San Francisco hotel for pre/post cruise

[Habs_Fan]

My wife and I will be cruising out of San Francisco the end of September (California Coastal/Mexican Riviera). We are in our early 30s and traveling by ourselves.

 

Pre-cruise I would like a hotel close to the pier. Coming from the east coast, we plan to just have dinner and relax. If anything, we might just have a few drinks at a local bar. I don't think we will do much sight seeing on this night.

 

Post cruise we would like to stay (probably 2 days) and do some sight seeing. We definitely want to go to Alcatraz. Unsure what else we will do, but probably some type of city tour.

 

As for cost, I'm not really sure what is reasonable for San Francisco. Maybe in the $250 range but that can be flexible.

 

I don't mind of the pre/post cruise hotels are different, or in different areas.

[nna]

almost any hotel in the "hotel districts" are 5-15 minutes by cab. nothing is very far away from piers. so you could choose fisherman's wharf, or soma or union square or chinatown...and be very close. I would look around union square...

and get your tickets for alcatraz as soon as possible online.

[Northern Aurora]

San Francisco is one of my favorite cities in the world. We dearly love the Argonaut Hotel. It is a boutique hotel located in the Fisherman's Wharf area. The staff is great, the rooms are extremely quiet and it has an excellent restaurant in the hotel, but is also within easy walking to a great number of other restaurants.

[melika091900]

stay in the fishermans wharf area... for sure,,,

 

 

avoid union square area if you can, its kinda bad at night there

the hyatt on the embarcadero is nice... and pretty close to the pier,

[Habs_Fan]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Argonaut certainly looks nice and I like the nautical theme. Perfect to get us in the cruising mood.

 

Thanks for the tip on pre-ordering the Alcatraz tickets. I never would have thought to do that.

[Bruin Steve]

I will concur on the Fisherman's Wharf area...there are several hotels there that fit the bill...

Another hotel I am partial to, that's not far from the pier is the Hilton on Kearny Street:

 

http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/SFOFDHF-Hilton-San-Francisco-Financial-District-California/index.do

 

It's right on the edge of Chinatown...and walking distance to a lot of great restaurants...and the best "local bar"...

 

http://www.vesuvio.com/index2.html

 

This was the "home" of the Beat Poets of the '50s...

Across the alley is Lawrence Ferlinghetti's City Lights Bookstore...

 

http://www.citylights.com/

 

If you want to experience San Francisco in the proper historical and cultural context, here is your shot...

 

I know you're a little young for this, so here's a little advance reading on the Beats:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beat_Generation

 

BTW, the best restaurants in San Francisco are not the touristy joints on Fishermans Wharf, but the Italian restaurants of North Beach--just up Columbus from the Wharf...Just walk around and let your nose lead you...

 

Have fun...

[jonbgd]

 

BTW, the best restaurants in San Francisco are not the touristy joints on Fishermans Wharf, but the Italian restaurants of North Beach--just up Columbus from the Wharf...Just walk around and let your nose lead you...

 

Have fun...

I disagree..... Thats like saying the Kardashian sisters are in indicative of the people living in Calabasas:p:D

 

I do agree there are alot of good restaurants/bars in north beach.

My favorites Mamas for breakfast, Molinaris for lunch and Sodinis or the Stinking Rose for dinner. But I miss Moose's and the Washbag:(

 

 

But for good seafood I like the wharf. Get a chowder bowl from Boudins. Get a fresh cracked crab from one of the crab vendors.

If you want to sit down at pier39 my favorite is Pier Market. For a great experience do Forbes Island... So many options.

To the OP walk down the Embarcadero to the ferry building and if your there on tues, thurs or saturday they have an awesome Farmers market with all the locals serving up some great food

[Bruin Steve]

I disagree..... Thats like saying the Kardashian sisters are in indicative of the people living in Calabasas:p:D

 

Ahhhhh, Jon...That was low!

Actually, though...it might just be true...we're ALL on Reality TV or have some sort of "project" in the works... ;)

 

Seriously, OF COURSE I was generalizing...Yes, you can have a nice meal on the Wharf...But, IMHO, the best food, GENERALLY, can be found in North Beach--and, yes, restaurants come and go...but there is lots in North Beach to be commended...I, too, like the Stinking Rose--if you can get a table...but we usually, just play it by ear...or by nose...First figure out where we can find a parking spot, then walk from there...

 

...although, of late, we spend more of our time down in SoMa (My brother moved from Nob Hill across to Sausalito and our daughter moved to SoMA)...So everything we eat is now timed around whether the Giants are playing!!

[jonbgd]

Ahhhhh, Jon...That was low!

Actually, though...it might just be true...we're ALL on Reality TV or have some sort of "project" in the works... ;)

 

Seriously, OF COURSE I was generalizing...Yes, you can have a nice meal on the Wharf...But, IMHO, the best food, GENERALLY, can be found in North Beach--and, yes, restaurants come and go...but there is lots in North Beach to be commended...I, too, like the Stinking Rose--if you can get a table...but we usually, just play it by ear...or by nose...First figure out where we can find a parking spot, then walk from there...

 

...although, of late, we spend more of our time down in SoMa (My brother moved from Nob Hill across to Sausalito and our daughter moved to SoMA)...So everything we eat is now timed around whether the Giants are playing!!

Its all in fun:D I have lots of family in Socal and some live in Newport beach and we all laugh about that show The OC. If my cousins acted like that my Uncle would have disowned them.

 

Its tougher finding a parking spot in North beach than finding a good place to eat.

 

I know the feeling of scheduling meals around the Giants. We have few friends that have Condos in south beach just for the games.

How that area has changed.

[Jeff in Torrance]

We've stayed at the Buena Vista Motor Inn on Lombard at Gough several times. A relatively small place, well-located, and not too expensive.

 

http://www.buenavistamotorinn.com/

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g60713-d119593-Reviews-Buena_Vista_Motor_Inn-San_Francisco_California.html

[Hapytocruise]

Just an FYI IF you take a taxi from the airport into SF..it costs a fortune. Any opportunity you can find for a transfer to your hotel would likely be a savings.:) I would explore the cost of a town car pick-up.

[Daniel1313]

Just an FYI IF you take a taxi from the airport into SF..it costs a fortune. Any opportunity you can find for a transfer to your hotel would likely be a savings.:) I would explore the cost of a town car pick-up.

 

I was planning on taking a taxi. Do you have any idea how much a cab costs? Did not really want to mess around with a shuttle and have to wait for it to fill up. Any other ideas?

 

Thanks

Dan

[pooh/tigger]

@Daniel1313, check out priceline and rent a car. Just back from SF and we were able to get a full size (Nissan Altima) for $16 a day. Picked it up at the airport and dropped it at the Hertz location nearest the Wharf.

 

Now, about Alcatraz tours, this: https://www.alcatrazcruises.com/index.aspx is who you want to buy your tickets from. Avoid the rest. They sell tickets 90 days out so just figure out when 90 days is, mark it on your notes and then go online that day to buy your tickets. Please, do the night tour if possible. It is the best and, if your lucky like we were, the fog will roll in and make it even better.

 

Lastly, North Beach has some of the best food in the city. Yes, there is good food at the wharf too but nothing like North Beach, IMO. Mona Lisa's has the best Chicken Parm and Lasagna. And while someone mentioned it can be hard to find a parking spot, that may be true if you need to be right up front but what we did was park down on Bay and/or Broadway and then walked up Columbus. This way, you can see and smell all North Beach has to offer and it's a very short walk. It's also a neutral spot for walking down to the Wharf too. Best part, not many people park in this area so most spots are wide open.

[nna]

as a local, I recommend parking in a parking garage...parking is tricky, full of many rules and expensive. a parking garage is cheaper than the cheapest ticket and towing is over $500. I think a rental car is expensive in our town for many reasons.

[cruiseship048]

Habs Fan I agree with Northern Aurora about the Argonaut. I would also check out the Fairmont Hotel in Ghirardelli Square. It is very close to the Argonaut and might be worth a closer look. In terms of daytime activities I would consider bringing or renting bicycles. Fisherman's Wharf can get kind of touristy and so its fun to find ways to explore other parts of the city. If you want to rent bikes, I would check out http://www.rentcycle.com. You can compare different bike rental prices in the local area and read reviews of past users.

Another fun activity that I recommend to any of my friends that visit San Francisco is to ride a GoCar around the city. They are great for exploring the city and make for an intimate driving experience with your date.:) I rented one the other weekend with my girlfriend on Rentcycle and then had a fabulous dinner at a local Italian spot in North Beach. It was an incredibly romantic day and my girlfriend really loved the GoCar tour!

 

 

My favorite part about San Francisco is the uniqueness of each district, so I would suggest finding a cheap way to visit as many areas as you can!

[nna]

north beach has some great places..esp if you want italian food. but the greatest places are not there...they are downtown mostly...

 

the food here is so much more than italian...how about burmese, or vietnamese or ethopian (a bit challenging to some palates), or thai...or peruvian...

 

and then there are many kinds of chinese ...

so I would not just stick to the tourist side of town....we live here and go there maybe once every 10 yrs. plenty of great places elsewhere..

[LdyDDS]

In my opinion the BEST dining experience I have ever had in the world is at a San Francisco restaurant called Gary Danko. It is very expensive but worth it. You can make reservations 2 months prior to the date you would like to dine there. www.garydanko.com . The best food I have had in San Francisco is probably at a restaurant called Boulevard. Both are very close to Fisherman's warf/embarcadero. Another hotel I didn't see listed at Fisherman's warf is the Sheraton..I've stayed there it's fine.The union square area is not bad, quite fun if you are a shopper. By the way, you will probably be able to get a good hotel rate on www.priceline.com if you make a bid. The city is easy to get around with public transportation (BART, bus, muni, cable car) and you can always find a cab at a hotel. If you are comfortable with trains, you can always take the BART from the airport to SF. If you end up staying somewhere on the waterfront you can just BART to the Embarcadero station and when you come out of the station walk to the Grand Hyatt, which is directly at the exit and grab a taxi there to take you to any other location.

[AccesstheWorld50]

I definitely agree with LdyDDS about Gary Danko. Probably the best 5 course meal I have ever had. I'm not really into guided tours because I think you can get a better experience by exploring the city by yourselves. I would recommend biking the Golden Gate Bridge or even going over to Marin county and checking out the redwood trees. They also have some fun restaurants and the people are really friendly.

 

For hotels I suggest the Argonaut or the Fairmont in Ghirardelli Square or if you want something closer to the downtown area I would go with the Grand Hyatt.

 

Hope this helps and enjoy San Francisco.

[hikerbiker]

Does anyone know of any hotels in the Fisherman's Wharf area that offer courtesy pick-up at San Francisco airport? We are staying pre-cruise in December.

 

Thank you.

[Bruin Steve]

Does anyone know of any hotels in the Fisherman's Wharf area that offer courtesy pick-up at San Francisco airport? We are staying pre-cruise in December.

 

Thank you.

 

No...and you are not likely to find one...It's about a 15-20 mile drive from SFO to the City, depending on where in the City you are...

 

If a hotel was to offer one, trust me, it would come at a sizable twice, maybe hidden in the rate...

 

Just grab a taxi or shuttle...

Or you can even take BART into the city, then a taxi from the station to your hotel...

[hikerbiker]

No...and you are not likely to find one...It's about a 15-20 mile drive from SFO to the City, depending on where in the City you are......

 

I've been perusing the various threads on Fisherman's Wharf hotels and transportation from the airport. No one has mentioned hotels with courtesy transport. Thank you for confirming what I was beginning to suspect -- it's just not offered. I think we will probably do one of the shuttles.

[Emperor Norton]

Not quite near the pier but if you want to hit the hotel grab a drink and relax pre-cruise I'd recommend the Fairmont on Nob hill. Once checked in head down to the former swimming pool, now the Tonga Room.

[sarafinadh]

As a native San Franciscan I would offer up the Union Square area is no more *scary* than any metropolitan downtown.

 

For a good look at the high end SF dining scene the Chronicle did a 100 best recently with many suggestions.

 

http://www.sfgate.com/food/top100/

 

My best transport advice here is take a shuttle or bart. Bart runs from the airport to downtown. From there you can catch muni or a cab. Or if you select a downtown hotel you can just walk a block to many nice hotels.

 

The union square area is where you will find the theater district if you are interested in that.

 

For the most interesting dining experiences head to Valencia Street. You can take BART to 24th and get off and walk a block up to Valencia, and there are blocks and blocks of wonderful restaurants for you to choose from. It's a foodies heaven!

 

Don't stay at Fisherman's Wharf or just in North Beach. San Francisco is SO much more than that. And we are a small city geographically. No matter where you stay you are only a few miles at the most from the embarkation pier.

[NoobCruise]

These may not be what you're looking for as they're not near the wharf, but I'm going to throw them out here because they're great hotels.

 

The Mark Hopkins is a famous historical site and a wonderful hotel. It's at the very top of Nob Hill.

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g60713-d115623-Reviews-InterContinental_Mark_Hopkins_San_Francisco-San_Francisco_California.html

 

The Top of the Mark is a bar on the very top floor with incredible panoramic views of the city and bay, live jazz and dancing. It's definitely worth a visit even if you don't stay at the hotel. We enjoyed both our evening in the bar and our breakfast.

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60713-d874577-Reviews-Top_of_the_Mark-San_Francisco_California.html

 

We have also stayed in the Intercontinental. We stayed on the 27th floor and had 2 walls that were floor to ceiling windows. Awesome views! It's a few blocks from Union Square. Also, we walked around Union Square quite a bit at night and felt perfectly safe.

 

http://www.intercontinentalsanfrancisco.com/

[NoobCruise]

Not quite near the pier but if you want to hit the hotel grab a drink and relax pre-cruise I'd recommend the Fairmont on Nob hill. Once checked in head down to the former swimming pool, now the Tonga Room.

 

The Tonga Room IMO is about the tackiest restaurant I've ever seen lol However, it's fun and entertaining, definitely a different concept! The kids there seemed to LOVE it (lots getting up and dancing in the isles). and the food was great. We had a great time there.