Best Western Tomo Rating: 3.0 Pearls
Japantown, San Francisco, California

Why Book This Hotel

Photos and Review by Oyster.com Investigators.

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Pros

Cons

  • Limited service -- no bellmen, no concierge
  • The neighborhood, Japantown, feels removed from the action.
  • Cramped, dark bathrooms
  • Wi-Fi connectivity problems

Bottom Line

Don't be put off by the Best Western label. The Tomo boasts clean, comfortable, high-tech rooms that are more spacious than those at some San Francisco hotels that charge twice as much. You don't get much in the way of amenities or service, but who cares? This place is about quirky design and quality rooms. It's an excellent value.

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Oyster Hotel Review

 Scene

The Tomo stays faithful to its Japantown locale with colorful furniture, anime in the lobby, and Japanese pop art throughout the hotel. Kitschy, sure, but it works.

Super happy terrific fun time in San Francisco!!
Super happy terrific fun time in San Francisco!!

Of the three operative words in the hotel's name -- Best Western Tomo -- you can disregard two of them. In Japanese, tomo means "friend," and the hotel's amiable staff, small size (125 rooms), and cheery pop art-themed decor bear that out. It's the "Best Western" part you should ignore, as the Tomo is operated by Joie de Vivre, a San-Francisco-based collection of quality midpriced boutique hotels in California. (Sister properties include the equally quirky Good Hotel, Laurel Inn, and Japantown neighbor Hotel Kabuki.) So don't dismiss the Tomo because of its Best Western label, to say nothing of its antiquated blue-and-yellow logo -- the hotel merely associates itself with Best Western for branding purposes.

The Tomo's most obvious association, of course, is with Japan. Foremost is its location in Japantown (more on that in Location below). Inside, the Tomo festoons itself in Japanese pop culture. A giant Maneki Neko, or "Beckoning Cat" (or "Welcoming Cat," or "Lucky Cat," or...), waves from the side of the lobby. Next to him (her?), Japanese TV shows and anime films play on flat-screen TVs. And the rooms -- oh, these rooms -- were designed by acclaimed Japanese pop artist Heisuke Kitazawa, better known as "PCP." There are four different wall schemes, each of which tells a different fanciful tale, and they're arranged slightly differently in each room. The result is an impressive display of individuality -- and yet another departure from a typical Best Western.

Even if you're not Japanese -- or an anime geek -- you'll find a lot to like about the Tomo. Beyond their whimsicality, the rooms are clean and still feel fresh two years after a 2007 renovation. At 325 square feet, they're bigger than those at many far more expensive hotels downtown (the Westin St. Francis' tiny rooms come to mind). The restaurant, Mum's, serves up good enough Japanese fare to draw locals as well as Tomo guests. (I highly recommend the signature dish, shabu-shabu, which means "swish-swish" in Japanese, and refers to the sound of the meat cooking in boiling water. It's as fun as it is tasty.)

If amenities are a priority, of course, you'll need to look elsewhere. The Tomo has a small, sparsely equipped fitness center (aptly named the "Little Gym"), two computers in the lobby, and not much else. But what do you expect from a 125-room midpriced boutique? Service-wise, you basically have the two-person crew at the front desk. When I checked into my room, I found a paint brush on the floor next to the shower. That doesn't happen at the Ritz. On the other hand, when I discovered the iPod dock in my room was broken and called down for a replacement, someone was at my door with a new one in 10 minutes. And the water pressure in the shower? Better than at the Ritz. I'm just sayin'.

 Location

Japantown, a quiet neighborhood with a more residential feel than Union Square, Fisherman's Wharf, or the Financial District

The Tomo sits in the heart of Japantown, a small, sleepy neighborhood -- sub-neighborhood, really -- about a half-mile west of Nob Hill and its collection of upscale hotels. If you're not obsessed with sushi or karaoke, you won't find much to do in Japantown, but it's a relatively central location, geographically speaking: You're actually closer to the major sites in the western and northern reaches of the city (e.g., the Golden Gate Bridge) than you'd be if you stayed downtown.

  • $5 to $15 by cab to the Presidio, the Golden Gate Bridge, Golden Gate Park, Twin Peaks, and Haight-Ashbury
  • If you're not into Japanese food, head two blocks west to Fillmore Street, where you'll find dozens of bars, restaurants, and cafes.
  • The east-west cable-car line runs along California Street, two blocks north.
  • $40, 30-minute taxi from San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
  • Safe neighborhood (though vagrancy and panhandling aren't uncommon)

 Bottom Line

Don't be put off by the Best Western label. The Tomo boasts clean, comfortable, high-tech rooms that are more spacious than those at some San Francisco hotels that charge twice as much. You don't get much in the way of amenities or service, but who cares? This place is about quirky design and quality rooms. It's an excellent value.

Oyster Awarded This Hotel

We've visited hundreds of hotels. We debated the pros and cons of every hotel and picked our favorites in a number of categories. Here's how this one stands out:

Things You Should Know About Best Western Tomo

Address

  • 1800 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94115

Hotel Is Also Known As...

  • Best Western San Francisco
  • San Francisco Best Western
  • Best Western Hotel Tomo

Room Types

  • Deluxe Room
  • Tomo Queen Room
  • Balcony Queen Room
  • Players Suite

Lowest Prices for this Hotel

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Nearby Hotels to Consider

Hotel Kabuki
  • Hotel Kabuki
  • Japantown, San Francisco
  • Rating: 30 Pearls
  • Distance: 0.1 mi
Phoenix Hotel
  • Phoenix Hotel
  • Union Square, San Francisco
  • Rating: 30 Pearls
  • Distance: 0.7 mi
Laurel Inn
  • Laurel Inn
  • Pacific Heights, San Francisco
  • Rating: 30 Pearls
  • Distance: 0.9 mi
Hotel Adagio
  • Hotel Adagio
  • Union Square, San Francisco
  • Rating: 35 Pearls
  • Distance: 1.0 mi

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Hotel Features

Number of Rooms: 125
Fitness Center: Yes
Internet Access: Yes
Cribs: Yes
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Hotel Information

Location: Japantown, San Francisco
Address: 1800 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA 94115
(See Map)

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