Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Still, there are deals to be found. Skim through this chapter and you'll find
techniques for shaving big bucks off your hotel bill, plus reviews for properties
that give you excellent value. One big tip: Calling the hotels directly doesn't
always get the best price; some properties offer online discounts that knock $40
to $60 off regular prices. The city is also plugged into the network of online sell-
ers that slash prices—make sure you get prices out of Hotwire.com, Priceline.com
(see the “Bidding Blind” box in this chapter), and Hotels.com before committing.
Just make sure that if you do that, you also call the hotel itself to see if it can do
even better on the quoted rate.
So what do all the dollar signs mean when they precede a listing? Simply the
nightly price for two:
$
Under $95
$$
$96 to $125
$$$
$126 to $189
$$$$
$190 and up
RENTING A ROOM IN AN APARTMENT
It's a tradition in the Pauline Frommer's series to lead off with the most illuminat-
ing, most edifying, and most economical way to see any city in the world. Well,
no, I'm not talking about staying with friends, although that's a really good idea,
and if you can arrange that, you're way ahead of the game and can kindly skip this
chapter.
But I'm talking about renting a room in the apartment of a local (I also cover
renting a complete apartment a bit later in this chapter). If you've stayed in a hotel
lately, you'll know why I have such a high opinion of private B&Bs. These days,
when you check into even a middling hotel run by a well-known company, you
start by paying a great deal for what amounts to a single smallish room. From then
on, everything you do or say ends with a huge charge on your bill. Parking.
Laundry. Lots of places even add “resort fees” for using the pool or the gym—the
very perks that drew you to the hotel to begin with!
Renting a space inside the home of someone who has lived in San Francisco
for a while affords you as much opportunity as you want to seize. Many of these
owners, who meet people from around the world when they come to stay, are only
too eager to share their favorite local haunts and insider's touring tips. Too often,
expensive hotels are staffed by people who can't direct you further than the lobby
cocktail bar.
You'll also be nickel-and-dimed much less and get a more personal experience
when you go the private B&B route. And in San Francisco, that means working
with the excellent
Bed & Breakfast San Francisco
555
(
%
415/899-0060;
www.bbsf.com).
Call it a cultural quirk, but there simply aren't many local brokers
offering stays in hosted apartments or private-home B&Bs. The one exception is
this agency, owned by Richard and Susan Kreibich, who started this service after
falling in love with hosted stays during a tour of Europe. In 1978, they got their
first booking—the commission was $7—and ever since then, they've been match-
ing people's extra rooms and guest cottages with temporary visitors. Every prop-
erty and host (teachers, lawyers, and other inquisitive types) has been vetted by
the Kreibichs, a worldly couple—interestingly, Susan was once a showgirl for
