Having 2nd thoughts about hotel choice -- Please HELP!

Hello:

My husband and I got one of those great sale fares on Spirit -- $8 each way -- and so we%26#39;ve planned a long weekend in San Francisco.

We%26#39;ve got reservations at the Ocean Park Motel but I%26#39;m concerned about it%26#39;s proximity to the city. We%26#39;re on a budget, since this was an ';unplanned'; trip, so we can%26#39;t go more than about $100 per night.

My concern regarding Ocean Park is strictly limited to ease of use in relation to the city. (We%26#39;ll be using only public transportation)

Should I change gears and go with Hayes Valley Inn or stick with Ocean Park Motel?

Also, I am recovering from foot surgery and need to be close to public transportation stops or access.

Having 2nd thoughts about hotel choice -- Please HELP!

Many people have had success using Priceline. I know that using Priceline can cause a bit of anxiety since you agree to pay for a hotel room before knowing exactly what hotel you are going to get. However, you really can%26#39;t go wrong when you ONLY bid on 4 STAR properties in the UNION SQUARE EAST/ EMBARCADERO neighborhood. Lots of folks have reported having their bids of $80 per night accepted for hotels like the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero, and the Hilton in Union Square. These hotels normally go for $150+ per night, so even if you have to bid $100/night you%26#39;d be getting a deal. If you are coming on a busy weekend or holiday weekend, it might be a bit more difficult to get such a great deal but it wouldn%26#39;t hurt to try.

Having 2nd thoughts about hotel choice -- Please HELP!

The Hayes Valley Inn is closer in toward downtown, but if you need to rely on public transit and are interested in some of the popular tourist sites like Union Square, Chinatown, or Wharf, it might not be any more convenient than the Ocean Park.

The Ocean Park Motel is in a residential area by the zoo, but the L Taraval metro train stops right at the door. On weekends, it runs at about 10-15 minute intervals and will take you direct to Market St. There you can transfer to a cable car, ride all the way to the Ferry Building, easily find a cab, or pick a number of other sightseeing or transit choices. You can also take buses direct from the motel (or transfer from the L Taraval) to different parts of Golden Gate Park.

Frisco Roadrunner:

How long will it take us to get into the ';heart'; of the city using the public transportation from Ocean Park?

I guess I%26#39;d rather not mess around with my reservations if it%26#39;s not necessary -- Ocean Park Motel has great reviews and it%26#39;s proximity to the ocean/sunset appeals to me.

Also -- what%26#39;s the best way to familiarize myself with the public transportations in regard to schedules and costs?

Thanks for your help

The ride from the west end of the L Taraval line to downtown is about half an hour. It runs in the subway for a good distance, which is why it is fairly quick. But if you don%26#39;t like subways or you prefer to sightsee while you ride, you might prefer a bus route, which would take longer.

Adult cable car fares are $5.00, with no transfer or reboarding. Other transit is $1.50, with transfer or reboarding within about 90 minutes. If you%26#39;re going to ride a lot, a MUNI (Municipal Railway) passport can be a good savings. You buy one for 1, 3, or 7 days and it%26#39;s good for all transit rides. A one-day pass will pay for itself with one cable car round trip and one bus ride.

Here is the MUNI website.

http://www.sfmta.com/cms/mfares/fareinfo.htm

You can get a map of all MUNI routes and schedules at some bookstores (be sure you get the official one, with the City and County of San Francisco seal and the word MUNI on it, otherwise it might not be totally current or correct). They are also available at the Powell %26amp; Market cable car fare booth.

So, Frisco Roadrunner...

What *would* you do if you were me? Leave the reservations alone at Ocean Park or try to move in closer to the city at Hayes Valley Inn?

I appreciate all your advice!

Good Lord. You%26#39;ve recently had foot surgery, and you%26#39;re staying out in the Ocean Beach area? It%26#39;s a no-brainer: Get yourself lodging in either Union Square (first choice) or the Lombard Street motor lodge corridor (second choice) and get out of the boonies. Otherwise you%26#39;ll spend all your time commuting back and forth from your hotel, and you won%26#39;t have the convenience of being able to stop in at your hotel for a little rest in the middle of the day...

I was not unaware that Willowcrown had had foot surgery. In fact, Willowcrown, I recall from another thread that you asked about choosing between two City walking tours. So I guess I presumed you were fairly well mended.

If you still tend to get tired or sore (and having had foot surgery, I know about tired %26amp; sore), a little closer in MIGHT be better. But be aware that Hayes Valley Inn isn%26#39;t precisely in the heart of downtown, but a short walk from Civic Center. It does have the advantage of being close to many of the performing arts venues. But for the Wharf, Chinatown, or Union Square, you%26#39;ll still be some distance away.

In the end, you%26#39;ll have to make the final decision. No one knows better than you how well recovered you will be by the time you get here.

';if I were you'; I would go to Priceline.com and bid around $85 for a 4 star hotel in Union Square East (U.S.E.) and see what you get. All their 4* hotels are good and you%26#39;ll be right in the city. last year we got the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero for $78. The F Line street car was right out our door.

Go to www.biddingfortravel.com if you are not familiar with how Priceline works and need some advice.

Allright, I caved! The thought of wasting our precious litte time doing all that commuting wore me down.

I just Pricelined it and got the Hilton for $84 per night which is way cheaper that what we were going to pay at the motel. Hopefully this will be nice and convenient for us.

Thanks for everyone%26#39;s input.

Which Hilton?