The hotel was great. The customer service was outstanding. The location of the hotel was super..it was centrally located so we were able to get around the entire city. Parking was the only problem. It cost 34 dollars a day with tax included. They do offer free internet but it is wireless and not secure.

We stayed in room no. 2319 at the Holiday Inn Golden Gateway from February 10 to 12, 2006, for $103/night. The room was clean and nice and looked like it had been remodeled recently. Service was good and the hotel operator called the second day to make sure that everything was to my liking. This was a good-quality Holiday Inn, and I would stay here again.

The hotel is between California Street and Pine Street, right on Van Ness. The location is pretty central but off the main tourist track. One nice feature is that the California Street Cable Car line runs right to the hotel, and bus no. 47 runs on Van Ness to the Fisherman's Wharf area. I chose to walk the challenging hills, but the cable car or bus would be a better choice for most people.

The next street, Polk Street, has many restaurants to choose from and a Walgreens. We ate at the Italian restaurant (sorry, forgot the name) across from the Walgreens and the Vietnamese place, Pho, on Polk, just behind the hotel. Both were good. There is a Whole Foods Market a few blocks away.

Introduction
The Holiday Inn Golden Gateway is the perfect place to stay when visiting the San Francisco area. The close proximity to services, cable cars, and businesses make it ideal for tourists/business without the high cost of other hotels in downtown San Francisco.

Location
The hotel is located about 2 miles from both Fisherman's Wharf and the Financial District. The hotel is located directly next to the California Street cable-car line. Having the cable car practically at the hotel's doorstep makes travelling through the city a breeze. From the California Street cable cars, you can easily connect to the other cable car lines, streetcars, and BART.

There is also a number of businesses nearby that you will appreciate, including two banks (Wells Fargo and Bank of America), a Starbucks next door (hot chocolate after a cold day is amazing), and a Walgreens a block down the street (who has ever gone to a big city and had trouble finding a drug store near their hotel?).

Price
Room rates are competitive compared to other hotels of its quality in the area. It tends to be a little cheaper than some in Fisherman's Wharf or the Financial District, but with the convenience of the cable car at your doorstep, it's better to pay less and ride more. Room rates are normally somewhere between $100 and $170 per night, but we were able to get a package deal with flights from the East Coast and 3 nights for $350 pp.

Rooms
The rooms are what you should expect from a good three-star hotel. The rooms have a good view of the city, and we were able to view the cable cars going up and down the California Street line. The beds were quite comfortable and provided a restful night's sleep. The rooms were not huge but quite adequate for the number of guests they were designed for. The room and bathroom were very clean and well maintained and had the amenities that guests would require during their stay. The room was nothing outstanding, but exactly what you would expect, which is a good-quality room for a decent price.

Hotel Services
The hotel offers the standard services that are common in large downtown hotels. It has an on-site restaurant we utilized each morning for breakfast. The breakfast buffet was really good. An outside pool is also available during the warmer months. If you plan to drive, the hotel offers parking spaces, but at $30 per day, so it's much easier to use public transport. One feature that the hotel installed is key access to the public bathrooms and elevators. You used your room key to use the elevators and bathrooms in the lobby. This was installed to prevent vagrants from roaming within the hotel.

Recommendation
This hotel is perfect for anyone visiting the San Francisco area. Make it your lodging while in San Francisco.

The room was on the 25th floor, with a beautiful view of the city. It would have been a great stay if the bed had been comfortable.

This hotel is an ordinary, rather sterile Holiday Inn, but the rooms are comfortable and large enough and the location is good. It has recently been refurbished. The California Street cable car, which will take you to Chinatown, is a block away. Buses that will take you to Union Square, Ghiarardelli Square and other tourist attractions are nearby. There is a Tully''s coffee shop with good coffee rigt across the street, and a number of less plastic coffee shops on Polk Street, a block away. Tommy''s Joynt is a few blocks away (see separate journal) and several other fine restaurants are within a few blocks'' walk. Parking is available for $25/night with in-and-out privileges. The gift shop sells Muni tourist passes, which are a great deal. Unlimited use of buses and cable cars for $6/day or $10 for 3 days or $15 for 7 days.

We stay here when we can get the special rate that is only offered by calling the hotel directly (not the main Holiday Inn 800 number.) It is called ETIX. When you make your reservation, your credit card is charged and there are no refunds for cancellations. Only a limited number of rooms are available. Standard rooms Sunday through Thursday are $69 and on weekends $89 (plus tax). The regular room rate is about $150 or more for these rooms. Upgraded rooms are $89 and $109. It''s hard to find a nice hotel in San Francisco for less than $100 a night. Even the Chelsea, which is our alternate choice (see separate journal) goes higher than $100 during high season. If you''re not looking for a hotel with character or luxury, this is a good choice. An additional hint -- ask for a room on the Polk Street side, it''s quieter than the Van Ness side.