We stayed at the Chelsea and were quite pleased with what we found. The rooms were large, comfortable, clean, and nicely decorated. In a city where parking can cost you an arm and a leg, the Chelsea offers free parking in their own street level and basement parking areas for all guests. Bus service (Muni) to Fisherman's Wharf and Union Square is only a block away, which is also nice.

The staff was very helpful throughout our stay: making recommendations, giving directions, and even handling some faxes for me. We liked the security of the Chelsea too. The only way to get to the inside corridor rooms is to have a room key, which also accesses the elevator lobbies at street level and in the basement garage. I booked my room on the net here and got a great Internet rate of $79 a night for a king bed room.

As much as I like the Chelsea, there is one drawback to its location. Lombard starts to get noisy with traffic around 6:30-7am. If you want to sleep in, or you're a light sleeper, ask for a room that isn't on the Lombard or Fillmore side of the motel. The inside rooms don't have much of a view, but they are somewhat quieter.

The Chelsea is our first choice for a San Francisco getaway. Not only is the price reasonable for San Francisco, but it has free parking and is conveniently located a few blocks from trendy Union Street (note: not Union Square). The rooms are large enough, and the furniture is typical motel-style. The beds are comfortable. Each room has a coffee pot, iron and ironing board and hair dryer. The rooms facing the street have large bay windows, but are noisy. The rooms on the "inside" have windows with a view of an airshaft but are considerably quieter. In the morning, we like to go to one of the nearby coffee houses for breakfast. Tully''s, a few blocks away, is also a favorite for an afternoon coffee and pastry. Isa restaurant (see separate journal) is walking distance, and there are buses on Union and on Chestnut, both a easy walk away, that will take you to Fisherman''s Wharf, Chinatown and Union Square. If you''re a AAA or AARP member, ask for the special members'' rate.