Hotel Zephyr

The hotel's $32 million renovation (completed in 2015) recreated the Hotel Zephyr into a funky but sophisticated, family-friendly property that -- not surprisingly -- is popular with couples and families. The maritime theme has a playful bent, with walls made of old shipping containers and chairs shaped out of reclaimed metal signage from the waterfront. The interior of the elevator is decorated with text taken from Moby Dick in a vintage-typewriter font. Local artists were brought on to decorate the space and recycled materials were used throughout. The heart of the hotel is "The Yard," an eclectic outdoor lounge with seating around fire pits, a unique rusty-pipe water fountain, and a super-sized version of Jenga.

Across the street from the Fisherman's Wharf waterfront, Hotel Zephyr occupies an entire city block. It's conveniently a four-minute walk to the ferries for Alcatraz, Sausalito, and Tiburon. The hotel is also about three blocks away from the terminus of the Powell-Mason cable car line, which connects to Union Square and Nob Hill, along with other parts of the city. It's a four-minute walk to dining and family-friendly attractions at Pier 39 and a 10-minute drive or 16-minute streetcar ride (line F) to the Embarcadero and the Ferry Building's Farmers Market. Expect at least a 45-minute drive to San Francisco International Airport.

The 361 rooms at Hotel Zephyr have modern decor with a maritime twist -- partial walls are made of reclaimed shipping container steel, globe lights are strung up in red fishing nets, and some rooms even have seaworthy porthole windows. Each Standard Room has either one king bed or two double beds with duvets that exclaim "S.O.S," along with a work desk and roller chair. All rooms are stocked with iPod docks, Keurig coffeemakers, and mini-fridges, along side big 48-inch smart TVs (though there's a fee to upgrade to high-speed Wi-Fi, necessary for streaming videos). Some rooms have window-side bench seats and add fun perks such as dart boards. Many rooms face the street or have city views, while Deluxe Balcony rooms face an interior courtyard and have small furnished balconies. Higher-category rooms have views of San Francisco Bay. Bathrooms have back-lit LED vanities and shower/tub combos. EO toiletries are provided.

The centerpiece feature of this hotel is its gargantuan outdoor lounge, dubbed "The Yard," where guests can find shuffleboard and giant-sized versions of Connect-Four and Jenga, along with seating areas next to fire pits and a sculptural water fountain. There's no restaurant, bar, or breakfast here (but as of summer 2016, there are plans to open a food truck at some point). Free, basic Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel and the lobby has a business center with a pair of Macs and a printer. There's also a modern meeting room for business guests. The industrial-style indoor game room has a pool table, ping pong, and a shufflepuck table along with flat-screen TVs and chairs made out of skateboards. There's also a thoughtful bike storage room and a fitness center with several cardio machines and an elliptical.