Another Pleasant but Anonymous Inn Near San Francisco Airport
Written: Aug 09 '05 (Updated Aug 10 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Half way between city and airport. Relatively inexpensive. Well kept.
Cons: Not in the city. Surrounded by office park.
The Bottom Line: A comfortable place to stay for quick access to the city without paying city prices.
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| jsquarejj's Full Review: Hampton Inn San Francisco Airport |
The Hampton Inn South San Francisco (San Francisco Airport) is one of those anonymous but comfortable basic hotels that serve the niche of travelers whose business or pleasure demands a reasonable price and the ability to forego an urban ambience. This hotel is a good choice for anyone making a quick trip to San Francisco, as long as actually staying in the city is not important and adequate but unexceptional service will suffice. Reasonable price is an important attraction, also. My partner and I just stayed here for one night between a Saturday party and a Sunday Giants game.
Why Stay Here?
The Hampton Inn South San Francisco is in one of those anonymous hotels in one of a handful of non-descript business parks along highway 101 in South San Francisco, half way between the city and San Francisco Airport. It’s reason for existence seems to be to accomodate the fly-in business community, and it is just minutes from the airport. It’s also only 10 minutes or so by car to SBC Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, and slightly longer to downtown, China Town, the Embarcadero. Other San Francisco tourist attractions are up to 30 minutes away in good traffic conditions.
My partner and I go to San Francisco five or six times a year. Sometimes we want a real urban experience, so we stay downtown, typically near Union Square. Other times, all we care about is price, and we’re willing to drive a few minutes from outside the city. When that’s the case, we use PriceLine, which almost always plunks us down in one of the South San Francisco business lodgings, like the the Hampton Inn or Marriott Courtyard.
The main reason to stay here is to get basic amenities at a reasonable price within a short drive of San Francisco. Be warned: this area has absolutely none of the flavor of San Francisco; it’s just a reasonable hotel in a business park right next to the freeway.
Location
The hotel is near San Francisco Bay on the east side of freeway 101 in South San Francisco in a partially developed business park. There’s no nearby public transportation, and taxis don’t ply this area, so you need a car here. Fortunately, parking is free (compared to about $30 or more per day in the city), and access to Highway 101 is less than a minute away. The airport is a few miles away, and airplane noise is noticeable but not annoying.
Views are mainly of the Bay, other hotels and office buildings, the freeway and some brown hillsides.
Rooms
Standard rooms are spacious and light, and the layout is well designed. They come with a king or two queen beds. They provide a shower-bath, hair dryer, iron and ironing board, cable TV with a moderate number of channels, on demand movies and high speed internet access. There’s a desk with a comfortable work chair. The bed we used was quite comfortable.
The bathroom area was well arranged with good traffic flow for the shower/toilette area, sink area and closet.
Everything worked great, and the room was scrupulously clean.
Prices
The PriceLine price was $65 per night. This is one of those hotels where weekend prices are better than weekday prices. A similar room in a nice part of the city would typically cost at least twice as much.
Other Amenities and Services
Breakfast, included in the room price, is served in a bright, good-sized dining room
Each room has high-speed internet access, and there is a public access computer in the lobby, complete with laser printer, so last minute tasks like printing out your boarding passes are a breeze.
Parking is free and more than adequate. There are plenty of running paths and sidewalks in the area for you joggers.
Staff
The staff were friendly and efficient.
Neighborhood
This area is best called an office park wasteland. There’s nothing here but the hotel and office buildings. There are no restaurants within walking distance.
Useful Links
For two hotels in the heart of the city near Union Square, check out:
- Serrano
- San Francisco Hilton and Tower
For another inn between the city and airport, check out:
- Courtyard by Marriott SFO
Get 1% cash back on your hotel bill. Check out my review of this great no-fee Visa card.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
jsquarejj
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 - Top 200 |
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Member: Jim J
Location: Santa Cruz, California
Reviews written: 190
Trusted by: 78 members
About Me:
#7 in Personal Finance, #14 in Travel. My goal? Saving you money.
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