Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco

California Palace of the Legion of Honor
Designed as a memorial to California's World War I casualties, this neoclassical structure is an exact replica of the Legion of Honor Palace in Paris, right down to the inscription HONNEUR ET PATRIE above the portal.The Legion of Honor reopened in late 1995, after a 2-year, $35-million renovation and seismic upgrading. The exterior's grassy expanses, cliff-side paths, and incredible view of the Golden Gate and downtown make this an absolute must-visit attraction before you even get in the door. The inside is equally impressive. The museum's permanent collection covers 4,000 years of art and includes paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts from Europe, as well as international tapestries, prints, and drawings. The chronological display of 4,000 years of ancient and European art includes one of the world's finest collections of Rodin's sculptures. The sunlight Legion Café offers indoor and outdoor seating at moderate prices. Plan to spend 2 or 3 hours here.

The Cannery
The Cannery was built in 1907 as a fruit-canning plant and was converted into a mall in the 1960s. It contains 30-plus shops, a ceramic studio and gallery, and several restaurants, including Jack's Cannery Bar (tel. 415/931-6400). Vendors' stalls and sidewalk cafes occupy the courtyard amid a grove of century-old olive trees and, weather permitting, street performers are usually out in force, entertaining tourists. Note: This is a tourist destination that many locals avoid.

Cable Cars
Although they may not be San Francisco's most practical means of transportation, cable cars are certainly the best loved and are a must-experience when visiting the city. Designated official historic landmarks by the National Park Service in 1964, they clank up and down the city's steep hills like mobile museum pieces, tirelessly hauling thousands of tourists each day to nowhere in particular.London-born engineer Andrew Hallidie invented San Francisco's cable cars in 1869. He got the idea by serendipity. As the story goes, Hallidie was watching a team of overworked horses haul a heavily laden carriage up a steep San Francisco slope. As he watched, one horse slipped and the car rolled back, dragging the other tired beasts with it. At that moment, Hallidie resolved that he would invent a mechanical contraption to replace such horses, and just 4 years later, in 1873, the first cable car made its maiden run from the top of Clay Street. Promptly ridiculed as "Hallidie's Folly," the cars were slow to gain acceptance. One early onlooker voiced the general opinion by exclaiming, "I don't believe it -- the damned thing works!"Even today, many visitors have difficulty believing that these vehicles, which have no engines, actually work. The cars, each weighing about 6 tons, run along a steel cable, enclosed under the street in a center rail. You can't see the cable unless you peer straight down into the crack, but you'll hear its characteristic clickity-clanking sound whenever you're nearby. The cars move when the gripper (not the driver) pulls back a lever that closes a pincerlike "grip" on the cable. The speed of the car, therefore, is determined by the speed of the cable, which is a constant 9 1/2 mph -- never more, never less.The two types of cable cars in use hold a maximum of 90 and 100 passengers, and the limits are rigidly enforced. The best views are from the outer running boards, where you have to hold on tightly when taking curves.Hallidie's cable cars have been imitated and used throughout the world, but all have been replaced by more efficient means of transportation. San Francisco planned to do so, too, but the proposal met with so much opposition that the cable cars' perpetuation was actually written into the city charter in 1955. The mandate cannot be revoked without the approval of a majority of the city's voters -- a distant and doubtful prospect.San Francisco's three existing cable car lines form the world's only surviving system of cable cars, which you can experience for yourself should you choose to wait in the endless boarding line (up to a 2-hr. wait in summer).

Hotel Monaco San Francisco - a Kimpton Hotel
Hotel Monaco is located at 501 Geary Street at Taylor Street. Just one block away from nearby theatres/American Conservatory Theatre (ACT) and the Curran Theatre. Two blocks west from Union Square the center for the city's finest retail shopping, dining, and entertainment. Close to a variety of area attractions, two blocks from the Powell Street Cable Car Line which travels to Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39, and Ghirardelli Square. Walking distance to Chinatown, Mascone Convention Center, art ...

Hotel Bijou
Inspired by San Francisco's rich cinematic history, the Hotel Bijou is adorned with movie palace styling, dramatic Hollywood portraits, and a mini-movie theater in the lobby. Each light and comfortable guestroom is named for a motion picture shot in San Francisco, with original movie stills as decorative room accents. A double feature of San Francisco-based films is screened each evening in the Petit Theatre ...

Holiday Inn SAN FRANCISCO-INTL ARPT NORTH
The Holiday Inn San Francisco International Airport North is located in the birthplace of Biotech and ideally situated for travelers. It is adjacent to the South San Francisco Conference Center, just 1.5 miles from the San Francisco International Airport, a short distance to DowntownSan Francisco, Less than 30 minutes from Silicon Valley, right off Highway 101, with easy access to Interstate 280 and 380. The hotel features 224 spacious rooms, a brand new lobby with marble floors, fireplace, ...