St. Regis vs. Ritz vs. Four Seasons vs. Mandarin Oriental (San Francisco)
 

Looking for which you think is the best...wanna stay at a 5-star on my last night of my trip to SFO. Age is 22...not sure if that is relevant haha, but I always got the feeling that the Ritz was for an 'older' crowd?

Quality of food and the view are both very important to me personally...which has the best food (restaurant, not just room service) and which has the best view? (preferably a view of the water/Golden Gate)

Any/all opinions greatly appreciated?

Mandarin will have the best views. St. Regis will be a younger crowd. Can't comment on the food, but there are so many great restaurants in SF, that it shouldn't be a determining factor.

moving to luxury hotel forum
 

have fun!

squeakr

MOD SFO

Hmmm...okay. That puts me in a quandary haha.

Any great restaurant recommendations? Price really not a factor (as long as it's under $75 for 1 person lol). Are the restaurants inside these hotels really good?

I stayed at the Ritz and wrote a report (here). It´s not really bad, but I whould try another hotel next time.

Unless you want to walk a lot or take cabs/transport, I would avoid this location. Pretty, just out of the way.

FS and St. Regis are close together and great location downtown. St. Regis is next to the Modern Art Museum and close to a park. Have not seen the rooms. Rooms at the FS are standard FS rooms; seemed a little bland when I saw them years ago. Undoubtedly more of a "vibe" at the SR. Their restaurant and cocktail lounge are on ground level; the FS's are several floors up and past a doorman.

For you,Of those,I'd run with the St Regis,and its younger feel,the rooms were funky .I stayed there a few times albeit more than 3 years ago now :( So its up to others to describe what it's like today.
The four S is just up the street and the W practically next door down the street and you are a very short walk to the square.

http://michaelmina.net/restaurants/locations/mmsf.php

Otherwise checkout Zagat which has a very comprehensive listing set and fair reviews for SFO. A lot of people also like http://www.slanteddoor.com which is a kind of Vietnamese fusion and is quite interesting. There is also a fish restaurant practically underneath the Bay Bridge which is very romantic however I don't think it will come in under $75 a person- probably closer to double that IIRC.

Hotel wise the service at the FS is better than the St. R in my opinion. Personally I don't think any of the hotels in San Francisco are really all that great and as a result I save a few dollars and just stay in a junior suite at the IC on Howard Street and pay extra for club access.

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. Just booked a bay view room at the Mandarin. Will post how it goes :)

I don't think you mentioned which day of the week you will be staying there, but, FWIW, the area immediately around the MO is likely to be rather quiet on weekends, as it is mostly office buildings. That said, it is not too long a walk to touristy areas from any of these hotels.

If you are willing to spend a bit more than $75 (especially with alcohol), consider trying Gary Danko.

Agree on Gary Danko - you could also check out Boulevard

Agree heartily on both. Worth the splurge but call or open table asap for reservations.

Ahhh yeah I'm staying tonight lol...Friday. Hmmm..what are the touristy areas you recommend?

The usual spots around there are Union Square going down to Market St.; Chinatown; North Beach; Ferry Building. There's also Fisherman's Wharf etc. at the northern end of town, but that would be a long walk from the MO.

Ferry Building is closest so perhaps in the morning ?
Ask the concierge about the very nice restaurants just round the block - including some real SF icons.
Have a wonderful stay , hope you're in on of the " bridge to bridge " rooms ;)