The cheapest accommodation in San Francisco starts at $60 per night for two people. However, these options are often in less safe areas, unclean, and have other shortcomings, which usually result in low ratings. To save you time searching, I’ve selected 10 hotels with the best value for money. My condition was that I wouldn’t hesitate to accommodate my own family in any of them.
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Table of Contents
Where to Stay in San Francisco
🗺️ Location as the Key Factor
When choosing a hotel, I recommend focusing primarily on a good location for two main reasons.
Some areas in San Francisco may make tourists feel uncomfortable or unsafe. I recommend avoiding these locations. You can recognize them by the low location ratings on Booking.com and by guest comments.
If your budget allows, prioritize accommodations with a location rating of 9.0/10 or higher. This ensures good walking access to interesting places and attractions in the city.
📅 Book Your Hotel in Advance
I suggest booking accommodation as soon as you know your travel dates in San Francisco. This way, you can choose from the widest selection of hotels. Personally, I almost exclusively use Booking.com, which offers a best price guarantee and, for some offers, free cancellation options.
💰 How to Save on Accommodation in San Francisco
When traveling with four people, don’t hesitate to book just one room with separate beds instead of two rooms. American beds are large, and it’s usually comfortable for two people to share one bed. Cheaper options include rooms with shared bathrooms or hostels where you pay only for a bed. You can also save by using the right payment card.
🅿️ Parking in San Francisco
Parking in San Francisco is generally more challenging than in other cities. The city center, in particular, suffers from a lack of parking spaces. For hotels, having private parking is considered a luxury. Many hotels address this with valet parking, where the staff takes your car to another building. The usual cost for valet parking is between $65 and $90, so read hotel descriptions carefully.
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Affordable Accommodation in San Francisco
The following tips do not include the absolute cheapest accommodations available in San Francisco. You can find many cheaper hotels, but they often have lower ratings and are located in problematic areas.
When selecting these options, I focused on affordability while also prioritizing safety. I’ve only included accommodations where I wouldn’t hesitate to stay with my own family. All the hotels and their ratings were last updated on January 23, 2025.
1️⃣ ITH Pacific Tradewinds Hostel
✔️ The ITH Pacific Tradewinds Hostel is located in the center of San Francisco, offering easy access to Alcatraz and other attractions. The location has a 9.3/10 rating on Booking.com, and the hostel’s overall score is an excellent 8.9/10. Breakfast is included in the accommodation price, and reviews praise the location, friendly staff, and great value for money.
❌ Most complaints in reviews are about the stairs leading to the rooms.
2️⃣ Hotel Stratford
✔️ The two-star Hotel Stratford is located in the city center, just a few blocks from the starting point of the cable car. It has a good overall rating of 7.7/10 on Booking.com, while the location itself scores 9.4/10. Reviews often praise the location, helpful staff, and clean rooms.
❌ The hotel’s downsides, according to past guests, include small rooms with only basic amenities.
3️⃣ HI San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf
✔️ HI San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf Hostel is just a few blocks from the famous Lombard Street. Its courtyard provides stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge. It has a strong overall rating of 8.4/10 on Booking.com, with a location rating averaging 9.5/10. The hostel offers 24/7 reception, and guests frequently commend the amazing views, friendly staff, and good location.
❌ Negative reviews mainly mention the typical drawbacks of hostels: small rooms, shared bathrooms outside the rooms, and excessive noise.
4️⃣ Herbert Hotel
✔️ This hotel is located close to the previously mentioned Hotel Stratford, near a cable car stop. Guests rate its location highly at 9.1/10. Positive reviews often highlight its great location, good access to public transportation, and proximity to key attractions.
❌ The hotel has a relatively low overall rating of 6.8/10, so expect only basic standards. The main complaints center on the lack of a reception desk, shared bathrooms for multiple rooms, and older furnishings.
5️⃣ Hayes Valley Inn
✔️ Hayes Valley Inn is located farther from the bay compared to the other options, but it still has a good location rating of 8.7/10. Its overall Booking.com score is 7.4/10. Guests have access to a shared kitchen. Positive reviews often mention the good location and clean rooms.
❌ Criticism from previous guests focuses primarily on the older furnishings and the lack of a reception desk, which likely helps the operators reduce operating costs.
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Hotels in San Francisco with the Best Value for Money
The second half of the recommendations includes hotels with an overall rating of at least 8.3 and a location score of 9 or higher. I still focused on keeping costs as low as possible, while also selecting hotels that offer excellent service, making the stay a pleasant experience.
1️⃣ Harbor Court Hotel
✔️ One of the key attractions of Harbor Court Hotel is its unique view of the Bay Bridge. Make sure to check out the photos! This four-star hotel has an overall rating of 8.3/10 and is located right by the bay. It’s just a few minutes’ walk from the historic cable car stop and other tourist attractions. Guests frequently praise the location (rated 9.3/10 on Booking.com), room cleanliness, helpful staff, and good public transportation access.
❌ Common complaints in reviews include small room sizes and very expensive parking.
2️⃣ Parker Guest House
✔️ Parker Guest House is an excellent choice for couples or smaller groups seeking quiet accommodations away from major hotel chains. This guest house has a stellar 9.3/10 rating and is located farther from downtown San Francisco. Even so, it boasts an impressive 9.6/10 location rating. Highlights include a private parking lot and a beautiful garden. Guests consistently praise the friendly staff, included breakfasts, and charming property.
❌ There are few negative reviews. However, some guests mentioned the inconvenience of stairs leading to the rooms.
3️⃣ Stanford Court San Francisco
✔️ Stanford Court is a four-star boutique hotel located close to a cable car stop. With an overall rating of 8.6/10 on Booking.com, its excellent location (rated 9.3/10) makes it a convenient choice for visiting landmarks. Guests appreciate the relatively spacious rooms, cleanliness, and pleasant views.
❌ Negative feedback primarily focuses on the lack of included breakfasts, which are available at an additional cost and are considered quite expensive.
4️⃣ Orchard Garden Hotel
✔️ Orchard Garden Hotel, a four-star property, is located in Chinatown. The rooftop terrace and excellent comfort-to-price ratio make this hotel stand out. Its central location (rated 9.5/10) allows easy access to major attractions by foot. Guests also highlight the friendly staff, clean rooms, and comfortable beds. The hotel’s overall rating is 8.9/10 on Booking.com.
❌ There are relatively few negative reviews. Some guests mentioned issues with complicated parking and the small fitness center.
5️⃣ The Donatello Hotel
✔️ The Donatello Hotel has an overall rating of 8.5/10 on Booking.com, with a location score of 9.2/10. The hotel’s key advantages include private parking, comfortable beds, and walking access to San Francisco’s popular landmarks. The rooftop terrace with stunning views (check out the photos) is another highlight, as are the spacious, clean rooms.
❌ Negative reviews often mention expensive parking, which is available only for an additional fee. Guests staying on lower floors also complained about noise from the street.
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