Amazing hotels in San Francisco
Our handpicked selection of hotels and vacation rentals in San Francisco.
The Battery
It’s like being at your own boutique hotel lounge with the perfect level of service, attentive yet not obsequious. The decor, layout, and variety of spaces they have is awesome.
In the Jackson Square neighborhood of San Francisco, you can find The Battery, situated within a private members’ club. It’s available for public booking and guests get an all-access pass to using the exclusive facilities and events. It’s a stunning hotel with a unique balance between history and modernity.
Show full descriptionThe facilities:
- 6 in- and outdoor cocktail bars
- Spacious gym and spa, with sauna, steam bath, hot tub, and massages
- Library with communal work tables
- Photo booth with props
- Wine cellar with more than 1,200 labels, including bottlings from The Battery’s own vineyard
- Elaborate dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
The accommodation:
- 14 guest rooms on the top three floors of the building
- Minibars with a handpicked selection of liquors, mixers, and snacks
- Penthouse with a full-sized bar in the living room. Also, a wraparound rooftop terrace with hot tub, BBQ, fireplace, and dining table
- There are no tea bags, call room service for a “tea-rista” (the hotel is serious about tea)
The style:
- Modern design by Ken Fulk with a feel of ‘no expense spared’
- Some original factory features remain (red brick, timber pillars) and are styled with custom design and vintage interior pieces
- A rotation of contemporary art that usually reflect timely political issues
Good to know:
- The hotel has a strict ‘no devices’ policy in public areas. Guests are encouraged to use their tech devices only in the designated vintage phone boxes
- From the Musto Bar, there’s a secret door to access The Green Room
- Outstanding service, the staff is professionally precise, casual, yet good-humored
- The glass lift between floors gives great views of the Transamerica Pyramid
White Swan Inn
Get a room in the rear of the hotel. Better views and more light with the exterior views.
With crackling fireplaces in all 26 guestrooms and suites, the White Swan Inn is a romantic small hotel with English Country glam. It’s located in the Union Square area within walking distance of many attractions. The hotel is a cornucopia of patterns and colors that fearlessly hangs pop art atop floral wallpaper.
Show full descriptionThe hotel:
- In-room mini-fridges stocked daily with free sodas and bottled water
- Library
- Coffee and tea are available in the lobby all-day
- Complimentary daily breakfast
- A daily free glass of wine with nibbles
- The rooms have either walk-in showers or deep soaking tubs
- Beautiful and quiet courtyard
Good to know:
- The hotel serves amazing scones
- Most rooms lack views
- Traffic sounds reach rooms facing the street
- No air-conditioning
- Few amenities; no full restaurant or gym
- Dinner collaboration with Italian eatery next door: Pizza can be ordered to the room
Special:
- Win a prize with the White Swan Treasure Hunt – find and take pictures of the locations marked on the map while exploring the city
- Those who prefer staying in a hotel with a French flair should check out the sister hotel Petite Auberge
Kabuki Hotel
The Japan Mall next door was convenient for meals and good shopping.
If you’re looking for a hotel in a quieter area than the city’s main hotel hub, Union Square, the Kabuki Hotel is what you’re looking for. Part of the building was formerly the Japanese consulate. A cozy yet cool hotel right in Japantown, featuring a mix of Japanese and Western design.
Show full descriptionThe hotel:
- 225 guest rooms
- A blend of Eastern and Western design, tradition and modern art pieces, in a refurbished building with original features
- No room service
- Minifridges in the rooms, but no minibar
- 24/7 gym with yoga studio, kickboxing, and great views over the hotel’s garden
- Japanese garden with koi pond and fire pit
- Bar with Japanese drinks and snacks
- Valet parking
Good to know:
- Some rooms are rather small but many of them have a balcony
- Some corner rooms glimpse the Golden Gate Bridge
- The hotel is connected to the Japan Center, a mall
Phoenix Hotel
It’s hard to believe you can find such a beautiful hidden gem in Tenderloin. But here it is: stunning courtyard, great pool, fantastic art, welcoming staff and the most comfortable king bed I’ve ever touched!
This mid-century motor lodge with a rock n’ roll spirit has a long history of popularity among musicians and other creatives. Former guests of this 1950’s-era motor court hotel include famous names such as David Bowie, Neil Young, or also Kurt Cobain. A note that was found in Kurt Cobain’s pocket after his death was written on Phoenix stationery.
Show full descriptionThe hotel:
- 44 guest rooms and suites
- Rooms aren’t soundproof
- Retro-chic style with vintage furniture. Their rooms feature lots of crisp white, mixed with original pop art prints and bold splashes of color.
- Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the pool
- On-site bar and restaurant
- Outdoor-heated pool
Good to know:
- Complimentary coffee, tea, and snacks
- Free access to communal baths at Kabuki Springs and Spa (no transportation provided)
- Very few amenities and no room service
- Guests can get access to a nearby gym
- The hotel is on the edge of an area that’s often euphemistically referred to as “edgy”)
Special:
- No fee urban or resort fee
Proper Hotel
One thing in full disclosure, the location of the hotel is not amazing. But if you are coming in to chill inside your hotel, go up to a cool rooftop bar to eat and drink… then Proper is your spot!
A hip contemporary hotel in a historic flatiron building located in Mid-Market. The area is a gradually regenerating part of downtown and public transport options are excellent. The hotel has a very popular rooftop bar with irresistible city skyline views – on weekends there’s an hour-long wait down the block to get a spot.
Show full descriptionThe rooms:
- 131 rooms, 11 are suites, and 12 are lower priced bunk rooms
- Noise-proof rooms
- Air conditioning
- Rooms are rather small
- Google Chromecast and other tech gadgets
- In-room tablet for local recommendations and reservations
- A well-curated minibar with local drinks and chocolate, but no free coffee or tea
- Large windows, however, no good views
- Sleek bathrooms with walk-in showers and Aesop products
Amenities:
- Room service
- Complimentary bicycles
- A small basement gym with personal training, yoga, and bicycles
- An on-site restaurant that also serves food in the lobby lounge
- Rooftop bar
Style:
- Nostalgia-toned Beaux-Arts architecture
- An array of patterns and colors
- Lots of comforting touches, lamps, rugs, pillows, wood floors and eclectic groupings of paintings, mirrors, and prints
- Original features of the 1904 flatiron building
Special:
- Hotel guests are given preference on the rooftop
- Hotel-own ‘Proper app’ to call up the concierge and other services (in-room tablet)
Palihotel
Lovely extras like a decent coffee machine, towelling robes & a very well stocked minibar, as well as a fabulous bed & superb shower, makes this hotel that bit more special.
The Palihotel is a hotel located in a characterful, historic building with Victorian architecture in the heart of Union Square. This hard-to-beat location, the modern flair of the property, good service with a casual atmosphere makes it an ideal starting point to explore San Francisco. ‘Fisher Loft’, the on-site bar and restaurant is a popular spot for locals to enjoy good cocktails and food.
Show full descriptionThe hotel:
- 82 guest rooms
- Classic and contemporary California-centric style with sunny accents
- Air-conditioning
- Smeg minibars in the rooms
- Blackout curtains
- On-site restaurant/bar
Good to know:
- Paid on-site parking
- There’s a loft-style all-day restaurant, guests receive a discount
- Pets welcome
The Parsonage
Lovely hosts, great breakfast, amazing location, and beautiful individual rooms! We had a room with a great view over San Francisco, spent some wonderful days!
A lovely B&B in an 1883 landmark Victorian townhouse, ideally situated in upscale Hayes Valley. The house is filled with beautiful antique interiors and there are delicious home-cooked breakfasts that will make you feel more like a visiting friend than staying in a hotel.
Show full description- Run by the owners John and Joan
- Historic building with many preserved original features, including mouldings, anaglypta and chandeliers
- Decorated with art pieces collected from all over the world
- Two parlours for guests with complimentary brandy, sherry, port, chocolates, and tourist maps, plus guidebooks for borrowing
Special:
- There’s a lift to carry the luggage upstairs
- Outstanding multi-course breakfast is served every morning and included in the price
- Complimentary cookies are served in the afternoons
The accommodation:
- 5 rooms
- Some rooms with open fireplaces
- Elegant, marble en-suite bathrooms
- Comfortable and cosy interior, each is named after a trailblazing San Francisco female
- No TVs
Good to know:
- Two-night stay minimum
- The ‘Alma Speckles’ room is the largest room of the house; with a walk-in wardrobe, clawfoot tub as well as a walk-in shower
Cavallo Point Lodge
You are not able to use the pool or hot tub at the spa unless you have a treatment booked.
The Cavallo Point Lodge is great for everyone who wants to stay in the greater San Francisco area, a little off the buzz of the city. From its idyllic location on the San Francisco Bay guests can see the entire panorama of San Francisco’s city skyline. The array of activities offered by the lodge will make it difficult to choose the program for the day.
Show full descriptionThe rooms:
- 6 room types
- A choice between rooms in the historic buildings or a newly built complex
- Some rooms with sun porches and fireplaces
- Most of the rooms with ocean view, some of them with views of the Golden Gate Bridge
- Unfussy, simple style
The hotel:
- Only a 15-minutes drive from downtown San Francisco
- Complimentary coffee, tea, and pastries available in the lobby in the morning
- Bar and restaurant for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on site
- Kid and pet friendly
- An array of activities: cooking classes, kayaking, yoga, hiking, live music, etc.
- Free morning yoga classes
- On-site wellness spa with treatments (paid) and heated outdoor meditation pool
Good to know:
- Use of the spa facilities only in combination with booking a treatment
- Cozy but not an extraordinary accommodation
