Family-Friendly Hotels

The Best 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."

Comfort Suites -- Enough pay cable channels to keep you and your kids glued to the TV set for an entire day, and a pull-out sleeper sofa in addition to a king-size bed, make this an attractive option for families.

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

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 and three baby-proofed rooms and family suite (three adjoining rooms).

San Francisco Airport North Travelodge -- It's nothing fancy, but if you've got an early flight out, want to stay near the airport, and don't want to rent an extra room to accommodate the little ones, this place (with pull-out couches in 20 out of the 199 rooms) is a good bet.

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.