Short term or vacation rental in San Francisco?

July 29, 2013 7:38 AM

Hi, I will be attending a conference at Moscone in late August and hotels nearby are either booked or way too expensive. Help me vet some alternatives.

I have found a number of rentals in South Beach / SOMA within walking distance using Airbnb and other sites, including a couple of docked boats all for reasonable prices, but I know sometimes these are of dubious legitimacy and I don't want to get stuck with the bill and no place to stay.

Can anyone vouch for and provide links to known legit places to stay in the area? Alternatively, recommendations for places in other neighborhoods with easy public transportation, but I'd prefer to be nearby so I can have dinners and drinks with colleagues and be near home base.

posted by CaptainZingo to Travel & Transportation around San Francisco, CA (8 answers total)

My office is very near Moscone, so when I go to visit, I'm at the mercy of what's going on at the center when it comes to getting hotel rooms. Often the Hotel Rex near Union Square is miles cheaper than everything else in the area, so I've stayed there a few times. It's a relatively easy walk from Moscone -- I'm fat and out of shape and I routinely managed it. I don't know if it turned up in your searches and was also too expensive, but I thought I'd suggest it as something specific to look at, since it's so often come through for me.
posted by jacquilynne at 7:57 AM on July 29, 2013

Check the Hayes Valley Inn, that's been my place for a few visits when I didn't want to impose on friends. Pretty close to downtown and Moscone. It *is* a bit noisy, but not out of control, and it's usually pretty cheap, even when something big is going on at Moscone.
posted by kaszeta at 8:24 AM on July 29, 2013

I like the Nob Hill Motor Inn, it's at Pacific and Van Ness. Rates are around $250, for a pre-paid deal. High for what it is, but not terrible. I come in for Dreamforce every year and it's a NIGHTMARE getting a room anywhere near town. (Salesforce.com really needs to move the damn thing to Vegas.) FYI, parking is FREE! Which is huge in San Francisco.


You can catch the 45 Union-Stockton bus at the corner of Polk and Union. It will take you down to Moscone at 5th and Howard, right where the Jollibee used to be. Pick it back up at the end of the day in front of Chevy's at 3rd and Howard.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 8:36 AM on July 29, 2013

Another option is to stay somewhere convenient on the BART line (are they still on strike?) and just come into the Market St station every day.

Not optimal. I wouldn't. But an option.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 9:09 AM on July 29, 2013

BART is not currently on strike but talks are not going well, and the strike make start again on August 1st.
posted by rtha at 9:26 AM on July 29, 2013

Response by poster: Yeah I'm leery of depending on BART but might be willing to do the bus although I have never tried it.

I've found some good looking options on Airbnb but I just want a second opinion before booking if anyone has had personal experience with them.
posted by CaptainZingo at 9:46 AM on July 29, 2013

A friend who came to visit recently stayed at an Airbnb near us (in the Mission) and had a great experience. It's pretty popular in SF, from what I hear, so if the places you're looking at have good reviews/feedback (and more than just a couple), you'll likely be fine.
posted by rtha at 10:03 AM on July 29, 2013

Moscone is only a few blocks from the Powell or Montgomery BART/Muni stations, you should have no qualms about getting an AirBNB along any of these transit lines. The two keys to Airbnb quality are reviews and response time to inquiries from the owner.

Transit runs until 12-1am (depending, some buses run later/all night), so you can get food/drinks with people and still get back easily, unless you're looking to party it up.
posted by rhizome at 11:07 AM on July 29, 2013 [1 favorite]