Hotel Review: The Beresford Arms in San Francisco

If you are planning a trip to San Francisco, the beautiful city on the bay, the good news is that San Francisco is full of hotels and motels to accommodate almost any kind of traveler. The bad news is that San Francisco is FULL of hotels and motels, so finding a good hotel at a fair price can be like searching for a needle in a haystack.

The popular online travel services have as many as 440 hotels in their listings, with prices ranging from $49.00 for a budget motel to $8000.00 for a "specialty" one-bedroom suite at a luxury hotel. Bear in mind that a "standard" hotel room may have only one full or queen bed in it, so if you need more, you may have to pay more.

In addition, there may be another $20.00 to $50.00 per night fee to park your car at your hotel which may or may not have in-and-out parking privileges. Since hotel parking can be pricey and not always available, many tourists endure the extra hassle of searching for and/or booking a parking garage separately from their hotel.

On most travel sites you can narrow your results by area of the city, number of stars, and/or price. For example, if you know you want to stay near Union Square, you can lower the number of choices to fewer than 90, but with all the variables to consider, even the narrowed choices can be overwhelming.

So, if you are looking for a reasonable accommodation near Union Square, within walking distance to the Ferry Building, Chinatown, the Convention Center, and near the cable car stop to take you to and from Fisherman's Wharf, search no further. The Hotel Beresford Arms, on the corner of Post and Jones, is one of the best-kept secrets in town.

The 1910 Victorian-style brick building with a unique stone arched entry is on the National Register of Historic Places. Inside, the spacious, elegant lobby with deep red carpeting, a crystal chandelier, gold details on the ceiling and arched windows, grandfather clock, and stately furniture has several sitting areas for private conversations. While there, you can use one of the public computers to find things to do in San Francisco on the hotel web site Useful Links page.

Yet, even though the building itself is old, the hotel provides the usual services like high speed internet and satellite TV, as well as several extras. My room was larger than most standard two-bed hotel rooms, and included: two queens, a desk and sitting area, a table and chairs by the bay window, large bathroom with spa tub, satellite TV, and a small kitchen in a separate alcove. The honor bar is reasonably priced; for example, soda and water are less expensive in my room than in the Ferry Building market.

The daily continental breakfast is comprised of fresh fruit, pastries, good coffee and juice. A delightful surprise was afternoon wine and cheese, which included a choice of red or chilled white from the Beresford's own wine label (each equally enjoyable) and a variety of cheese with crackers. These are among the extra comforts that turn an ordinary hotel stay into an exceptional one.

Though considered a three-star hotel, it is miles apart from other three-star San Francisco hotels in quality of service, friendliness of staff, spaciousness of rooms, beauty of furnishings and lobby, and overall elegance and charm. It's no surprise that customers typically rate the family-owned hotel highly. Also, The Beresford Arms is listed on several foreign language travel sites, so don't be surprised to find yourself next to people speaking Italian or Japanese, for example.

The Beresford Arms web site lists the daily rates in the range of $99.00 to $289.00, depending on season and size of room. Room choices vary from one queen bed deluxe room to the "parlour suite," which has two queens in the separate bedroom, a queen Murphy bed in the living room, a full kitchen, and a dining room. Valet parking with in and out privileges is just $20.00 per day. During most weeks, the weekend price is the same as the weekday rate. Online specials and AAA discounts are available.

One can enjoy a city in itself, but a vacation or travel is only as good as the place to which you retire for the night. At the Beresford Arms, you can enjoy a memorable trip in a reasonably priced, elegant, pampering hotel while exploring the countless San Francisco sites just outside your door. For the first time, I left feeling much like Mark Twain, "I have always been rather better treated in San Francisco than I actually deserved."

The Hotel Beresford Arms
701 Post St., San Francisco, 94109
Phone: 415/673-2600; 800/533-6533
Fax: 415/929-1535
Web: www.beresford.com