THE OFFICIAL TRAVEL AND TOURISM WEBSITE OF THE UNITED STATES

San Francisco

Places : Pacific Region : California : San Francisco

Introduction

San Francisco is one of the top U.S. destinations for vacationers, business travelers, and convention goers alike, and the greatest concentration of hotels is in the downtown hub of Union Square. Here you find excellent shopping, the theater district, and convenient transportation to every spot in town. Up-and-coming SoMa, across Market Street from the Union Square area, is also a convenient spot to bed down, as it's near the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Yerba Buena Gardens complex, and other attractions.

High-rise growth has turned the Financial District, also near Union Square, into a mini-Manhattan and a spectacular sight by night. Most hotels here have great city and bay views, and there's easy access to the Embarcadero, Pier 39 at Fisherman's Wharf, Market Street shops, and SoMa's many restaurants and nightclubs. Don't expect much nightlife in the Financial District itself; most restaurants and bars close soon after the last commuters catch the BART train home. Nob Hill, synonymous with San Francisco's high society, contains some of the city's best-known luxury hotels, all with gorgeous views and notable restaurants. Cable-car lines that cross Nob Hill should help you avoid the short but steep trek from Union Square.

In Fisherman's Wharf, city ordinances limit hotels to four stories, so this isn't the area for fantastic views. However, all accommodations are within a few blocks of restaurants, shops, and cable-car lines. Nearby North Beach has surprisingly few lodgings, although some small B&Bs are tucked into unassuming Victorians on the neighborhood's side streets.

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