Although you may see many folks with bedrolls camping on sidewalks and in parks - these are members of the city's hard-core homeless crowd who won't take attempts to crash on their turf lightly. Get yourself a room for the night. Virtually every major hotel chain can be found here. Some alternatives include:
Cheap ($17 to $19/night)
Hostel International Fisherman's Wharf
Fort Mason Building #240, Marina Blvd. at Laguna St.
415-771-7277; Toll-free: 1-800-909-4776
Clean, safe and a spectacular view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco Bay. There's a great park (Chrissy Field) next door, a Safeway supermarket and well-connected bus line across the street, and it's within walking distance of Fisherman's Wharf. Breakfast included!
Moderate ($49 to $80/night)
Grant Hotel
753 Bush St., 415-421-7540
Toll-free: 1-800-522-0979; fax: 415-989-7719
E-mail: granthotel@aol.com.
Private rooms with showers/bathtubs, phones and color TV. Located just a half block from the Powell St. cable car line; two blocks from Union Square and Chinatown. A great way to stay in downtown San Francisco at half the price of most other hotels in the area.
Fun! ($109 to $159/night)
The Commodore International Hotel
825 Sutter St. (at Jones)
Take a pseudo-trip on a whimsical 1920's luxury liner (complete with breakfast or lunch in the Titanic Cafe). Neo-Deco stylings have made this reasonably priced non-floating gem the talk of both visitors and locals alike. Just 3 blocks from Union Square, the Commodore is also home to the closest thing on Earth resembling a cocktail lounge in Hell - the Red Room Bar. Relax with a Cosmo on a red leather chaise and see if you can spot Satan. In between breakfast and cocktails be sure to stop in the lobby and play the Big Spin. In keeping with the cruise ship mode, a colorful Where-to-Go-Next-Wheel-of-Fortune is yours to give a whirl. Will you take in a tour of Painted Ladies or check out the Japanese Tea Garden this afternoon? It's as much up to you as it is to fate.
Fabulous! ($179 to $299/night)
Hotel Triton
342 Grant Ave.; 415-394-0500; fax: 415-394-0555
Toll-free (Canada and Mexico): 800-337-4685; (Austria): 0660-89-48; (France): 05-90-40-76; (Germany): 0130-11-37-99; (Spain): 900-99-49-38; (Sweden): 020-79-55-20; (Switzerland): 155-32-29; (U.K.): 0800-89-35-05.
"Exceedingly groovy!" says Harper's Bazaar magazine. The design is 21st century cool (or what we thought the 21st century would look like back in the 20th): sort of Austin Powers retro meets the future The Jetsons inhabited. Amenities include nightly Tarot readings, fresh baked cookies, wine served by the fire and 24 specially designed Eco-Chic guest rooms with all natural cotton linens, energy-efficient lighting, bio-degradable soaps and shampoos and specially-equipped water and air filtration systems. Centrally located in downtown San Francisco across the street from the gates of Chinatown, just two blocks from Union Square.
Questions?
If you want more information about this area you can email the author or check out our North American Insiders page.
