I spend so much time in San Francisco, review local restaurants and cafes, and yet, until now, I have never posted a list of my favorite SF hotels. Since the world has woken up from the long summer holiday, visiting friends and business colleagues have been pressing me for a list of places to stay. Note please, I have listed nothing in the Fisherman’s Wharf area, which one must avoid at all costs. I also broke down and listed hotels that belong in the “chain” category (which I normally despise but in this case I make an exception for the Joie de Vivre group, otherwise this post would be very short indeed). For whatever reason I can’t find really good stylish B&Bs and boutique hotels that meet my “design” test (i.e. modern urban chic; no flower-patterned curtains, crocheted doilies on tables).

After you’ve booked a room, check out the map of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco and my list of favorite cafes (lots of free Wi-Fi and nary a Starbucks in sight). Don’t forget to read the articles I posted about various SF restaurants and cafes. Remember: you do NOT want to end up at Fisherman’s Wharf or Cannery Row.

Diva
440 Geary St.
San Francisco, CA
+1 415 885 0200
www.hoteldiva.com
Union Square

Hotel Rex
562 Sutter St.
San Francisco, CA
+1 415 433 4434
www.jdvhotels.com/rex
Union Square

Clift Hotel
495 Geary St.
San Francisco, CA
+1 415 775 4700
www.clifthotel.com
Union Square

Hotel Kabuki
1625 Post Street
San Francisco, CA
+1 415 922 3200
www.jdvhotels.com/kabuki
Japantown / Fillmore

Hotel Tomo
1800 Sutter St.
San Francisco, CA
+1 415 921 4000
www.jdvhotels.com/tomo
Japantown / Fillmore

Hotel Adagio
550 Geary St.
San Francisco, CA
+1 415 775 9388
www.jdvhotels.com/adagio
Theater District / Union Square

Hotel Vitale
8 Mission St.
San Francisco, CA
+1 415 278 3700
www.jdvhotels.com/vitale
On the Embarcadero across the Ferry Building, views of the SF Bay; the bar gets very busy in the late afternoon and early evening, good for people watching

Phoenix Hotel
601 Eddy St.
San Francisco, CA
+1 415 776 1380
www.jdvhotels.com/phoenix
Rock ‘n Roll hotel in the Tenderloin

Hotel Triton
342 Grant Avenue (at Bush Street)
San Francisco, CA
+1 415 394 0500
www.hoteltriton.com
Chinatown/ Union Square; Cafe de la Press, one of my favorite cafe/restaurants is a few doors down

Hotel Metropolis
25 Mason St.
San Francisco, CA
+1 415 775 4600
www.hotelmetropolis.com
Union Square

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Here is a Google map with my favorite San Francisco hotels.

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