Average Hotel in a less than desirable neighborhood
My partner and I stayed 2 nights at the Hotel Whitcomb in San Francisco on a recent trip to California and I would say it was an average hotel. We decided to take a chance on a good rate through Hotwire at an unnamed hotel located in historic downtown SF. Hotel Whitcomb is what popped up after we booked through the Hotwire web site and we made the best of our gamble.
Usually location is the most important thing to me when making a hotel reservation. This place is in a great location with regards to public transit. Literally steps from both the BART and Muni stops made this location very convenient. It was an $8.25 trip from SFO to the hotel on the BART, and we purchased the 3-day Muni pass to see all the sites San Francisco had to offer.
The bad thing about this location is the neighborhood, which makes the access to public transit that much more important. The hotel is located on Market St in a fairly run-down area of downtown. We felt a little uncomfortable the first time we left the hotel and had to walk past large groups of homeless people and gated store fronts. I typically like to explore the shops, pubs, and restaurants located close to the hotel but that simply wasn’t possible in this neighborhood. After that first walk down Market St, it was straight on and off the Muni for us right in front of the hotel. And don’t be too surprised to see prostitutes hanging around out front if you return late at night.
With regards to the hotel itself, the lobby is like a grand ballroom, with large chandeliers, and is quite impressive when you enter. The hallways are large and remind you of how buildings were constructed in the “good old days”. The remainder of the hotel is average, but made for a suitable base camp as we explored the streets of San Francisco. The rooms were on the small size, the bathrooms lacked shelf space for toiletries, and we experienced a lot of street noise even though we weren’t facing the main street. The saving grace, we received excellent service throughout our stay.
For our next trip to SF, I will pay a little more and stay at a hotel in a nicer neighborhood. If you are young, adventurous, and travelling on a budget, then this may be the perfect place for you to explore everything SF has to offer. 
Some additional San Francisco travel tips …
Dining – We really enjoyed the clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl at Boudin on Fisherman’s Wharf, along with the pub fare, selection of beers, and live music at Tiernan’s Irish Pub.
Car Rental – I used Budget located not too far from the hotel and requested an upgrade to a convertible when I arrived onsite rather than booking it in advance. We got a Chrysler 200 convertible for an extra $20/day and thoroughly enjoyed our drive down the PCH to LA.
Attractions – Visit the cable car museum and then jump on a cable car outside for a ride. This is an experience very unique to San Francisco, and it doesn’t cost anything to ride if you’ve purchased your Muni pass.