Hotels

Whether you want a room with a view or just a room, San Francisco is more than accommodating to its 15.7 million annual guests. Most of the city's 200-plus hotels cluster near Union Square, but some smaller independent gems are scattered around town. It's the savvy San Francisco traveler who avoids the heavily touristed areas such as Union Square and Fisherman's Wharf, and instead hangs his or her hat at the city's outlying (and quieter) districts such as the Marina and walks or takes a bus into city central.

Price Categories

Very Expensive: $250 and up

Expensive: $200-$250

Moderate: $150-$200

Inexpensive: Under $150

What You'll Really Pay

When reading over your options, keep in mind that prices listed are "rack" (published) rates. At big, upscale hotels, almost no one actually pays them, and there are always deals to be had. Therefore, you should always ask for special discounts or, even better, vacation packages. It's often possible to get the room you want for $100 less than what is quoted here, except when the hotels are packed (usually during summer and due to conventions) and bargaining is close to impossible. Use the rates listed here for the big hotels as guidelines for comparison only; prices for inexpensive choices and smaller B&Bs are closer to reality, however.

Free Parking

Despite my exhortations to leave the driving to locals and use the public transportation system to get around, I know that some of you will still want to drive the crazy streets of San Francisco, or at least arrive by car. But with parking fees averaging $45 to $55 a night at most hotels, the extra charges can add up for visitors with wheels. So if you're going to rent a car or bring your own, you might want to consider staying at one of these hotels that offers free parking:

• Beck's Motor Lodge, the Castro
• Cow Hollow Motor Inn & Suites, Marina District/Cow Hollow
• Hostelling International San Francisco, Fisherman's Wharf
• Hotel Del Sol, Marina District/Cow Hollow
• Laurel Inn, Marina District/Cow Hollow
• Marina Motel, Marina District/Cow Hollow
• Phoenix Hotel, Civic Center
• Seal Rock Inn, Richmond District
• The Wharf Inn, North Beach/Fisherman's Wharf

The Big Picture

Hunting for hotels in San Francisco can be a tricky business, particularly if you're not a seasoned traveler. What you don't know -- and the reservations agent may not tell you -- could very well ruin your vacation, so keep the following pointers in mind when it comes time to book a room:

• Prices listed in this guide do not include state and city taxes, which together total 14%. Other hidden extras include parking fees, which can be up to $50 per day (also subject to 14% tax!), and hefty surcharges -- up to $1 per local call -- for telephone use.
• San Francisco is Convention City, so if you want a room at a particular hotel during high season (summer, for example), book well in advance.
• Be sure to have a credit card in hand when making a reservation, and know that you may be asked to pay for at least 1 night in advance. (This doesn't happen often, though.)
• Hotels usually hold reservations until 6pm. If you don't tell the staff you're arriving late, you might lose your room.
• Almost every hotel in San Francisco requires a credit card imprint for "incidentals" (and to prevent walkouts). If you don't have a credit card, be sure to make special arrangements with the management before you hang up the phone, and make a note of the name of the person with whom you spoke.
• When you check in, if your room isn't up to snuff, politely inform the front desk of your dissatisfaction and ask for another. If the hotel can accommodate you, they almost always will -- and sometimes will even upgrade you!

Getting the Best Deal

Many hotels offer rooms at rates above and below the price category that applies to most of the units. If you like the sound of a place that's a bit over your budget, it never hurts to call and ask a few questions. Also note that we do not list single rates. Some hotels, particularly more affordable choices, do charge lower rates for singles, so inquire about them if you are traveling alone.

San Francisco is a popular destination year-round, so although there are bargains available, rooms here will still seem expensive compared to those in many other U.S. destinations. Still, you should always ask about weekend discounts, corporate rates, and family plans. Most larger hotels, and many smaller ones, offer them, but many reservations agents don't mention them unless you ask about them specifically.

You'll find nonsmoking rooms available in all larger hotels and many smaller hotels; reviews indicate establishments that are entirely nonsmoking. Nowadays, the best advice for smokers is to confirm a smoking-permitted room in advance, and if there's a special cleaning charge per night.

Although you'll find that most accommodations have an abundance of amenities (including phones, unless otherwise noted), don't be alarmed by the lack of air-conditioned guest rooms. San Francisco's weather is so mild, you'll hardly ever need it.

Most larger hotels can accommodate guests who use wheelchairs and those who have other special needs. Ask when you make a reservation to ensure that your hotel can accommodate your needs, especially if you are interested in a bed-and-breakfast.

When booking a room in a chain hotel, call the hotel's local line and the toll-free number and see where you get the best deal. A hotel makes nothing on a room that stays empty. The clerk who runs the place is more likely to know about vacancies than someone from the toll-free number and will often grant deep discounts in order to fill up rooms.

Reservation Services

Having reservations about your reservations? Leave it up to the pros: San Francisco Reservations (tel. 800/677-1570; www.hotelres.com) arranges reservations for more than 150 of San Francisco's hotels and often offers discounted rates. Their website allows Internet users to make reservations online. Another great local source for discounted rates is LocalGetaways.com.

The San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau also provides an online source for booking hotels, tickets, and packages at www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com.

Alternative Accommodations

An alternative to booking a room at a hotel is to swap homes or apartments. House/apartment-swapping is becoming a more popular and viable means of travel; you stay in their place, they stay in yours, and you both get an authentic and personal view of the area, the opposite of the escapist retreat that many hotels offer. It's usually done by online classified ads at such sites as HomeExchange.com, HomeLink (Homelink.org), and Craigslist.org (www.sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/swp).

Hostels

Though you sometimes get what you pay for at a hostel, at their best they can be homey places where you meet nice people, get great information, and get a free or very inexpensive breakfast.

If you haven't stayed at a hostel, here's what you can expect: most offer shared rooms (either same sex or mixed; HI hostels have only single-sex dorm rooms) with shared bathrooms, usually for less than (sometimes a lot less than) $50 a night; prices can vary by season. Some hostels offer private rooms for one, two, or three people, or en-suite bathrooms, with the price going up accordingly; though top end for private rooms is still usually well under $100.

HI hostels offer free breakfast; the Green Tortoise (tel. 415/834-1000; www.greentortoise.com) offers free breakfast and free dinner 3 nights a week. Most hostels have a communal kitchen/dining area, free Wi-Fi, a lounge, lockers or other locked storage, and free or low-cost organized activities, ranging from local tours, movies, and pub crawls, to day or overnight trips. The staff members are usually pretty good at helping you plan individual activities based on your interests. Many hostels also offer free or discount airport/train station/bus station pickup, if you're arriving without a car.

There are several recommendable (and non-recommendable) places in San Francisco, both HI hostels, and private hostels or "backpackers." You can count on clean, safe and well-managed properties with a Hostelling International hostel, all of which are part of an international nonprofit that "promote[s] international understanding of the world and its people through hostelling." You don't have to be a member of HI to stay, but you do get a slight discount if you are a member.

There are three HI hostels in San Francisco proper (in City Center, Downtown, and Fisherman's Wharf), and several more within public transit or driving distance if you're looking for a cheap overnight trip.

For information on how to join Hostelling International USA (which also gives you membership in all international HI hostels), visit www.hiusa.org. Membership is free if you're 17 or under, $28 annually for people 18 to 54. As a member, you can make prepaid reservations at HI hostels, and you're eligible for a lot of discounts, from long-distance calling to bus travel to organized tours.

Private hostels can be just as inexpensive, and sometimes more laid-back than HI places. You may stay in a coed dorm room, find a bar on the premises, or see a bulletin board offering rides or temp jobs. You may find a noisier, more partying crowd at a backpacker, which could be a plus or minus, depending on what you're looking for.

You'll find a comprehensive listing of hostels, both HI and backpacker (as well as budget hotels and guesthouses), at www.hostels.com, which claims to list "every hostel, everywhere." The website gives properties a "satisfaction rating," based on user reviews (which you can read). Granted, like most Internet reviews, they can be artificially inflated, but you can at least get an idea of what to expect, and if you like it, make reservations through that website, or go directly to the hostel's site.

In addition to the hostels we list in this chapter (HI and Green Tortoise, above, as well as Elements, p. xxx), some of the other top-rated hostels in the San Francisco area at press time include:

• Pacific Tradewinds Backpacker Hostel, 680 Sacramento St. (www.pactradewinds.com; tel. 888/SFHOSTEL), was selected as the number-one hostel in the USA by Hostelworld.com in 2007. Prices start at $24 per night ($23 if booked online), in coed dorms. BART: Montgomery Street; Bus: 15.

• USA Hostels San Francisco, 711 Post St. (www.usahostels.com; tel. 877/483-2950), features an "all you can make" pancake breakfast daily, a game room, and an on-site laundry. Rates start from $25 ($24 if booked online) for single-sex and coed dorms, and they also offer private rooms with bathroom starting at $75 ($72 online). BART: Powell Street.

• The Dakota Hostel, 606 Post St. (tel. 415/931-7475), and the Adelaide Hostel and Hotel, 5 Isadora Duncan Lane, at Post and Taylor streets (www.adelaidehostel.com; tel. 877/359-1915), are owned by the same management and located near each other, though the Dakota gets warmer reviews on Hostels.com. In a landmark 1914 building, the Dakota's rooms all have private bathrooms, with rates ranging from $28 and up for a four-bed room, to $75 and up for a single room. The Adelaide offers both single-sex and coed dorm rooms from $23, and single, twin, and double en-suite rooms starting from $45 to $75. BART: Powell Street.