Family-Friendly Hotels

Argonaut Hotel -- Not only is it near all the funky kid fun of Fisherman's Wharf and the National Maritime Museum, but this bayside hotel, a winner for the whole family, also has kid-friendly perks like the opportunity for each child to grab a gift from the hotel's "treasure chest."

Cow Hollow Motor Inn & Suites -- Two-bedroom suites allow kids to shack up in style instead of camping on the pullout couch.

Hotel Diva -- The sleek, mod Diva has all sorts of fun kid-friendly perks. Check out SF's version of the Walk of Fame right outside the door, and definitely ask about their two-room Little Divas Suite, with bunk beds, drawing tables, and a TV loaded with kids' movies.

The Fairmont San Francisco -- While the glamorous lobby and spectacular city views will please parents, kids will be thrilled by the hotel's Tonga Room, a fantastically kitsch Disneyland-like tropical bar and restaurant where "rain" falls every 30 minutes.

Handlery Union Square Hotel -- Never mind that it's been completely renovated. The real kid-friendly kickers here are the adjoining rooms in the "newer" addition; a heated, clean, outdoor pool; and the adjoining restaurant, the Daily Grill, which offers the gamut of American favorites.

Hotel Del Sol -- It's colorful enough to represent a Crayola selection, but tots are more likely to be impressed by the "Kids are VIPs" program that includes a lending library, toys and videos, evening cookies and milk, and accouterments for the heated pool (think sunglasses, visors, beach balls). Parental perks include access to a bonded babysitting service, three baby-proofed rooms, and a family suite (three adjoining rooms).

Hotel Metropolis -- The lobby walls at this playful yet serene hotel are covered with more than 80 works of colorful (and curiously abstract) art created by children. The three-room Urban Explorers Kids Suite, which sleeps up to six adults and three children, is filled with pint-size furniture, bunk beds, a computer, a chalkboard wall, toys, and rubber ducky decor in the bathroom.

Stanyan Park Hotel -- Plenty of elbowroom and a half-block walk to Golden Gate Park's Children's Playground make this a prime spot for crashing family style. But the biggest bonuses are the suites, which come with one or two bedrooms, a full kitchen, and a dining area.

Westin St. Francis -- A classic San Francisco hotel down to its hospitality, the Westin welcomes the little ones with fun gifts and free drink refills at its restaurants.