Comfort Inn by the Bay

The hotel stands at a busy corner, and is the one high-rise in a sea of multi-story Victorians and apartment buildings. Typical of a Comfort Inn, the building is cream-colored cement, while outside near the entrance, the tree-lined sidewalks and street lamps feel welcoming. The hotel makes the most of its tremendous views, with large windows everywhere -- though some could use a good cleaning. The top floors offer views across the bay to Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. The hotel is of an older construction, with panel ceilings in the breakfast area and lobby, and '90s-era zig-zag carpeting. The breakfast room has a fast food lounge feel, but is surrounded by windows looking out onto the hotel’s lush landscaping. The spacious lobby has two clusters of seating comprised of busily patterned armchairs; tourism brochures and free coffee are available. Guests are mainly tourists who want easy access to plenty of great sights, and local restaurants and bars. 

The location is convenient mostly to tourists wanting to be away from the department stores and office buildings in the city center, and nearer to the waterfront with views of everything. The building stands at the corner of Lombard Street and Van Ness Avenue, possibly the busiest cross-street in the city. The waterfront and Ghiradelli Square are each about a 10-minute walk away, and Fisherman’s Wharf is about 15 minutes on foot. Russian Hill is two blocks away -- a seven-minute walk. There are several bus stops within a five-minute walk, offering access to everywhere in the city. San Francisco International Airport is around 30-minutes' drive, or an hour (and $11) by public transportation. 

Although the hotel is on the corner of two busy streets, the traffic is not more than background noise, and the hallways and rooms are kept cool and clean. That said, all rooms are identical, box-shaped with one or two beds (singles, queens, or kings) and exactly the same furniture. Still, they are nicely updated with slick wooden headboards, dressers, and desks, along with rolling office chairs. There are small prints of colorful cityscape drawings hanging in nice wooden frames. Mattresses and bedding are fresh and clean; flat-screen TVs are mounted on wooden backdrops; and all rooms have air-conditioning, free Wi-Fi access, safes, ironing facilities, and coffeemakers. Some rooms have mini-fridges. Bathrooms are nice and roomy with big, wooden-framed mirrors, long counters, and shower/tub combos.

This Comfort Inn offers a free, hot buffet breakfast composed of eggs, sausage, toast, yogurt, cereal, juice, and coffee. There is free Wi-Fi access in rooms and throughout the hotel, though some guests have found it shaky. There is a paid parking garage under the hotel. Free coffee is available all day, along with a 24-hour business center, and a guest computer near the front desk. There is no bar or lunch/dinner restaurant. Pets are not allowed.