Sheraton Fisherman's Wharf Hotel Rating: 3.5 Pearls

Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, California

A Standard Room, brightly colored and a bit bland

In the range of hotels around touristy Fisherman's Wharf, the 531-room Sheraton falls somewhere in the middle. Rooms are large and have comfortable new furniture, and the hotel is well located, just two blocks from the area's major attractions (Pier 39, Ghirardelli Square, the sea lions sunning themselves on the docks). There's not much striking about the hotel, except that the design is somehow both bold and boring: The beige facade looks like a '60s apartment complex, while the interiors have an almost overwhelming Ikea flavor -- all geometric shapes and bright colors. There are sky-blue leather couches and blond wood panels in the lobby, while the hallways have murals of giant beach balls in the corners.

Despite the $33 million renovation in 2008, leftover fixtures like clunky AC units in the rooms and exposed pipes in the stairwell give the hotel a distinctly dated feel. The air conditioner also did a poor job controlling the temperature in the room -- it was often either too warm or too cold. The hotel is only four stories tall, so the neighboring buildings block views of the San Francisco Bay. (The Radisson, on the other hand, has unobstructed views.) On the positive side, the rooms are a bit larger than average (about 300 square feet for a standard room), and they come with comfortable Sweet Sleeper beds, which have Sealy Posturepedic mattresses, down duvets, and hypoallergenic pillows. There are 32-inch flat-screen TVs with 48 channels and pay-per-view movies. Wired Internet is available for a daily fee; free Wi-Fi is available only in the lobby. Room service is limited to just breakfast and dinner.

The hotel's other features include a heated outdoor pool (though it's not as nice as the Radisson's pool, next door) and cozy seating areas around outdoor firepits. There's a business center with three computers and a small gym with seven cardio machines, a multipurpose strength training machine, and free weights. A cafe in the lobby serves breakfast, evening hors d'oeuvres, and cocktails, and an adjoining room serves an American breakfast buffet daily.

All told, this is a sufficiently comfortable hotel, and a fine choice as a home base for a busy sightseeing itinerary. If price isn't as important as luxurious accommodations at the wharf, go for the Fairmont Ghirardelli Square or the Argonaut, both high-end hotels slightly cut off from the tourist crowds in the area.

View on a Larger Map

Just over a block from Fisherman's Wharf, the Sheraton is conveniently located near the docks where ferries leave for Alcatraz, Sausalito, and Tiburon. The hotel is also a block away from the terminus of the Powell-Mason cable car line, which connects to the farther reaches of the city, like Union Square and Nob Hill.

• A 30-minute stroll on the boardwalk will get you to the fancy waterside restaurants at the Embarcadero, or you can take the F-line streetcar, which also stops a block away from the hotel.
• North Beach (San Francisco's Little Italy) is a 10-minute walk up the hill.
• Roughly 3.5 miles to Golden Gate Bridge (for public transportation, the 28 and 29 buses are the best bet).
• Golden Gate Park is over five miles away.
• 25 minutes to San Francisco International Airport.