Hotel Garrett: a San Francisco boutique hotel that won’t break the bank

San Francisco can be exceptionally expensive, but your hotel doesn’t have to be.  If you’re on a budget, the Hotel Garrett packs a big punch for value.

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About the Hotel Garrett

The Hotel Garrett is a historic hotel from the early 1900s, renovated in the last three years to have a modern touch mixed in with the historic charm. 

Hotel Garrett Amenities

For a small boutique hotel in San Francisco, the Hotel Garrett actually does have quite a few amenities available.  Some are part of the SoMa Hotel, their sister hotel just across the street.  

Free wifi.  You might be thinking, isn’t wifi usually free?  Not in San Francisco.  Why in the tech capital of the world they act like wifi is some expensive miracle technology, I do not understand.  But they have decided to include this in the room rate rather than the “amenity fee”.

Amenity fee you ask? Yes! Some cities seem to think that you need to pay extra for things that would be included at a Days Inn in Chattanooga* despite not being a resort.  San Francisco, and surprisingly Portland, are big offenders.   

Hotel Garrett charges a $20 amenity fee PER DAY to have access to the pool, fitness center, in-room bottled water, and shockingly they’ve also listed the water refill station and luggage storage.   But if you plan on taking a Big Bus Tour, they have a special 20% discount code available to help make up for it. 

*Note: I have actually stayed at a Days Inn in Chattanooga.

Dining & Drinks

The Hotel Garrett breakfast consists of complimentary coffee, tea, pastries and assorted fruit in the morning from 7-10am.   

The hotel does not have a restaurant or bar, however the SoMa Hotel across the street has SoMa Social, a bar and grill.  People staying at the Hotel Garrett get discounts when drinking or dining there. 

That said, San Francisco has some of the best food in the country, so there’s really no need to stay around the hotel to eat.  Nearby, I recommend 54 Mint Cucina Romana for delicious Italian food.  Of course, while in San Francisco, you would do yourself a disservice to not have Chinese food in or around Chinatown. 

Wellness

As mentioned above, the hotel has access to a heated rooftop pool and fitness center across the street at the SoMa Hotel.  All you have to do is go to the SoMa Hotel reception, show them your active room key, and they will give you a key to access their elevators as well as the gym and pool. 

Accessibility

Hotel Garrett has one medium-sized central elevator.  There is also an automatic electronic door at reception. 

Hotel Garrett Parking

There is parking at the Hotel Garrett for $30/night (plus tax) for a standard size vehicle, which honestly, is a really good deal for overnight parking in San Francisco. Oversized vehicles cost $55/night (plus tax). 

Air Conditioning 

Unfortunately, like many older hotels in the Bay Area, this hotel does not have air conditioning.  It did however have a ceiling fan, which I almost never see in hotels.  So I do have to give them bonus points for that.

The rooms

Hotel Garrett offers a few different room types between king, queen and double rooms.  I booked a Superior King Room, which was in the corner of the hotel. My room was definitely cozy, but because of the location, I wasn’t sharing any walls, which is always a bonus. 

The configuration may be a bit bigger for the same room in a different part of the hotel.  It was perfectly fine for just me, but might be on the small side for two people with luggage. 

However, like in New York, I’m not expecting giant rooms in San Francisco, especially at a boutique hotel in an older building.  You’re not really here for the hotel, you’re here to enjoy the city.  There are better hotels if you want a staycation experience. 

Comfort

I was actually surprised by how comfortable the bed was.  No complaints there. 

Service at the Hotel Garrett

Since I only had a short stay, I didn’t interact all that much with the reception staff.  They were very accommodating for storing my luggage when I arrived early (around 1230pm) and again when I departed, as my flight wasn’t until 9pm. 

Hotel Garrett location

This hotel is centrally located in the heart of the city, in the SoMa district.  It is walking distance to the Civic Center area full of arts auditoriums and theaters, as well as Union Square.  And is a short drive, or longer walk, to Oracle Park for a baseball game. 

The SoMa neighborhood is still in a bit of a transition post covid, so you will see unhoused people in the area.  That said, I did not have a car, and walked or took public transportation everywhere in the city without issue. 

Transportation to the hotel

From SFO, you can take either the Red or Yellow BART trains to the Civic Center/UN Plaza station, and then it is about a 5 minute walk to the hotel.  

For travel throughout the city, there are buses running across the street on Mission.  Or, walk two blocks over to Market.  Here in addition to the BART station, there are buses and street cars to connect with other areas of the city.  

Note: if you get a day pass through MuniMobile it does not cover rides on BART. 

Overall review of Hotel Garrett San Francisco

I think this was my 7th trip to San Francisco (over many years) so I’m familiar with the city and how expensive it can be.  I was truly shocked that I could find a hotel for such a low nightly price at the beginning of summer, and right before the World Cup. 

While my room probably would have been better suited for a queen bed due to the size and layout, everything was quite comfortable. I also love how close the hotel is to the trains, buses and trams. 

This hotel is perfect for short stay (2-3 days) when you want something lower cost, but is clean, cute, and bonus, has access to a pool. 

Where to book the Hotel Garrett

You can of course book directly with the hotel, however I find you’ll get better prices through the sites below. I paid $112/night for a stay during the week in June of 2026 booking with Expedia. 

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