, 2004, 07:20 PM
  #9  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 17,106
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Here are the actual addresses:

Columbus Inn, 1075 Columbus Ave (between Francisco and Chestnut)

Cow Hollow Inn, 2190 Lombard Street (near Steiner)

Coventry Inn, 1901 Lombard Street
(near Buchanan)

Both Columbus and Lombard are major street. Ask for a quiet room.
easytraveler is offline  
Old Apr 10th, 2004, 01:22 PM
  #10  
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 164
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Haven't stayed anywhere but Cow Hollow, which I love. Won't say anywhere else in SF. Great restaurants nearby on Chestnut St. Ask for a room in the back if you don't like street noise.
roothy123 is offline  
Old Apr 10th, 2004, 01:56 PM
  #11  
 
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 236
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
As Easytraveler says, Lombard and Columbus are both major streets, but the difference is that Lombard is on the main route of the Golden Gate Transit buses which start pouring into the city, literally by the hundreds, very early in the morning from the Marin and Sonoma suburbs. Especially when gunning their motors, or deaccelerating when they first start to hit stoplights, they make quite a din.

I know this well from living on Lombard, and just a brief walk from the Cow Hollow Motor Inn, for ten years. If you are strongly susceptible to street noise (which I wasn't, but some of my guests were,) choose Columbus instead. There is traffic and there are Muni buses, but they are travelling more slowly on that block and are less noisy. (I know something about that block too since I often used to visit a girl friend who lived right next door to the Columbus Moter Inn.)

I also think that as a youing teenager I would have found the Columbus location more interesting, due to the nearness of Ghirardelli Square, Aquatic Park with its cable car turntable, great views of the Golden Gate and Alcatraz, North Beach with its distinctive Italian shops,coffeehouses and restaurants, and Russian Hill with its views, houses both magnificent and quaint, and unusual lanes and alleyways.

However, that is not to disagree that Marina/Cow Hollow is a delightful area, particularly for young to older adults. I must think so, since by choice I lived in the neighborhood longer than I've ever lived anywhere else.
johncharles is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
jroberts
United States
12
Aug 7th, 2006 05:14 PM
pewang
United States
6
Jun 26th, 2006 12:53 PM
TOMZ
United States
4
Mar 5th, 2004 07:45 PM
srq5000
United States
5
Aug 14th, 2003 05:01 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -