San Fran B&M Worth Trying?

Originally Posted by Tarks

Sorry for the threadjack but I am also curious. I booked a flight to San Fran for end of July. Was hoping to get a few cigars in at the occidental. I am not familiar with SF, never been. What part of town is the occidental? Would you recommend staying in the area? If so, what hotels would you recommend that are within walking distance to the occidental?

Sorry and thanks!

Occidental is in the Financial District of the city, on the border of Chinatown. I actually wouldn't recommend staying in this section of town, it tends to clear out during the weekends at at night after all the business people go home after work.

Most tourists tend to stay in either the Union Square or Embarcadero/Fishermans' Wharf areas. Both these districts can get pretty busy/touristy, but if you want to see the sights then they are pretty centrally located (especially Union Square). My parents have stayed at the Marriott in Union Square, and I've also heard good things about Parc 55. You could probably walk to the Occidental from Union Square but it would be a hike from the Embarcadero.

Nob Hill is also pretty centrally located (just north of Union Square) and is one of the highest hills in the city, with spanning views of the bay in some spots. This is where most of the high-end luxury hotels are located, like the Fairmont, the Ritz, the Intercontinental, etc.

Finally, my favorite neighborhood in the city is the Marina/Cow Hollow district (where I live). We've had family stay at the Cow Hollow Motor Inn and Suites, as well as the Hotel Del Sol. Both places are near Lombard Street, which can be noisy, but if you can get a room off of Lombard the location is excellent and the area is less "touristy" and more "San Francisco". Again, the Marina is a couple miles from the Financial District (and Occidental) but it's an easy Taxi or Bus to get there.

Hope this helps!