94 Best Hotels in San Francisco, California

A Tuscan-theme Wyndham owners' club and boutique hotel may hardly be a traditional San Francisco arrangement, but it's the setup for one of the prime Union Square places to stay for luxury without grande-dame prices or pomp and circumstance. Nonresident hotel guests enjoy all the perks of residents, including access to the lounge with its stunning views and to the excellent fitness center with plenty of workout equipment and saunas.

Located in the former Ghirardelli chocolate factory, these one- to three-bedroom residences deliver elevated comfort and style, with fully equipped gourmet kitchens, brick walls, plush bedding, in-room laundry facilities, fireplaces, and well-appointed contemporary design furnishings. Most rooms have views of Alcatraz and the bay. These are undoubtedly some of the city's most spacious rooms, which make it an excellent upscale choice for families or those working remotely. While there is no on-site restaurant, there are many options within Ghiradelli Square, and butler delivery service is offered for guests to enjoy food from McCormick & Kuleto's in their suites. A wine and cheese reception is also offered each Monday and Friday.

Dominating the top of Nob Hill like a European palace, the Fairmont indulges guests in luxury: rooms in the main building, adorned in muted earth tones with sapphire blue accents, have high ceilings, decadent beds, and marble bathrooms, while rooms in the newer Tower, many with fine views, have a neutral color palette with bright-silver notes. Architect Julia Morgan's timeless 1907 lobby design includes alabaster walls and gilt-embellished ceilings supported by Corinthian columns. Amenities and special services—like free chicken soup if you're under the weather—keep guests coming back. Don't miss drinks at the Tonga Room, an over-the-top tiki lounge serving tropical cocktails. It's also a winter wonderland during the holiday season, with a giant gingerbread house anchoring the lobby each December.

Each luxurious room at the city's second Four Seasons has spectacular city and bay views; the hotel occupies the top 11 floors in two wings connected by a glass skybridge atop one of San Francisco's tallest and most recognizable buildings. There are touches of San Francisco history throughout the chic, wonderfully appointed guest rooms—headboard reading lights inspired by the city's streetcars; gold wall coverings in the terrace suites—and guests can rely on all the usual Four Seasons pampering with a spiffy fitness center, spacious rooms at all levels, cotton bathrobes and slippers, massive flat-screen TVs, and deep soaking tubs in most of the bathrooms.

At the edge of the FiDi and Union Square areas, this boutique hotel manages to be both hip and welcoming, with modern touches on historical bones and cozy guest rooms with all the technological amenities modern travelers require. Guests lounge in the lobby by the hotel’s pièce de résistance, a massive, hand-sculpted art-nouveau fireplace that looks like it leaped out of a fairy tale. For guests visiting on business or working remotely, the marble-topped desks with ergonomic chairs (and the Illy espresso machine for caffeine) are a big plus.

Location is the main draw at this hotel, where rooms done in warm autumnal tones, with textured custom furniture, original artwork, and teak beds, are showing their age but still offer high-tech features: windows can be blacked out from your bed, and you can stream from your mobile or other device to a swiveling flat-screen. Business travelers appreciate the good-size workstations and large closets in many rooms, while down in the light-filled lobby, gas fireplaces warm homey nooks.

This Spanish Colonial Revival–style hotel has nice touches that enliven the guest quarters, including 42-inch high-definition TVs, quirky mathematical wall clocks, ultra-comfortable beds, blackout shades to keep out the direct sunrise light, high-quality Malin + Goetz bathroom products, and the convenience of being attached to the Ozumo sushi restaurant. The ubiquitous amenity fee includes evening wine, continental breakfast, loaner bikes, and access to the excellent adjacent YMCA fitness facilities.

Business travelers patronize this centrally located Hilton for its airy guest rooms and large work desks with an ergonomic chair. But even in high season, the weekend rates drop significantly, luring leisure travelers who will appreciate the giant TVs, chaise lounge, and blackout curtains. The third-floor Sky Bridge over Kearny Street connects this giant hotel with Chinatown's Portsmouth Square, and the Financial District and North Beach are steps away. Constructed in the early 1970s, the Hilton is nothing to look at but occupies a plot of land whose history dates back to gold-rush days.

This is the largest hotel in California—sometimes the lobby feels like downtown at rush hour—and many rooms in the silvery tower enjoy views that rank among San Francisco's finest. The rooms have sleek earth-tone furnishings and soundproof windows; some of the bathrooms have glass shower stalls. The hotel borders the sometimes-dicey Tenderloin area, but the 46th-floor Cityscape lounge offers panoramic views and good cocktails, so you should stay in at least one night.

Near Union Square shops, theaters, and restaurants, this appealing hotel has small but tastefully appointed rooms with smart TVs, device docking stations, comfortable bedding, and fancy bath products. The lobby's fireplace and warm wood and stainless-steel accents lend a modern feel.

The Spanish-colonial facade of this 16-story theater-row hotel complements its chic interior with good-size rooms that have beautiful sea-blue carpets and plenty of tech amenities. Half the rooms have city views, and two penthouse suites have terraces overlooking the neighborhood. Behind a geometric wall of mirrors and glass bottles is the popular lobby bar, the Mortimer. Additional amenities include large HD flat-screen TVs and docking stations with good sound.

Located in the heart of North Beach, this small hotel takes you back in time with cast-iron beds, large mirrored armoires, and memorabilia recalling the Beat generation—whose leading light, Allen Ginsberg, often stayed here (legend has it that in his later years he could be seen sitting in a window, typing away). Rooms have a bistro table and two chairs; bathrooms have cheerful yellow tiles and small showers.

The Castro has been waiting for this 12-room hotel, designed for travelers who appreciate smart design and embrace self-service. There’s no staff on-site—upon reserving, guests receive simple instructions for accessing the building, followed by a code for the front door, elevator, and room just before check-in. The five-story property is close enough to the action to be convenient and just far enough away to blend in with this lovely residential area. Done in crisp whites with colorful splashes, the small rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows, a terrace, and clever details that maximize space (like under-the-bed luggage compartments and drawers) and Nespresso machines. In place of headboards, rooms have murals made up of tiny photographs of LGBTQ+ life that together form images of gay icons. Snug bathrooms have black fixtures and blue hexagonal tiles in cool designs; the marble-top sink is in the sleeping area. The hotel’s Lobby Bar next door and a rooftop lounge with fire pit overlooking the neighborhood add hangout spaces.

This rejuvenated, beach-theme 1950s motor lodge with nicely appointed rooms and a fun, heated outdoor pool is all alone in a higher, hipper class of Cow Hollow/Marina boutique hotels. Blown-glass bedside lamps, a bright orange accent wall, and tufted white and silver headboards set an effervescent mood in the guest rooms. The Del Sol is nicely situated halfway between Union Street and Chestnut Street, with easy walking access to both.

Inspiration is everywhere at this intimate hotel, with a prominent literary theme that celebrates San Francisco’s Beat poets, from its lobby wall of books and poetry-laced carpet to in-room libraries and typewriters. Ranging from spacious to smallish, rooms are smartly decorated with gray carpets and splashes of color; some overlook the street, others the tree-filled courtyard. Photos of Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac preside over the lobby Obscenity Bar and Lounge, and a small café offers breakfast, snacks, and coffee. The Union Square location is hard to beat.

Both homey and innovative, the Hotel G has tiled lobby floors, large windows, and high ceilings (giving even the smallish standard rooms an airy feel) that pay homage to the building's century-plus history, while smart TVs, Bluetooth radios, Nespresso machines, and Wi-Fi keep it firmly in the present. Rooms have woven Indian rugs, denim headboards, black-and-white wallpapered closets, floating light fixtures, and throw pillows shaped like the Golden State. The on-site gym is well equipped and open 24 hours.

Fans of Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo will want to grab a room---specifically room 401---at this remodeled and rebranded hotel on the edge of Lower Nob Hill, where Kim Novak's Carlotta lived. The character's face in a tile mosaic overlooks the lobby, and the view up the stairwell invokes the movie's title. Comfortable, good-size rooms in restful blues and grays with a splash of gold come with amenities like Keurig coffeemakers and robes. The lobby bar/restaurant Carlotta's (of course) offers waffles and breakfast sandwiches in the morning and cocktails and light fare in the evening.

Opened in 1902, the five-story Majestic is the city's oldest continually operating hotel; its elegant lobby is a graceful haven of antique chandeliers, plush Victorian chairs, antiquarian French books, and Edwardian architecture. Rooms are just as noteworthy for their early-20th-century design, featuring pillow-top beds with soft duvet covers as well as claw-foot tubs and other period touches. Modern notes include flat-screen televisions in each room and complimentary Wi-Fi. The hotel, which survived both of San Francisco's major 20th-century earthquakes, is said to have a friendly ghost. At the Butterfly Lounge, you can peruse the collection of exotic butterflies over a glass of wine or a specialty cocktail.

Known for impeccable service and satin-smooth style, this youngish grande dame takes its visual cues from traditional kimonos and Japanese calligraphy, with rooms that soothe upscale business and leisure travelers with muted colors offset by judicious splashes of stronger hues. Rooms have smart TVs and other high-tech amenities, and deep soaking tubs and oversize showers in the marble bathrooms. The 10,000-square-foot Club Nikko fitness facility has dry saunas and steam rooms and a glass-enclosed, 16-meter rooftop pool.

A high-style haven on the top five floors of the green-tiled Pacific Building, the Zelos offers an upscale-hip oasis above the busiest part of town, with spacious rooms decked out with modern art pieces, eye-catching textured carpeting, and sleek furniture echoing a 1930s sensibility. The hotel's softly lighted lounge area with plush sofas gives way to the Dirty Habit restaurant and bar, renowned for its outdoor patio and creative menu. Additional amenities include a 24-hour fitness center, luxury bath products, and a spacious desk for in-room working.

Directly facing Alcatraz with (mostly) unobstructed bay and island vistas on one side, this Fisherman's Wharf hotel pays tribute to San Francisco's shipyard past and features an impressive outdoor courtyard playground with firepits, giant interactive games, and a periscope, along with a large indoor game room. The lobby has vibrant 3D art and makes use of metal shipping containers as walls and street signs as chairs. Some rooms have portholes framing Alcatraz, and the most premium water-facing rooms have balconies.

With a playful lobby lounge, London-style brasserie The Cavalier, and slick-yet-homey tech-friendly rooms, this trendy spot behind a stately 1913 neoclassical facade is a leader on the SoMa hotel scene. The location, near most SoMA museums, restaurants, and attractions, is a major plus (though its immediate area can be dicey at times). The lobby is outfitted with all sorts of reclaimed materials and the S&R Lounge, and the fun continues in a game room with a pool table and shuffleboard. Room amenities include smart TVs, a Bluetooth docking station, pillow-top beds with tufted leather headboards, and a quirky central photograph made of floppy disks. 

A little removed from the heart of the wharf area craziness, this smart-looking boutique hotel with guest-room interiors inspired by luxury Mediterranean yachts aims for subtle contemporary elegance in the form of lightly stained woods and soft-brown and golden fabrics and walls. The rooms facing the courtyard are quieter than street-side ones but lack bay views. The on-site Italian restaurant Pescatore serves family-friendly breakfast and dinner, and the daily s'mores offered by the hotel are arguably the most popular amenity.

This perfectly located property near the Ferry Building has a dramatic 17-story atrium lobby that starred in several 1970s flicks, most notably the disaster epic The Towering Inferno, and is worth seeing even for nonguests. All the guest rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows revealing city or bay views, and many have balconies. While the public spaces are gorgeous, the actual room design is a bit of the typical generic urban business traveler-centric hotel style, with charcoal-colored carpets, plain white walls in suites (newly renovated standard rooms have splashes of blue and wood elements), and some gentle contemporary art on the wall (some of which features San Francisco landmarks). It's definitely a larger, busy hotel geared towards conventions and big events, but also manages to feel a bit charming.

Soaring 36 stories, this Hyatt anchors one of the most prominent areas in the city, between Market Street, Moscone Center, and SFMOMA. An extensive renovation and redesign during the COVID-19 pandemic has given a renewed sense of energy to one of the longtime anchor business hotels of the neighborhood. All guest rooms have large smart TVs, locally-produced Pharmacopia bath products, sleek white walls with artistic black-and-white photographs of the city, plenty of sunlight, and nicely sized bathrooms. Most rooms have striking city views. Blackout curtains help convention-goers get quality sleep before the next day's talks.

Within walking distance of Davies Symphony Hall and the War Memorial Opera House, this inn with small rooms with dark wood furnishings caters to season-ticket holders for the opera, ballet, and symphony; it's also been the choice for stars from Luciano Pavarotti to Mikhail Baryshnikov. The marble-floor lobby resembles the foyer of a finely appointed mansion, and nice touches in the guest quarters include queen-size pillow-top mattresses, flat-screen TVs, and terry robes.

Built in 1922 and smartly updated, this six-story inn is strictly 21st century, with amenities that include high-quality bath products, soft robes, free high-speed Wi-Fi (included in the daily $20 amenity fee), and in-room service tablets. Reasonably sized rooms done in soft beige stripes and furnished with Beautyrest beds and padded headboards provide a retreat from the Union Square hustle, and bathrooms have Carrara-marble tiling.

For decades this Italianate Victorian mansion decked out in ornate poster beds, opulent area rugs, and precious Victorian artifacts has welcomed visitors to the Mission District. Guest quarters range from cozy (yes, that means small) to spacious enough to fit a family (in the garden cottage), and all guests have access to a generous buffet breakfast and a hot tub—great for chilly nights, although this inn is located in the warmest slice of San Francisco.

The circular redbrick drive of this towering 1926 architectural landmark leads to an opulent, mirrored, marble-floor lobby that's the gateway to luxurious rooms aglow with gold, cream, and yellow tones. Rooms on the upper floors have views of either the Golden Gate Bridge or the downtown cityscape; bathrooms throughout are lined with multicolor Italian marble. The rooftop lounge, the Top of the Mark, serves a lovely array of classic cocktails in the evening, but the real star is the breathtaking, nearly 360-degree city view that can also be enjoyed during an elaborate Sunday brunch.  The hotel oozes with history. Stroll around and learn about the rich past of San Francisco's Big Four railroad barons, including Mark Hopkins (Central Pacific Railroad).

The arctic-blue glass exterior and Zen-like lobby may mimic an airport concourse, but it's merely a prelude to generally expansive, nicely thought-out guest rooms supplied with all the ultramodern tech conveniences sophisticated travelers expect and striking floor-to-ceiling windows. The hotel lies within shouting distance of the Moscone Center, so its business is geared toward the convention and corporate crowd, which sometimes results in lower weekend rates. Bar 888 specializes in craft cocktails, and Luce Restaurant, one of the grandest dining settings in the city, has earned recognition for its inventive modern cuisine and inspired wine list.