Where to Stay in Nob Hill, San Francisco

Good for

• Luxury travelers
• Couples

Couples and travelers who want a landmark luxury stay with real history, at the top of one of the city's most scenic hills.

Why we like it

• Landmark 1907 building with an ornate, marble-columned lobby, rebuilt after the 1906 earthquake and fire
• Home to the Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar, a tiki bar with indoor rain showers, open since 1945
• Sits at the highest point of Nob Hill, with sweeping views from upper-floor rooms

What to know

• A large hotel that hosts weddings and events, so lobby and elevator traffic can pick up on weekends
• Reaching it on foot involves climbing Nob Hill's steep grade, or taking the California Street cable car
• Rooms in the original tower are smaller than the newer tower rooms — ask when booking if size matters to you

Good for

• Couples
• First-time visitors

Travelers who want the Nob Hill location and cable car access without the scale — or price — of the neighborhood's biggest luxury hotels.

Why we like it

• Sits right where the California and Powell-Hyde cable car lines intersect
• Quieter and smaller in scale than the Fairmont or Mark Hopkins next door, without losing the Nob Hill setting
• Built on the site of Leland Stanford's 19th-century mansion, with a nod to that history in the property's name and design

What to know

• Fewer on-site amenities than the larger luxury hotels on the hill, like extensive event space or a spa
• Reaching it on foot from downtown means climbing Nob Hill's steep grade
• Some rooms are compact, in keeping with the building's age — ask about room size when booking if that matters to you

Good for

• Luxury travelers
• Couples

Couples and travelers who want an elegant, historic Nob Hill stay with some of the best views in the city, from the rooms and the rooftop bar alike.

Why we like it

• Top of the Mark, the 19th-floor bar and lounge, offers 360-degree views over the city, bay, and both bridges
• Historic 1926 building on the site of railroad baron Mark Hopkins' 19th-century mansion
• Sits at the crest of Nob Hill, an easy walk to Grace Cathedral and a short cable car ride to Union Square

What to know

• Reaching the hotel on foot means climbing Nob Hill's steep grade from downtown
• Some standard rooms have city-facing rather than bay-facing views — worth confirming when booking if a view matters to you
• The Top of the Mark can get busy with outside guests in the evening, which carries into the elevators and lobby