San Francisco Hotels

Listen to this while reading: Train - Hey, Soul Sister (A fantastic bay area band!)

Yesterday marked the day that I have been living in San Francisco for one month.  My how time flies!  During this time I have stayed in five different hostels and hotels, and I thought I would give you a quick run-down of them, for your next trip to the foggy city...

First of all, there was Orange Village Hostel on the corner of O'Farrell and Taylor Streets.  Their slogan on their website is "The best hostel in San Francisco", which is weird, because it definitely is not.  The rooms were tidy and for the price, not too bad.  However, my traveling companion came out in a massive array of bed bug bites and when we complained, we were told it was our fault.  It is also pretty much located in the Tenderloin - San Fran's homeless people mecca, the main problem with that is that it doesn't give you a great first impression of the city.  Upside, free in-room wifi, and its proximity to Taylor Street Cafe.
Stay here if: you're on a tight budget.


I then moved to Da Vinci Villas on Van Ness at Russian Hill.  The location is immense, being right off hipster hangout Polk Street, so there are plenty of places to find a delicious meal.  It is also only a 15 minute walk down to the water.  Take advantage of the pool and free in-room wifi.
Stay here if: you've got a little more money to spend on your accommodation, and enjoy walking a city.


From there it was on to Hotel North Beach right on the border between Chinatown and North Beach.  This place is a bargain for what it is and where.  It offers longer term stays as well, so be prepared for people who live there.  This also means that the rooms are not serviced daily as a regular hotel would offer.  The rooms are tidy, have a microwave, fridge, sink and tv and the communal bathrooms are convenient to all rooms and clean.  The wifi only works on the ground floor.  Location wise, it is one block from City Lights Bookstore and the Beat Museum, turn right out the front door and get some of the best Chinese food in the city or turn left out of the door and get some of the best Italian food in the city!
Stay here if: you'd like to stay right in the heart of things.


Wanting a change of scenery after at week at Hotel North Beach, I moved to it's sister hotel, the Cable Car Court Hotel on California Street at Larkin.  Very similar to Hotel North Beach, this one offers long term stays also, has wifi only on the ground floor and isn't serviced daily.  Again, this hotel is perfect mainly because of its location.  2 minutes from Polk Street, 15 minutes walk from Powell Street and across the road from Contraband Coffee, one of the best places in the city for a decent cup of joe.  The only downside to this place (and it's hardly a major trip-ruiner) but the cable car is actually really loud right outside the place!
Stay here if: you enjoy a more local feel to your trip, as opposed to a touristy feel.


Finally, I am now staying in Hotel Kabuki on Post at Laguna in Japantown.  When looking for a nicer place to stay for my last few days in San Francisco, I couldn't believe Hotel Kabuki's prices - they were so much cheaper than any other hotel in the surrounding area!  A 5-minute walk from Polk Street still, and in the lovely suburb of Japantown, this "east meets west" hotel has everything any traveller would need.  Serviced daily, wifi in room, full bathrooms with tubs, and a calming japanese style garden in the centre of the courtyard.
Stay here if: you prefer something a little different for your San Francisco experience.