Thecheapest accommodation in San Francisco is $60 per night for two. However, it is often located in relatively unsafe places, is dirty and has other shortcomings that make it low-rated. To save you time in choosing, I’ve picked the 10 hotels with the best value for money. As a condition, I made it clear that I would not be afraid to accommodate my own family in each of them.
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Table of Contents
Where to Stay in San Francisco
🗺️ Location Is the Most Important Parameter
When choosing a hotel, I recommend focusing on location from two perspectives.
There are certain locations in San Francisco where tourists may feel uncomfortable or unsafe. I recommend avoiding them. You can tell by the low rating of the location on Booking and by the comments of guests.
I try to choose accommodation with a location rating of 9.0/10 or higher if price permits. This will ensure I’m within walking distance of interesting places in the city, not just in San Francisco.
📅 Book Your Hotel in Advance
I recommend booking your accommodation as soon as you know your dates in San Francisco. This way you’ll have the widest choice of hotels to choose from. Personally, I almost exclusively use Booking.com, which offers a lowest price guarantee and free cancellation on some offers.
💰 How to Save Money on Hotels in San Francisco
When travelling with four people, don’t be afraid to book just one room instead of two. Beds in America are big, so it’s no problem to sleep in a couple. Rooms with shared bathrooms or hostels where you only pay for the bed are cheaper. You can also save money by choosing the right credit card.
🅿️ Parking in San Francisco
Parking is an even bigger problem in San Francisco than in other cities. Particularly downtown, there is a shortage of spaces; having your own parking lot is a luxury. Hotels often solve this with valet parking, where an attendant takes the car to another building. The cost of such parking is $65–$90, so read the hotel description carefully.
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Cheap Hotels in San Francisco
The following tips are not the cheapest places to lay your head in San Francisco. You can find plenty of cheaper hotels, but they have worse ratings and are often located in places that are less safe for tourists.
I did pick cheap hotels, but only ones that I wouldn’t be afraid to put my relatives up in. I last updated all hotels and their ratings on June 24, 2024.
Hotel Reviews Description ITH Pacific Tradewinds Hostel 8,8/10 This highly rated hostel is located right in the heart of the city, offering great transport links to San Francisco’s main attractions in addition to a private double room. Hotel Stratford 7,7/10 A well-rated hotel located right in the heart of the city near a tram stop, the perks are clean rooms and comfortable beds. HI San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf 8,3/10 This well-rated hostel is in a good location in Fisherman’s Wharf, offering a 24-hour front desk and breakfast included. Herbert Hotel 6,9/10 A cheaper hotel located in the city centre near a tram stop, with the downside of shared bathrooms and inferior room facilities. Hayes Valley Inn 7,2/10 Affordable accommodation located in a historic building, you get pretty good value for the dollars spent. 1️⃣ ITH Pacific Tradewinds Hostel
Located in the city centre, this hostel offers good access to Alcatraz and other sights. It has a great location rating of 9.2/10 and an excellent overall score of 8.8/10. Breakfast is included, and guests praise the location, value for money and very friendly staff. Most of the complaints are about the number of steps that separate the rooms from the entrance to the hostel.
2️⃣ Hotel Stratford
This two-star hotel is centrally located a few blocks from the cable car station. Despite the lower price, it has a very good rating of 7.7/10 on Booking, and the location itself is 9.4/10. Guest reviews praise the location, helpful staff and cleanliness. Negative reviews mention small rooms with only basic amenities.
3️⃣ HI San Francisco Fisherman’s Wharf
This well-rated (8.3/10) hostel has a beautiful view of the Golden Gate Bridge from its courtyard and is just a few blocks from the curving Lombard Street. Guests rate the location an average of 9.5/10. The hostel offers smaller and larger rooms and a 24-hour front desk. Guests praise the view (check out the photos) and the friendly staff, but negatives include the smaller rooms and shared bathroom outside the room.
4️⃣ Herbert Hotel
This two-star hotel has a weaker overall rating (6.9/10), but guests rate the location 9.1/10. It is located practically next to the aforementioned Hotel Stratford by the tram stop. Guests praise the location, access to public transport and cleanliness, with negative comments mostly relating to the lack of bathrooms in some rooms and the lack of a fridge.
5️⃣ Hayes Valley Inn
Compared to previous picks, Hayes Valley Inn is located further away from the bay. Guests can use a shared kitchen, and the hotel has the advantage of good value for money. The downside for some may be the shared bathrooms in all rooms. It has a location rating of 8.9/10 and an overall rating of 7.2/10 on Booking.
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Hotels in San Francisco With the Best Value for Money
The other half of the picks are hotels with an overall rating of at least 8.3 and a location score of 9 or higher. I still looked for the most favorable price, but at the same time chose hotels with an excellent level of service where the stay will be a pleasant experience.
Hotel Rating Description Harbor Court Hotel 8,4/10 The hotel has a top rating for location, and you’ll remember the view from its windows for a long time. Booking’s “Genius” guests enjoy complimentary breakfast. Parker Guest House 9,3/10 A top-notch guesthouse in a quieter neighborhood is good for those who want to avoid busy hotels. See photos. Stanford Court San Francisco 8,6/10 A four-star hotel in downtown San Francisco; in addition to the great location, guests praise the very comfortable rooms. Orchard Garden Hotel 8,9/10 Check out the photos from the hotel’s terrace, everyone would want to stay there. The supremely comfortable rooms and excellent location are a bonus. The Donatello Hotel 8,6/10 This hotel with great views is located in Union Square, so it’s within walking distance to museums and desirable attractions in the area. 1️⃣ Harbor Court Hotel
Check out the photos for a view of the Golden Gate Bridge from the hotel. This 4-star hotel with a rating of 8.4/10 is located right on the bay, a short walk from the tram station and other tourist attractions. Guests praise the location the most, with an average rating of 9.4/10 on Booking. The size of the rooms, cleanliness, staff and proximity to public transport are all rated well. The negative is the very expensive parking.
2️⃣ Parker Guest House
This is a great option for couples or smaller groups who want quieter accommodation away from the big hotels. The well rated (9.3/10) guest house is further away from the centre, the location score is 9.6/10. It has the advantage of private parking and a lovely garden. Almost all guests praise the friendly staff, the excellent breakfast included and the beautiful building.
3️⃣ Stanford Court San Francisco
This 4-star boutique hotel is right next to the cable car stop. The great location saves time getting around the sights of the city, and the spacious rooms, cleanliness and nice views are also a plus. The downside is the quite expensive breakfast, which is not included in the room rate.
4️⃣ Orchard Garden Hotel
This four-star hotel in Chinatown caught my eye with its nice rooftop terrace and good price. The excellent location (9.5/10) makes the surrounding sights accessible on foot. Guests also praise the helpful staff, clean rooms and comfortable beds. The downside is the complicated parking. It has a rating of 8.9/10 on Booking.
5️⃣ The Donatello Hotel
The fifth recommended hotel also has a great location (9.2/10), with an overall rating of 8.6/10 on Booking. The hotel benefits from private parking, sights within walking distance and comfortable beds. As is usual for me, I was impressed by the terrace with a view (see photos). Complaints are mainly directed at the expensive parking and the street noise in the rooms on the lower floors.
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