With nearly 35,000 hotel rooms in San Francisco, it can be overwhelming trying to decipher where’s the best place to stay with so many different accommodations, locations, and levels of luxury. Whether you’re in town visiting or live within the city and are just looking for a top-notch hotel to staycation, SFist has ranked the 20 Best Hotels in SF to take some of the stress away from booking a room, so you can enjoy a magical stayin the city. Why is this list free?

Hotel Drisco
#1 of 20 Best SF Hotels
★★★★★

The Hotel Drisco is a standout among San Francisco boutique hotels, with a warm atmosphere and well-connected hosts that are sensitive to your requirements. Relax in their emblematic 1903 Edwardian San Francisco hotel, which is located atop San Francisco's renowned Pacific Heights district, and be pampered with all-inclusive luxury and additional extras such as a gourmet continental breakfast, evening wine reception, and bikes you can take around town. Discover the best that SF has to offer from the comfort of a boutique hilltop retreat, where hosts treat you like family and thrive on crafting authentic San Francisco experiences.

Fairmont Heritage Place, Ghirardelli Square
#2 of 20 Leading Boutique Hotels SF
★★★★★

Concealed within a chocolate factory constructed in 1893, the Fairmont Heritage Place, Ghirardelli Square has reinvented the plaza and earned a reputation as one of San Francisco's best all-around accommodations, if you can afford it. The Ghirardelli Square industrial setting is charming, and the 53 contemporary units seem like designer model homes, complete with fireplaces, full kitchens, and top-of-the-line facilities. Personal food shopping, 24-hour butler service, and complimentary breakfasts are just a few of the amenities available.

Omni
#3 of 20 Top-Notch Hotel Rooms in SF
★★★★★

The Omni San Francisco, was opened in 1958 and is located on California Street within a short walk from Union Square. The hotel features 362 luxury rooms and suites, a 1,500 square foot 24-hour fitness facility, and Bob's Steak & Chop House on the lobby floor. The hotel combines opulent 1920s decor with cutting-edge comforts, and past guests love it for its location and recommend it for a romantic, two-person trip for couples.

Taj Campton Place
#4 of 20 Top SF Hotels
★★★★★

While Taj Campton Place is one of the more iconic San Francisco hotels as it has been around for more than 100 years, it has become well known for its restaurant, which won two Michelin Stars in 2019, 2017, and 2016, and was awarded one Michelin star each of the five years before that. Campton Place Restaurant, located only steps from Union Square, is a haven of outstanding service and cuisine.

White Swan Inn
#5 of 20 Leading Hotels in San Francisco
★★★★★

The White Swan Inn, a charming little hotel in the Nob Hill/Union Square neighborhood, has a crackling fireplace in each of its 26 rooms and suites. The White Swan Inn is a beautiful, striking homage to London's quaint hotels. The tone is established through dark wood paneling, lush floral carpets, plush furnishings, and beautiful English art and antiques. The inn may appear to be aging, but due to a renovation in early 2015, it no longer feels antiquated.

Huntington Hotel
#6 of 20 Top-Notch Boutique Hotels SF
★★★★★

The Huntington Hotel, perched atop Nob Hill, focuses on delivering modern comforts and convenience in a historic setting. The luxurious Huntington Apartment building in which the hotel sits, originally constructed in 1924, was the first steel and brick high-rise west of the Mississippi. The Huntington Hotel on Nob Hill continues to uphold its reputation for excellent standards and polite service. The hotel's interior is adorned with design elements from Singapore's (Peranakan) history, producing a spectacular display of complex patterns and vivid colours wherever the eye may rest.

Four Seasons San Francisco
#7 of 20 Best Hotel Rooms in SF
★★★★★

The Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco is your home away from home, putting you in the heart of the Bay Area's greatest attractions. Connect with loved ones or coworkers over refined Californian cuisine at MKT Restaurant/Bar, relax in their newly remodeled guest rooms and suites, or pamper yourself at Equinox Sports Club, the hotel's full-service spa.

St. Regis San Francisco
#8 of 20 Leading SF Hotels
★★★★★

The St. Regis San Francisco, a symbol of luxury in Northern California and perfectly located in the SoMa neighborhood, has made a name for itself amongst its competitors for timeless hospitality and refined elegance. Many of the city's most desirable events and attractions are just a stone's throw away, and the Museum of the African Diaspora is located within the hotel with SFMOMA right next door.

Inn at the Presidio
#9 of 20 Top-Notch Hotels in San Francisco
★★★★★

The Inn at the Presidio provides a genuine historic experience as well as great recreational possibilities in a stunning natural environment. Pershing Hall, an exquisite home for bachelor officers when the Presidio was a US Army station, houses this historic San Francisco hotel. The Georgian Revival-style structure has been renovated and converted into a guest lodge with 22 large rooms, including 17 suites with fireplaces. This boutique SF hotel is the perfect starting place for exploring America's most special national park, as well as area attractions including Union Square, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Ferry Building, the Marin Headlands, and the Sonoma/Napa wine region.

Fairmont San Francisco
#10 of 20 Best Boutique Hotels SF
★★★★★

The Fairmont San Francisco is the first hotel in the United States to offer concierge services, and it is their joy to share with you the best, brightest, and most audacious attractions that this upstart city has to offer. Architectural Digest considers the Fairmont San Francisco to be home to one of the "Top 15 Most Beautiful Hotel Lobbies in the World," and the hotel combines classic vibes with modern expectations as a world-renowned landmark perched atop Nob Hill.

The Battery
#11 of 20 Best SF Hotels
★★★★★

The Battery, located in the center of San Francisco's Jackson Square district, finds a remarkable combination of history and modern innovation. This members-only-club-slash-hotel with five stories and 58,000 square feet of event space, wellness, suites, dining, programming, and more is a haven for brilliant minds with great ideas. The Battery's aim is to bring people together to congregate, eat, socialize, and grow.

Ritz-Carlton
#12 of 20 Leading Boutique Hotels SF
★★★★★

This magnificent home atop Nob Hill would wow even the most cynical tourist. The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco, was built in 1909 as the headquarters of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and has kept its palatial grandeur while delivering on a freshly refurbished modern-classic sanctuary indoors. The luxury suites, hotel rooms, and Club Lounge offer a pleasant getaway near downtown San Francisco, and blend current technology with couture design. Whether you arrive by town car or take the cable car up the hill, you will experience the renowned, courteous service at the Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco.

Staypineapple
#13 of 20 Top-Notch Hotel Rooms in SF
★★★★★

Staypineapple San Francisco is a recently re-imagined, metropolitan home base for all of your San Francisco excursions, just steps from Union Square. The large lobby of Staypineapple San Francisco offers comfortable, elegant furnishings for work or rest. Sophisticated and tastefully constructed guest rooms provide a luxurious escape from the rush and bustle of city life, as well as the chance to enjoy peaceful moments alone or with that special someone.

Phoenix Hotel
#14 of 20 Top SF Hotels
★★★★★

The Phoenix Hotel is a cultural landmark in the Tenderloin, where residents and visitors mingle while dining and drinking indoors or on the swimming patio. The Phoenix Hotel is a funky, irreverent, and young-at-heart hotel that caters to traveling bands and creative visitors. It's a 44-room mid-century motor lodge with a beautiful courtyard and heated outdoor pool on the outskirts of San Francisco's rough Tenderloin district.

Hotel Nikko
#15 of 20 Leading Hotels in San Francisco
★★★★★

The ultra-modern Hotel Nikko San Francisco is located only steps from Union Square in downtown San Francisco. The luxury hotel, which first opened it’s doors in 1987, is home to Anzu, a restaurant specializing in California cuisine with an Asian flair, and includes a raw and sushi bar. The hotel's freshly refurbished Kanpai Lounge serves a wide range of unique sake martinis, and Hotel Nikko takes pleasure in fostering community and giving back.

Stanford Court
#16 of 20 Top-Notch Boutique Hotels SF
★★★★★

The Stanford Court Hotel was named after a perceptive railroad magnate who assisted in the construction of the first transcontinental railroad. The Stanford Court Hotel has created a guest experience that takes advantage of the lively setting of the city and it's bustling atmosphere. You'll feel at one with the City by the Bay thanks to the thoughtfully designed suites, forward-thinking wellness services, and in-house art curation program.

Hotel Kabuki
#17 of 20 Top SF Hotels
★★★★★

Hotel Kabuki, a boutique hotel with a unique combination of Eastern and Western elements and just steps from the renowned Fillmore District, provides elegant and peaceful rooms in the heart of San Francisco. Relax in luxury in their suites, which feature a soothing ambience and calming aesthetics, or take advantage of the on-site eating options or the indoor garden with a fishpond.

San Francisco Proper
#18 of 20 Leading Hotels in San Francisco
★★★★

San Francisco Proper Hotel offers a one-of-a-kind urban hotel experience, housed in a historic flatiron structure in the center of Market Street. Each noise-proof room comes with the Proper App, giving you access to all of the hotel concierge's services. Interior designer Kelly Wearstler uses a joyful mishmash of deep hues, rich textures, classic design elements, discovered old furniture, and local artworks from rising talent to create a warm, romantic approach for each of the 131-rooms in the hotel.

The Laurel Inn
#19 of 20 Top-Notch Boutique Hotels SF
★★★★

Built in 1963, The Laurel Inn is a pet-friendly boutique hotel in San Francisco's beautiful Pacific Heights area. Laurel Inn's contemporary elegance and comfort will suit your needs whether you're in San Francisco to rest or explore. The Laurel Inn, like the lovely area around it, is known for its friendly warmth and kindness.

Tilden Hotel
#20 of 20 Best Hotel Rooms in SF
★★★★

The Mark Twain Hotel, which opened in 1928, was completely renovated in 2017 and renamed the Tilden Hotel after the sculptor Douglas Tilden, and the hotel celebrates that creative attitude and supports local artists by hosting the Tilden Tuesday event series. Clean, organic, and simplified aesthetic choices characterize the Tilden's unobtrusive presence, and their contemporary hotel provides open, airy interiors highlighted by subdued colors and raw materials.

WHY THIS LIST IS FREE TO USE

 

The above list includes Hotels SF that SFist believes actively provides superior services. In some cases, they are among the most successful teams in San Francisco. In some cases, variable, sponsorship listing fees or commissions effect the ranking position of the teams, but every one has a history of providing great services. To learn more about SFist's classifieds listings read more here.

 


SFist / Best of San Francisco / 20 Best Hotels SF