San Remo Hotel - San Francisco, USA 

Charming turn-of-the-century boarding house that is beautifully decorated, a pleasure just to wander around, admiring the posters and photgraphs on the walls. I grew up in the North Beach neighborhood in SF and returned for a couple of days on business. Was attracted by the low price and can easily navigate shared baths (these had pull-chain toilets, a bathtub with feet, and shower stall with great water pressures). No phones, no TV, but who cares? No refrigerator and you have to borrow an alarm clock, but free free massage chairs in the common area! Free massage chairs! An internet kiosk takes a credit card. Spotlessly clean, turn-of-the century decor in the rooms, but brand-new firm mattresses. Rooms are small, but not overly so. Might get noisy when crowded, but it wasn't a problem when I was there, 4-star Italian restaurant on the first floor (Fior d'Italia), you can also walk a few blocks (or take the cable car) to the restaurants in North Beach, Chinatown, or Fisherman's Wharf (a piece of advice: don't eatt there; the seafood in Chinatown is much better!). Short walk to Pier 39 (yuck!), Ghirardelli Square and Aquatic Park. Safe neighborhood. If you are two on a budget and sharing the same bed, this is a great place to stay. Romantic and inexpensive. And in SF. I paid $85 in May during the week; it is a bit higher on the weekend.

The San Remo Hotel is in one of the most centrally located areas in San Francisco for sightseeing and easy transportation (if not a little on the tourist - heavy side). Northbeach, one of the most visited Italian neighborhoods in SF, is close to Market Street, Chinatown, the Embarcadero, Financial Dist, etc. It is a European style hotel, which has shared bath accomodations, and the rooms themselves tend to be small. (The hotel is one of the oldest NorthBeach properties -- built right after the earthquake to house firemen). But at $65 to $85 a night, this is ABSOLUTELY the best deal in town. If you want a TV, phone, and private bath, there are plenty of overpriced options for you in SF. I was a Bay Area native for 30 years, most recently moved to Portland Oregon, and we stay at the San Remo every time we visit SF. The staff is always courteous, helpful and friendly. The hotel itself is beyond clean--I have never once seen any mold, dirt, stains, etc on thier immaculate bathrooms or bedrooms. Some words of advice: Pay the extra $20 a night for the top floor rooms with a sink. They are less noisy and a little more roomy. Try and get a room away from the bathroom as you may hear folks flushing the toilet at night. The hotel has earplugs at the front desk USE THESE ON A WEEKEND as the rooms are small and you will hear other guests and possibly some street noise. If you can do the things mentioned above, you will have found yourself a great hotel in a great city in an amazing neighborhood for an unbelieveable price.

We booked a room in the San Remo with a shared bathroom, having traveled frequently in Europe. Although it's a no frills hotel, they do have the nice boutique touches that make it stand out from an el-cheapo motel. The halls, bathrooms and rooms are decorated with San Francisco art and maps, each in a unique frame. The furniture was older, but loved and only gentle worn - the good stuff, not the veneer stuff that falls apart after a few years. The bathrooms were nice and kept very clean. The staff was young, ambitious and friendly - they recommended breakfast and internet cafe options as well as transportation options.The only negative side was that, being an old building, the walls, floors and ceilings seem to be very thin - or perhaps just not well insulated. We stayed in the very back of the building, over the kitchen, and could hear every movement the kitchen staff made after closing at 10:30 pm, and before they opened for brunch early in the morning. It is probably only an issue for the back hallway of rooms (31, 32, 33) - but could be important if you are a light sleeper. Other than that - it was everything we could have wanted for the low price and location in the middle of North Beach. Just three blocks from Fisherman's Wharf and one block from the busy Mason & Powell Street Car Line. Love that it wasn't a cookie cutter motel, but had personality and charm - even on a budget!

Sam Remo was a pleasant surprise. A *great* location and an excellent price. I can't wait to return. The room was small but comfortable, and really, in San Francisco you're really not going to be spending too much time in it. Next time though, I'd choose a room with a window (mine was an internal room, which was quite warm). Bathrooms were very clean and there was never a wait. There was a handy laundry on my floor too (that's always a bonus for me, especially at the end of a long trip). The staff members on the reception counter, while never rude, could come across as being a bit distant (that seemed a regular occurrence with service people in SF). They could have been a little bit more welcoming, but this really wasn't that off-putting, especially considering the overriding positives of the place. And the other staff members (eg housekeepers) made up for the front counter staff - they were very friendly and helpful.