Cool places to stay a couple nights in San Francisco next week?

April 10, 2007 12:43 PM

coming to San Francisco for Web2.0 expo next week. Where should we stay - cool convenient hotel (or other ... ) - expensive is ok if its super cool - or moderately priced and funky is fine too... anyone else going? Beers?
posted by specialk420 to travel & transportation (13 comments total)

The W and the Hotel Palomar are corporate cool and super convenient. The Clift is hipster cool and not too far. The Triton is funky - themed rooms and such - also not an unreasonable walk or cheap cab ride to Moscone.
posted by Wolfie at 1:13 PM on April 10, 2007

I'll be in town for the expo as well. Staying at the Villa Florence.
posted by quibx at 1:14 PM on April 10, 2007

My wife and I stayed at the Chancellor Hotel for our honeymoon this past summer. It was reasonably priced and an excellent location--right on Union Square, where we could easily walk to any place in the downtown area (or to the cable cars when we got tired of the hills). The Moscone Center (your convention) is probably a pleasant 5-10 minute walk from the hotel, if the map and my memory serve correctly. The area is fun and upbeat, with lots of restaurants and bars (you'll want to make reservations, we found that every restaurant in SF had a long wait if you arrived around dinner time).

I'm not an expert on San Francisco or a hotel connoisseur, but I would definitely go back to the Chancellor. The room was fairly simple, nothing to write home about, but it was comfortable and the staff was helpful. We did not use the restaurant/bar very much but the one meal we had there was good.

Oh, and the bathroom came with a rubber ducky.
posted by Alabaster at 1:15 PM on April 10, 2007

There's one site I use when I go to cities around the world and want to find a cool place to stay in - expense not a hindrance. Its Tablet Hotels and here's their results for San Francisco.

I'm not just throwing you a web link. I live in San Francisco now (and traveled here often when I lived in NYC) and I agree with those suggestions. One thats missing is perhaps the Hotel Nikko which I found "funky" just because it is so Japanese - minimal but elegant.

I usually point people towards the Triton. Its funky, its nice, its not too high-priced and, most importantly, the location is perfect.

(on preview: agreed with Wolfie)
posted by vacapinta at 1:22 PM on April 10, 2007

edit on the Tablet list: skip the Phoenix. Extremely funky but it is *really* badly located.
posted by vacapinta at 1:25 PM on April 10, 2007

I enjoy staying at the SF Hilton and opting for the Executive floor rooms. This gives you access to their (44th floor?) lounge which has an absolutely amazing view of Downtown. The view from the rooms aren't bad either especially if you get a balcony.

It may not be quite what you're looking for though.

The W would certainly be the most convenient.
posted by heh3d at 1:56 PM on April 10, 2007

the hotel diva is funky, near union square, and reasonably priced. also, you get free "diva" slippers!
posted by somethingclever at 1:56 PM on April 10, 2007

Another vote for the Clift.
posted by matkline at 2:20 PM on April 10, 2007

I second the Palomar. Nice place, attentive staff, great location.

I personally avoided their $25 breakfast and ate at the Denny's two blocks away, but that's just me.
posted by ba at 2:31 PM on April 10, 2007

The W is funky, and adjacent to Moscone. I vote W.
posted by donguanella at 4:26 PM on April 10, 2007

I stayed at the Niko last year and hated it. I have the sense that some floors are renovated and some are not. Mine was not, and it sucked.

Maybe too out-there, but my wife and I have stayed twice at the Inn Above Tide, in Sausalito. We loved it. It has maybe 20 rooms and is set in the water (on stilts) in the Bay looking across at S.F. The rooms are nice (sorta like the W rooms), there's a great free breakfast spread, and wine and cheese at night. It is not a B&B (which I hate), it's more like a small, cool hotel. The ferry to SF is right next door, so you can just zip in on the boat.

We love it, but traveling back and forth to Sausalito might be a hassle for some. Especially if you're into night-life sorts of things. We would try to catch the last ferry back, which was like around 7pm or so.
posted by Mid at 5:07 PM on April 10, 2007

I'm not a fan of the Nikko. I'd second (or third) recommendations for Hotel Diva (super value for a boutique hotel), The Clift (if you want max hipster quotient and a happening expensive hotel bar). I'd also toss out The Serrano, which has recently become my default hotel when I'm in SF. The W is, well, like all Ws. The Argent is also very nice, pricey, and possibly sold out.
posted by donovan at 5:58 PM on April 10, 2007

all good suggestions - a vastly different array of options from this previous similar post - where are kids having drinks on Sunday night? How about Vesuvio's?
posted by specialk420 at 9:19 PM on April 10, 2007