You really need to decide what your after; I see 3 choices: chain (JW Marriott, etc.), old and elegant (Hay Adams, etc.), or boutique (like a Kimpton).
Sound like you might want to check out one of the Kimpton boutique hotels (as suggested above). I've stayed at the Topaz and was reasonably pleased.
Also, spend some time on TripAdvisor.com.
We stayed at a Kimpton (Prescott) in San Francisco and a few months ago and really enjoyed it. The only real incentive for going with the JW is points but I should have enough stays before December to move to gold status anyway...and that's obviously not what this weekend is about. I think the George might be a great hotel for our stay...and a much better value and experience than the M/O.