A traveler

Travelocity.com

October 14, 2006

A traveler

Travelocity.com

July 25, 2006

by cfalkner

Los Angeles, California

February 12, 2006

by aussieinva

Chesapeake, Virginia

February 10, 2006

Introduction
The Holiday Inn Golden Gateway is the perfect place to stay when visiting the San Francisco area. The close proximity to services, cable cars, and businesses make it ideal for tourists/business without the high cost of other hotels in downtown San Francisco.

Location
The hotel is located about 2 miles from both Fisherman's Wharf and the Financial District. The hotel is located directly next to the California Street cable-car line. Having the cable car practically at the hotel's doorstep makes travelling through the city a breeze. From the California Street cable cars, you can easily connect to the other cable car lines, streetcars, and BART.

There is also a number of businesses nearby that you will appreciate, including two banks (Wells Fargo and Bank of America), a Starbucks next door (hot chocolate after a cold day is amazing), and a Walgreens a block down the street (who has ever gone to a big city and had trouble finding a drug store near their hotel?).

Price
Room rates are competitive compared to other hotels of its quality in the area. It tends to be a little cheaper than some in Fisherman's Wharf or the Financial District, but with the convenience of the cable car at your doorstep, it's better to pay less and ride more. Room rates are normally somewhere between $100 and $170 per night, but we were able to get a package deal with flights from the East Coast and 3 nights for $350 pp.

Rooms
The rooms are what you should expect from a good three-star hotel. The rooms have a good view of the city, and we were able to view the cable cars going up and down the California Street line. The beds were quite comfortable and provided a restful night's sleep. The rooms were not huge but quite adequate for the number of guests they were designed for. The room and bathroom were very clean and well maintained and had the amenities that guests would require during their stay. The room was nothing outstanding, but exactly what you would expect, which is a good-quality room for a decent price.

Hotel Services
The hotel offers the standard services that are common in large downtown hotels. It has an on-site restaurant we utilized each morning for breakfast. The breakfast buffet was really good. An outside pool is also available during the warmer months. If you plan to drive, the hotel offers parking spaces, but at $30 per day, so it's much easier to use public transport. One feature that the hotel installed is key access to the public bathrooms and elevators. You used your room key to use the elevators and bathrooms in the lobby. This was installed to prevent vagrants from roaming within the hotel.

Recommendation
This hotel is perfect for anyone visiting the San Francisco area. Make it your lodging while in San Francisco.

by rawdeal

Harrison, Ohio

December 22, 2004

by food&fun

Truckee, California

June 28, 2001

We stay here when we can get the special rate that is only offered by calling the hotel directly (not the main Holiday Inn 800 number.) It is called ETIX. When you make your reservation, your credit card is charged and there are no refunds for cancellations. Only a limited number of rooms are available. Standard rooms Sunday through Thursday are $69 and on weekends $89 (plus tax). The regular room rate is about $150 or more for these rooms. Upgraded rooms are $89 and $109. It''s hard to find a nice hotel in San Francisco for less than $100 a night. Even the Chelsea, which is our alternate choice (see separate journal) goes higher than $100 during high season. If you''re not looking for a hotel with character or luxury, this is a good choice. An additional hint -- ask for a room on the Polk Street side, it''s quieter than the Van Ness side.