Frommer's San Francisco 2012 - Matthew Poole [38]
Hotel Triton ★ Described as vogue, chic, retro-futuristic, and even neo-baroque, this Kimpton Group property is whimsy at its boutique-hotel best. The completely renovated lobby features a 360-degree mural by emerging artist Kari Pei (yes, from that Pei family—she’s I. M. Pei’s daughter-in-law) that relates the history of San Francisco and Triton. The funky-fun (if not a wee bit too small) designer suites named after musicians and artists like Jerry Garcia, Wyland (the ocean artist), and Santana, along with all the other rooms, are eco-friendly, featuring filtered water and air, all-natural linens, recycling trash cans, and water conservation fixtures. Even the cleaning products used in the hotel are environmentally sensitive to please the tree-hugger in all of us. All the rooms include modern touches like armoires hiding Sony flatscreen TVs and iPod iH5 docking stations that double as clock radios. Not to be outdone, the fitness center touts DirecTV in the cardio machines.
342 Grant Ave. (at Bush St.), San Francisco, CA 94108. www.hoteltriton.com. 800/800-1299 or 415/394-0500. Fax 415/394-0555. 140 units. $95–$269 double; $329–$369 suite. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Parking $38, oversize vehicles an additional $2. Cable car: Powell–Hyde or Powell–Mason line (2 blocks west). Pets stay free with conditional agreement. Amenities: Cafe; fitness center; room service. In room: A/C, flatscreen TV, Web TV, hair dryer, minibar, free Wi-Fi.
The Inn at Union Square ★★ As narrow as an Amsterdam canal house, the Inn at Union Square is the antithesis of the big, impersonal hotels that surround Union Square. If you need plenty of elbowroom, skip this one. But if you’re looking for an inn whose staff knows each guest’s name, read on. One-half block west of the square, this six-story inn makes up for its small stature by spoiling guests with a pile of perks. Mornings start with a continental breakfast served in lounges stocked with daily newspapers, and evening emerges with appetizers of wine, cheese, fruit, and chocolates served in sweet little fireplace lounges at the end of each hall. There’s also unlimited use of a nearby full-service health club with heated lap pool. The handsome rooms are individually decorated with Georgian reproductions, goose-down pillows, and floral fabrics, and they are smaller than average but infinitely more appreciated than the cookie-cutter rooms of most larger hotels. Smoking is not allowed anywhere in the hotel.
440 Post St. (btw. Mason and Powell sts.), San Francisco, CA 94102. www.unionsquare.com. 800/288-4346 or 415/397-3510. Fax 415/989-0529. 30 units. $171–$224 double; from $219–$379 suite. Rates include continental breakfast, all-day tea and cider, afternoon wine and hors d’oeuvres, and evening cookies. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Valet parking $36. Bus: 2, 3, 4, 30, 38, or 45; all Market St. buses. Cable car: Powell–Hyde or Powell–Mason line. Amenities: Concierge; access to nearby health club (for a nominal fee). In room: TV, hair dryer, free Wi-Fi.
Kensington Park Hotel ★ Housed in a stately 1925 Moorish/Gothic-style building that also houses the Post Street Theatre and Farallon restaurant, the Kensington underwent a $1.5-million renovation in the spring of ’08 and is now one of the best midpriced lodging deals near Union Square. Exuding old-school San Francisco charm, the lobby features hand-painted ceilings, mosaic tile, and classic Queen Anne antiques accented by crystal chandeliers and palm trees. Large guest rooms on the 5th through 12th floors have a mix of classic and contemporary furnishings such as 36-inch flatscreen TVs and iPod alarm clocks, and the bathrooms, though small, are sweetly appointed in brass and marble. If you want the royal treatment, book the Royal Suite, which features a canopy bed, formal dining room, living room, whirlpool bath, two fireplaces, and wonderful views of Union Square. The hotel lacks a fitness center, but guests have complimentary use of the adjacent Hotel Diva fitness center.
450 Post St. (btw. Powell and Mason sts.), San Francisco, CA 94102. www.kensingtonparkhotel.com.