Travelodge San Francisco By The Bay

The gentleman on the tele when I call for a reservation two weeks ahead of our trip was very helpful and gave us a 'break' on the nightly rate. Our room on the ground level was adequate, seemed clean. We thought that the people above us were going to fall through the ceiling whenever they walked around. Then we could hear everything from the people in the room next to us. So, about this, I'd say the walls and ceilings are very thin with no insulation.

The location seemed very convenient. We could walk to the Chocolate shop(!) and the Wharf area, as well as up into the neighborhoods to check out the local faire. We were also able to catch the Muni Transit System right on the corner which, in turn, put the City at our footsteps.

All in all, we had a good trip. Would I stay at this TraveLodge again? If I had to.
But I'd be more inclined to up the ante and stay at a different Hotel. One that was much nicer and much quieter. After all, we'd go for Vacation and being able to "rest quietly" would be well worth the extra money.

Rates for Friday and Saturday night shot through the roof because of a couple of conventions and my attempts at bidding on Priceline were unsuccessful. I wanted to be close to Aquatic Park on Saturday night so that my husband could walk over there for his swim race Sunday morning so I booked the extremely overpriced Travelodge by the Bay for Friday-Sunday, $169 per night for Friday, Saturday and $89 for Sunday. Normally this would be a cheaper option but just not on the weekend we were there.

The problem with this motel, and probably most of the motels along Lombard Street, is that there is quite a bit of street noise as Lombard is part of Highway 101 which connects to the Golden Gate Bridge. So ask for a room towards the back if you stay here. The other problem is that the walls and roof aren't well insulated so when we had a freak thunderstorm you could hear the rain pouring down on the roof and regrettably also the loud conversation of the people next door in some language I didn't understand and the motorcycle dudes who took up residence outside on the patio listening to their boom box.

In the end I wish I had sprung for a more expensive hotel in Fisherman's Wharf which would have been almost as close to Aquatic Park and more appealing. I would only recommend this place if your budget is stretched really thin and you are not willing to try Priceline or Hotwire. For a budget hotel the quality of the room was fine, it was just all the extra noise that put me off plus the inconvenient location.

Unique Quality: Room 216-the room was fine, it was clean, spacious and the bed reasonably comfortable. There was a coffeemaker and a small TV.

Bathroom-shower only, toiletries were soap and shampoo. The water pressure and temperature were good, the towels were adequate. There was a hair dryer on the wall.

There was good bus service in the area, several bus routes stopped along Van Ness or Chestnut within a couple of blocks of the hotel. To get to the BART station for the trip back to SFO we had to take a bus to get to the Civic Center station so it wasn't quite as easy as our hotel in Union Square.

This is an inexpensive motel that is close to Fisherman's Wharf and near the Union Sreet Shops. When checking in, you will be given a key-card which gives you access to the elevator-entrance into the building, and the same key-card lets you into your room. I wouldnt recommend walking to Fishermans Wharf unless you want to hike the hills. Maps can be deceiving because streets on a map don't indicate how steep the streets are in San Francisco. Room was pretty clean. I didnt spend much time in the room so it didnt matter, but yes, it was clean enough. When trecking out to the Fisherman's Wharf from this motel, there is a bus stop around the corner. Take the 47 bus and it will take you to Pier 39 for $1.50. Better $1.50 than hiking for 30 minutes. Hotel staff is real friendly. They will give you directions and tell you which bus to go to. Even which restaurants are open at 6am (they helped me out a lot). When I come back to SF I will probably come back to this location again.

Unique Quality: This is a no-frills motel. Clean room. TV, air conditioning. Within walking distance to liquor store and Union Street shops. Crab restaurant next door. 24 hour Ihop restaurant within 6 blocks. Taco Bell & KFC also within that perimeter. Friendly staff, they will even provide you a map and tell you which bus/trolley to hop on if you ask for directions.

Directions: near Fishermans Wharf

Friendly staff and Comfortable Clean rooms what more do you need!.
Approx 10min walk to the wharf area situated on Lombard Street in-between Van Ness & Franklin

Unique Quality: You can either have a internal corridor room or traditional Motel style both well equipped and serviced daily

Directions: Near Cow Hollow Van Ness & Franklin

If you only want to visit the touristy spots of SF but don't want to stay IN them, then this is a great alternative. It's located amoung really great neighborhoods that most tourists don't get to see. It's right on the corner of Market and Valencia, which means you're right in the center of the Inner Mission, The Haight, and the Castro. The F train is also right at your door step and will take you into Downtown in 5-10 minuets and in 10 more minuets you could go to Fishermanns Wharf too. It's also safe at night.