Cents and an S.F. sensibility

AH, San Francisco -- where little cable cars climb halfway to the stars and so have hotel prices.

Hotel occupancy rates in this tourist and business magnet remain high -- almost 73% this year through June -- and prices reflect that. The average cost of a room in the city proper in the first five months was $165.84 a night before the 14% tax (which pushes the total over $189), according to the San Francisco office of PFK Consulting, which tracks industry trends. That figure includes lower-end places and cookie-cutter chains but excludes bed-and-breakfasts of fewer than 20 rooms. (By contrast, the L.A. average was $20 a night cheaper.)

For many travelers, the hotel is just a place to rest one’s head. For others, the hotel enriches the experience, but as experienced travelers know, charm comes at a price. My challenge: to find hotels with character and class without ballooning the budget.

In late July, I set out to find a dozen or so places where the rooms may cost the average price but are anything but average. We set $200 as the upper limit, including the 14% room tax. I excluded B&Bs; and extended-stay accommodations and avoided the chain hotels.

I stayed in six boutique hotels, chosen to include different areas of the city as well as a variety of styles, traditional as well as contemporary. I visited 13 others, including a few super-budget hotels with rooms well under the $200 limit. And I also checked out some hotels that are being renovated and should emerge as particularly attractive $200-and-under choices.

Quoting exact prices is futile because, like airline tickets, hotel prices fluctuate according to demand; some hotels no longer print cards that show “rack” or “brochure” rates. The variables include special packages, AARP or AAA rates, Internet rates and so on. But this story will list the price I paid, which includes the tax.

In my booking experience, I found that hotel websites generally had the best prices, although smart shoppers know it pays to call too.

Here’s what you can generally expect for about $200: a clean room with a comfortable bed, Internet access, elevator, cable TV, radio and clock, telephone, bath amenities and iron and board.

What you may not get: free continental-plus breakfast, room service, CD player, fitness center, wireless Internet in-room, robes and an on-site restaurant.

What you probably will not get: swimming pool, flat-screen TV and air conditioning. Although A/C is not usually a necessity here, it was on my visit because of a heat wave.

In setting our $200 limit, we did not include parking, which, with tax, can cost as much as $57 for 24 hours. But the city is compact and has good public transportation. My advice: Forgo the car.

*

Hotel Rex

THE 94-room Hotel Rex, which underwent a million-dollar renovation in 2003, was my favorite.

My queen-bed room, No. 609, was not huge, but it was inviting, with its green and gold Provencal colors, hand-painted jug lamps and dark woods. Amenities included Aveda toiletries, a pillow-top mattress, cable TV and CD player, robe, iron and ironing board. The bath had a single sink, tub-shower combination, a lighted makeup mirror and good counter space. I loved the lobby bar, inspired by the literary salons of the ‘30s, and enjoyed a post-theater dinner in Cafe Andree with its little bistro tables and red bentwood chairs.

Price paid: $181.26

Parking: $34. (Unless noted, all parking prices listed are for 24-hour valet parking and do not include 14% tax. Most rates include in-and-out privileges.)

Amenities: Room service. Restaurant. Free wireless Internet in guest rooms. Business center with free high-speed Internet. Free morning coffee and evening wine hour. Bellman and concierge. Guest privileges for $15 a day at nearby Club One health club center and pool. No pets. Nonsmoking.

Pros: Close to shopping, dining, theaters, cable car. Friendly staff.

Cons: No air conditioning, but windows open. One small, slow elevator.

562 Sutter St.; (415) 433-4434 or (800) 433-4434, www.thehotelrex.com.

*

Orchard Hotel

THIS hotel was built in 2000, and although the lobby is unimposing, my king-bedded room, No. 605, was large and well appointed with teak-like Balinese furniture. The decor was bland -- taupe, gray and ivory -- but there were feather pillows, robes, a safe, cable TV with surround sound and a coffee maker.

The tiled bath was large, with ample counter space, a magnifying mirror, Aveda toiletries and tub-shower combination. The front desk lends CDs.

My view was of a rooftop, but the inside room was quiet. I had a good dinner in the hotel’s Vignette restaurant, where entrees were $20 to $29. The complimentary breakfast in the Vignette is generous and served on proper china.

Price paid: $182

Parking: $34

Amenities: Room service. Restaurant. Free wireless Internet in lobby, restaurant and lower-floor guest rooms (free high-speed in other guest rooms). Free breakfast. Bellman and concierge. Small on-site fitness room and guest privileges at Club One for $15 daily. Air conditioning. No pets. Nonsmoking.

Pros: Well located between Union Square and Nob Hill, steps from Powell Street cable car. Large rooms, excellent restaurant.

Cons: It’s a hike uphill two blocks from the square. Postage-stamp lobby.

665 Bush St.; (415) 362-8878 or (888) 717-2881, www.theorchardhotel.com.

*

Hotel Diva

IN the sidewalk outside, celebrity guests (Tony Curtis, Stevie Wonder, Joan Collins) have done the Grauman’s Chinese thing. The 116-room hotel in a 1915 building sells sex appeal. (The in-room safe yielded a condom and a “Safe Sex” reminder.)

My standard king room, No. 407, faced a wall and a parking lot. The floor-to-ceiling headboard was stainless steel, the carpet cobalt blue. The charcoal bed cover was lined in orange, and there was an orange shower curtain. (A do’s and don’ts primer in the room endorsed wearing orange. It also suggested that one can be too rich or too thin -- “L.A. is the exception.”) The room had an iron and ironing board, a TV suspended from the ceiling and a smallish bath with shower-tub combo, stainless-steel sink and designer fixtures. I chose not to apply the “Diva!” temporary tattoo placed on my bed.

Price paid: $147.06

Parking: $35-$40

Amenities: Free wireless Internet throughout the hotel. Business center with free high-speed Internet open 24 hours. IPods for rent in the reception area. Free 24-hour coffee and tea. Bellman and concierge. On-site fitness center. Air conditioning. No room service, but delivery is available from Colibri, an upscale Mexican bistro nearby. Pet-friendly. Nonsmoking.

Pros: Location -- across from Curran Theater and close to Union Square. Connects to a Starbucks.

Cons: Cutting-edge decor so cool it’s almost chilly. Standard rooms on the small side.

440 Geary St.; (415) 885-0200 or (800) 553-1900, www.hoteldiva.com.

*

Hotel Triton

I was ambivalent about this 140-room hotel. Depending on one’s perspective, it’s either happening or hideous, whimsical or worrying. Take the lobby, with its gold “foil” sofa, pair of chairs with undulating backs and wall mural that’s a riot of color. But my room with a king bed, No. 517, was large and comfortable and looked out onto Grant Avenue. It had a flat-screen TV, zebra-stripe robe, a pillow-top mattress, and iron and board. The bed wall was tomato-soup red, the headboard sort of zebra-ish, the window blinds black with fringed valances. The custom furniture had crazy angles.

There was a small bath with a tub-shower combination and, in the room, a well-lighted, mirrored niche with a sink.

In the evening, there’s free wine with tarot readings in the lobby. Cafe de la Presse looks wonderful with its brick walls and vintage posters, but it looked better than it was.

Price paid: $169.86

Parking: $37

Amenities: Room service from Cafe de la Presse next door. Free morning coffee in lobby. Free wireless Internet. (Wi-Fi cards are available.) Business center. Bellman and concierge. Fitness center on site and use of Club One facilities for $15 daily. Air conditioning. Pet-friendly. One guest floor has smoking rooms.

Pros: Only two blocks from Union Square. Friendly, helpful staff.

Cons: The constant thump-thump of music in elevators and lobby. Over-the-top decor is not everyone’s cup of tea.

342 Grant Ave.; (415) 394-0500 or (800) 800-1299, www.hoteltriton.com.

*

Laurel Inn

BUILT in the mid-’60s and recently renovated, this 49-room property betrays its roots with its motel-like architecture, complete with saw-toothed roof, blue mosaic tiles and cottage-cheese ceilings. But my king-bedded room, No. 211, was large and had a sitting area with sofa and a knock-out panoramic view of San Francisco. It was done in cocoa and blue, with rust and gold accents. An iron and board, CD player and clock radio were provided.

The bath was a nice size, with a stall shower and plenty of counter space, although the neon lighting was ghastly. There’s a sweet little lobby where a generous breakfast was set out (with paper and plastic). Perks include free newspapers, lemonade and cookies in the afternoon and a video lending library.

Price paid: $192.66

Parking: Free on-site garage.

Amenities: Wireless Internet in rooms for $7.99 a day; high-speed terminal on second floor for a fee. Free breakfast and 24-hour tea and coffee. Some rooms with kitchenettes. Use of pool and gym at nearby Jewish Community Center is $10 a day. Pet-friendly. Nonsmoking.

Pros: In tony Pacific Heights neighborhood, close to good restaurants and chic shops.

Cons: No room service or restaurant. No air conditioning, but windows open. Bus to Union Square stops nearby.

444 Presidio Ave.; (415) 567-8467 or (800) 552-8735, www.thelaurelinn.com.

*

Inn at the Opera

I was booked into a junior suite, the only room available. It had two small rooms, one with kitchenette. The bedroom would be tight for two, and the closet was so tiny that the iron and board hung outside.

Still, there are things to like about this hotel, a 48-room lodging in a 1927 building. Classical music plays in the tiny red elevator. The restaurant, with its wood paneling and music-themed art, is lovely. Breakfast is served there, with china and silver.

My suite, with forgettable olive and beige decor, had two windows for cross-ventilation and a ceiling fan. The redone bath was a nice size, with good lighting and a tub-shower combination.

Price paid: $181.26

Parking: $25

Amenities: Room service. Restaurant. High-speed Internet kiosk in lobby for a fee. Wireless access throughout the hotel. Free breakfast buffet. Bellman and concierge. All rooms have microwaves and mini-fridges. No pets. Nonsmoking.

Pros: Jewel-box hotel with European flair in the Civic Center area. Ovations at the Opera restaurant (dinner entrees, $21-$32). Well located for the opera or if you have business at city hall.

Cons: Queen rooms and junior suites are small. So-so room decor. No fitness center or air conditioning. (Windows open.)

333 Fulton St.; (415) 863-8400 or (800) 862-8440, www.innattheopera.com.

*

beverly.beyette@latimes.com