twmc

I have stayed at all of the SF properties excluding the Ritz. You may want to consider that as well.

The closer to the convention center in general the higher the rate, though, during a major convention they all have high rates.

Nothing is very far from anything in the city center. Though the uphill climb to say the the Stamford Court can be daunting if you are not used to walking the city or a bit out of shape.

Marriott Marquis is a large hotel closest to the convention center. Usually a busy place. Does have a pool if that is important (not sure if anyone else has one in the city).

Two marriott hotels in the Union square area. JW (I think, Mason St) and a Renaissance (on Sutter St). JW is also large and a nice hotel. A bit close to some dodgy areas if you head the wrong direction (towards Tenderloin). The renaissance is a fine hotel. I prefer it as it less busy and crowded like the Marquis, close to Union Square and easy walking (though often up hills) to china town or North Beach or Market St. I know the staff quite well and am treated like a returning family member.

The Stamford court is a very nice hotel (rooms are sometimes small). It's only drawback is the walk back to the hotel is quite steep and you are at least 4 blocks from union square and 6-7 blocks to market st. Though only 50 feet to the cable car from the stamford court.

Don't rent a car unless you plan to leave the city. Bring a range of clothes as weather changes rapidly.

Hopefully others will chime in if I have characterized anything that needs correction or amplification.

Other info at

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marri...ncisco-26.html

Good luck

jtp1947

Public transportation is good but if you must have your own car, the parking rates are quite expensive. An alternative is a private parking garage which is usually at least half of what the hotel will charge. As far as best value, it depends on if there are conventions in town, weekday stay vs. weekend stay, etc. The Stanford Court is an older hotel with smaller rooms but is still nice. I have always liked the J. W. It has a nice lounge, spacious rooms and the staff is friendly. The Union Square is the newest however, the bathrooms are quite small. Use the search function for a more comprehensive thread on San Francisco Hotels.

BruceWG

And if you are not familiar with SF's weather patterns remember the line attributed to Mark Twain: "the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco". Although he never actually said that, it's not a false statement

My wife and I stayed at the Stanford Court Renaissance a couple of times last year and the service was excellent. If you're walking it is a very steep climb to the top of Nob Hill, but the hotel has a nice atmosphere with an excellent staff. If you are a light sleeper it would be good to request a room that does not face the cable car intersection as you'll hear the clang of the bells until about 1 AM.

dano18

I would pick the Stanford Court.
The Marquis is in a good location but is a huge convention
hotel with no character and showing some wear.
dan

keeton

I have the exact opposite opinion. I like the Marquis because of its Market St. locaction next to BART, Muni and even the F trolley makes getting around anywhere without a car a breeze. If you get a higher floor room, the views will be stunning.

When I stayed at the Stanford Court, I found it's hilltop location exhausting to walk and it's level of service seemed to be more pomp than substance. The cable cars are the only nearby transportation, but they are more for tourist rides than seriously getting about. Those who like "old world" atmosphere seem to like the Stanford Court and I can certainly respect their opinion, if that is their taste, but I prefer efficiency.

JamboAddick

I stayed at the Stanford Court for 4 nights in November and loved it. I thought the service to be quite friendly and unobtrusive. If you stay there, I would advise getting one of the MUNI passes for the cable car since they are great to use coming back up Nob Hill after a day of walking and a really good value. The hill is very steep (I went for a run one morning and came up a block short before my lungs quit on me) but the views from the lounge are excellent.

jasperJ8

is your travel for leisure? i personnally love the feel of my stay a couple of years back in Stanford Court

PTahCha

The Stanford Court is usually my top choice. Depends on the timing, it usually offers the best rate. The rooms are "quaint", but has characters. Be aware that some of the rooms do face the street with the streetcar running until midnight, which bothers some people. The renovated bar is nice, and it's only a couple of blocks away from the Ritz if you want something different.

The JW is probably my second choice - nice room, good concierge lounge. Decent location.

The Marriott in SoMA is close to the convention center, but just like any other Marriott. The top floor bar has a cool Art Deco window though.

Never stayed at the Union Square Marriott, but the location is great since it's close to Powell BART and Muni station.

ffATLff

JW is nice and probably my favorite. Doesn't hurt that I was once upgraded to the Presidential Suite.

Marriott Marquis is your standard Marriott. But beware it is huge and full of conventioneers.

Marriott on Sutter is OK. It was previously another hotel. And the bathrooms are tiny.

athome

Thanks to all for your feedback.
As I am travelling on leisure, I want to ask the question differently and enlarge it a little bit.
Assuming that you have a rental car and want to go to some points around San Francisco (e.g. Napa, San Jose,...), would you stay in a Marriott Hotel in San Francisco Downtown or get a decent one in the surroundings (e.g. Napa Marriott) with free parking, lower rates, ... ?
Which Marriott Brand hotel would suggest in the surroundings?

keeton

I'll throw out another option, and something I've done with success: Stay in the city and rent a car only for the day you want to take your excursion(s). If you plan on multiple excursions, do multiple one-day rentals. Driving is not that bad in SF, but parking is a major PITA in that it is either unavailable or very expensive, so having a car to tour in SF is not recommended. If you do this, you would want to choose a hotel that is near your desired car rental facility.

If you want to stay out of the city, but still plan to tour the city, I would recommend a property that is near a BART station. Here's one for you: The Renaissance in Walnut Creek is a great property and only one (longish) block from a BART station. Parking is $19/day, though.

doctor

Doesn't seem to be a consensus between the JW or Stanford Court.

Are the rooms and bathrooms that small at Stanford Court and are the rooms at the JW noisy?

Also does either property provide complimentary breakfast for plats on weekends?

kkcoop

Going to San Fran with family (3 kids under 7) in July and was hoping for a recommendation for hotel, price is not important. I have platinum status so would like one with nice room upgrades, centrally located, and a concierge suite if possible.

Thanks

winch

Just been to the Marriott Marquis in downtown San Fran a couple of weeks ago.

It was a nice hotel, very conveniently located on 4th st. They offered an upgrade for 20$ per night. I accepted and got a room with a nice view of the Bay Bridge on 34th floor. But really the upgrade was just for the view which I didn't have time to enjoy after all... Maybe not the best deal. I guess with you status this should not be a problem.

They had a concierge service and valet parking. The concierge was helpful, he got us ticket to the Giants game on the same day, the game was sold out, so very helpful. Valet parking was expensive, used it for a couple of hours yet got charged the flat rate, that even for guests adds up to 60$ per day.

I don't know about any suites they might have, a suite was not within my company travel standard ;-).

I had a nice stay but been to better hotels before, for some reason that I can't pinpoint, this hotel lacked the "touche" you usually get in upper range hotels. Maybe the amenities or the fact the property is a couple years of age. The employees were perfect though, no complaints on the service at all.

All in all it was good, if you're looking for a convenient downtown location, this is a good pick.

MaineFlyer16

I stayed up the street from Marquis at the JW in February. it was a bit underwhelming. Lounge was decent...got "upgraded" to a view room with gold status, but I wasn't really sure what the view was supposed to be of. It was a bit of a hike from the BART. I think the Marquis is in a better location. I also checked out the property at the top of Nob Hill, but that hill is brutal to climb up, so I wouldn't recommend that.