I have looked on past postings and wanted some fresher ideas...

Where is the best hotel in SF? Cost...around $250 per night. Location to be in Union Square. Looking for a nice place.

ttt

Try the Westin St. Francis right on Union Square. Great location. One tower is still older with beautiful furnishings. The other tower is newer with modern furnishings - but just as nice.

Sir Francis Drake.

Thanks. I will look at it. We need a pool too...

They don't have a pool and they are Kimpton Hotel now (BTW that is a nice chain)

wait...maybe they always were a Kimpton.

Sir Francis Drake is a Kimpton although I read late last year that it was being sold to some other company but that Kimpton would continue to manage it. If you are thinking about reserving a room there ask if any renovations or remodeling is going on during your stay because the same article said that was going to take place.

St. Francis Hotel is a Weston Hotel I believe.

St. Francis is a Westin with a great location (directly across from Union Square) and mediocre and at times testy, service. I am a Starwood Preferred member, and it's at the lower end of the service chain, though it's pretty. Seems as though the rack rate for our room in the fall was more than $250/night, though it pays to shop.
Enjoy the city. Truly world class.

We live an hour from San Francisco and have season theatre tickets. We always make a weekend of it.

In your price range, I would google these hotels..the Hyatt Regency in the Embarcadero area, the Fairmont on Nob Hill, the Grand Hyatt on Union Square, the Westin St. Francis on Union Square,the Hotel Monaco in the theatre district, the Hotel Nikko, near Union Square, the Argent Hotel, near the Embarcadero.

The Mandarin Oriental and the Mark Hopkins are great, but out of your price range.

I don't consider the Sir Francis Drake an upscale hotel. It is venerable and has a lovely lobby but the rooms are small and have not been kept up to date.

All that said, my very favorite hotel is the Pan Pacific, two blocks from Union square, with an immense gorgeous lobby, a glass elevator, large rooms and marble bathrooms to die over. AAA rates start at over $300, but there are sometimes specials.

Go to hotelres.com and see what deals you can make on any of these hotels. This is a San Francisco Reservations site. It offers discounts but does not require payment up fron (except for a deposit) unless you choose "super saver" rates...read the fine print. Look for "packages", especially of you have a car. (DONT have a car..parking is outrageous.) You make a reservation through them, and then it is treated as if you made it through the hotel. You follow the hotel's own cancellation policy, for example.

Try it, you'll like it. And Good Luck.

I love the St. Francis..old world charm and I have never had a bad stay there. I do prefer the tower over the Historic wing...Paid $80 a night from Hotwire 2 years ago...Expedia we paid $179 in September.. I don't know if they have a pool...
Best Bar in SF is right across the street called Lefty O'Doul's.. Local favorite and the piano bar is so old school...Classic!
Fairmont Hotel is lovely as well..
Stanford Court too.

I too like the Pan Pacific hotel which is in your budget range. The Nikko and the Palace are also pretty nice. The tower rooms in the Westin St. Francis are ok. Grand Hyatt, Fairmont and Marriott are all ok. Do not care for the Hyatt in the Embarcadaro or the Mark Hopkins. Have not stayed in any other hotels near Union Sq in your price range. Best hotels are the Four Seasons, Ritz and Mandarin in my opinion. These hotels are not in your price range.

Thanks for all the info. I am keeping on looking. Not sure what hotel still. I do know that I want to stay in Union Square.

I have reservations at the Orchard, Hotel Nikko and the Hotel Monoco.

What are some thoughts on these hotels? Which one would you recommend and why?

RE: the pool. Do SF hotels have pools?? It's only pool weather for maybe two weeks out of year, if that. Is it common for hotels in SF to have indoor pools? Just curious, I here and don't stay in the hotels so I have no idea.

I have opted for NO POOL....my mom wil have to deal with it.

That's good, as I think you wouldn't find many pools in the downtown area.

I think the Holiday Inn Financial District has a pool. The Nikko has an indoor pool on the top floor, enclosed and very nice. We do like the Nikko, by the way. Just haven't been able to get very good deals lately. It used to be our "hotel of choice".

I have loved the Donatello near Union Sq. Small, elegant and near everything.

Yes, there just aren't many Union Square area hotels with pools.