Hotels in San Francisco, CA: Pre-Stay Reference

Resort fees, parking costs, peak season, a booking checklist, and the anchor property we track.

This page is a pre-stay logistics reference. For prices and dates, use the hotel's own site or your preferred booking platform.

Hotel logistics in San Francisco

SF hotels almost always charge a $25–40 nightly "amenity" or "urban" fee. Parking is steep at $50–75 a night in Union Square and SoMa, and street parking is impractical given break-in rates. The cheapest window is January through mid-March; the most expensive is September and October when conferences dominate. BART from SFO to downtown is $11 and runs every 15–20 minutes.

San Francisco hotel cost cheatsheet

Typical nightly rates by tier in San Francisco. Always check the total — taxes and fees are extra.

Budget / select-service

$180–280

per night, before tax

Mid-range / full-service

$280–500

per night, before tax

Luxury / 5-star

$500–1,200+

per night, before tax

Resort / amenity fee

$25–40 amenity/urban fee at most hotels

added to room rate

Booking checklist for San Francisco hotels

San Francisco-specific questions to ask before you commit to a booking.

  • 1.Is there an amenity, urban, or destination fee?
  • 2.What is parking per night? Many hotels charge $50–75.
  • 3.Is the hotel on a hill? Some are wonderful, but with luggage they're miserable.
  • 4.How far is the nearest BART or Muni station?
  • 5.Is the cable car turnaround within walking distance? Matters for Powell Street hotels.

The anchor property we track in San Francisco

Curated reference

We maintain a single anchor reference per city — a well-known property where we keep an up-to-date pre-stay fact sheet (check-in, WiFi, parking, amenities, walking distances). It's not an endorsement or a booking recommendation; it's a representative property for understanding San Francisco hotel norms.

Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco

757 Market Street, San Francisco, CA

Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco occupies floors 5 through 17 of a tower at 757 Market Street, two blocks from the Powell Street BART/Muni station. The lobby is on the fifth floor; the ground floor entrance is a discreet street-level door next to the Equinox gym that shares the building. MKT Restaurant and Bar serves Bay Area produce with a view onto Yerba Buena Gardens. Union Square is a five-minute walk north.

5★ Luxury$$$$Check-in 3:00 PM13 amenities
Full reference →

San Francisco travel guide

Neighborhoods, food, attractions, and how to get around — separate from the hotel reference on this page.

Read the San Francisco guide →

Official San Francisco resources

Plan the rest of your trip with these official sources for San Francisco tourism and transportation.

Get instant answers about any San Francisco hotel

Download Hoteling and ask anything about WiFi, checkout, fees, or local recommendations

Download App