Where to stay in SF area?

[nikonf]

Hello, I am planning a trip to San Francisco, Big Sur, Monterrey etc. in October.
I am going to stay for about 5 days in the Carmel area and I need to find out where to stay in the San Francisco area.
I am going to be in SF for about 5 days and I don't think I need to stay in the city proper. Some of the hotels are actually charging $65 per night for parking alone , which I think is ridiculous.
I would like to get some nice scenics of the Golden Gate Bridge and other famous sites.
Any help one could offer, would be greatly appreciated!

All the best,
Mike

 

[stephengilbert]

I've never stayed there, but The Inn at the Presidio sounds cool: Hotel Near Marin CA | San Francisco Suites | Inn at The Presidio

Rooms starts at $195, moderate by San Francisco standards.

 

[kdphotography]

Agree with Steve that the Inn at the Presidio sounds good, and it does put you right at the Bridge area. Looks like a parking surcharge though too. If you need to cut back on costs, you might want to try staying in nearby Pacifica. Search hotels there. It is a short drive up the 1 from the GG Park and the Bridge vantage points.

 

[Terry]

Staying around the airport is only about a 15 minute drive into the city. Hotel rates in SF are totally dependent on what conventions are in town. For instance when Oracle has their annual event even crappy rooms are ultra expensive.

Check around for rates for your exact dates. I recently needed to stay in a hotel and did find that after looking at Expedia I was able to find deals on the actual hotel sites that were a bit better. It was a quiet week in SF and there were a lot of very good hotels with rates around $125.

A photo friend of mine has stayed at this Holiday Inn Express and said it was fine.
Holiday Inn Express San Francisco Airport North, California

Anything around Union Square will have expensive parking and I think the public lot in Union Square still gets expensive if you overnight the car there.

 

[rga]

If you or a family member have been in the military, the Marine Memorial Club at Union Square is the best deal going.
Bob