La Luna Inn

Unlike many other motor inns in the area, this one has a larger lobby and an actual breakfast room. It is a two-story property that looks like a traditional motel, with outdoor stair and hallway access to rooms. Palm trees and bushes dotting the property, as well as the yellow facade and blue shutters lend a cheery look -- although the paint job is sun-faded. The entranceway, a set of dingy concrete steps, is spruced up a bit with pretty pinkish and evergreen shrubbery. Inside, the lobby is quirkily decorated with a somewhat random selection of oil paintings, a metallic wall hanging, and a colorful -- almost graffiti-like -- mural of San Francisco painted on the front desk. Yet, the warm, terra cotta paint, earthy brown tiling, and pair of ample brown armchairs give the space a friendly, welcoming vibe. The breakfast room sits just beyond the lobby, and has a good number of small tables and wooden chairs, a flat-screen TV, and views of the parking lot and garage. The crowd is a mix of families, tourists, and drivers stopping in for a night.

The motor inn sits on Lombard Street at the edge of the residential Marina District and the start of the Golden Gate Bridge freeway. Surrounding the property are apartment buildings, another motor inn, and a drug store. The bridge is about five- to 10-minutes' drive, and The Presidio park is just five minutes away on foot. Ghiradelli Square and the Marina are about a half-hour walk or 10- to 15-minute bus ride. Fisherman's Wharf is further out -- about 20 minutes by bus, or 40 minutes on foot. San Francisco International Airport is about an hour away by BART or 30 minutes by car.

Rooms are more or less uniformly decorated, with options of Standard Queen or King, or larger Deluxe King, Queen, or Double Queen. Beds have clean, white sheets and blankets, along with pillowtop mattresses and plush pillows; headboards and frames are simple and wooden, and sit low to the carpeted floors. Some of the rooms are on the dark side, but most have windows that face the street rather than a wall. There is no decoration, save the odd framed print, but walls are nicely painted in cream and dark gray. Each room has a desk and office chair, iron and ironing board, flat-screen TV, free Wi-Fi, climate control, and coffeemaker; some have mini-fridges. Bathrooms have attractive, pale gray tiles and round mirrors over dark granite countertops, along with stall showers with plastic doors. Many rooms get traffic noise, and some are showing wear and tear, particularly the carpeting. 

The freebies at La Luna include garage parking on-site, a continental breakfast (though minimal, mostly hot and cold cereal and whole fruit), and free Wi-Fi access. There's a computer station for guests in the lobby. The front desk is open 24 hours, and staff is knowledgeable and helpful; they'll book various tours and excursions, theater tickets, and spa visits, for instance. Zipcars can be rented on-site.