Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
How to Book
Travelers should reserve rooms
at least one month in advance
(if not more) during peak
season, which runs from July
through October. Telephone
and online bookings are
accepted with a credit card, but
a deposit of one night's room
rate will usually be required.
Remember to give advance
notice if you think you will be
arriving later than 6pm. There is
no official reservation agency
but hotels may be booked via
the web site of the Visitor
Information Center
(see p266)
(www.sfvisitor.org). Many hotels
are listed in the center's free
Visitor Planning Guide
. Some
agencies will book rooms for
visitors. They do not charge for
this, and can often get you
discount rates.
Pet Suite at the Petite Auberge
(see p213)
Traveling with Children
Children are welcome at all
San Francisco hotels, and few
will charge extra for one or
two children under 12 staying
in their parents' room. It is
advisable, however, to let
staff at the hotel know you are
traveling with children, because
not all rooms are suitable. Some
hotels may provide you with a
sofa that can be converted into
an extra bed or alternatively
may be able to set up a cot or
a folding bed for an additional
$10 to $15 a night. Most
hotels can arrange babysitters,
or licensed agencies can
provide childcare,
see p274
for more information. Many
families prefer to take rooms
in an all-suite hotel, or rent a
furnished apartment for extra
space and freedom.
when booking in an affiliated
hotel, and also earn extra
mileage for each night of
your visit.
Disabled Travelers
All hotels in the United
States are required by law to
provide the disabled with
accommodation, as is stated in
the Americans with Disabilities
Act of 1992. Older properties are
exempt from this, but most of
San Francisco's hotels comply
with the act and provide at least
one room suitable for guests
who are wheelchair-bound.
You will find that staff in most
establishments will do all
they can to assist anyone
handicapped, but if you do have
special needs, it is advisable to
inform the manager of the hotel
when you reserve your room.
All the hotel listings on pages
210-221 allow those who are
visually handicapped to bring
guide dogs onto the premises.
More information for travelers
with special needs can be
found on page 280, under
Practical Information
.
Special Rates
It is always worthwhile to
check hotel websites or ask
reservation agents about any
special discounts that might be
available, in particular during
the off-peak months between
November and March. It is also
useful to ask for discounts when
booking weekend visits, as
many hotels that usually cater
to the business traveler will cut
their rates for families. Some
may also provide special offers,
such as a free bottle of wine or
lower-price meals, with the aim
to gain the patronage of those
who travel for pleasure.
Reservation services do not
usually charge a fee as they
receive a commission from the
individual hotels, and some will
offer discounted rates. A good
travel agent can save its clients
10 to 20 percent of the standard
nightly charge of many hotels.
It is worth checking some
package tours, such as those
advertised in the Sunday paper,
as they can offer significant
savings for travelers. Many
airlines also offer discounts as
an incentive to those who
reserve a room through them.
If you are a member of a
frequent-flyer program, you
may be able to save as much as
50 percent off the normal rates
Youth and Budget
Accommodations
San Francisco boasts many
youth hostels. These offer
bunks in dormitories plus some
private rooms, at affordable
prices for travelers who are on
a tighter budget. There are three
good, cheap hostels run by a
nonprofit organization called
Hosteling International
. The
best-known is located at
Fisherman's Wharf
, while the
other two can be found at Ellis
Street, and Mason Street near
Union Square. They all have
kitchens, media rooms, flat-
screen TVs, nightly movies, and
on-site activity coordinators to
help plan your itinerary. There
are also several privately run
hostels in the city. Budget hotels
include the
Pacific Tradewinds
Hostel
and
Hotel Herbert
.
Gay and Lesbian
Accommodations
Though all the hotels in San
Francisco welcome lesbian and
gay visitors, the city also has a
number of places that cater
primarily, if not exclusively, to
same-sex couples. Most of these
are smaller properties, which are
found in and around the city's
predominantly gay Castro
District. A few options are listed
in the directory, and gay
bookstores can also provide
more information.
