16 Best Hotels in San Francisco, California

Travelers looking for charming accommodations around Union Square will enjoy this four-story Edwardian building with bay windows, an original birdcage elevator, hallways lined with historical photographs, and rooms decorated with antiques, wicker pieces, and Laura Ashley bedding and curtains. Only 14 rooms have private baths, some with claw-foot tubs, but every guest can enjoy the afternoon tea and homemade cookies served in the cozy parlor. Breakfast is served down the block at the Cornell Hotel de France.

The nautically themed Argonaut's guest rooms have exposed-brick walls, wood-beam ceilings, and best of all, waterfront rooms windows that open to enjoy Alcatraz and Golden Gate Bridge views. It's easy to relax here, far from the downtown bustle, with in-room yoga kits, fire pits outside, and some rooms have ultra-comfortable plush chaise-style lounge chairs. The building is part of the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, whose visitor center is next door to the lobby.

Fancy moldings and 10-foot-tall windows grace the red-carpeted lobby of this brick Victorian listed on the National Register of Historic Places that has rooms of varying size and setup. Rooms have dark-wood antique-reproduction furniture; standard rooms can feel cramped, but the suites and junior suites are more spacious and have different kinds of kitchen facilities. All suites have a bidet in the bathroom and whirlpool bathtubs. The generous breakfast baskets have a good variety of offerings, and afternoon tea and wine are served beneath a crystal chandelier in the lobby.

Close to Chinatown and Fisherman's Wharf, this affordable lodging with basic rooms decked out with oversize pillows, earth-toned bedding, and large flat-screen TVs is a great pick if you brought your family and have a car to park. Big windows offer the occasional glimpse of downtown, cable cars ding by outside, and a helpful staff and free parking and Wi-Fi add to the allure. Off-season rates are a steal.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

A breath of fresh air in touristy Fisherman's Wharf, the popular and approachable boutique hotel chain is hands down the leading hotel option for travelers on the waterfront between the Presidio and the downtown area. Like at every Kimpton hotel, there are plenty of winning amenities like the evening wine hour, no pet fees, in-room yoga mats, and loaner bikes that are perfect for journeys along the Embarcadero. Unlike many of its peers, there are extensive in-room spa offerings, rotating contemporary art exhibitions in the public spaces, and even Victrola record players in each room for enjoying tunes before bed. Guest rooms are a pleasant mix of functional and artistic with mostly white walls, colorful work desk chairs, navy blue carpets, and Frette linens.

With minimalist design and a nod to Zen serenity, this updated and rebranded Kimpton property named for the Zen circle of togetherness welcomes guests into its elegant lobby, lighted by fixtures reminiscent of Japanese lanterns and decorated with plants and a table made of reclaimed Japanese whiskey barrels. Spacious guest rooms are done in blond wood and neutral tones with blue and green accents, a nod to Japanese sensibilities and the natural world. Beds are plush and comfy, and bathrooms have green ceramic tiles and Atelier Bloom bath products.

The blue-and-tan facade of this boutique Hyatt property, punctuated on two sides by garage entrances, hints at its 1963 motor-inn origins, yet the spacious rooms feel modern. Some rooms have fold-out sofas, and 18 rooms have kitchenettes. Accommodations in the rear have cityscape views and tend to be quieter. Guests can purchase discount day passes to the extensive exercise facilities at the Jewish Community Center across the street, and diverse shops and restaurants are one block away on Sacramento Street. Other perks include complimentary Wi-Fi, coffee, tea, and afternoon cookies. Laureate Bar & Lounge is a nightlife destination in its own right, with stylish mid-century furnishings, a fireplace with floor-to-ceiling terrazzo, and bartenders slinging creative cocktails.

Bougainvillea, fuchsia, and other foliage—real and trompe l'oeil—add color and verve to this 1939 motor court operated by the granddaughters of the original owners, creating a magical mood when everything's in bloom and hummingbirds flit through the quiet courtyard. All the rooms have French country-style furnishings, thick windows, spotless baths, and small shower stalls; 17 units have full kitchens with eating areas. Street noise can be heard in the accommodations along Lombard Street whose bedrooms don't face the courtyard, but most rooms are off the street. The enclosed garages underneath the units are a boon in a neighborhood notorious for its paucity of street parking.

Business travelers appreciate the 30-floor Marriott's easily accessible plugs, movable desks, ergonomic chairs, and laptop connectors to flat-screen TVs—and its prime location near shopping, restaurants, nightspots, and public transportation. Some rooms have views of the bay, city lights, and Union Square. Guests are encouraged to bring their laptops or newspapers to the Great Room lobby where you can sit on autumn-hued couches at the picture windows and watch the cable cars go by.

Utilizing quintessential California landscaping standards like redwoods, bougainvilleas, and palms sets this well-maintained inn's exterior apart from its peers. Paintings of retro California postcards enliven the otherwise smallish quarters, each with a work desk, wingback chairs, and tiled baths with showers. The on-site Terrace Cafe serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and the subterranean lounge features a wall of windows that peek into the depths of the outdoor swimming pool. Other perks include an airport shuttle, Continental breakfast, a hot tub, an exercise room, laundry facilities, and free Wi-Fi and parking.

This 1930s art-deco motel lures families, dog lovers, surfers, and locals wanting to escape the hustle of the city and retreat to these quiet, spacious, wood-paneled rooms in the Outer Sunset neighborhood. The retro exterior hugs two landscaped courtyards, one with a Monterey pine and the other with a wooden play structure. Interiors are simple, though many units offer kitchens with sitting areas. The enclosed hot tub, free parking and Wi-Fi, and proximity to Muni and the San Francisco Zoo up the ante.