World City Guide

Hotels

Hotel prices are subject to a room tax of 14%. This is not normally included in the listed or quoted prices but added to the bill upon checkout. Most hotels in California also add a small energy surcharge to each bill (approximately US$2-5 per night) to offset the state’s high electricity bills. By law, this surcharge must be disclosed at the time of check-in (a notice is customarily displayed on the reception desk or in the room).

The prices quoted below are the starting prices for a double room, excluding room tax and breakfast, unless otherwise specified. Note that the room tariffs given here are likely to fluctuate with the economy and will probably go up when the American economy stabilise. Check rates with each establishment prior to booking.

Business

Harbor Court Hotel
Few hotels can rival Harbor Court’s up-close view of the San Francisco Bay Bridge. Perched on the city’s eastern coastline, the 131 waterfront rooms provide spectacular sunrise vistas for those early morning business meetings. Each room contains an entertainment centre, a fax machine, a two-line telephone, a modem point and a moderately sized sitting room with a small table. Rooms combine traditional and contemporary furnishings, and some beds are canopied. Windows are double-glazed to block out traffic noise. Guests receive complimentary use of the adjoining athletic facilities. Two expansive convention and business venues located within walking distance can be reserved through the hotel. The Ozumo Japanese restaurant next door is a popular venue for business lunches. Valet parking, which tends to be pricey in San Francisco, is recommended due to city parking restrictions.

165 Steuart Street, Embarcadero
Tel: (415) 882 1300. Fax: (415) 882 1313.
Website: www.harborcourthotel.com
Price: From US$210. Special packages available.

Hyatt Regency San Francisco
Regarded as one of San Francisco’s premier conference centres, the Hyatt Regency at the Embarcadero Center is centrally located in a major retail and business complex. Numerous upscale restaurants are accessible by foot or local transportation. The Hyatt’s business facilities include more than 30 meeting rooms with telephones and audiovisual support, banquet facilities and high-speed Internet access. The 805 rooms and suites have comfortable, traditional furnishings and include two-line telephones with conferencing capabilities, modem points and workstations with ergonomic chairs. Some suites have balconies. Waterfront rooms and suites feature breathtaking views of Alcatraz Island, the harbour and San Francisco’s bridges.

5 Embarcadero Center, Embarcadero
Tel: (415) 788 1234 or (800) 233 1234. Fax: (415) 398 2567.
E-mail: sales@sforspo.hyatt.com
Website: www.sanfrancisco.regency.hyatt.com
Price: From US$195.

Mandarin Oriental, San Francisco
Travellers stay here for work or pleasure. All guest rooms at this luxury hotel located in the city’s third tallest building have exquisite panoramic views of San Francisco and the waterfront (in-room binoculars are provided for peering out at the cable cars below). The hotel group is famous for its exotic surroundings, which include sophisticated Asian touches presented in a modern style, 260-thread-count Frette Egyptian cotton sheets, and marble bathrooms with deep soaking tubs. Business facilities include a personal computer workstation and modem point in the rooms, as well as a business centre and conference facilities. Guests may also rent laptops or cellular phones. A comprehensive health club is on site with flat-screen TVs for those who wish to work while they exercise. There is also an upscale California-Asian restaurant, Silks (see the Restaurants section).

222 Sansome Street, Financial District
Tel: (415) 276 9888 or (800) 622 0404. Fax: (415) 433 0289.
E-mail: mosfo-reservations@mohg.com
Website: www.mandarinoriental.com
Price: From US$345. Special packages available.

Nob Hill Lambourne
The Nob Hill Lambourne caters to business executives who want every convenience at hand but prefer the comfort of a smaller luxury hotel. The plush 14 guestrooms and six suites are decorated in a modern Continental style and have kitchenettes, a two-line telephone, a modem point, and a fax machine. Comfortable touches include the Lambourne’s signature hand-sewn mattresses, down comforters, rice-hull pillows, and a soothing turndown service with chamomile tea. The suites have a private veranda. The hotel has one boardroom that seats up to eight people and does not currently provide conference call facilities. Spa services are offered from a small, Japanese-inspired on-site treatment room. Valet parking (US$30) is recommended due to residential parking limits.

725 Pine Street at Stockton Street, Nob Hill District
Tel: (415) 433 2287 or (800) 274 8466. Fax: (415) 433 0975.
Website: www.nobhilllambourne.com
Price: From US$139 (including breakfast and an evening wine reception).

Pan Pacific Hotel
Known the world over for its upscale business accommodations, the Pan Pacific at Union Square prides itself on its guest services. Business travellers can conduct virtually all of their transactions without leaving the hotel. In addition to an in-suite fax machine, a modem point and a multiple-line telephone, the hotel has full-service catering and an in-house convention facility. Complimentary limousine service to the Financial District is available. The 329 rooms and suites are designed in muted colours; all have marble bathrooms while the suites have their own personal foyer and original artworks. The PACIFIC restaurant serves Californian cuisine and a sumptuous breakfast buffet. Valet parking is complimentary for guests.

500 Post Street, Union Square/Downtown
Tel: (415) 771 8600. Fax: (415) 398 0267.
E-mail: reserve.sfo@panpacific.com
Website: www.panpac.com
Price: From US$185.

Luxury

Hotel Diva
Travellers who associate contemporary hotels with stark white decor and a surgical air to match may be surprised by the burst of colour that Hotel Diva adds to the landscape of modern lodgings. Rooms have the hotel’s signature cobalt carpeting and such furnishings as stainless-steel accent tables and headboards. For the romantically inclined, the hotel will shower the bed in rose petals and provide a range of specially made alluring bath products. If work calls, the hotel has all of the standard business amenities including computers with Internet service. It also maintains a listing of all the hottest entertainment and dining establishments in town. The California Pizza Kitchen provides room service and Starbucks coffee is available in the lobby. Valet and self-parking are optional.

440 Geary Street, Union Square
Tel: (415) 885 0200 or (800) 553 1900. Fax: (415) 346 6613.
E-mail: reservations@personalityhotels.com
Website: www.hoteldiva.com
Price: From US$150 (including breakfast).

Hotel Monaco
A beaux-art boutique hotel with flair, the Monaco has an upscale yet decidedly unstuffy feel. The grand lobby with marble staircase and vaulted ceilings is made comfortable by a fireplace and bellmen rushing about in jaunty hats. This is where guests mill about over a cordial hour of wine and cheese. The guestrooms, furnished in vibrant colours and diversely textured fabrics, have canopy beds (some with more fanciful draping than others), pillow-top mattresses, and down pillows. Other comforts include Frette robes, a mini-bar stocked with gourmet snacks, and complimentary coffee. Internet access through the in-room TV, two-line telephones with modem point, voice-mail and fax are provided, and conference and meeting facilities are available. The hotel is not without its playfulness: a new luxurious Grace Slick suite features original artwork and memorabilia from the singer’s days with Jefferson Starship and Jefferson Airplane. The hotel is also pet-friendly and walking services, a complimentary chew toy, and other pet amenities are provided. In-room bowls of goldfish are available to those guests forced to leave their pets at home.

501 Geary Street, Union Square/Downtown
Tel: (415) 292 0111 or toll free (866) 622 5284. Fax: (415) 292 0111.
Website: www.monaco-sf.com
Price: From US$200.

Moderate

San Francisco Residence Club
Located in Nob Hill on the cable car line, this friendly bed and breakfast-style guesthouse is popular with visiting academics and long-term business visitors. Accommodations range from a modest room with a bed, dresser and TV, to a complete suite, with a sitting area, private bath and an expansive view of the Bay and city. Most rooms share a bath down the hall; some rooms have fireplaces. Although the building is rather modest, it dates to 1906 when it was built as an apartment house, and there are no business facilities on site or telephones in the rooms, the location and price cannot be beaten. A full breakfast and dinner are included in the price, as well as complimentary tea and coffee.

851 California Street, Nob Hill
Tel: (415) 421 2220. Fax: (415) 421 2335.
E-mail: innkeeper@sfresclub.com
Website: www.sfresclub.com
Price: From US$58 (including breakfast and dinner). No credit cards.
Deposit by cheque required to book room.

Super 8
This popular American motel chain caters to travellers who want clean, comfortable accommodation but are not concerned with personalised hotel services. All rooms and suites are furnished in a simple style and have the same basic facilities, including complimentary local telephone calls, coffee-maker and hairdryer, however, the suites are larger. Rooms come with a queen bed, two queen beds, or a king-size bed. A buffet-style American breakfast is included in the price, as well as in-room tea and coffee. Situated one block from the Convention Center, the hotel is surrounded by a wide selection of ethnic restaurants. There is no boardroom on site and, like most hotels in the Union Square area, it is located on a large street with a high volumes of traffic.

415 O’Farrell Street, Union Square
Tel: (415) 928 6800. Fax: (415) 928 3354.
Website: www.super8.com
Price: From US$65 (including breakfast).

Travelodge – San Francisco Airport
Travelodge’s San Francisco Airport location is an easy option for stopovers and short visits to the city. A popular hotel chain, the Travelodge caters to the no-frills business and leisure traveller. The simple accommodations and furnishings are modelled in the generic American-hotel style. All rooms have cable TV and coffee-maker, and continental breakfast is included. Access to the local health club is available for an additional fee. The hotel provides a 24-hour airport shuttle service and transportation to San Francisco’s Civic Center is available by bus or commuter train. Travelodge offers a ‘Park and Fly’ package, with up to 10 days parking on site.

110 South El Camino Real, Millbrae
Tel: (650) 697 7373. Fax: (650) 697 7387.
Website: www.travelodge.com
Price: From US$45.