Mission Inn, San Francisco

Advantages: Location, value for money, free parking
Disadvantages: Noise

...Having a day to kill in San Francisco (lucky me!) before catching an early morning flight, I needed a hotel, and decided to stay in town rather than near the airport. I searched on Expedia and found the Francisco Bay Inn. One of the features I was looking for was free parking, and the Francisco Bay offers it. There were cheaper options, but not when you add $10-$20 to park your car. Expedia gave me a rate of £39, prepaid, and I took it. Another advantage of the Francisco Bay is its location. This is also a disadvantage. It is on Lombard Street, near the corner of Van Ness, within easy walking distance of Fisherman's Wharf and other attractions. However, Lombard is a major, six-lane thoroughfare, part of Highway 101 as it wends its way to the Golden Gate Bridge. This means constant traffic noise, right through the night. Earplugs... Read review

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Advantages: Good value, comfortable, close to attractions, great location
Disadvantages: Basic, but not necessarily a disadvantage (see review)

...The Castle Inn is a small B&B/motel and one of the best kept accommodation secrets in San Francisco. My wife and I stayed there for our belated honeymoon for just over a week in April this year, encouraged by all the great reviews we had seen on various websites. Whilst it can't compete with the likes of the Sheratons and upper-end Holiday Inns in the luxury stakes, it has plenty of its own plus points setting it apart from the more well known hotels. The first thing you'll notice on arrival at the Castle Inn is its location - on Broadway in the Russian Hill district, it's set away from the main tourist hubs. Instead, you're right in with the locals and treated to a more natural SF, a world away from the city's most famous landmarks. Not that it's miles away from anywhere, mind - Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39... Read review

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Advantages: A Great city full of life and fun
Disadvantages: Expensive

...After a fabulous 2 and a half weeks visiting various parts of USA on my Honeymoon, I thought it only fair I should return and share my experiences with my friends here on ciao. Here is my guide to San Francisco. Background. ----------- San Fransisco is on a Peninsula on the West coast of California. It is home to some 250,000 people with another 6 Million living in the various suburbs. It has been settled by many people, most noteably the spanish who set up various missions throughout the area, 1 days travel apart for travellers. It is built on a very undulating part of the state with great height differences between parts of the city. Climate. -------- Weather never normally gets above 80 in the summer but never gets cold in the winter either. Snow is a very rare occurence. It has normally dry summers with Rains common... Read review

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