Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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There's good news and bad news concerning
The Inn San Francisco
(943 S.
Van Ness Ave., near 21st;
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415/641-0188; www.innsf.com; MC, V).
On the
bright side, it's charming, romantic, and full of antiques. Spending the night in a
true Painted Lady is not as common as you'd think it would be in a city famous
for them, but here, the privilege is yours. Given the antique construction, there
are lots of stairs and rooms are tiny, but the homey sweetness of it all enables you
to look past the shortcomings, and it's not too far from either the Castro (a 15-
minute walk) or BART (10 minutes). Unfortunately, the dicey neighborhood (the
Mission) is more of a problem; some guests will feel uneasy walking back to their
hotel after sunset, even if only 4 blocks west some of the city's hippest restaurants
are packing them in. The most affordable rooms are $145 with a private bath;
subtract $25 if you're willing to share a bath with a minimum of other guests. For
big rooms, the rate soars to $215, which would be more appropriate for a roman-
tic weekend away. The included breakfast buffet is generous, and in the backyard,
there's a sweet little wooden hot tub.
HOSTELS
San Francisco's long-running bohemian subculture, in combination with the fact
that the city is on the “must-see” checklist of virtually every international back-
packer, supports some excellent hostels. In fact, one of the choices may be consid-
ered the coolest independent hostels in the country, and its popularity spawned a
line of popular backpacker bus tours around North America. Have your ID
handy, because all local hostels require it in order to keep the riffraff from check-
ing in and not checking out. Linens and towels will be included, but if you want
to use a locker, it's smart to have your own lock. And, no, hostels don't require
chores or enforce a curfew anymore.
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The reliable, impersonal option is
HI Downtown
5
(213 Mason St., at Ellis;
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415/788-5604; www.sfhostels.com; AE, DISC, MC, V),
installed in a 1920s
stone hotel a block west of Union Square. The desk staff is efficient but not ter-
ribly warm. Dorms cost $24 and come with one shared bath per room, and there
are 39 private rooms, too, for $59 with a shared bath and $69 for a private one;
prices rise about $10 on weekends and $20 when things are exceptionally busy.
Guests who aren't already members of Hostelling International can still stay
here—they just pay another $3. The hostel, which throws in a free continental
breakfast and at least one free walking tour of the city each day, is among a thicket
of car-rental companies, which may make it a smart option for people who plan
to hop a car for the hills. As with most HI properties, there's a kitchen for guest
use. There's a smaller HI near the
City Center
(685 Ellis St.;
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415/474-5721;
www.sfhostels.com),
but this one is better located, so use the City Center one only
as a fallback.
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HI also runs an excellent, 142-bed hostel in a historic building within
HI
Fisherman's Wharf
(Building 240, Fort Mason; enter Fort Mason at Bay and
Franklin streets;
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415/771-7277).
This one's called the Fisherman's Wharf loca-
tion, but it's really a good 15-minute walk west of there. If you stay there, you'll
be able to wake up every morning and look out the window of the former mili-
tary outpost at a million-dollar view of the beautiful Golden Gate Bridge in the
