I’ll be visiting San Fran in early May. I’ll need a room at a hotel/motel (or even hostel or YMCA) during my stay. I’m looking for inexpensive and basic lodging, but I don’t want to put my safety, health, or peace of mind at risk just to save a couple of bucks, so please steer me clear of fleabag motels in the bad parts of town.
Also, I want to be near good public transportation since I will not have a car.
Any suggestions?
Thanks all, in advance.
Well, the problem with “cheap” is that it can mean different things to different people. I’ve stayed at the Hotel Whitcomb in the heart of San Francisco and right off of a subway stop for $150 a night. That’s relatively inexpensive for SF and near public transportation. So what’s the price range you’re looking for?
Yes, define “cheap”.
You might want to look at couch surfing if you really want to be cheap.
The SW Hotel in Chinatown is in a popular location, reasonably safe and close enough to bus lines, etc. Also, the furniture is pretty cool.
Sorry, I should have been more specific.
Ideally, cheap = $40 to $70 per night. (If I’m being utterly unrealistic – and tell me if I am – I’d be willing to go higher.)
Thanks again.
That’s about how much the tax will be on a “cheap” hotel. Low end for something where you won’t fear for your life will be closer to $150 a night if you want to be actually in San Francisco. There are cheaper offerings in the East Bay or down the Peninsula, but transit availability and cost, and travel time will become a factor.
I lived in San Francisco for many years, and a good reliable place to put up budget-conscious out-of-towners [assuming that I couldn’t put them up myself for some reason] was always the Grant Plaza Hotel, on Grant right at the entrance to Chinatown.
Lots going on within walking distance; bus lines within 1 block; two cable car lines within 2 blocks; and BART about a 5-min walk away. The hotel is basic but clean, and the area is safe.
Looks like a “Standard Room 2 Twin Beds with Private Bath and all Amenities” currently goes for around $93.
I am not affiliated with them in any way, but that’s where I would look first if I needed to stay in a centrally-located hotel.
You can stay in a hostel for those kinds of prices. You can get a dorm room for $30 or so, I ‘think’ you may even be able to get a private room for about $70-100.
A couple of years ago we stayed in the Chelsea Motor Inn. Our room was fine, and the neighborhood was OK, if a little noisy at night. There is a bus stop right at that corner, and another one a few blocks away. Looks like prices go as low as $108 per night, more on the weekends. You might try one of their sister properties - the Lombard Motor Inn has rooms for $86 per night, and it’s in the Marina District, which I think is good. Since it’s right on Lombard, I imagine catching a bus would be no problem. Neither of these places is close to the center of town (though you could easily walk to Fisherman’s Wharf - we did), but public transportation should get you to wherever you need to go.
There’s an old Travelodge down on Lombard. I used to put a lot of students there back in the day. Great location, actually.
Says 99 bucks, but maybe call and ask about specials.
Don’t forget your AAA membership, or similar groups that will get you a discount on hotels.
It’s probably cutting things pretty close for early May, but it still might be worth giving Airbnb a looksee. You can get a general idea of the location even without booking, and the writeup can give you a pretty good idea of the character of the area.
We just got back. We stayed six nights in a cluster of hotels on Seventh St., just south of Mission. We were at the Carriage Inn, which is a little outside of your range (about $140/night, but it was a big week for hotels so it might be cheaper at other times). There is the Good Hotel and the Best Western Americania right there that might be cheaper.
This is in SOMA, aka the edge of the Tenderloin. I had read several things suggesting that the area was sketchy, and there were a lot of homeless people around. But we came and went at all hours of the day or night and we weren’t harrassed once–which wasn’t true of, say, Union Square or Fisherman’s Wharf.
It’s a five-minute walk to the BART station and within a five-minute walk of a MUNI line to wherever you want to go.
When I get back to SF I’ll definitely stay there again.
One could find a hotel for around or slightly more than $70 in Fremont, CA and take the BART into San Francisco.
Yes, staying in Fremont is an option, but as I mentioned before, transit becomes a factor - it’s $11.30 per person for a round trip to downtown SF, and about a 50 minute ride each way, so you need to ask yourself if it’s worth the cost.
The eleven bucks may be a worthy investment, but wasting two hours of a vacation day on a train may be a deal-breaker.
Go on hostelworld or hostels.com and choose from among the top 5 or so highest rated hostels. It’s never served me wrong.
Stay the first place I stayed when I moved out:
Don’t remember the name, but your classic 2 story “L” shaped motel on Geary, North side, just east (really, JUST) of Park Presidio.
Geary runs from Land’s End (Pacific Ocean) downtown, and the 38 Geary bus line is ine if the most heaviyl traveled lines - 7/24, local and express. There is/was a bar across the street - I almost went in. Luckily, I didn’t - it was a lesbian bar at that time, and straight males, no matter how cool would raise hackles.
few years later, the graduating class of cops got drunk and decided to bust the place up. As the paper reported: “The ladies gave a good account of themselves”. I loved it.
The noise level is just right for getting used to the town.
I hear the zombies aren’t too troubling, either.
My words are timeless…