The penthouse apartment is best secret in SF

this is a pension hotel with good rates & a great location near north beach. most of the rooms are really tiny (but incredibally cute) & in most cases you share a bathroom with others. Seems like European travellers don't mind this, but most Americans I know (other than students) wouldn't like that.

But forget about all that & forget what anyone says: the penthouse is the way to go! I stayed there with my girlfriend and we loved it. It's basically a little antique but clean studio apartment with a big wrought iron bed, a claw foot bath tub, and two big double doors that open wide onto a private roof-top deck with a panoramic view of the city in several directions. Nobody else is allowed up there but you, so it's very privste & unique. We payed only about 160 per night, and considering the privacy, deck , view, location and romantic charm, I would rate this the best little deal in the whole city. If you can reserve it way in advance, skip everything and stay at this cozy and marvelous find. Especially in the spring or summer when the deck and its lounge chairs come in handy. you could probably sunbathe nude up there--we were completely alone. No other rooms up there & a private access stairway assure privacy. For a honeymoon, you can't do better.

San Remo is wonderful!

I stayed at the San Remo Hotel in early April. It is a beautiful hotel in a quiet neighborhood near Pier 39. The staff are friendly and very helpful for directions and sightseeing ideas. The interior of the hotel is beautiful, with woodwork and antiques. The rooms are small but nicely decorated. The shared bathrooms are also lovely. This is the only hotel we ever stay in when we're in San Francisco!

Purrfect!

I loved the rooms here! I have stayed here several times and I adore the history of the hotel & the old world decor. I loooove the bathroom.

Who doesn't love a bear claw tub at window level overlooking the bay and the coit tower? The atmosphere is very relaxed. There are tons of books on shelves lining the hallways. It is one of the bays best kept secrets!

Loved it!

I just came back from a trip to San Fran, and both myself and my companion agreed that the San Remo was fantastic. This hotel has incredible character, with beautiful furnishings and lucious greenery everywhere, and the location is perfect! Breakfast is not served, but I enjoyed going to the nearby Safeway (two blocks away) and picking up bakery and coffee and bringing back to our romantic little room more than going to the dining room for the free breakfast in some souless megachain hotel.One caveat: someone else complained that their "window" was only a window to the hallway, and there wasn't a window to outside, I did notice there are several rooms like this, We had a room with an outside window, but in the future I would ask to make sure I had a room with an outside window. But next time I go to San Francisco, the San Remo will definitly be the first place I'll check for accomodations.

Best Place to Stay With Soul

I stayed here with my parents, who are both Senior citizens and not once did they complain about anything in this charming turn of the century hotel. The neighborhood is very convenient, safe and nearby restaurants and grocery stores provide your food needs, the entrance is a staircase that leads up to a compact old Victorian interior that is simply wonderful. Plants, trees and windows and are evident to the visitor. There is so much warmth here that is sorely lacking in most big chain hotels that I was content that I found this little gem for my parents. You have to interact with people because the lack of space but that only creates a feeling of society. My parents were adored by the place, they are simple people and adapted very well to the utilatarian features. A small room that is very cozy is what we got, an old art-deco clothes rack and a desk are included. That's all that is needed and it grows on one instantly, we slept very well and there is hardly any noise at all in the building. We paid $70 a night, which is fantastic and well worth every penny. The bathrooms are shared, which cause no significant problem because one can always find one open and there are people walking around, cheerful and smiley. The service is very good, for there is a full time staff of house cleaners on call in the morning to fix your room and they also clean the restrooms. A rack of heated towels greets you as you exit the shower. There were no problems here, it is an excellent place with an attempt to create a certain ambiance and it is charming. If you need something to do, forget the TV, go to the book room where you can browse through books or just walk down to the pier or sit by the window. A great place to stay, recommended only to those who don't mind a little building.

San Remo -lovely

We spent 5 months in the US when the Aussie dollar was at <50 cents US.

We needed to economise. The San Remo was our first hotel in the US and we loved it. Yes the bathrooms are shared - but didnt you know that when you booked. Yes it is quite noisy and the rooms are small - but the ambience and location was never beaten in all our US and Candian travels. It sure beat the many souless motel rooms we stayed in around the mid west and east coast.

Hostel centrally located!!

the rooms are similiar to the cells in Alcatraz, a compact room, smelly of moth balls. The facility of bathroom use is shared with other guests. $10 extra and you can have a scaly sink with old fashion taps in your room "which is classed as a luxury".

The fact that the TV room is open from 8am to 10pm meant I missed my Formula 1 race.

I am a great believer in getting value for money and just having a basic facility in a room when on holiday. Instead of sharing everything with strangers who probably feel the same way.

From a number between 1-10 2.

the best thing about this hotel is the location in sf.

Dont bother!

We have stayed here 3 times in the past while on a student budget. The last time we went would definitely be the LAST. The service was terrible, (I'd say downright rude) and the rooms were tiny, crowded, with the MOST uncomfortable bed in history. The hotel was very noisy and the bathrooms werent as 'charming' as we recalled. It was a very bad experience. Now that you can get good deals on better hotels, there is no need to go to the San Remo. The location is nice since there is very little accommodation in North Beach, but still not worth the discomfort.

Best Value in San Francisco

If you don't mind shared bath the San Remo Hotel is the best deal in San Francisco. Rooms are under a $100 per night, the location is excellent and the bathrooms (turn of the century motif) are spotless. The San Remo is very romantic and you feel like your staying in someones old Victorian. The only thing missing is there is no food service. We love the San Remo and have never had a problem with noise or children.

Noisy

I've stayed at the San Remo twice. The first time was great. Friendly staff, pretty, comfortable room, clean showers and toilet down the hall. Never any problem getting into the showers or toilet when needed. But, the place is noisy. The last time we stayed there (the staff goes off duty at 10:00 PM) and party went on in the "Penthouse" keeping everyone on the third floor awake until after 3:00 A.M. Yes I love the place. But, I also like to sleep. I had to sleep in my car the first night, and my husband slept in the car the second night. Both times because of noisy people who figure they are the only ones staying there. Another problem is kids running around the halls at all hours. I will look for another place to stay, even if I have to pay more. Hotels are for sleeping, not partying.