Although the gargantuan rise of local startup Airbnb has no doubt put a dent in the worldwide hotel industry, many small boutique hotels remain and continue to provide clients with the quaint, personalized services many travelers seek—especially those traveling to San Francisco.

 

We decided to take a look at the three options closest to Alamo Square for visitors looking for a more traditional boarding experience. So if you have any friends and family headed this way during what appears to be the most temperate SF summer ever (no jinx), take a look at the choices below.

 

The Metro Hotel, 319 Divisadero Street ($88-$150)

Situated directly on Divisadero Street, the Metro Hotel has been in business since it was purchased by Ellen Soulis and her husband in 1985. At the time, it was a burned out building that had been a very sketchy SRO hotel. “It was reflective of the neighborhood at the time,” said Shana, Ellen’s daughter. “There were lots of illegal things going on. It was a pretty unsavory bunch.” In fact, Ellen’s husband wouldn’t even let her go to the hotel itself until the neighborhood had gotten safer. 

 

After taking over, the Soulis family cleaned the place up through extensive renovations, turning it into a charming boutique hotel. There are now 24 rooms of varying sizes, and they also have a charming garden out back that they partially rent out to Ragazza downstairs.

 

The overwhelming feel of this place is one of community. Shana and her mother genuinely like what they do and they pride themselves on their consistent return customers. “We’re not greedy, it’s mutually beneficial. We provide people with affordable accommodations, year round. It’s pretty unique. We don’t have a high turnover with our staff, so people get to know people and they come back.”

 

In fact, their staff is an eclectic group folks, many of whom are artists. Employee Matt Clinard painted this mural in one of their rooms. This room has a full bed and private bath and will run you $88 per night.

 

If you’re traveling with a larger group, they can also accommodate you with one of five different rooms with multiple beds, like this one, which has two queens and a full and costs just $150 per night.

 

You can either book online here or call them at (415) 861-5364. And, if you want to see more, take a look at a tour of the hotel we took a couple years back. 

The Chateau Tivoli, 1057 Steiner Street ($115–$300)

Steeped in history, the Chateau Tivoli is a massive Victorian bed and breakfast with nine rooms that aims to transport its clients back to the late 1800s.

 

Originally built in 1892 by William Armitage (one of SF’s leading architects at the time) for lumber baron and shipping magnate Daniel B. Jackson, the mansion is a spectacle of Victorian-era architecture.

 

After living there for just six years, Daniel Jackson died and the place was taken over by its second owner, Mrs. Ernestine Kreling. She owned the Tivoli Opera House, an establishment most famous for being the first place where opera was sung on the West Coast. Many famous opera singers stayed here, and several of the rooms are named after them.

 

From 1917 to 1961, the building was owned by the Emanu-El Sisterhood, and housed a variety of Jewish organizations (the neighborhood at this time was largely Jewish), including a cultural center, a school, and a restaurant opened by The Yiddish Literary and Dramatic Society in 1929. The organization was comprised of Jewish intellectuals that had fled Russia after the 1917 revolution.

 

The history of the building is murky from 1961 to 1975 (lots of things were murky back then), until the space became briefly revitalized by New Age psychologist Jack Painter. He established the “Center for Release and Integration,” painted the walls with a bunch of trippy art, and installed a hot tub, but the space fell into disrepair once again in the 80s.

 

In 1985 it was bought by Rodney Karr (another psychologist) and his partner William Gersbach, who finally restored the building. In 1997, the Shotet family purchased the building, which brings us up to the present day.

 

Rooms at The Chateau Tivoli are varied, some with private bathrooms and some with shared facilities down the hall. Booking for The Chateau Tivoli is available online here or you can call them at (800) 228-1647.

 

The Casa Loma Hotel, 610 Fillmore Street (High Season, $119-$299)

 

Recently under new management, The Casa Loma Hotel has undergone a bit of a transformation from its former, seedier self since March 2014. With a new paint job, some funky art and a few extra touches like the inclusion of a continental breakfast and a complimentary coffee machine, owner Dave Patel hopes to attract guests looking for a more personalized experience in the heart of San Francisco.

 

“We’re a small, boutique hotel. We provide the best service we can. We’ve cleaned the place up and added personal elements like bathrobes and slippers in the rooms. Also, every room comes with cable and a refrigerator.”

 

Room sizes and rates vary a great deal, offering options with both private and shared bathrooms. The lowest price room is the Standard Double (shared bathroom) and goes for $119-$159 per night. If you have the loot and want a private bathroom, you can spring for either the Queen Deluxe or Twin Deluxe (two beds) for $209-$299 per night.

 

All of the rooms were occupied when we stopped by, but you can see images of their accommodations here. You can book rooms online here  or call them at (415) 522-7100. 

And now we turn to you, readers. Have you tried out any of these lodging options? What are your favorite spots to accommodate out-of-towners in the neighborhood? Let us know what you think in the comments.