San Francisco - Alison Bing [194]
INN 1890
Map Historic Inn $
415-386-0486; www.inn1890.com; 1890 Page St; r $129, r without bathroom $99-119, ste $169; 33;
This stately 16-bedroom Victorian mansion sits on a residential street just one block from the action on Haight St. Every room is different, with eclectic furniture and nothing frou-frou to get in your way. Most rooms only have a shower, but all have robes, slippers and down comforters. You can reserve one of the four parking spaces.
METRO HOTEL
Map Hotel $
415-861-5364; www.metrohotelsf.com; 319 Divisadero St; r $76-120; 24;
On a thoroughfare bisecting the Upper and Lower Haight districts, this straightforward no-frills hotel provides cheap, clean rooms with private bathroom and an outdoor garden patio. Its location is largely residential, but you can easily walk to the Haight’s bars and restaurants.
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HAYES VALLEY
EDWARDIAN SAN FRANCISCO HOTEL
Map Hotel $$
415-864-1271, 888-864-8070; www.edwardiansfhotel.com; 1668 Market St; r $119-189; F, Van Ness;
An unassuming brick-faced inn, the Edwardian has an ideal middle-of-the-city location between the Castro/Mission and Downtown, close to the symphony and opera. Rooms are well kept, but tiny – note that images on its website are shot with a fish-eye lens. The excellent Cav Wine Bar is downstairs, as is Zuni Cafe and the Hôtel Biron.
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AIRPORT ACCOMMODATIONS
Staying near San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is cheaper than in town, and ideal if you’ve an early flight. There are direct-dial phones to many hotels in the baggage-claim area, and free shuttle buses run to the terminals. There are over 20 hotels around the airport, and competition is fierce. Millbrae and Burlingame, just south of the airport, and South San Francisco, immediately north of the airport, have multiple chain hotels with midrange rates. Here are a few to consider:
Clarion Hotel ( 650-692-6363; www.choicehotels.com; 401 E Millbrae Ave; r $90-125; ) By the bay, a mile from SFO, the Clarion has generic rooms, an exercise room, laundry facilities, and 24-hour airport shuttle. Parking is $10.
Embassy Suites ( 650-589-3400, 800-362-2779; www.embassy-suite.com; 250 Gateway Blvd; r from $129; ) Two miles north of SFO, this suites-only hotel is good for families, with laundry, a pool and free airport shuttle.
Motel 6 ( 650-877-0770, 800-466-8356; www.motel6.com; 111 Mitchell Ave; r $59-79) Two miles north of SFO, this is your basic, cheap, cookie-cutter motel with lackluster service. There’s no shuttle, but car-rental agencies are nearby, so plan to drop off your vehicle and catch the rental-firm’s shuttle. A cab to SFO costs about $12.
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SLEEP OVER SAUCE
Map B&B $
415-252-1423; www.sleepsf.com; 135 Gough St; r $110-185; 21;
We like the homey vibe of this vintage-1906 inn, set upstairs from Sauce, a pretty-good dinner house. In late 2009 new owners renovated the former Albion House Inn, determined to remove all the little-old-lady furnishings left by the previous owners. Now the look borders on Ikea, with muted earth tones, mass-market furnishings and a big common room with leather sofas. We wish there were feather pillows, but at these rates we’re not complaining. Some rooms have baths across the halls; ask when you book if yours has en-suite facilities. The best reason to stay here is easy access to Hayes Valley shopping, the opera and the symphony.
HAYES VALLEY INN
Map Inn $
415-431-9131; www.hayesvalleyinn.com; 417 Gough St; s $76-94, d $84-105, incl breakfast; 21;
Like a European pension, this amazingly reasonable find is surrounded by Hayes Valley shops and has simple, small rooms with shared bathrooms, a cocker spaniel panting in the parlor and staff who want to mother you. Many guests are long-term, repeat visitors. This is a good place to stay if you’re looking for an apartment.
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GOLDEN GATE PARK & THE AVENUES
SEAL ROCK INN
Map Inn $$
415-752-8000, 888-732-5762; www.sealrockinn.com; 545 Point Lobos Ave; s $110-142, d $120-152; 38;
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