Hi! My husband and I need a hotel recommendations for three nights in San Francisco. I'm nervous because I've read lots of bad hotel reviews on TripAdvisor, etc. We're looking for something that meets these requirements:

1. Safe area: I've heard that some areas around the Union Square can be seedy or unsafe.

2. Easy access to transportation: Since we won't have a car, we need a base that's close to transportation and/or walking distance to typical tourist attractions. (at the very end of our trip, we are renting a car to head up north, but won't need that until we check out, so a bonus would be a hotel that's close to a Hertz, Avis, etc.)

3. Budget!: We'd prefer to spend money on good food and wine rather than fancy hotels. Clean and simple is fine. Looking to spend $130-$160 per night.

I've also looked at the Cow Hollow area since it seems safe and inexpensive, but I've been told that without a car, it's not very convenient. Is this accurate?

Here are a few places I've been looking at:

* Monticello Inn
* Layne Hotel
* ???

Thoughts, please?

I stayed at the Galleria Park a few weeks ago and really liked it. My sister was there with her family and they liked it too. They paid $99 for a double room (Travelzoo) and I booked the hotel's internet special for $135.

The rooms are on the small side but newly decorated and quite stylish. They have a wine hour for guests every evening. The staff is very nice.

The location is very convenient ---2.5 blocks from the Montgomersry Street BART station (I took BART from the airport). It is about 3 blocks east of Union Square, toward the Embarcadero. Close enough to the action of Union Square if you want that, but much quieter. It felt very safe.

The hotel recommended by Enzian is on the "good side" of Union Square.

With your price requirements, I'd seriously check out Priceline.

Enzian, thanks for the recommendation. I have looked into it and right now it's pretty pricey but will keep an eye on it.

Anyone have any comments on The Cartwright (Sutter St.)? Right now they are undergoing some construction, which should be complete by the time we arrive, and they have very good rates and pretty good reviews. Thoughts?

dmlove....

What is the "bad side" of union square? I'm thinking of using priceline with the East Union square, Embarcadero area option. Could we get stuck in a bad area with that choice? Any recommendation on how to work the system with priceline?

We really liked the Hotel Rex, a Joie de Vivre property, in Union Square.

http://www.jdvhotels.com/rex/?cid=gl_rex

It is a charming boutique-type hotel, with excellent front desk service, located well for public transportation and walking. I think it's about $200/night, so I hope that's not too high. Wine reception at night, nice cafe next door for breakfast (I think it's still there).

Just checked the Joie de Vivre site, and it says Hotel Rex starts at $189. Also, check out their other lovely little hotels. It is a well-managed 'chain' of boutique hotels.

Galleria Park is a Joie de Vivre hotel as well.

The website says starting at $209 for weekends, but the internet special is lower than that,if your dates fit. But you need an access code for the internet special and I can't find it!!!

Have you checked the specials running on www.travelzoo.com? We found a great deal on the Harbor Court (a Kimpton Hotel, near the Embarcadero) last year for $130/night, harbor view.

There is no bad side of Union Square, the seedy area is the Tenderloin, several blocks west and south of Union Square. However, Priceline's Union Square West includes some borderline blocks of the 'Loin. But it also includes the top of Nob Hill, where some of the poshest hotels in the city are.

Priceline's Union Square East/Embarcadero includes a large area, most of which is neither "Union Square" nor "Embarcadero". This includes the Financial District, South of Market, parts of Chinatown.

If you bid 3 stars or above, I doubt

Sequoia, can you finish your last sentence (I'm curious as to what you were going to say)?

Thanks all for the advice. I found a really great "renovation rate" for the Cartwright on Sutter St. which got decent reviews on TripAdvisor (yes, small rooms but good location and nice staff). Unless there are objections, I think I'll go with that.

If anyone has any other good Southern California knowledge, please check out my post for Santa Monica hotel recommendations. We are staying in LA at the very tail end of this trip and I need help with best area to stay in as we are attending a game at the Coliseum that weekend.

THANK YOU ALL!

I have never seen anything seedy about Union Square.
Sir Francis Drake Hotel is reasonably priced and was clean and comfortable when we stayed there several years ago.

There is nothing seedy about Union Square (now; you should have seen it just a few years ago - you would NOT have walked across the square itselfd, period). The problem is the Priceline Union Square West designation includes parts of the Tenderloin.

I received an e-mail today from the Kimpton hotel group re their Summer special starting at $99/night for the Serrano Hotel near Union Square, and many others on sale w/in your budget.

Another good place to try is travelzoo.com, which has great specials. Right now, they have the new Intercontinental Hotel for $129/night. However, it's in the SOMA area so it appears to be not as convenient to tourist attractions as a Union Square area hotel.

We are going to San Francisco and Sonoma starting this Saturday so I've been looking at the different sites a bunch.

The Serrano Hotel, while it is across Taylor Street from the Hilton, is not in an especially nice area.

I believe the Serrano hotel is near a not especially nice area, the Tenderloin, not in the bad neighborhood.

Really dmlove, I have never ever felt uncomfortable walking through Union Square or anywhere around the Union Square area ever, even when I have stayed in SF by myself.

The Kimpton Hotel does have a summer special leeni.

Here is the info I received via email today.

http://www.kimptonhotels.com/promo_s...x#SanFrancisco

LoveItaly, I'm surprised, because until they redid the square a few years ago, I found it very uncomfortable; probably not dangerous, but not pleasant either.