Favorite Hotels in Four Cities

In my travels for The Times, I’ve inspected hundreds of lodgings in cities foreign and domestic, and slept in more than a few of them. Among those towns were four that, it might be argued, beckon most to Southern Californians: San Francisco, San Diego, London and Paris.

Below, my hotel picks from those four cities, gathered over the past three or four years, and updated for this special section. In most cases, there actually are two lists: a “Top 10 for Style” and “Top 10 for Value.” In seeking out hotels with distinctive style, I paid most attention to amenities, design and service; in the search for value, it was price over packaging. Always ask if special rates, packages or discounts (such as AAA) are available when booking.

SAN FRANCISCO

Top 10 for Style

Campton Place. For those who want luxury but don’t need a sprawling, glimmering lobby in the St. Francis/Fairmont tradition. Intimate, hushed atmosphere, 117 rooms. Convenient to, but not besieged by, Union Square and its crowds. Brochure rates: $230-$345. Weekends: $230-$325. 340 Stockton St.; telephone (800) 426-3135 or (415) 781-5555.

Four Seasons Clift Hotel. Two blocks from Union Square in the heart of the theater district. Old-world formal setting and service. Five stars (Mobil) and five diamonds (AAA). 329 rooms. Brochure rates: $265-$350. Weekends: $205-$320. 495 Geary St.; tel. (800) 332-3442 or (415) 775-4700.

The Inn at the Opera. Located to suit music and dance lovers (opera, symphony, ballet venues neighbor the building). 48 rooms. Brochure rates: $140-$190. 333 Fulton; tel. (800) 325-2708 or (415) 863-8400.

The Inn at Union Square. Not much space, but miles of style. 30 rooms on six floors. Brochure rates: $140-$195. 440 Post St.; tel. (800) 288-4346 or (415) 397-3510.

The Majestic. Built in 1902 and full of elegant old furnishings. 57 rooms, 30 with fireplaces. Brochure rates: $135-$260. 1500 Sutter St.; tel. (800) 869-8966 or (415) 441-1100.

Mandarin Oriental. In the Financial District, a promising but often-overlooked possibility for upscale-but-not-filthy-rich leisure travelers. The hotel occupies the ground floor and the 38th through 48th floors of the First Interstate skyscraper. Brochure rates: $285-$450. Weekend rates: $249-$450. 222 Samsone St.; tel. (800) 622-0404 or (415) 885-0999.

Hotel Milano. Stands next to the Nordstrom-anchored San Francisco Shopping Centre, a few blocks from the Yerba Buena Arts Center, Union Square. Contemporary Italian design. 108 rooms. Brochure rates: $129-$189. 55 5th St.; tel. (800) 398-7555 or (415) 543-8555.

Petite Auberge and the White Swan Inn. They’re siblings, so I’m counting them as one. Petite Auberge is the French country twin; the White Swan Inn, two doors down, is its English counterpart. Both have 26 rooms and are run by Four Sisters Inns. White Swan Inn (brochure rates: $145-$250), 845 Bush St.; tel. (800) 999-9570 or (415) 775-1755. Petite Auberge (rates: $110-$220), 863 Bush St.; tel. (800) 365-3004 or (415) 928-6000.

The Ritz-Carlton. Nob Hill. A 336-room luxury hotel. Antique furnishings. Brochure rates: $300-$525. 600 Stockton; tel. (800) 241-3333 or (415) 296-7465.

The Sherman House. This French-Italianate mansion and its carriage house now house six one-bedroom suites and eight guest rooms, all but one with fireplaces. Member of Relais & Chateaux. 14 rooms. Brochure rates: $210-$775. 2160 Green St.; tel. (800) 424-5777 or (415) 563-3600.

Top 10 for Value

Andrews Hotel. If ever you wondered where the smallest bathrooms in San Francisco hoteldom are, this could be it. But they’re clean, and the small rooms to which they’re attached are well put together. 48 rooms. Brochure rates: $86-$119. 624 Post St.; tel. (800) 926-3739 or (415) 563-6877.

Hotel Bedford. Renovated top-to-bottom in 1996, the Bedford is sensibly furnished and run by amiable staff. 144 rooms. Brochure rates: $149-$195. 761 Post St.; tel. (800) 227-5642 or (415) 673-6040.

The Carlton Hotel. One of the Kimpton 13--which is to say it’s clean and displays a little style and European sensibility, despite its low price. Convenient to Union Square. 158 rooms. Brochure rates: $135. 1075 Sutter St.; tel. (800) 227-4496 or (415) 673-0242.

Chancellor Hotel. Near Union Square on the cable car route. 140 rooms. Behind a modest public face, brass fittings, dark wood wainscoting, other nice touches. Brochure rates: $114-$129. 433 Powell St.; tel. (800) 428-4748 or (415) 362-2004.

The Fitzgerald and the Hotel Sheehan. (Close siblings under the same ownership.) The Fitzgerald has no pretentions, but is clean and convenient to Union Square. 47 rooms. Brochure rates: $59-$119. 620 Post St.; tel. (800) 334-6835 or (415) 775-8100. The Hotel Sheehan, two blocks away, has 68 simple, tidy rooms, nine with shared bathrooms. Brochure rates: $69-$129; “economy” rooms with shared baths, $49. 620 Sutter St.; tel. (800) 848-1529 or (415) 775-6500.

Golden Gate Hotel. Simple, but cozy, and very well located just above the bustle of Union Square. 23 rooms, 14 of which have private baths. Brochure rates: $99; with shared bath, $65. 775 Bush St.; tel. (800) 835-1118 or (415) 392-3702.

The Hostel at Union Square. The bottom end. Certainly not for everyone but eminently affordable--and convenient to Union Square. Typically two to six people per room. Brochure rates: $17 per person, $14 for members of Hostelling International. Reservations accepted. 312 Mason St.; tel. (415) 788-5604.

Hotel Nikko. A great white slab of a building. Lots of white marble, many international businessfolk, indoor sky-lit pool. 525 rooms. Brochure rates: $215-$275. 222 Mason St.; tel. (800) 645-5687 or (415) 394-1111.

San Remo Hotel. A 1906 Italianate Victorian hotel; most rooms share bathrooms, but the atmosphere is tidy and endearing. Brochure rates: $60-$70. (The room with private bath goes for $100 and books far in advance.) 2237 Mason St.; tel. (800) 352-7366 or (415) 776-8688.

Hotel Triton. Could just as easily be listed among the most stylish--but the prices are too good. 140 rooms. Brochure rates: $139-$219. 342 Grant Ave.; tel. (800) 433-6611 or (415) 394-0500.

SAN DIEGO

Top 10 for Style

Hotel del Coronado. Striking red-and-white architecture outside, incredible woodwork inside, around which scores of sightseers usually swarm. Five restaurants. Two pools. A great, wide beach. Six tennis courts; an 18-hole city golf course half a mile away. Brochure rates: $185-$495 for rooms, $600-$1,900 for suites. 1500 Orange Ave., Coronado; tel. (800) 468-3533 or (619) 435-6611.

Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine. Michael Graves-designed neoclassical building; 400 rooms and suites. Five restaurants, one large pool. Brochure rates: $179-$210. 3777 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego; tel. (800) 233-1234 or (619) 552-1234.

Hyatt Regency San Diego. At 40 stories, with 875 rooms and suites, it describes itself as the tallest waterfront building on the West Coast, with a bar on top. Three restaurants, a pool, tennis courts. Brochure rates: $165 (weekends) to $270. 1 Market Place; tel. (800) 233-1234 or (619) 232-1234.

Le Meridien San Diego at Coronado. The design is modern, but very low profile, with 300 rooms, suites and villas on 16 grassy waterfront acres, half a mile from the base of the Coronado Bridge. Two restaurants, three pools. Brochure rates: $195-$265, more for suites and villas. 2000 2nd St.; tel. (800) 543-4300 or (619) 435-3000.

Loews Coronado Bay Resort. 440 rooms and suites in a 15-acre isolated location three miles south of Coronado proper. Three restaurants. Three pools, five tennis courts. Brochure rates: $195-$245, more for suites. 4000 Coronado Bay Road; tel. (800) 235-6397 or (619) 424-4000.

The Wyndham Emerald Plaza Hotel. Formerly the Pan Pacific Hotel. Next to a trolley stop a few blocks from Horton Plaza. 436 rooms and suites. Brochure rates: $199-$239, more for suites. 400 W. Broadway, San Diego; tel. (800) 626-3988 or (619) 239-4500.

San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina. 1,354 rooms and suites (half have balconies) in twin glass towers. Five restaurants, two pools, six lighted tennis courts. Brochure rates: $200-$245. 333 W. Harbor Drive; tel. (800) 228-9290 or (619) 234-1500.

Sheraton Harbor Island Resort. 1,050 rooms and suites, four restaurants, big aquarium in lobby, three pools, four tennis courts. Brochure rates: $280-$300, more for suites. 1380 Harbor Island Drive, San Diego; tel. (800) 325-3535 or (619) 291-2900.

U.S. Grant Hotel. This is the city’s landmark downtown hotel, dating to 1910 and still stately. 280 rooms and suites, three restaurants, no pool. Brochure rates: from $155 nightly. 326 Broadway; tel. (800) 237-5029 or (800) 334-6957 inside California or (619) 232-3121.

The Westgate Hotel. European elegance is the big selling point here. 223 rooms and suites, each with a balcony. Three restaurants. 24-hour room service. No pool. Brochure rates: $164-$204. 1055 2nd Ave., San Diego; tel. (800) 221-3802 or (619) 238-1818.

Top 10 for Value

Bahia Resort Hotel. 325 rooms and suites, many of them spartan and brick-walled, most of them in one-story buildings on a 14-acre peninsula that juts into Mission Bay. (Units on west side have much better view.) Brochure rates: $125-$155 (more for studios and suites). 998 W. Mission Bay Drive, San Diego; tel. (800) 288-0770 or (619) 488-0551.

Best Western Shelter Island Marina Inn. Unremarkable appearance and modest grounds, but among the best rates of the many hotels along Shelter Island. 97 rooms and suites, restaurant, pool. Brochure rates: $99-$169 Sunday through Thursday, $109-$179 Friday and Saturday, more for suites. All rooms cost $10 more during June. 2051 Shelter Island Drive, San Diego; tel. (800) 922-2336 or (619) 222-0561.

Catamaran Resort Hotel. A bay-front location and a prominent Polynesian theme. 312 rooms and suites, restaurant, pool. Brochure rates: $140-$195, more for studios, suites. 3999 Mission Blvd., San Diego; tel. (800) 288-0770 or (619) 488-1081.

Dana Inn & Marina. A child-friendly complex of unglamorous gray buildings on the edge of Mission Bay. 196 rooms and suites, restaurant, pool, tennis courts, shuffleboard. Brochure rates $79-$139, higher June 16-Sept. 4. 1710 W. Mission Bay Drive, San Diego; tel. (800) 445-3339 or (619) 222-6440.

Best Western Hacienda Hotel Old Town. A 149-suite, family-friendly hotel in the heart of Old Town. Restaurant, pool. Brochure rates: $105-$115. 4041 Harney St., San Diego; tel. (800) 888-1991 or (619) 298-4707.

La Jolla Cove Suites. These 140 rooms, studios and suites (all with kitchens) are not even a little fancy, but for traveling families who want to eat in, this is a live option. Pool, no restaurant. Brochure rates: $88-$165. 1155 Coast Blvd., La Jolla; tel. (800) 248-2683 or (619) 459-2621.

San Diego Princess Resort. Opened in 1962 as Vacation Village, it was bought by Princess Cruises in 1983. 462 rooms and suites, three restaurants, five pools and a swim-up bar, croquet lawn, volleyball court, paddle boats, 18-hole putting course, landscaped botanical walks. Brochure rates: $140-$170. 1404 W. Vacation Road; tel. (800) 344-2626 or (619) 274-4630.

Quality Resort Mission Valley. Formerly known as the Mission Valley Inn, centrally located alongside Interstate 8 in Mission Valley, it includes three pools and one restaurant on 20 acres, with 202 rooms. Brochure rates: $69-$99. 875 Hotel Circle South, San Diego; tel. (800) 362-7871 or (619) 298-8281.

Town and Country Hotel. In the middle of Mission Valley. 1,000 rooms and suites on 32 acres. Five restaurants, four pools. Brochure rates $110-$180, more for suites. 500 Hotel Circle North, San Diego; tel. (800) 772-8527 or (619) 291-7131.

Travelodge Harbor Island. 208 rooms and suites, all with balconies and views. Restaurant, pool. Brochure rates: $79-$89, suites higher. 1906 Harbor Island Drive, San Diego; tel. (800) 255-3050 or (619) 291-6700.

LONDON

Top 10 for Style

Academy Hotel. 36 rooms. A block from the British Museum, and a cut above most lodgings in bookish Bloomsbury. Rate: about $175; major credit cards accepted. Breakfast excluded. 17-21 Gower St., WC1; tel. 011-44-171-631-4115, fax 011-44-171-636-3442. Tube stop: Russell Square or Goodge St.

The Cranley. 37 rooms. Distinguished decor behind a nondescript exterior; good location near lively Old Brompton Road. The kitchenettes are an unheard-of option. Rate: about $225; major credit cards accepted. Breakfast excluded. 10-12 Bina Gardens, SW5; for U.S. reservations tel. (800) 553-2582, or in London tel. 011-44-171-373-0123, fax 011-44-171-373-9497. Tube stop: South Kensington.

Dorset Square Hotel. 37 rooms. An agreeable marriage of old-fashioned and newfangled design in a new-feeling hotel. Some rooms air-conditioned. Rates: $205-$300, excluding VAT. Breakfast also excluded. 39-40 Dorset Square, NW1; tel. 011-44-171-723-7874, fax 011-44-171-724-3328. Tube stop: Marylebone.

Durrants Hotel. 93 rooms. Wood-paneled, old-fashioned hotel that dates to 1790. Rate: about $200; major credit cards accepted. Breakfast excluded. 26-32 George St., W1; tel. 011-44-171-935-8131, Tube stop: Bond Street.

Five Sumner Place. 14 rooms. Calm surroundings in South Kensington. Five floors; Rates: $170-$190, VAT excluded. Continental breakfast included. 5 Sumner Place, SW7; tel. 011-44-171-584-7586, fax 011-44-171-823-9962. Tube stop: South Kensington.

Hazlitt’s. 23 rooms. An upscale writerly redoubt, once the 18th century home of essayist William Hazlitt. No elevator. Rate: about $235, excluding VAT. Breakfast excluded. 6 Frith St. W1; tel. 011-44-171-434-1771, fax 011-44-171-439-1524. Tube stop: Leicester Square or Tottenham Court Road.

L’Hotel. 12 rooms. Hidden elegance, French Country design and a sleek restaurant adjoining. Rate: about $215, excluding VAT. Continental breakfast included. 28 Basil St. SW3; tel. 011-44-171-589-6286, fax 011-44-171-225-0011. Tube stop: Knightsbridge.

Number Sixteen. 36 rooms. Made up of four Victorian townhomes, which have been rehabilitated with sophisticated interior colors. Rates: $260-$310; credit cards accepted. Continental breakfast included. 16 Sumner Place, SW7; tel. 011-44-171-589-5232, fax 011-44-171-584-8615. Tube stop: South Kensington.

Portobello Hotel. 22 rooms. Quirky furnishings gathered from all over. Rate: About $240, with “special rooms” $320-$380. Major credit cards accepted. Continental breakfast included. 22 Stanley Gardens, W11; tel. 011-44-171-727-2777, fax 011-44-171-792-9641. Tube stop: Notting Hill Gate.

White Hall Hotel. 60 rooms. A block’s walk from the British Museum. Public and private rooms all spotless. Outfitted with elevators, round-the-clock room service. Rate: about $295; major credit cards accepted. Breakfast excluded. 2-5 Montague St., WC1; tel. 011-44-171-580-2224, fax 011-44-171-580-5554. Tube stop: Russell Square.

Top 10 for Value

Arran House Hotel. 28 rooms (16 have shared baths). Stands in a converted 200-year-old Georgian home on a street in Bloomsbury near the British Museum. Four stories, no elevator. Rates: $85-$115; MasterCard and Visa accepted, no American Express. Full English breakfast included. 77-79 Gower St., WC1; tel. 011-44-171-636-2186, fax 011-44-171-436-5328. Tube stop: Goodge St.

Bryanston Court Hotel. 55 smallish rooms, not much character, lackluster location--but it’s got elevators and a handsome lobby and public rooms. Rate: about $155; major credit cards accepted. Continental breakfast included. 58 Great Cumberland Place, Marble Arch, W1; tel. 011-44-171-262-3141, fax 011-44-171-262-7248. Tube stop: Marble Arch.

Delmere Hotel. 39 rooms. Among perhaps three-dozen budget-oriented hotels on Sussex Gardens, two blocks from Paddington station, this is the standout. An elevator serves its five stories. Rate: about $170, reduced to $145 weekends; major credit cards accepted. Continental breakfast included. 130 Sussex Gardens, Hyde Park, W2; tel. 011-44-171-706-3344, fax 011-44-171-262-1863. Tube stop: Paddington.

Fielding Hotel. 24 rooms. For the unfussy theater hound. You’re steps from the Covent Garden opera house and blocks from the theater district. Four stories, no elevators. Rate: about $150; major credit cards accepted. Breakfast excluded. 4 Broad Court, Bow St., W2; tel. 011-44-171-836-8305, fax 011-44-171-497-0064. Tube stop: Covent Garden.

Gresham Hotel. 38 rooms. Five floors, served by elevator. Compact, tidy. Rate: about $130; major credit cards accepted. Continental breakfast included. 116 Sussex Gardens, W2; tel. 011-44-171-402-2920, fax 011-44-171-402-3137. Tube stop: Paddington.

James House/Cartref House. 10 rooms in the James (nine sharing baths), 11 in the Cartref (three sharing baths). Nominally two different hotels, but they stand across the street from each other and are operated by the same couple. Each has four floors, no elevator. Rates: $95-$115; major credit cards accepted. English breakfast included. 108 and 129 Ebury St., SW1; tel./fax 011-44-171-730-7338 (James) and 011-44-171-730-6176 (Cartref). Tube stop: Victoria.

Jenkins Hotel. 14 rooms (seven sharing baths). A modest building (a Georgian home converted in the 1920s) in care of conscientious on-site owner-managers. Four floors, no elevator. Rates: $95-$115; MasterCard and Visa accepted, but not American Express. English breakfast included. 45 Cartwright Gardens, WC1; tel. 011-44-171-387-2067, fax 011-44-171-383-3139. Tube stop: Russell Square.

Mabledon Court Hotel. 31 rooms. A bland 20th century building. But it has elevators and stands next to a pub on an otherwise quiet block. Rate: about $115; major credit cards accepted. English breakfast included. 10-11 Mabledon Place, WC1; tel. 011-44-171-388-3866, fax 011-44-171-387-5686. Tube stop: Russell Square.

Swiss House. 18 rooms. Warm and inviting, despite its location on busy Old Brompton Road. Five floors, no elevator. Rate: about $125; major credit cards accepted. Continental breakfast included. 171 Old Brompton Road, SW5; tel. 011-44-171-373-2769, fax 011-44-171-373-4983. Tube stop: Gloucester Road.

The Willett. 19 rooms, handsomely furnished in an elegant, leafy residential neighborhood near trendy Sloane Square. Rates: $150-$210, VAT excluded; major credit cards accepted. English breakfast included. 32 Sloane Gardens, SW1; tel. 011-44-171-824-8415, fax 011-44-171-730-4830. Tube stop: Sloane Square.

PARIS

$100-$200 Nightly

Le Pavillon Bastille. Gleams in blue and yellow, its relatively modest spaces done up in dramatically lit post-modern style. Popular among music-lovers who build weekends around productions in the Bastille Opera down the street. Air-conditioned. Buffet breakfast ($13) reaches beyond the usual. to include fruits and cheeses. Elevator. 25 rooms. Rate: about $150. 65 Rue de Lyon, Paris 75012; tel. 011-33-1-4343-6565, fax 011-33-1-4343-9652.

Relais du Louvre. The lobby window promises an intimacy in a neighborhood of monumental scale; the interior delivers. Helpful, multilingual staff. Elevator. 20 rooms. Rates: $155-$180. 19 Rue de Pre^tres, Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois, 75001; tel. 011-33-1-4041-9642,fax 011-33-1-4041-9644.

Libertel Montparnasse. Small, bright lobby, full of blond wood. Rooms small but efficient and artfully decorated. Elevator. Staff speaks English. No air conditioning. 25 rooms. Rates: $145-$155. 126 Rue de Cherche-Midi, 75006; tel. 011-33-1-4548-3748, fax 011-33-1-4549-9449; or (800) 448-8355.

Galileo. Behind a bright red awning, an airy, comfortable lobby. English spoken. Three stars, but a four-star atmosphere. For its Champs-Elysees neighborhood--surrounded by more grand, costly hotels--a good value. Air-conditioned. Elevator. 25 rooms. Rate: about $180. 54 Rue Galilee, 75008; tel. 011-33-1-4720-6606, fax 011-33-1-4720-6717.

Ho^tel Relais Bosquet. Near the restaurants and the Eiffel Tower in handy, quiet neighborhood. English spoken. No air-conditioning. 40 rooms, 28 of which overlook a courtyard garden. Rates: $110-$130. 19 Rue du Champ de Mars, 75007; tel. 011-33-1-4705-2545,fax 011-33-1-4555-0824, or (800) 448-8355.

Ho^tel Saint-Germain des Pres. Ancient timber beams and wallpaper in startling colors. Comfortable Left Bank location. Elevator. 30 rooms (12 air-conditioned). Rate: about $180. 36 Rue Bonaparte, 75006; tel. 011-33-1-4326-0019, fax 011-33-1-4046-8363.

Ho^tel Lenox Saint Germain. James Joyce once slept here, the staff says, and the place is popular with American journalists. Antique stores line the street. No air conditioning. Elevator. 34 rooms. Rates: about $125-$170. 9 Rue l’Universite, 75007; tel. 011-33-1-4296-1095, fax 011-33-1-4261-5283.

Ho^tel Paris Bastille. Will not bowl you over at first or second glance, but the Bastille Opera is just down the street, the rooms are clean, and the plumbing is of recent vintage. Air-conditioning. 37 rooms. Rate: about $150. 67 Rue de Lyon, 75012; tel. 011-33-1-4001-0717, fax 011-33-1-4001-0727.

Ho^tel Mansart. A central location near the Paris Opera house and the ritziest neighborhood in the city. 75 rooms. Rates: $160-$185. 5 Rue des Capucines, 75001; tel. 011-33-1-4261-5028, fax 011-44-1-4927-9744.

Over $250 Nightly

Ho^tel Royal Saint-Honore. Lobby full of marble and mirrors, rooms with dark wood furniture, fancy drapes and bedspreads. Location on a premier shopping street. Rate: about $315. 221 Rue Saint-Honore, 75001; tel. 011-33-1-4260-3279, fax 011-33-1-4260-4744, or (800) 448-8355.

Ho^tel Elysees Star. Sprawling, paneled lobby. Fresh flowers replaced daily in rooms. Near Arc de Triomphe. Air-conditioned. 43 rooms. Rate: about $325. 19 Rue Vernet/63 Rue Galilee, 75008; tel. 011-33-1-4720-4173, fax 011-33-1-4723-3215.

Le Stendhal. Behind a simple door between a jeweler and a pub, this hotel is lavishly furnished and well-placed. Elaborately designed rooms, each one different. Spa jets in bathtubs. The 19th century novelist and essayist who is the hotel’s namesake once lived here. Rates: $265-$310. 22 Rue Danielle-Casanova, 75002; tel. 011-33-1-4458-5252, fax 011-33-1-4458-5200.

Ho^tel de Vigny. A lair for prosperous business people and retreat for well-heeled leisure travelers. A few blocks from the high-toned shops of the Champs-Elysees. Enormous lobby and public rooms, clubby atmosphere. Air conditioning. 37 rooms. Rate: about $420. 9-11 Rue de Balzac, 75008; tel. 011-33-1-4299-8080, fax 011-33-1-4299-8040.