Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
68
A NOTE ON PRICES
I have listed “rack
rates”—a hotel 's highest r oom price—in
categorizing my hotel picks. You will prob-
ably get a much better quote when y ou
call. More than 16 million visitors came to
San F rancisco in 2007, pushing hotel
occupancy rates to 79%. These numbers
may dip along with the countr y's eco-
nomic slo wdown—meaning y ou'll find
more weekend discounts, family packages,
and other promotions. In this chapter, I've
classified hotels based on cost for a family
of four staying in one r oom, unless a spe-
cific hotel has space constraints that
to call the hotel dir ectly and find that it
had one room left (a suite, which didn't fit
into the Internet's standard room category)
that could be had for a steal. M
oreover,
folks in-house can pr
ovide the most
detailed information about the hotel and
the specific r oom type y ou may be inter-
ested in. You can also tell the hotel agent
that y ou ar e trav eling with childr en and
inquire about special offers they may
have.
As your arrival date nears, inquire again
about any special deals. A t check-in, don't
hesitate to ask if you can upgrade to a big-
ger room or a higher floor. If the hotel has
no hope of selling these better r ooms for
the next few nights, they may be willing to
upgrade you at no additional charge.
KITCHENETTES
Kitchenettes are a rar-
ity in San Francisco, and I've noted nearly
all that are available. Reserve for them well
in advance.
POOLS
Some kids will be happy any-
where y ou take them as long as ther e's a
pool. B ut giv en S an Francisco r eal estate
prices, few hotels devote precious space to
swimming facilities, and most pools that
do exist ar e petite. Almost all the S an
Francisco hotels with pools ar e listed in
this chapter.
ACCESSIBILITY
The Americans with
Disabilities A ct r equires that hotels built
within the past 20 years accommodate the
needs of disabled trav elers. However, San
Francisco hotels are often located in older
require staying in a suite or two connect-
ing rooms. Prices do not include the 14%
hotel tax, nor does it include par king,
which can r un fr om fr ee to o ver $60 a
night.
GETTING THE BEST R ATE
N early
every moderate and high-end hotel I vis-
ited insisted that guests can almost cer-
tainly book r ooms at rates w ell below the
published rack rates—unless sev eral busi-
ness conventions are in to wn at the same
time. The first step is checking multiple
sources. S urf the I nternet first and then
call both the central r eservations number,
if there is one, and in-house r eservations.
Find which source has the best deal. Many
hotels not only match a rate y ou hav e
found on the I nternet but also, in some
cases, beat it.
It's impor tant that y ou check with in-
house reservations. I've had three different
websites indicate a hotel was booked only
4
Tips
Meals on a Budget
Having breakfast in your hotel room cuts back on restaurant bills. Also, some kids
wake up at the crack of dawn when in new surroundings or time zones, well
before any cafes are open. If you can't get a kitchenette, a fridge (and a coffee-
maker for mom and dad) will do. If they're not already in your room, many hotels
will provide these at no charge. Buy some disposable dishware, plastic cutlery,
and some milk and cereal (or bread and butter, if that's what you're used to at
home) and you're all set.
