San Francisco - Alison Bing [192]
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SOMA
ST REGIS HOTEL
Map Hotel $$$
415-284-4000, 877-787-3447; www.stregis.com/sanfrancisco; 125 3rd St; r from $399; 30, 45; & Montgomery St;
The pinnacle of luxury, the St Regis is one of SF’s three five-star hotels (the others are Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton), and it’s our favorite for its art collection, which nods to the neighboring Museum of Modern Art. Rooms have all the latest bells and whistles, including magnificent beds dressed with Pratesi linens. Bathrooms sport travertine floors and two-person tubs. Alas, the recession has affected service standards (we wonder how long St Regis will hold its fifth star), but we still love the oversized rooms, despite their too-beige monochromatic color scheme. (Note: the giant plate-glass windows don’t open; if that bothers you, choose the Four Seasons.)
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top picks
HOTELS FOR KIDS
Hotel del Sol (opposite)
Americania Hotel
Hotel Tomo (opposite)
Argonaut Hotel
Seal Rock Inn
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W HOTEL
Map Hotel $$$
415-777-5300, 877-946-8357; www.whotel.com; 181 3rd St; r from $259; & Montgomery St;
Sexy doormen stand sentinel, looking like bouncers at a disco, and club-kids-turned-conventioneers crowd the lobby, which blares with thump-thump music. Though forced in its cool, the look is sexy – wear black and blend right in. Every room in the 31-story tower has unobstructed city views (request a Bay Bridge view), upholstered window seats, stereos with chill music and sumptuous beds. Though the concept is definitely corporate, W does a stellar job capitalizing on sex and rock-and-roll – the drugs are your business.
HOTEL VITALE
Map Design Hotel $$$
415-278-3700, 888-890-8688; www.hotelvitale.com; 8 Mission St; d $239-339, ste $669-799; & Embarcadero;
The ugly exterior disguises a fashion-forward shagadelic-chic hotel, with echoes of mid-century-modern design enhanced by up-to-the-minute luxuries and a soothing spa theme. Beds are dressed with silky-soft 450-thread-count sheets. On the roof are two big hot tubs. Suites have extras like waterfall showerheads, limestone-tile bathrooms, two-person soaking tubs, and – best of all – semi-circular glass walls with stunning bay views.
AMERICANIA HOTEL
Map Design Motel $$
415-626-0200; www.jdvhotels.com; 121 7th St; r $129-169; & Civic Center;
Rooms at this restyled motor lodge face a central courtyard and look sharp, with a retro-’70s aesthetic incorporating black-and-teal-checked carpeting, white-vinyl headboards, pop art and playful extras like Yahtzee dice. Kids love the outdoor heated pool. Parents love the microbrews at the excellent downstairs burger joint.
GOOD HOTEL
Map Design Motel $$
415-621-7001; www.jdvhotels.com; 112 7th St; r $109-169; & Civic Center;
A revamped motor lodge attached to a restyled apartment hotel, Good Hotel places a premium on green, with reclaimed wood headboards, light fixtures made from reused glass bottles, and fleece bedspreads made of recycled soda bottles and cast-off fabrics. The candy-color paint jobs, two-sided window-shade art, and low-slung platform beds make rooms look like the dorm you wish you’d had in college. Rooms on Mission St are loud; book in back. Also has bikes for rent and a good pizza parlor downstairs.
MOSSER HOTEL
Map Hotel $
415-986-4400, 800-227-3804; www.themosser.com; 54 4th St; r $109-149, with shared bathroom $69-89; & Powell St;
A tourist-class hotel with stylish details, the Mosser has tiny rooms and tinier bathrooms, but rates are a bargain. Service can be lackluster and the building is old, but it’s close to Union Square shops, Yerba Buena museums and the Moscone Convention Center – and rooms are half the price of the neighboring Marriott, a boon for conventioneers on a budget.
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top picks
HOTELS WITH POOLS
St Regis Hotel
W Hotel
Palace Hotel
Phoenix Hotel
Hotel del Sol
Americania Hotel (above)