by Lisa Trottier, Sunset travel editor
It's news to no one that people...just...LOVE...San Francisco. For the 17th year in a row, Conde Nast's readers have just voted it the country's best city to visit. Yet, when I see visitors clustering where so many of the city's hotels are—between Union Square and the Tenderloin—I cringe a little. Of all the city's corners, this may be the least lovely.
So, when you visit San Francisco (and by all means do), I say get away from downtown and stay out in the city's neighborhoods. That's what I do. There are lots of small inns around, but my favorite is the Hotel Drisco.
This is not only because it's perched above the bay on the tippy top of the city in an absurdly scenic, fantastically pricey neighborhood bordered by Pacific Heights, Presidio Heights, and Cow Hollow. I love how from the street it nearly passes as an apartment building. There's no vast lobby to cross, no maze of hallways. It makes me feel at home. And the shops and restaurants along Fillmore and Union streets are a short (if sometimes steep) stroll away. I've spent more than one happy weekend here without once touching my car.
Plan your trip: Click here for my favorite walks, shops, and restaurants in the Hotel Drisco's neighborhood. And get many more ideas for a trip to San Francisco here.
Book it: from $169, www.jdvhotels.com/hotels/drisco. Get a third night free by booking here and typing in "joie"
What about you? Do you have a favorite city sleep? We'd love to hear what it is.
