Best Hotels in San Francisco for Mixing Business with Pleasure

If you're using the company card, you might as well eat well! And nothing impresses clients like a delicious meal. For food fanatics traveling on business, we recommend the luxurious St. Regis. With a prime location on the border of the Financial District, 15,000 square feet of meeting space, and rooms with daily newspaper delivery, large flat-screen TVs, and writing desks, its a great pick for business travelers. You can even stay up-to-date in the bathroom, where small flat-screen TVs are attached to the mirrors. And you can enjoy your downtime with some delicious grub; the hotel is home to Ame, a renowned restaurant from Hiro Sone and Lissa Doumani, that has been awarded Michelin stars the last five years. 24-hour room service is also available.

The regal old Fairmont has hosted an impressive list of U.S. presidents, international royalty, heads of state, and A-list celebrities. The roster of celebrity guests includes greats such as Fred Astaire, James Brown, and Ernest Hemingway, plus Hollywood stars of today including David Duchovny, Harrison Ford, Uma Thurman, Courtney Cox, Katie Holmes, and Mischa Barton. President Barack Obama has been a guest here as well, as has Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and JFK, so you know there has to be some nice business perks at this luxurious hotel, too (after all, the Charter for the United Nations was drafted here in 1945). Rooms feature spacious work desks, the business center operates 24/7, and the hotel staff is at guests' beck and call.

This skyscraper in the Financial District attracts both business and leisure travelers with a long list of amenities: 5,000 square feet of meeting space, a 24-hour business center, a beautiful spa, a well-equipped fitness center with headphones, fresh fruit, and bottled water, and a tasty restaurant and bar. But the highlights here, for many guests -- no matter their travel reasons -- are the beautiful views of the city and bay from the rooms, common spaces, and sky bridge.

The Donatello forgoes the doting service and long list of amenities in favor of huge, suite-style rooms that are convenient for both business and leisure travelers. At over 400 square feet, the suites here rival rooms at hotels that are two and three times as expensive, and they're great for families (and business travelers on extended stays) with pullout sofas, work stations, wet bars, microwaves, mini-fridges, free Wi-Fi, iPod docks, and TVs in both the bedroom and bathroom. The hotel also features a lounge and meeting spaces.

The Palace is San Francisco's oldest hotel, and when it was built in 1875, it was thought to be the world's costliest, most luxurious hotel. The property was demolished in the earthquake of 1906, but reopened, completely redesigned, in 1909. Business travelers with an appreciation for culture will not only love the hotel's whopping 53,000 square feet of meeting space, free newspapers, and large in-room work desks, but will also be thankful for the hotel's convenient location, within walking distance of the Museum of Modern Art and several theaters and art centers, and just a quick light rail ride from the Asian Art Museum and the Exploratorium.

The Four Seasons' huge, well-outfitted rooms and attentive service are among the city's best, and its business-friendly SoMa location makes it a popular choice. Luxurious amenities that will appeal to all kinds of travelers include a beautiful spa, an indoor junior Olympic pool, 15,000 square feet of meeting space, an impressive art collection, and gorgeous rooms -- many with gorgeous views.


RELATED LINKS:

• All you need to know about business travel
• More blog posts about business travel