San francisco

joebob

:j

VfM4meplse wrote: »

I am so envious, it's a great place for a break!

I stayed at The Chancellor, just off Union Square which was v comfortable and had it's own charm so I would recommend it highly as an affordable stay in an expensive city. Good TA reviews as well. There are super-sumptuous hotels within spitting distance if you want to take advantage of their facilities (bars and dining); the food in San Fran is incredible (and I am the most fussy of eaters).

There are loads of panhandlers in San Fran but they're harmless. Avoid, avoid, avoid the Tenderloin at night - it's easy to wander into if you don't know where the boundaries lie.

I take it that tenderloin is an area, don't need hotel with car park as we are flying in from new York then picking hire car up when we leave, then driving to las Vegas via west coast . Any tips on hire cars as we will dropping it off at Vegas.

_Andy_

Last 6 times I have rented an apartment on vrbo.com - far better value

johnmcga

As others have said, avoid the Tenderloin and you should be ok - having visited twice I'd favour staying near Union Square rather than in the horrifically over-touristed Fishermans Wharf area.

We stayed in the Hotel Adagio in November - just a few blocks from Union Square, and was a decent hotel. Previously we stayed in the Inn at Union Square, which was lovely - although well over our budget when we returned to the city last year.

It's a cracking city to visit and you'll have a great time. Make sure you check out The Mission, there are loads of great restaurants and cafes round there.

BusinessStudent

Not sure if you have already prebooked your car, but if you haven't may I recommend you have a look at Megabus USA who have recently launched new routes along the west coast with fares starting from only $1 each way, i.e. San Fran to Los Angeles ($1!)

www.megabus.com

cottyh24

Depending on the exact dates you are in San Francisco, you will need to get your hotel booked pretty sharpish as the America's Cup is being held there this September so room rates will be even higher than usual. San Francisco is a lovely place and as others have said, the homeless population is very evident but they will not hassle you.

We stayed in the Hotel Mayflower on Bush Street last September and paid approx $100/£70 per night. There is free parking which we did not need to use but if you check out the reviews on Tripadvisor it appears only small cars fit in thecar park which may make it unsuitable if you have hired a 4x4 or similar. It is an older hotel and is not fancy but we found it suited us, plus it was spotlessly clean and very central.

chrisvaldez

We stayed in the SW Hotel in Chinatown. Lovely although inconspicuous from the outside, and it came in at under £100 for a night.

shaun_from_Africa

If you are planning on visiting Alcatraz whilst you are there, make sure that you book this up well in advance, especially if you want to do the evening visit. (which IMO is the best time to go)

If you leave it until you arrive then it is extremely unlikely that you will be able to get tickets as it does tend to get fully booked in peak season.

lazyjack

We stayed at the Hotel Rex on Sutter St, just around the corner from Union Square. Nothing too fancy but a nice little boutique hotel.

Booked through Booking.com, cost us $311 for 3 nights (April 2011), which was great value considering the location.

Tenderloin district can be seen here: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_5_Be_uQtNzk/TG8Y6YZUvWI/AAAAAAAABVs/-9WxRVQNPVc/s1600/tenderloin_map.gif

EDIT: Just found this hotel for £95 a night in September http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g60713-d80937-Reviews-Cornell_Hotel_de_France-San_Francisco_California.html

Found through https://www.trivago.co.uk

Mercury99

I have stayed in the Hotel Bijou 111 Mason Street. Might be a bit more expensive than you want. I think it was about £115 a night but with money back through quidco I think it came to about £100 a night. When I booked it some of the reviews were saying it was on the boundary of areas where the homeless were and I nearly cancelled the booking. I was glad I did not. It was in an excellent location. The Powell street cable stop was 5 mins away and Union Square was only a short walk away. Nice staff and all the rooms are named after films that have been filmed in San Fran. breakies was well worth it as well.
It is quirky and done in the style of a small cinema as well.

http://www.hotelbijou.com/

weezy_gal

I stayed in the Radisson Fisherman's Wharf. It was close to all the tourist areas and quite reasonable (I think around £90 per night). we stayed there in September and it was no means full either. they have a very large car park, and a nice little pool (it was too cold to use the pool though, SF was quite cold)

I quite enjoyed it there, a nice little peaceful hotel. Walking distance to all the attractions. it was surprisingly quiet in the evening as well.

the only downside to it was there was no restaurant or snack area, but there are plenty of Starbucks and snacks around the corner.