Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Still Gay, Still Proud
San Francisco has long been known as a bastion of gay culture, so it only
makes sense that there are a few guesthouses catering to a gay crowd.
Not as many as there once were—society has changed and gay folks are
welcomed at even the most mainstream hotels nowadays—but a few
nonetheless.
$-$$
Although pretty much every hotel in town will support same-sex
couples sharing a bed, some gay visitors will prefer gay-owned accommo-
dations. One of the most affordable is the five-room
24 Henry Guesthouse
(24 Henry St.;
%
800/900-5686 or 415/864-5686; www.24henry.com;
MC, V),
where the majority of B&B rooms in the residential Castro District,
which is well connected by several streetcar lines, cost from $75 to $95,
plus $10 if you're only staying a single night. Naturally, each room was
individually designed with pride by Walter, a man who liked staying here
so much that he bought the whole building, a former residence that went
up in the 1880s. The owners live in the same building, but on a different
floor—you share the main entrance, but that's all. The same owners also
have
Village House
(4080 18th St., at Castro;
%
800/900-5686 or
415/864-0994; www.24henry.com),
which meets the same adorable stan-
dard but is priced about $10 more by virtue of being on the slightly more
happening side of Market Street. At both, local calls are free, as is Wi-Fi;
the Village House even has a piano you can play. They're both straight-
friendly, although kids aren't invited.
$$-$$$
Slightly more expensive, and explicitly pitched to gay and lesbian
clientele, is the 12-room, shared-bath
Willows Inn Bed & Breakfast
(710 14th St., at Church;
%
800/431-0277 or 415/431-4770; www.willows
sf.com).
All rooms, which have a mild pink-bamboo theme but are essentially
classy, have a fridge, a sink, and kimono bathrobes (how
fabulous
) and rates
start at $105 for two in a tiny room to $145 for two or $165 for four in the
two-bedroom suite, which is a great deal. The location, which is perfectly
safe, is divine—steps from the streetcar and a 10-minute walk down Market
to Castro Street. Because it's so anything-goes, this is the place to stay if
you plan to wear your leather panties in public.
distance. The nearest BART station is just 2 blocks away, which is hugely handy
for reaching the sights. The family that runs things also lives on the premises (so
the halls smell like South Asian meals during dinnertimes, which is frustrating
when you can't have any), but don't expect stellar service just because of that fact.
The owners must take a lot of grief from ne'er-do-well locals, because they seem
to cast a suspicious eye on everyone. It's a very inexpensive crash pad, no matter
how the chipper paint job may work to convince you to expect more.
