San Francisco Specialty lodgings | Places to Stay in San Francisco

April 22, 2023 Rosalyn Ihle

Each of San Francisco's unique neighborhoods has its own collective personality shaped by its residents, topography and history. This diversity is one of the great hallmarks of the city, as well as its tradition for rebellion, and both make traversing San Francisco as a visitor an intriguing adventure that provides fresh discoveries for locals as well. While half of the city’s growth during the 19th century was due to the arrival of American immigrants, the balance was due to immigration from around the world. Today, the city's neighborhoods reflect this fact with their cosmopolitan flair and distinctive character.
Things to do in San Francisco

1. Grand Hyatt at SFO

55 South McDonnell Rd, San Francisco, CA 94128-3104
Excellent
88%
Good
7%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
1%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

5 based on 843 reviews

Grand Hyatt at SFO

This is a lovely hotel, very welcoming.

Reviewed By Abhayakara

I stay here whenever I have a morning flight out of SFO. I've never had a bad experience. The staff are always polite and welcoming when I check in. I wish the restaurant was a little less fancy and had vegetarian food, so that's a minus, but the cafe/store is open 24 hours, and honestly that's what i really care about—I can get a yogurt parfait at 4am before I head into the terminal for my flight. The decor here is rich and understated. Lots of dark woods. Everything feels solid. Beds are comfortable, views are fine, taking into account that this is right at the airport, so that's what you're going to see. Despite being right on the airport, the noise is muted. I did hear some machine noises at night, but they were not loud, and didn't disturb my sleep. I think it was probably the HVAC. It's reasonably priced for what it is. I would consider it a splurge if I were traveling for personal reasons. 10/10, will stay again.

2. San Remo Hotel

2237 Mason St, San Francisco, CA 94133-1899
Excellent
45%
Good
38%
Satisfactory
12%
Poor
3%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

4 based on 1376 reviews

San Remo Hotel

We are a family-owned historic boutique pension-style hotel located in North Beach, one of San Francisco's oldest and most popular tourist destinations, and only a few blocks from Fisherman's Wharf. Built in 1906, our hotel maintains an atmosphere of Old-World charm and ambiance with specially selected antique furnishings - no two rooms are alike. The walls of the hotel are filled with a collection of memorabilia and history. Our style is simplicity and sanctuary - there are no room telephones, no televisions, and on the order of European pensions, shared baths which are meticulously cleaned daily, and are private when in use, but for all guests to use. Our rooms are cozy and small, our prices are proportional. Our staff is available while our Front Desk is open to help you find anything your heart desires. A truly unique, non-standardized hotel experience.

Lack of communication is disgraceful

Reviewed By L5590MUmichelleh

Like many others in the world, our honeymoon booked for July 2020 from Australia to the US was cancelled due to COVID-19. I have contacted this company for a refund via telephone, countless emails and via social media and NOT ONCE have I received a response. Whilst I understand the huge impact this time has had on businesses, we have had our own financial difficulties as well. Very disappointed in this business and I would not recommend booking.

3. 1906 Mission

1906 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94103-3405
Excellent
53%
Good
33%
Satisfactory
9%
Poor
3%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 111 reviews

1906 Mission

Originally built in the months following the great earthquake of 1906, the hotel saw a complete renovation in 2013-2014. During the project, we had one goal: create an atmosphere with you, our guest, in mind. Where you might find a bit of sanctuary from a day busy with meetings or just out seeing the sights. A place to relax and recharge. From our lounge areas, patio and great, comfortable beds to our complimentary continental breakfast, all are just some of the thoughtful details to enhance the experience of your stay. At Nineteen 06 Mission we proudly provide our Guests with 100% GREEN Terra Nova toiletry items, complimentary eco-friendly slippers, and a great continental breakfast to kick start the morning. Our single person Luxury Showers might be just down the hall but wait until you try them. We think you are ready for something a little different, something a little special. Welcome to both!

Great value, very friendly

Reviewed By lc23_13

Really good value- good size room, big showers, heaps of towels, shampoo, body wash on offer. We appreciated the tea and coffee stations and the chap on the desk was super friendly, with great recommendations and really accommodating of us leaving our bags, helping us print boarding pass out etc- he's a real gem and totally made our stay.

4. Mansion on Sutter

1409 Sutter St, San Francisco, CA 94109-5417
Excellent
86%
Good
6%
Satisfactory
3%
Poor
3%
Terrible
3%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 35 reviews

Mansion on Sutter

The historic Mansion on Sutter is an opulent Victorian mansion built in 1881. Originally constructed by the Payne family to serve as their private home, the property is a prolific design masterpiece crafted with rich cedar, stained glass, gilded ceilings, and breathtaking chandeliers. Art, history, and elegance grace each of the finely appointed guest rooms.

Elegant service

Reviewed By KikiofMontparnasse

The Mansion on Sutter is just lovely. The service is elegant, quiet and friendly. A very calm oasis in the City. Amanda and Omar were just great. You can walk to lovely restaurants. The hotel has only 12 rooms and it is a renovated mansion. All the decor and details are perfect. We will be back!!

5. Urban Hotel

507 Bush St, San Francisco, CA 94108-3603
Excellent
23%
Good
45%
Satisfactory
17%
Poor
7%
Terrible
9%
Overall Ratings

3.5 based on 101 reviews

Urban Hotel

Great for the price

Reviewed By U9855MVtimm

Stayed for one night - a good central location. The room was very clean as was the shared bathroom facilities. The communal area is a nice touch with coffee/tea and seating and the team were very friendly. The fridge in the room was a bit noisy otherwise a great well run budget hotel. Also thanks to Tony (front desk) for going out of his way to show me the way to the subway - very helpful.

6. Casa Loma Hotel

610 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94117-2696
Excellent
15%
Good
38%
Satisfactory
28%
Poor
12%
Terrible
8%
Overall Ratings

3.5 based on 522 reviews

Casa Loma Hotel

The Casa Loma Hotel offers beautifully furnished rooms in a modern setting right in the heart of the City. We're within walking distance to Alamo Square, Hayes Valley, Haight, Golden Gate Park, Japantown, the Mission, and the Castro.

Adequate for the price, but be aware

Reviewed By Mary H

I knew this was a budget hotel, and finding a decent moderately-priced hotel in a good area of a large city is so difficult. My daughter had stayed here several times so we stayed for four nights very recently. As others have noted, it's older and pretty worn. But you get what you pay for. On the positive side, the location is fine. I prefer not to be in the middle of downtown and this hotel is not far from public transit and feels very safe to walk around, day and evening. The room and bathroom (we chose ensuite bath) were both very small, bare basic, very little space to unpack your things, but the bed was comfortable and my room had small bedside tables and good reading lights with outlets and USB ports handy (my daughter's room did not). However: apparently every room is different and not like those pictured on the website. During one stay, my daughter had a nice corner room; this time, we both had very small rooms--same price. The biggest negative for me was lack of temperature control. Heat came on and no way to turn it off, and no fan (and I do not like a hot bedroom at night). I thought about opening a window, but my room faced a busy street and was pretty noisy even with the windows closed. Also, be aware sound-proofing is poor if you have noisy neighbors. All in all, except for the temperature-control issue, I would probably stay here again (and hope for one of the better rooms, which seem to be totally by chance).

7. Bayview Penthouse

812 Bay St Apt 7, San Francisco, CA 94109-1235
Excellent
0%
Good
100%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
0%
Terrible
0%
Overall Ratings

4 based on 1 reviews

Bayview Penthouse

Great location

Reviewed By piper77

This apt. Is in an ideal location . You can get the cable car , right on the corner. Fab views from the cable car of the bay and Golden Gate bridges. The view from apt. Is also breath taking. View of Alcatraz and Golden Gate Bridge and the Wharf. The apt. Is lovely. Very clean. We enjoyed relaxing on the balcony. Big tip, buy a muni card, either 3 day or a week and save a fortune on buses and the cable cars. Kamal , our host was really lovely and very helpful. This apt. is shared and we were lucky to share with two lovely ladies and we got on very well. And had the apt to ourselves for a few days when they left, which was nice. This was a good experience , but made us realise , we prefer to have our own space. Definitely recommend it.

8. Ram's Hotel

80 9th St, San Francisco, CA 94103-1408
Excellent
16%
Good
42%
Satisfactory
26%
Poor
0%
Terrible
16%
Overall Ratings

3.5 based on 19 reviews

Ram's Hotel

We are small hotel located in the Heart of San Francisco. We are conveniently located next to all freeways and public transportation access, and also a number top rated coffee shops and restaurants in San Francisco. We provide rooms with both private baths en-suite and individual private bathrooms which are shared with other guests on the floor.

No complaints

Reviewed By kelly123109

Its a small budget hotel, and the photos on the site are true to form. Definitely spring for the room with ensuite. Otherwise you will be using a shared bathroom down the hall. Our room was teeny, but it was clean, and was sufficient to our needs. Staff was friendly and helpful (our toilet was clogged when we arrived, and it was fixed within 10 mins)

9. Sunnyside Hotel

135 6th St, San Francisco, CA 94103-2849
Excellent
0%
Good
0%
Satisfactory
0%
Poor
20%
Terrible
80%
Overall Ratings

1 based on 5 reviews

Sunnyside Hotel

An absolute dump

Reviewed By Nicole F

This is by far the worst hotel I have ever stayed at. Not only is it in a very rough area, it is filthy, reaks of urine and feels utterly unsafe. Upon arrival, you need to be buzzed in, which gives a certain feeling of security until you realize that they'll buzz in anyone who rings the bell without checking who it is. This leads to the shared bathrooms being frequented by homeless people. The bathrooms are also extremely dirty after 8 am. Our room had broken windows and a security fencing that had obviously been broken in to before. We found a previous guest's trash under the sink. We would only go to the bathroom together because the hallway was full of sketchy people. One morning there was a bucket of urine placed in the hallway. It was an overall horrible experience. Do yourselves a favor and don't stay here.

10. The SeaScape Inn

Judah Street, San Francisco, CA 94122
The SeaScape Inn

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