Help - San Francisco hotels in the suburbs

[CaliforniaFan]

We're planning a few days in SF as part of a California tour. The hotel prices in central SF seem very high, and the hotels don't look great for the money, and very few have pools. So i'm thinking perhaps somewhere in a suburb/adjoining town, but right next to public transport - having driven in SF before, we're not doing that again!

A standard chain eg Best Western, Holiday Inn is fine, but we'd like an outdoor pool and a selection of walkable restaurants.

Any bright ideas?

No idea about outside SF sorry but we are staying at the Holiday Inn Golden Gateway and it has an outdoor pool on the roof

Don't expect SF to be warm in the summer holidays. High teens in centigrade is normal. That's why most hotels don't have outdoor pools (that and space is at a premium).

Your best bet is probably one of the airport hotels. They have shuttles to the airport and you can then get the BART into the city. Oh and be careful when you are looking at prices online as most of the time they don't include tax in the price they quote.

Thanks both of you. Will check out that one sweetestcup. Good idea re: airport hotel - will research that. Quite like watching planes actually so could be good! I know the weather is changeable in SF, but we all love swimming even in the cold and would be good to have the option.

We are also spending time in SF this July. I really want to get a feel of the city and some space for the family after a long road trip from Las Vegas.

So I have booked a House through Airbnb, so much more space for the money and we dont have to sit in the hotel room once the kids are asleep.

If you have transport there is a huge waterpark an hour out of SF, I mean HUGE.

I second AIRBNB. Always use that when in SF. It's exceptionally good.

Sausalito is a nice place, by the way, and just a ferry ride away from Fisherman's Wharf.

Look at places in the East Bay - Berkeley, Oakland and around there. Very easy transport links on BART, buses and ferries. Haven't got specific hotels to recomm but those areas usually miss the fog which makes the SF summers cooler. Sausalito is fab but not low budget.

Stayed at the Staybridge Suites near the airport before, quite basic but walking distance to the train. Outdoor pools are rare because of the weather, don't think there are any around the airport.

I agree central SF is expensive.