Hotels

We’re stretching the boundaries of San Francisco a little with this one but it would be remiss to leave it out. Located just outside the city on the northern side of the Golden Gate Bridge (many of the rooms look directly onto it), this hotel is a sensitively restored turn-of-the-century military building. Choose between the original house, with its authentic tin ceiling and fireplaces, and the hillside new-build rooms with their floor-to-ceiling windows, spectacular views and radiant-heat floors for those slightly chilly nights. There’s also the Murray Circle restaurant, optional cooking classes, yoga sessions and hiking in the nearby national park. In short, it would be easy to stay on this side of the bridge for your entire trip.

The Battery may be a private members’ club but you can get around that caveat by staying in one of its 14 rooms or penthouse suite, all of which are open to the public. The bedrooms are spacious and stately – think brown-leather armchairs, large TVs and often plenty of exposed brickwork – and the bathrooms are kitted out with stone tiles and toiletries by Malin and Goetz. A stay here comes complete with full membership privileges, including access to the beautiful library, which feels like a cross between a hunting lodge and a boat (ships’ lights hang between the spines and stuffed birds perch on the chandelier). There are several bars, as well as the Living Room restaurant and a garden with views of the Transamerica Pyramid. Plus there’s a tranquil spa and well-equipped gym. 

Located in the city’s vast national park, this hotel is particularly popular with outdoorsy types and the romantic-break crowd. But even if you’re on business it serves as a peaceful retreat. The building dates back to 1903 – the former barracks of bachelor officers when the Presidio was an army base. These days it feels more like a country lodge but the determination of curator Julie Coyle to delve into the Presidio’s past is notable. Rooms have shadow-boxes of memorabilia, from old postcards to rusted keys, and many feature utilitarian framed beds (it’s all about the mattress); elsewhere, black-and-white photos with embossed metal ID tags for captions show army types in skimpy shorts. For more privacy there’s the Funston House, a four-bedroom Victorian annexe.