DESTINATIONS US | SAN FRANCISCO
WHERE TO Stay UNION SQUARE
The Clift Royal Sonesta is surrounded by theatres, and goes in for a fairly dramatic look itself, with a Starck and Schrager-designed interior and a sumptuous redwood- panelled bar. The bar, rooms and lobby are being renovated, with the hotel due to reopen in January 2020. Prices start at £321.
sonesta.com
SOMA
The Intercontinental is a big beast, covered in green glass with a buzzy lobby and highly regarded restaurant. Rooms have stylised art of San Francisco landmarks, exceptionally comfy beds, and nifty gadgetry. Those on the upper floors are blessed with fantastic city and bay views. Doubles from £167.
intercontinentalsanfrancisco.com
HAIGHT-ASHBURY
Accommodation in San Fran can be expensive, so the Grove Inn is a relative bargain, starting at £125 a night. Inside a handsome Victorian-style house, this posh B&B has recently undergone redecoration.
groveinnsf.com
THE PRESIDIO
The Inn at the Presidio is a gently restored boutique hotel featuring just 22 rooms inside former officers’ quarters, and offers a genteel red-brick, historic feel, plus proximity to the Golden Gate Bridge. Rates start at $365 for a Deluxe room.
presidiolodging.com
WHAT TO DO It’s a marvellous place to mooch among the shops and cafes and it’s also the launch point for seaplane tours that take in the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and the Bay Area. Viator sells them for £147. The best way of getting to Sausalito, though, is by bike. Blazing Saddles (
blazingsaddles.com) rents bikes from $8 an hour at Fisherman’s Wharf, with a fairly flat eight-mile run to Sausalito going over the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s more uphill on the return, so take the ferry back in to San Fran.
THE MISSION
WHY GO? The Mission is a neighbourhood that buzzes to a Latin American rhythm, and it’s where to come if you want superb Mexican food at bargain prices. There’s also a lot of spirit to the area – it’s all small, independently owned businesses rather than big chains.
THE PRESIDIO WHY GO?
Among lush parkland is a series of red-brick buildings that look rather out of place for San Francisco. They were once military barracks – and the army presence in the area dates back to the Spanish in 1776. But one by one, they’re being turned into prestige offices (the Lucasfilm HQ is here), museums and hotels.
WHAT TO DO If picking just one attraction to visit, make it the Walt Disney Family Museum (pictured). This focuses on the animator’s life and empire-building, and is packed with quirky details (
waltdisney.org). Overall, though, the Presidio’s vibe is of calm, relaxed stateliness, and it boasts some great views of the Golden Gate Bridge.
WHAT TO DO
Much of that spirit is on display in the murals plastered across buildings all over the Mission. Balmy Alley is home to the single biggest concentration – some political, some whimsical. Urban Adventures runs a £70, two-and-a-half-hour Flavors
and Murals of the Mission walking tour that takes in some of the most impressive art, and tastiest feeds. Don’t miss Dolores Park, one of
San Francisco’s great hang-outs. Turn up on a sunny weekend day, and it’ll be packed with people playing football, munching picnics, throwing frisbees and taking in the rather spectacular city panoramas.
SAUSALITO
WHY GO? Technically in Marin County rather than the city itself, but with a stupendous location on the Bay, Sausalito is famed for its houseboats and, for music lovers, being where Otis Redding wrote Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay.
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12 SEPTEMBER 2019
travelweekly.co.uk
PICTURES: Visit California/Andreas Hub; Sylvia Matzkowiak; Drew Altizer/California Historical Society; Scott Chernis; Shutterstock
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