Frommer's San Francisco 2012 - Matthew Poole [61]
2576 Lombard St. (btw. Divisadero and Broderick sts.), San Francisco, CA 94123. www.marinamotel.com. 800/346-6118 or 415/921-9406. Fax 415/921-0364. 38 units. $75–$165 double; $109–$199 suite. Lower rates in winter. Rates include 2-for-1 breakfast coupon at nearby cafe. AE, DISC, MC, V. Free covered parking. Bus: 28, 29, 30, 43, or 45. Dogs accepted for a $10 nightly fee. In room: Fridge, hair dryer.
JAPANTOWN & ENVIRONS
If you’re staying in or near Japantown, it’s because you found a lodging deal you couldn’t pass up.
Best For: Central location for exploring the entire city, Japanese culture, quiet lodgings.
Drawbacks: Limited nightlife and dining, far from city center.
Moderate
Hotel Kabuki ★★ If you want accommodations a little east of center, and you don’t mind being out of the downtown loop, the Kabuki is a solid choice. Located in the heart of Japantown, steps from the shops and yummy noodle houses of the Japan Center, and just up the street from Robert Redford’s Sundance movie theater complex, the Hotel Kabuki is an underdiscovered gem of a luxury hotel. Designed in serene Japonesque style, with koi ponds, shoji screens, Zen gardens, and Japanese artwork throughout, the Kabuki has a grace, style, and quiet elegance that you don’t find in a lot of Western hotels (certainly nowhere else in San Francisco). Guest rooms feature high-thread-count linens, flatscreen TVs, iPod docking stations, bathrobes, Asian tea kettles, and Japanese snacks in the honor bar. Many rooms have deep soaking tubs, some suites have dry saunas, but if yours doesn’t, the hotel offers complimentary passes to the communal baths at nearby Kabuki Springs & Spa (make your reservation online). The in-house restaurant, O Izakaya Lounge, sports a J-Pop baseball theme and offers a great bar-snack menu with more than 20 different kinds of sake.
1625 Post St. (btw. Gough and Octavia sts.), San Francisco, CA 94109. www.jdvhotels.com/hotels/kabuki. 800/533-4567 or 415/922-3200. Fax 415/614-5498. 218 units. $99–$224 double; $219–$249 suite. Extra person $10. Breakfast buffet $16. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Parking $35. Bus: 2, 3, or 4. Amenities: Restaurant; 24-hr. concierge; 24-hr. fitness room; in-room spa treatments. In room: TV, hair dryer, MP3 docking station, free Wi-Fi.
The Queen Anne Hotel ★★ This majestic 1890 Victorian charmer was once a grooming school for upper-class young women. Restored in 1980 and renovated in early 2006, the four-story building recalls San Francisco’s golden days. Walk under rich red draperies to the lavish “grand salon” lobby replete with English oak wainscoting and period antiques, and it feels like a different era. Guest rooms also contain a profusion of antiques—armoires, marble-top dressers, and other Victorian-era pieces. Some have corner turret bay windows that look out on tree-lined streets, as well as separate parlor areas and wet bars; others have cozy reading nooks and fireplaces. All rooms have phones and nice bath amenities in their marble-tiled bathrooms. Guests can relax in the parlor, with two fireplaces, or in the hotel library. If you don’t mind staying outside the downtown area, this hotel is highly recommended and very classic San Francisco.
1590 Sutter St. (btw. Laguna and Webster sts.), San Francisco, CA 94115. www.queenanne.com. 800/277-3970 or 415/441-2828. Fax 415/775-5212. 48 units. $110–$199 double; $169–$350 suite. Extra person $10. Rates include continental breakfast on weekday mornings, afternoon tea and sherry, and morning newspaper. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Parking $14. Bus: 2, 3, or 4. Amenities: 24-hr. concierge; access to nearby health club for $10. In room: TV, hair dryer, free Wi-Fi.
CIVIC CENTER
Don’t even think of staying in Civic Center if you’re over 40. Gritty and unpretty, its only fan base is clubbers