Home > Hotel Savings Strategies > How to get discounts at hotels like the Carlton near Union Square
Hotels - Union Square San Francisco
Want to stay at the Carlton or
Another hotel near Union Square?
Here's how to pick the best location!
What's better—Union Square East or West?
Here you'll find the advantages and disadvantages of staying in Union Square East or Union Square West.
Powell Street generally marks the boundary between the Union Square East and West zones. This—the street with the cable cars—runs along the west side of Union Square.
Clicking on
opens a sample list of San Francisco hotel prices. Click on the "Name your own price" option for links to neighborhood and regional maps.
1. Union Square West
Although, many people find the Union Square East zone more pleasant, Union Square West has a greater selection of moderately priced hotels, including the Carlton five blocks from Union Square. You'll also find some of San Francisco's best first class and deluxe hotels, such as the Clift, Westin St. Francis, Parc 55, and San Francisco Hilton, which are closer to the square.
In addition, the Priceline Union Square West zone often includes the InterContinental Mark Hopkins and other well-known hotels on Nob Hill, although this can vary.
You'll be near Chinatown, adjacent to fine shopping, and usually within
a few minutes walking distance of the Moscone Convention
Center.
As with Union Square East, Union Square West is at the
hub of San Francisco's public transportation. Fast BART trains
from SFO airport serve the Powell & Market station near most hotels.
From there, streetcars, cable cars, and electric trolleys radiate out to
the entire city.
You'll find nearly no street parking, and safe off-street parking is very expensive, especially on weekdays.
Avoid walking in the area west of Mason Street and south of O'Farrell at anytime of day or night. Streets can be reasonably safe because they are so busy, but you'll encounter one of the worse homeless situations in the U.S.—an unpleasant experience.
No deluxe hotels are in this skid row area, but some hotels like the Hilton adjoin it.
2. Union Square East - Embarcadero
The area east of Union Square includes the Financial District, Embarcadero, and most of the SOMA, the trendy south of Market dot.com area.
Union Square East has many of the city's top hotels,
its finest shops, and very convenient public transportation.
We like this area very much.
Unfortunately, there are few budget hotels, such as the Powell Hotel.
Nevertheless, try for large discounts on the better ones,
such as the Argent, Parc Hyatt, and Hyatt Regency—you may get a deluxe
hotel for a moderate price.
Check out—
This invaluable link shows typical Priceline discounts for hotels in the Union Square area.
Naming your own price can really save around $100 per night on 4-star hotels.
Of course, you may need to pay more during a large convention
or special event.
From Union Square East, you can easily walk to Chinatown and to the Moscone
Convention Center. You'll also find the main Amtrak terminal
and the popular and historic "F" streetcar line, which travels along Market
Street and the waterfront to Fisherman's Wharf.
As in any large city, you should walk along busier streets
at night. And, as with Union Square West, parking costs
are very high, especially on weekdays.
From the Ferry Building at the foot of Market Street, be sure to take Golden Gate Ferry boats to Sausalito for beautiful views of the San Francisco skyline and Golden Gate Bridge. These commuter ferries provide a nice alternative to more expensive harbor cruises.
Frequent BART trains from SFO airport serve the Powell,
Montgomery Street, and Embarcadero stations along Market
Street, close to all Union Square East hotels.
Have a great time in San Francisco!
