Frommer's San Francisco 2012 - Matthew Poole [57]
425 North Point St. (at Mason St.), San Francisco, CA 94133. www.tuscaninn.com. 800/648-4626 or 415/561-1100. Fax 415/561-1199. 221 units. $149–$269. Rates include coffee, tea, and evening wine reception. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Parking $42. Bus: 10, 15, or 47. Cable car: Powell–Mason line. Pets welcome for $50. Amenities: Concierge; access to nearby gym; room service. In room: A/C, TV w/video games and pay movies, hair dryer, minibar, free Wi-Fi.
The Hotel Bohème ★★ Romance awaits at the intimate Hotel Bohème. Although it’s on the busiest avenue in North Beach, once you climb the staircase to this narrow second-floor boutique hotel, you’ll discover a style and demeanor reminiscent of a home on Russian Hill. Beat-era jazz photos decorate the hallways and, while there are no common areas other than a little booth for check-in and concierge, rooms are truly sweet, with gauze-draped canopies, stylish decor such as ornate parasols shading ceiling lights, and dramatically colored walls. Although the bathrooms are spiffy, they’re tiny and have showers only. The staff is ultra-hospitable, and bonuses include sherry in the lobby each afternoon. Some fabulous cafes, restaurants, bars, and shops along Columbus Avenue are just a few steps away, and Chinatown and Union Square are within easy walking distance. Tip: Request a room off the street side, which is quieter.
444 Columbus Ave. (btw. Vallejo and Green sts.), San Francisco, CA 94133. www.hotelboheme.com. 415/433-9111. Fax 415/362-6292. 15 units. $174–$214 double. Rates include afternoon sherry. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Parking $12–$31 at nearby public garages. Bus: 12, 15, 30, 41, 45, or 83. Cable car: Powell–Mason line. Amenities: Concierge. In room: TV, hair dryer, free Wi-Fi.
Inexpensive
The San Remo Hotel ★ This small, European-style pensione is one of the best budget hotels in San Francisco. In a quiet North Beach neighborhood, within walking distance of Fisherman’s Wharf, the Italianate Victorian structure originally served as a boardinghouse for dockworkers displaced by the fires that followed the 1906 earthquake. As a result, the rooms are small and bathrooms are shared, but all is forgiven when it comes time to pay the bill. Rooms are decorated in cozy country style, with brass and iron beds; oak, maple, or pine armoires; and wicker furnishings. The immaculate shared bathrooms feature tubs and brass pull-chain toilets with oak tanks and brass fixtures. If the penthouse—which has its own bathroom, TV, fridge, and patio—is available, book it: You won’t find a more romantic place to stay in San Francisco for so little money.
2237 Mason St. (at Chestnut St.), San Francisco, CA 94133. www.sanremohotel.com. 800/352-7366 or 415/776-8688. Fax 415/776-2811. 62 units, 61 with shared bathroom. $75–$99 double; $175–$185 penthouse suite. AE, DC, MC, V. Self-parking $13–$14. Bus: 10, 15, 30, or 47. Streetcar: F. Cable car: Powell–Mason line. Amenities: Access to nearby health club; Internet kiosk in lobby. In room: Ceiling fan.
The Wharf Inn This is my top choice for good-value/great-location lodging at Fisherman’s Wharf. The Wharf Inn offers your standard no-frills motel accommodations, but it’s the location—right next to one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world—that counts. The rooms are done in pleasant tones of earth, muted greens, and burnt orange, but more importantly, they are situated smack-dab in the middle of the wharf, a mere 2 blocks from Pier 39 and the cable car turnaround, and within walking distance of the Embarcadero and North Beach. The inn is ideal for car-bound