From luxe Egyptian cotton to organic, there are many ways to slip between the sheets in San Francisco.
Like any prominent tourist destination, San Francisco can offer travellers an abundance of experiences. For first-time tourists, there’s an array of scenic landmarks – from the Golden Gate Bridge, Muir Woods or Alcatraz to the retail splendour of Union and Ghirardelli squares. For the wine and food crowd, some of the finest restaurants in the nation (including Thomas Keller’s famed French Laundry) are a short stroll or drive away. In addition to the foodies, the nearby Napa and Sonoma wine regions draw the spa crowd, after more nurture than nature at the region’s acclaimed spas, including Napa’s luxurious Auberge du Soleil, long-lauded for its pampering pleasures.
Naturally, a city nestled in a region as diverse as this also boasts accommodations that traverse the grand spectrum – from Spartan to spare-no-expense. For twenty-something hipsters of modest means, there are the anime-inspired murals of the Hotel Des Arts. For the contemporary, carbon footprint-conscious traveller, there’s the Orchard Garden Hotel, one of the American hospitality industry’s first certified green establishments. For the upscale businessman, the Four Seasons is always a favourite. Or, for those still wanting to stroll the streets with flowers in their hair, there’s the Red Vic B&B in the legendary hippie Haight-Ashbury district – rooms dizzyingly decorated in paisley and psychedelics.
For travellers who like to sleep in style and want something that’s more luxe than quirky theme hotel, but beyond the average elegance of a four- or five-star hotel room, San Francisco’s upscale niche accommodations have something for all personalities and can be counted on to offer just the right amount of the refreshingly unexpected. A night in one of the following hotels will give you a decidedly different, and definitely not sleepy, experience of the city by the Bay.
Clift Hotel
495 Geary Street, San Francisco, USA.
Hotel Drisco
2901 Pacific Avenue, San Francisco, USA.
Hotel Monaco
501 Geary Street, San Francisco, USA.
Hotel Palomar
12 Fourth Street, San Francisco, USA.
Hotel Rex
562 Sutter Street, San Francisco, USA.
Hotel Tomo
1800 Sutter Street, San Francisco, USA.
Hotel Triton
342 Grant Avenue, San Francisco, USA.
Hotel Vitale
8 Mission Street, off The Embarcadero, San Francisco, USA.
Source: Qantas the Australian Way April 2008
Updated: July 2008