San Francisco Hotel Reservations

Fairmont Heritage Place, Ghirardelli Square
Everybody (tourists and San Francisco Hotel Reservations) agrees on that one. There is no doubt about it, the Fairmont Heritage Place is one of the best hotels in San Francisco, if not the best one! This hotel has exceeded the expectation of many guests in every respect. The Fairmont Heritage Place Hotel is San Francisco Hotel Reservations number 1 pick in terms of quality.

Fairmont, a name you can trust

Touristy location
The Fairmont Heritage Place Hotel is located in an excellent spot, with direct access to Ghiradelli Square. Ghirardelli Square is great location for tourists and is close to Fisherman’s Wharf.

Incredible five stars hotel
This 5 stars hotel has magnificent rooms and very high standards. From the friendly staff, to design of the hotel and the comfort of the rooms, the Fairmont Heritage Place is a world class hotel. The exceptional high level of service by all the staff will make your stay pleasant and comfortable. The entire staff is extremely polite, accommodating, and very helpful. Ask for an upgraded room with views of the bay and Alcatraz, it is definitely a must! You can request the concierge to do your grocery shopping in advance (for example to get you a nice bottle of wine from the wine store down the street) or you can take advantage of their 500 DVDs collection on rainy evenings.

Guestrooms
Fairmont Heritage Place has some of the most luxurious hote rooms in San Francisco Hotel Reservations. Believe it or (more…)

Haight-Ashbury : hippies and love
Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco was the center of the Hippie movement in the 1960’s.

New values and movements were the driving forces behind a youth fed up with the conservative values of older generations. Years have passed, the Hippies of yester years have become older and are now retired, but the neighborhood retains its gentle, casual athmosphere thanks to its decorated façade. There are a lot of things to enjoy in Haight-Ashbury: the ethnic food, trendy shops, and bars are sure to please everyone. When you’re done with all this, enjoy the view on Downtown’s Painted Ladies from Alamo Square.

Haight-Ashbury history
This San Francisco neighborhood used to be a collection of isolated farms. In 1883, the Haight cable car line was completed, giving people access to this newly developed neighborhood. Due to the availability of inexpensive apartments and rooms and vacant properties for rent or sale in the district, Haight-Ashbury appealed to a new type of crowd in the 1960’s, the hippies. In 1967, Haight-Ashbury became the center of a cultural but also political rebellion; where as many as 100,000 people converged toward the area. A phenomenon called the Summer of Love. Following this phenomenon, in 1967, this district became the haven of famous psychedelic rock performers. Among the impressive list we find Janis Joplin Haight-Ashbury, Grateful Dead Haight-Ashbury and Jefferson Airplane who all lived in the neighborhood.

Culture
As of today, the district has retained some of that bohemian ambiance. In the Haight-Ashbury area, you can find numerous restaurants and bars, many boutiques, booksellers, and record stores. A mix of many cultures, many generations gives this neighborhood a unique and different look and ambiance. On the second Sunday of June, between Stanyan and Masonic, the streets are closed, with one sound stage on each end, an even called the Haight-Ashbury Street Fair is held on the second Sunday of June each year, during which Haight Street is closed down between Stanyan and Masonic, with one sound stage at each end. This event brings lots of tourists and crowds in the area.

The famous intersection

Haight-Ashbury pictures

Magnificient mix of cultures

Janis Joplin

Haight-Ashbury map

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For more information about SF, its attractions and hotels, visit San Francisco Hotel Reservations.

The Powell Hotel is conveniently located in Downtown San Francisco, only a few steps away from the famous cable cars. While the location is great, the hotel isn’t. Many costumers complained about the state of the rooms, which are not always clean, and because the hotel is close to the trolley area, it is quite noisy. But the biggest drawback is the presence of bed bugs, which can be very annoying as these little red bugs can be transported to your home in your suitcase and are hard to eradicate. Even though they are serving free beer, wine, and snack during happy hours, I’d recommend staying away from that hotel until they have their bedbugs problems under control!

For more information about hotels in San Fran, visit http://www.san-francisco-hotel-reservations.com/.

Hotel Vitale in San Francisco : a beautiful hotel with modern architecture and fittings

Located along the Embarcadero neighborhood of the well-known Californian city, the Hotel Vitale opened its doors in 2005 and was an instant success. If you can afford it, rent a waterview room, facing the east.

While these rooms are more expensive, they offer a nice view of the Ferry Building Marketplace and the San Francisco Bay Bridge.

Hotel Vitale looks pretty neat, and the modern, super-comfy rooms are filled with high quality furnishings like flatscreen TVs, Ipod docking stations, and large, comfortable beds. Also included: a huge bathroom with walk-in shower, gourmet minibars, and for-sale bath products. If you feel hungry, there’s a decent (but not great) restaurant called Americano. The hotel staff is very hospitable and provides excellent room services.

There are a few quirks, however: the gym is lame, with only a few machines available, and because the hotel is located near a busy neighborhood, some costumers might complaint about the traffic noise. Still, the Hotel Vitale is a nice place to stay, especially if you rent a circular suite with a 270-degree view of San Francisco.

Address: 8 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 278-3700
www.jdvhotels.com

Other popular nearby San Francisco hotels:

• Harbor Court Hotel San Francisco (0.1 mi) What the last reviewer said: “Outstanding service, ideal location across the Ferry building, nice small rooms.”
• Le Meridien San Francisco (0.7 mi) What the last reviewer said: “Le Meredien was an attractive, upscale hotel with and efficient, friendly staff.”
• Hotel Griffon San Francisco (489 ft) What the last reviewer said: “I stayed in one of Hotel Griffon’s suites, and the view took my breath away…”
• Hotel Triton San Francisco (0.9 mi) What the last reviewer said : “Overall, this was a good hotel…”
• Hotel Palomar San Francisco (1.4 mi) What the last reviewer said : “A great location right down town. This is a small hotel with excellent service.”
• InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco (1.4 mi) What the last reviewer said : “This hotel has tons of ambiance, especially at Christmas time.”
• Hotel Adagio San Francisco (1.4 mi) What the last reviewer said : “Our room was lovely, loved the feel of it and and it was cleaned and bed made daily.”

The Palace Hotel San Francisco celebrate in 2009 its 100 year anniversary. This prestigious hotel was totally destroyed during the great quake in 1906, and shortly after, the hotel was rebuilt and re-opened in December 1909. Ever since the reopening, this well-known hotel in SF has made its place among the best hotels in San Francisco. Millions of visitors, travelers and famous guests have enjoyed the magical creations of the hotels, such as the Garden Court, the Palace Gold Service and the Pied Piper of Hamelin mural.

Famous Guests
The Palace Hotel attracts elite people from the society, including business moguls, dignitaries and celebrities. President Harrison, Theodore Roosevelt, President Clinton and John D. Rockefeller are only a few the most prestigious guests that have stayed at Palace Hotel San Francisco. Actress Sarah Bernhard create a turmoil when she showed up with her pet baby tiger.

Great location
The Palace Hotel San Francisco is well located. The hotel is close to many of the big stations for trains, buses and street cars. The hotel is also walking distance to many big venues and attractions, such as Union Square and Financial district, and only a few blocks away from Chinatown and great stylish shopping. If you are planning on staying over three nights, take advantage of their “stay three nights, get one night free” and save that extra money for a great meal in one of the highly recommended gastronomical restaurants in San Francisco.

Nearby attractions
If you are staying at the Palace Hotel San Francisco, make sure to ask the concierge about their recommendations, both for restaurants and attractions. Nearby attractions you may not want to miss are:

* Chinatown, the biggest one in North America. Chinatown is a must-see in San Francisco, where you will find a vivid diversity of cuisine and culture.
* The cable care ride , a historic attraction in SF, which is the best way to get around in town. It will bring you to the best places : Fisherman’s Wharf, Ghirardelli Building, Alcatraz Island and much more.
* The Coit Tower. Amazing view of San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge guaranteed!
* The Flower Conservatory in the Golden Gate Park: You will find there an amazing collection of plants and flowers.
* De Young Museum: Fine art at its best in this contemporary building in Golden Gate Park features an exceptional exhibit of fine art.
* For the full Northern California experience, make sure to visit the more than spectacular Napa and Sonoma Valleys.

Address:
2 New Montgomery Street San Francisco, California 94105

Other similar nearby hotels are:

The Four Seasons San Francisco
The Ritz Carlton San Francisco
Hotel Nikko San Francisco
Le Meridien San Francisco
The Grand Hyatt San Francisco
The Fairmont Hotel San Francisco
The Clift Hotel San Francisco

For more information about great hotels and other San Francisco attractions/venues, visit http://www.san-francisco-hotel-reservations.com/.

Chinatown, a city within a city!

Fleeing famine and the Opium war in Asia, the first Chinese immigrants came to San Francisco in 1849, lured by the promises of California’s “Gold Mountain”. They owned laundries and restaurants, and later built the railroads, most notably the Central Pacific, working in poor conditions and facing constant prejudice. America said thank you by voting the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882, which halted all Chinese immigration for 10 years and severely limited it thereafter until it was repealed in 1943. Chinese people were also denied the right to buy homes outside the Chinatown ghetto until the 1950’s. Despite the restrictions, the Chinese community continued to thrive.

Today, Chinatown is a major tourist attraction, drawing more visitors than the Golden Gate Bridge, another popular destination. More than 80 000 people live there, but the majority of Chinese people have moved to the suburbs and the San Francisco bay. The entrance of Chinatown is marked by a gateway at Grant Avenue and Bush Street. A few blocks west of Grant Avenue, is Stockton Street, the community’s main shopping street, where herb markets, restaurants, and shops line up.

The heart of Chinatown is Portsmouth Square, where you will find locals playing card or board games. On Waverly Place, where the Chinese celebratory colors of red, yellow, and green are in full display, you will find three temples that give the neighborhood its distinctive Chinese character: Jeng Sen (Buddhist and Taoist), Tien Hou (Buddhist), and Norras (Buddhist). Make sure to spend some time in Chinatown, explore its alleys, visit its temples and bazaars, and rest in one of its many squares. You won’t regret it.

5 great hotels near or in Chinatown, San Francisco hotel reservations

• The luxurious Mandarin Oriental San Francisco – Rates starting at 250$/night
• The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco – Rates starting at 199$/night
• Omni San Francisco Hotel – Rates starting at 161$/night
• InterContinental Mark Hopkins – Rates starting at 99$/night
• Baldwin Hotel – Rates starting at 90$/night

There are quite a few San Francisco hotel reservations deals out there, but sometimes you have to look for them. Don’t make the mistake of calling the hotel reservation desk and accepting the quoted room price right away, you’ll likely end up paying more than you should. If you want a good deal, you have to do some research and keep your options opened. If you look carefully you can save up to 50 % off the normal rate of hotels in San Francisco. So if you are looking into good hotel deals, have a look at the tips below, they will help you find the greatest deal and save that money to visit extra attractions in San Francisco.

• Plan your trip well in advance and book outside high seasons.
• Check the travel agencies websites for discounts, but always call the hotels to find out the normal rates before making any reservation, you may get a better deal than what you can find online.
• Check the hotels that have guest programs first. The more points you collect from the programs, the more reservation operators will try to give you the best deal.
• Collect as many airline points for hotels as you can.
• Don’t be shy and ask about special discount for elders, students, military, corporations, and Automobile Association (aaa.com) members.
• When the room rate is quoted, ask if there are less expensive rooms available.
• Don’t forget the hidden fees, like taxes, parking, and telephone use.

Mike – author for San Francisco Hotel Reservations.

Japantown – Lots of restaurants, some shops – a pretty good time

The first Japanese immigrants came to San Francisco in the early 1860’s. They settled in Chinatown and south of Market, but after the devastating earthquake in 1906, moved to the site of today’s Japantown, between Van Ness Avenue and Fillmore Street, where they built temples and ran restaurants and stores. By 1940, it covered about 30 blocks.

Like the Chinese community, Japanese people in San Francisco were not always treated fairly. During World War II, when the American government declared war on Japan, Japanese Americans were rounded up and transferred to internment camps in California, Utah, and Idaho. It was a devastating blow for the Japanese community, and it took years to the U.S. government to fully rehabilitate them. By 1945, Japantown had shrunk to a mere 6 blocks or so, but after their release, the Japanese slowly returned to the neighborhood.

Today, more than 12 000 Japanese live in San Francisco, but only a small percentage of the city’s Japanese community actually live in Japantown. Still, exploring the neighborhood few square blocks and the shops and restaurants within them is a cultural experience not to be missed. Notable sights include religious shrines like the Buddhist Church of San Francisco, the Konko Church of San Francisco, the Sokoji-Soto Zen Buddhist Temple, and the Cathedral of St-Mary of the Assumption, and shopping mal Nihonmachi mall, and Japan Center, an Asian-oriented shopping mall. At the center of Japan Center is Peace Pagoda, designed by Japanese architect Yoshiro Tariguchi, a sign of friendship of the Japanese to the people of the United States. You can also explore the center’s shops and showrooms, or spend some time in its numerous restaurants, teahouses and multiplex movie theater.

There are often cultural events in Japantown, including Japanese music and dance performances, tea ceremonies, and flower-arranging demonstration. If you’re planning to visit San Francisco in April, don’t miss the Cherry Blossom Festival, the biggest Japanese cultural event in California.

Looking to book a San Francisco Hotel Reservations? Here are 5 great hotels in Japantown :

• Hotel Carlton, a Joie de Vivre Boutique Hotel – Rates starting at 126$/night
• Castle Inn – Rates starting at 83$/night
• Hotel Kabuki – a Joie de Vivre Boutique Hotel $149/night
• Nob Hill Motor Inn – Rates starting at 68$/night
• Inn at the Opera – Rates starting at 115$/night

North Beach : San Francisco’s Little Italy

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In the late 19th Century, a massive influx of Italian immigrants turned North Beach into San Francisco’s “Little Italy”, the center of the city’s Italian community. North Beach is well known for the Italian restaurants and cafés that continue to flourish there. There are also nice shops and bookstores in the area that are definitely worth visiting. If you walk down the Columbus Avenue, you will find all sorts of restaurants and coffee shops that give North Beach its distinctive Bohemian-Italian character.

5 great hotels in North Beach San Francisco

• Hotel Boheme – Rates starting at $207/night
• Hilton San Francisco Downtown/Financial District – Rates starting at $194/night
• Washington Square Inn – Rates starting at $189/night
• Argonaut Hotel at Fisherman’s Wharf – a Kimpton Hotel – Rates starting at $276/night
• Marriott San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf – Rates starting at $159/night

Mike, for www.san-francisco-hotel-reservations.com.

South of Market (SoMa) in San Francisco : the heart of artistic activity similar the the famous New York City’s Soho district.

Penguins at the Steinhart Aquarium

 picture from travel2.nytimes.com

South of Market Street is the South of Market neighborhood, also known as SoMa. It was originally a district of hangars and old warehouses, but thanks to the Internet bubble, known as the dot.com era, it became the home of young computer engineers working in the neighboring Silicon Valley.

A building boom followed: it was during this period, from the 1990’s to the early 2000’s, that big museums, like the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Yerba Buena Center and the Contemporary Jewish Museum were built. Big convention centers like the Moscone Convention Center, nightclubs, trendy restaurants and high-tech labs were also built during the dot.com era.

But with the burst of the Internet bubble in the early 2000’s, activities in the area slowed down to a crawl: many start-up ventures closed down or declared bankruptcy and soaring prices became unaffordable for many. Compared to the glorious years of the dot.com era, SoMa is not so trendy anymore, but with its museums and nightclubs, it is still worth a visit.

Five great hotels in SoMa San Francisco

• W Hotel San Francisco – Rate starting at $209/night
• Marriott Courtyard San Francisco Downtown – Rate starting at $109/night
• Hotel Palomar – a Kimpton Hotel – Rate starting at $129/night
• San Francisco Marriott Union Square – Rate starting at $139/night
• The Pickwick Hotel – Rate starting at $84/night

Mike – author for San Francisco Hotel Reservations.

Nob Hill in San Francisco: a signature neighborhood with many famous hotels and milestones.

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Nob Hill

picture by http://www.californyann.com/

This hill is famous for its cable cars (a cable car is a public transportation that is propelled by a continuously moving cable and stop and start by gripping or releasing the cable). Cable cars were designed for hills that horses couldn’t climb, and from the top of Nob Hill, you get a nice view of the entire city, including the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge.

Four railways magnates, known as “The Big Four”, built their mansions on the top of Nob Hill, where millionaires live today. Nob Hill holds the city’s luxury hotel: the Huntington Hotel, the Mark Hopkins Intercontinental, the Stanford Court Hotel, the Fairmont Hotel, the Ritz Carlton and spectacular Grace Cathedral. Nob Hill is definitely worth a visit to walk around Huntington Park, attend a Sunday service at the Cathedral, or admire The Fairmont’s spectacular lobby.

Five great hotels in Nob Hill San Francisco:

• The St. Regis San Francisco – Rate starting at $329/night
• White Swan Inn, a Joie de Vivre Boutique Hotel – Rate starting at $159/night
• The Huntington Hotel – Rate starting at $185/night
• Nob Hill Hotel – Rate starting at $69/night
• The Stanford Court, a Renaissance Hotel – Rate starting at 149$/night

Mike – Author for http://www.san-francisco-hotel-reservations.com/. Happy visit!

If you’re planning to visit San Francisco, chances are that your hotel room will be the biggest cost of your trip. A decent hotel room in San Francisco is $70 a night at least, while a more fancy one can cost up to $120. Here are some tips to help you find the best San Francisco hotel reservations deals:

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Step 1 – If you’re looking for a room at a particular hotel during summer, the busiest season, book well in advance. The best time to visit San Francisco is winter, when many hotel prices are lower due to less demand.

Step 2 – Learn about San Francisco’s neighborhoods and their location. For example, Union Square is the most central neighborhood and has a lot of good hotels available, but it is not necessarily the most interesting area to stay, while Mission District is a young and lively neighborhood, but is more remote and has few decent hotels available. You may want to avoid Tenderloin, which is cheap and close to the civic center but can be dangerous, especially at night. More typical neighborhoods like North Beach or Haight are recommended. If you can afford a little luxury, I suggest renting a hotel room in Nob Hill.

Step 3 – San Francisco is a popular destination all year-around, so you might find its hotel rooms quite expensive, but you can still find good bargains if you make a thorough research. Don’t hesitate to call the hotels and ask questions. Most larger hotels, and many smaller hotels as well, have package deals, promotions, special discounts for elders, military, students, or corporations, and weekend discounts. For those travelling with their family, there are interesting deals on rooms with two beds or more available. If you’re travelling alone, there are some hotels, especially the more affordable ones, that charge lower rates for single San Francisco Hotel Reservations.

Step 4 – You can also further your research online. Look for more information about the chosen hotel on Google or Yahoo!. Check the official websites and read costumer reviews. Remember, though, that neither is always reliable: some official websites can try to suck you in with pretty pictures and make you regret your choice later on, and some costumers give bad reviews simply because they can’t be pleased. Don’t forget to check travel boards and forums, you’ll likely find answers to some of your questions. If not, you can always ask away. Also check travel sites like Expedia and Orbitz to get names, addresses, and prices.

And while you’re here, make sure to sure San Francisco Hotel Reservations reviews about hotels and attractionsin San Francisco.

Tourism is an important sector of San Francisco’s economy. San Francisco is the 4th most visited city in the United States: in 2007, it welcomed more than 16 million visitor. Silicon Valley, in the south of San Francisco, concentrates sectors with strong added value, most notably electronics, computer technology and Internet, increasing exponentially incomes in the region. Computer technology corporations such as IBM and Apple as well as well as Internet services providers like Yahoo! and Google are located in the Silicon Valley. However, the burst of the Internet bubble in the early 2000s forced the closure of many start-ups and activities in the region slowed down considerably.

San Francisco is also an important financial place, which developed in the 19th century with the financing of big projects, notably the construction of railways. While not quite as important as Wall Street, Financial District of San Francisco is nevertheless essential to the banking institutions of the region. Finally, thanks to its mild climate, California has become the first supplier of food and agriculture goods in the United States. The wine Valley, north of San Francisco, produces 80 % of the wine in the United States.

Since 1860, California’s population has doubled every 20 years and is now the most populated American state, with 36 million inhabitants in 2007 (almost 12 % of America’s population).

About 800 000 of them live in San Francisco, the second most densely populated city of the country. Three events have helped boost the city’s population: the Gold rush in the 19th century, the rapid industrialization after World War II and the rise of high technology in the Silicon Valley.

San Francisco, a city of diversity and multiculturalism

San Francisco is an extraordinarily cosmopolitan city, with almost 33 % of the population being of Asian descent, 15 % Hispanic, and 7.8 % African American. Because of this ethnic diversity, San Francisco is often called a “minority-majority” city, in other words a city where non-Hispanic Whites make up less than 50 % of the population.

The poverty rate in San Francisco is lower than the national average: San Franciscans enjoy high living standards and incomes. However, the city has seen the number of homeless increase dramatically since the 1980s, especially in the Tenderloin neighborhood.

San Francisco and the gay community

San Francisco is also home to largest gay and lesbian community in the United States (15 % of the population).

Wanting to learn more about San Fran? Visit www.san-francisco-hotel-reservations.com now.