9 Best places to stay in San Francisco

No hotel embodies San Francisco’s unique spirit better than this boho-leaning French Quarter retreat.

In fact, the property is like an art gallery, with most of the 43 rooms and public spaces dressed up by a rotating roster of international artists (including several from the Bay Area).

The hotel can feel borderline hostel-like – especially since rooms are on the small side and some have shared baths. But this is ground zero if character is what you’re after.

It’s in a lovely central location, across from Chinatown’s entrance and blocks from Union Square.

Putting San Francisco’s historic Presidio on the map as a stand-alone destination when it opened in 2012, the Inn at the Presidio places visitors right in the heart of this former military-post-turned-national park.

The three-story boutique property is an exquisite adaptive reuse of Pershing Hall, once a home for bachelor officers. A Georgian Revival-style structure, it features 22 contemporary guestrooms (many with fireplaces), a front porch adorned with rocking chairs for admiring the surrounding scenery, and an outdoor firepit.

Green-certified and a Historic Hotel of America, the inn’s nightly wine-and-cheese reception is a favourite. The Golden Gate Bridge is particularly close-by, as are many of the Park’s best walking trails – and there are complimentary bikes for exploring too.

The St Regis forgoes quiet luxury for in-your-face opulence, from the 260 rooms with 24-hour butler service, to the impressive art collection, Michelin-starred restaurant, and spa that hands out truffles and glasses of bubbly to waiting patrons.

Rooms go high-tech with their bathroom TVs, printer-fax-copier combos, and bedside panels that control the lights, music and shades. Even the setting – a glass-and-steel tower in SoMa, adjacent to SFMoMA – seems to gleam in the face of neighbours.

The best of the top-end luxury hotels in San Francisco.

Loyal guests return time and time again to Phoenix Hotel for its rock-star vibes, heated pool, and free parking. A mid-century motor lodge at its best, the 44-room property is colourful and creative, with a courtyard sporting original sculptures from local artists and an onsite bar and eatery with its own vinyl record selection.

The Tenderloin neighbourhood is by no means a tourist hot-spot, but the rooms are clean and comfy, and the Wi-Fi free. You might even spot a band’s tour bus or two outside.

Little Saigon and Hayes Valley are both nearby, as well as SF’s cultural hub, Opera Plaza.

The grand dame of San Francisco hotels, the world-renowned Fairmont had the unfortunate fate of opening just weeks before the city’s devastating 1906 earthquake and fire. Thanks to famed architect Julia Morgan, the 544-guestroom property came back better than ever.

Perched atop the city’s landmark Nob Hill neighbourhood, the Fairmont offers a quintessential San Francisco experience. Explore the room where singer Tony Bennett first performed his signature San Francisco tune, sip Mai Tais at the hotel’s iconic Tonga Room tiki bar, or splurge on a hydrating body wrap at the new onsite spa. It’s all right here.

In a city with boutique hotels aplenty, 1 Hotel San Francisco (formerly Hotel Vitale) is the best of the lot. International luxury hotel chain SH Hotels and Resorts took over the 15-year-old property back in 2020 and gave it a £21M makeover.

Each of the 200 rooms are clad in reclaimed wood and other eco-focused elements designed to bring nature indoors, including plenty of natural light. Guests have 24-hour access to Peloton bikes and state-of-the-art weight training equipment, weekly yoga and boot camp classes, and an 8th-floor spa with rooftop soaking tubs.

The location is excellent – on the revitalised waterfront (The Embarcadero), one block from the Ferry Building. The hotel has electric bicycles on hand for easy city exploring.

Where Japanese design meets Western influences, the modern and elegant Hotel Kabuki provides a different view of San Francisco. It’s located within the city’s Japantown neighbourhood, with easy access to izakayas, sushi bars, and karaoke, as well as the nearby Fillmore District. Buses accessing the city’s top attractions operate nearby.

A JdV Hyatt hotel, the boutique space is home to 225 guestrooms and suites. Free internet and digital check-in make it ideal for business travellers, though it’s also a quiet, design-savvy alternative to downtown’s sometimes more sterile spaces.

Visit nearby Kabuki Springs and Spa for the full Japantown experience.

Ideally situated at the cusp of Union Square, the Financial District, and Chinatown, the boutique Hotel Triton has long drawn onlookers with its eclectic lobby: one featuring a rediscovered 1940s Impressionist mural, shelves of travel literatures, and a curated collections of artworks available for purchase.

Guestrooms are designed with the Danish concept of hygge, embracing cosiness and contentment, in mind, and though small, include plenty of natural light and bursts of colour.

Pets stay free at this unique space, which is home to both a 1930s-style French Bistro and a casual chowder house, as well as its own gelateria.

If you like it quiet, head to Cavallo Point, surely the area’s most atmospheric hotel. The 142-room property sits in a lovely park setting at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge on the Sausalito side – which translates to amazing views at nearly every turn.

Rooms come in historic and contemporary styles and spread out over modern lodges and several heritage buildings, and there’s a rigorous eco ethos throughout.

One of the Bay Area’s best spas has an impressive selection of wellness offerings that includes integrative medicine services, alternative healing treatments, wellness workshops, and even a tea bar.

The resort also offers an expansive activity roster that includes cooking classes, yoga lessons, and guided hikes – so it’s a great place to hang out and unwind. It is, however, across the Bay from the main sights, so it’s not the most convenient for city sightseeing, though the ferry gets you from Sausalito to Fisherman’s Wharf in 30 minutes.