Hotel Mayflower was the real deal!
I had read many Trip Advisor reviews before booking this hotel, and I have to say that the good reviews given to this hotel were correct. I stayed in the Golden Gate Bridge Room, which is a queen, premier deluxe room, so can't really attest to a cheaper standard room, but for the price ($125+tax) it was a deal for San Francisco. The room was large and clean, with a great view looking south over the city. That said, I suppose that the view may be the main difference in price compared to a standard room; the higher floor and opposite side of the building from the street probably helped with noise, as I had no problem with garbage trucks or other street noise. The kitchenette was adequate, although not as well stocked as I had hoped. There was a refrigerator and microwave, but there were just two sets of large and small plates, bowls, coffee cups, wine glasses, drinking glasses, forks, spoons, and knives. No bottle or wine opener, so bring or buy your own. The one thing missing was any way to wash the kitchen items after use; neither soap nor sponge were present. Also, there were no tissues or paper towels, so really no way to clean up afterwards. I noticed that and bought my own tissues while shopping, so along with the fact that the housekeeping staff washed the dishes when they cleaned the room it was really not a big deal. Breakfast was free and plentiful: scones, muffins, coffeecake, bread, hardboiled eggs, oatmeal, apples, orange juice, coffee. A colleague who stayed in another (more expensive) hotel did not have breakfast included, so I don't think anybody could complain. I should also mention that I rented a car and used the free parking. As others stated, the entrance is very narrow, so insist on a small car (my rental company kept trying to give me a Jeep or a Mustang convertible...), preferably one with folding mirrors. I was attending a conference at the Moscone Convention Center, and the walk took about 10-15 minutes.