by Sara Benson from The Telegraph, July 13, 2018
An insider's guide to the top places to stay in San Francisco, including the best hotels for period features, designer interiors, buzzing cocktail bars and an arty vibe
The Battery San Francisco, California, United States
9Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review. From £425per night.
California hotel magnate Chip Conley started his Joie de Vivre chain by transforming this formerly seedy 1950s "no tell motel" in 1987 into a rock ‘n’ roll haunt catering to the likes of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, David Bowie, Pearl Jam and Keanu Reeves. The public spaces have a colourful, groovy and modern feel with artwork by local artists.
Hotel Vitale San Francisco, California, United States
8Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review. From £191per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
A modern boutique hotel with a light and airy feel and fabulous views over the bay or the city from most rooms. The red brick building was purpose built in 2005 and the soothing interior design palette is by Irish born Colum McCartan (a founding member of top British hotel design group United Designers).
The Clift Royal Sonesta Hotel San Francisco, California, United States
7Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review. From £136per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
Parts of the chic portfolio of boutique properties owned by the Morgans Hotel Group, the Clift is bold, sexy and stylish. The hotel’s lobby, designed by Philippe Starck and Ian Schrager, bursts with energy – look for the fantastically oversized chair. Head straight to the buzzing Redwood Room bar for cocktails and unbelievable people-watching, or sink into a velvet sofa in the Living Room, the hotel’s lobby lounge.
The Kimpton Buchanan San Francisco, California, United States
7Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review. From £164per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
Formerly the eclectic Hotel Tomo, this boutique property received a modern makeover in 2015 by the Kimpton hotel group, known for its streamlined style and eco-conscious practices. Nods to the hotel’s Japantown locale include design elements like charred Japanese whiskey barrels, indigo-dyed shibori fabrics and Asian pottery on display.
San Francisco Proper Hotel San Francisco, California, United States
8Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review. From £184per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
First opened as a hotel more than a century ago, the Mosser underwent multi-million-dollar renovations in 2003. The red-brick and white-trimmed Victorian exterior of the building was preserved, but the interior has been redone with a more modern look. Abstract artwork hangs behind the reception desk, while red velvet seating adorns the lobby.
Hotel G San Francisco San Francisco, California, United States
8Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review. From £159per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
Dating from 1908, the hotel’s original façade has been restored, and many of the historic design elements such as wooden and tiled floors have also been gussied up. Far from taking itself seriously, the hotel has a humorous, wink-wink attitude evident, for example, in the tongue-in-cheek writing above the elevator doors. Original artwork displayed around the hotel is all for sale, with profits benefiting a local non-profit organisation.
Hotel Zetta San Francisco San Francisco, California, United States
8Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review. From £174per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
Redesigned in 2013 as a luxury boutique hotel, this century-old building (formerly the Hotel Milano) combines chic interior design with environmentally sustainable elements such as recycled wood and found art. Owned by the LA-based Viceroy Hotel Group, it attracts a trendy, young tech and art-loving crowd.
The Marker San Francisco San Francisco, California, United States
8Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review. From £151per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
Often ranked among the city’s best lodgings, this boutique hotel is a seamless mix of glamorous early 20th-century style and modern design. Pull up a plush, high-backed chair in the airy lobby, which sports a fireplace, whimsical hot-air balloon frescoes and indoor greenery. The building, dating from 1910, has many impressive beaux-arts features that have been beautifully preserved, including a grand staircase with wrought-iron railings.
Hotel Boheme San Francisco, California, United States
7Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review. From £167per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
Opened in 1924 as a residential apartment building, it was converted into the 12-storey Huntington hotel after Second World War. The interior has lots of old-world charm paired with modern style and amenities, thanks to an opulent $15 million remodel in 2014 by the Singapore-based Grace International group. Renamed the Scarlet Huntington, this city landmark consistently makes the top hotels in the world lists.
Argonaut San Francisco, California, United States
8Telegraph expert rating
Read expert review. From £189per night. Check availability. Rates provided by Booking.com.
This boutique hotel inhabits a renovated early 20th-century fruit cannery warehouse, with exposed red-brick walls, wooden plank floors and nautical-themed interior design that incorporates vintage steamer trunks and antique telescopes. The San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park museum and visitor centre is adjacent to the lobby.
This article was written by Sara Benson from The Telegraph and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to [email protected].
Related Stories
New Look for Hyatt Regency San Francisco
After Mudslides, Four Seasons Santa Barbara to Reopen June 1
Bill Seeks Park Status for New Mexico's Stunning White Dunes