San Francisco can be, if you let it, an exhausting vacation. The Hotel Vintage Court is a very welcome respite from that exhaustion. For a very reasonable price (about $115 a night if you look around), you get an incredibly comfortable room in a great part of town.
Located two blocks from Union Square, it offers quick access to just about any part of the city. Chinatown's gate is two blocks away. The Financial District is just down the street (the hotel also has a Mon-Fri shuttle). North Beach is a fifteen minute walk through Chinatown. Even getting to Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39, and Ghirardelli Sqaure are simple - just hop on the trolley 1/2 a block away.
More important than the location, however, is the hotel itself. I don't typically feel all too comfortable in "upscale" hotels - they're usually too stuffy for me. The Vintage Court, however, was a very welcome exception to this rule. The staff made me feel right at home from the moment I walked in. Upon check-in, they reminded me of their evening wine reception. This is a really nice touch - it gives you a chance to try out different Napa Valley wines (your room may be named after one of them - look for it) while relaxing in front of the fireplace.
Remember, this is San Francisco - the rooms are not going to be the largest you've ever stayed in. But here, they're very well designed and make good use of the space they're given. For example, the sink was very tastefully placed behind a separate set of doors outside of the bathroom.
The beds are among the most comfortable that I've experienced in a hotel. The comforter was warm without being overbearingly hot and the mattress had an extra feather cushion on top.
I think one of the upscale chains calls them "heavenly beds". I don't care what they call it - I want one at home!
As with hotels in all big cities, I try and request a room on one of the upper floors to get away from the street noise. I forgot that this time and realized, once again, how early the garbage haulers actually start in the morning. With the window closed, however, the noise level was no problem.
One more really nice touch was an electric air filter in my room. I don't know if there was one in every room, but mine had it. Not something I would have thought of myself, but a definite bonus.
Even if it weren't for the great location, I'll definitely go out of my way to stay at the Vintage Court hotel whenever I'm in San Francisco.