Pioneering San Francisco isn’t the place to book a bland business hotel. Not when alternatives include a co-working space with its own climbing wall, or spa treatments designed to soothe laptop-damaged muscles. In a work hard, play hard town, there’s no shortage of either. So whether you’re a hoodie-clad digital nomad or a FTSE 100 CEO, prefer boutiques or legacy luxury brands, we’ve found a stay for you: where the Wi-Fi is always fast, the beer is always craft, and business is a pleasure.
A private members’ club for San Francisco’s 'creative elite', booking a guest room at The Battery makes you a ‘resident guest’, essentially granting an all-access pass. The House Bar is a-buzz with networking tech millionaires; and an exclusive events programme spotlights cutting-edge themes (sample seminar: 'the state of humanitarian AI'). A no-devices policy insists switching off, though you may work in the library if you must. Its location adjacent to the Financial District makes it ultra-convenient – though persuading yourself to leave is tough. Read expert review From £ 548• An insider guide to San Francisco
Pair PowerPoint with a pint at Stanford Court's hotel bar, by local brewers Seven Stills. Communal wood benches welcome laptoppers, and there are break-out areas for team meetings, with rugs and sofas invoking designer living rooms over echoey lobbies. Solo workers: spot the hot desks tucked between dining tables, with shelves of battered vinyls and anglepoise lamps. In Nob Hill, you’re steps from multinational headquarters, but with rumbling cable cars and Bay Bridge views to boot. Read expert review From £ 115• The best hotels in San Francisco
Desperate for Zen after back-to-back meetings? This Japantown boutique is a good bet. Peace out in the garden (sculpted Japanese pines, koi pond, fire-pit), or find a relaxing workspace in the Kyoto-meets-Brooklyn lobby (potted plants and leather settees, separated by scaffold-like bookshelves) – preferably with a house cocktail or Japanese craft beer in hand. To really bliss out, nearby Kabuki Springs & Spa offers a steaming onsen. Surrounding sushi bars supply a non-awkward dinner for one. Read expert review From £ 186• The best restaurants in San Francisco
Techie types might opt to stay in Mid-Market, a gritty district home to Twitter and Uber’s offices. The Proper, in a historic flatiron building, makes a stylish base: fashion-shoot-worthy interiors are by design maven Kelly Wearstler, and the queue for rooftop bar Charmaine’s rounds the block. Close by, Bespoke is a co-working space that, along with requisite shared desks and pendant lamps, packs in a climbing wall and a bowling green. Day passes cost $35 (£26.50). Read expert review From £ 99• The best things to do in San Francisco
A self-proclaimed 'tech-savvy' hotel that prides itself on super-fast Wi-Fi, Axiom's Turn Café is tailor-made for digital nomads, with USB ports and plug sockets at every table. Above, the sprawling 'Cloud Level' mezzanine is a fun alternative to airless conference rooms, with comfy couches, table football, and free vintage arcade games. Bonus: the landmark Powell-Hyde cable car turnaround is directly outside, for when it's time to nip off and sight-see. Read expert review From £ 92• The best boutique hotels in San Francisco
Here to see Silicon Valley? You’ll need to be close to the Caltrain. VIA, a block from the station, also neighbours the San Francisco bases of Google, Pinterest and Dropbox. Sunny out? Try nearby co-working space Outcamp. This astro-turfed 'campsite' has picnic benches, Wi-Fi, and complimentary drinks (think local Blue Bottle coffee and Black Hammer Brewing ales). A two-hour pass is $11 (£8). VIA’s chilled-out rooftop bar is a great place to de-stress at day's end, or alternatively the hotel's 'technology hub' (complete with huddle areas and super-speed Wi-Fi) is open 24 hours a day. Read expert review From £ 130• The best nightlife in San Francisco
More on-the-go CEO than startup upstart, the lobby here presents an upscale version of communal working. On the fifth floor, high above city bustle, rich wood panelling and sculptures join workbenches and plush sofas with outlet-equipped side tables. Next door, the hotel's MKT restaurant, overlooking busy Market Street, chatters with power breakfasts (kick-start the day with their Matcha Energy smoothie). Downstairs, hotel guests have a free pass to ultra-luxe fitness club Equinox (complete with a basketball court, yoga rooms, and 'wellness shots'). Read expert review From £ 384• The best business hotels in London for the modern business traveller
Every room at Zeppelin features a fancy ergonomic chair at a John Boos maple work table, combating the dreaded ‘laptop slump’. Your posture never looked better. Or, in the beatnik-inspired Mantel Bar, join Macbookers tapping at a shared desk. Exposed brick walls and a crackling fire make it cosy, and you can bring food through from neighbouring Rambler restaurant, too. For a time-out, head to the games basement, where there’s Skeeball and a giant Connect 4. Read expert review From £ 105• The best shopping in San Francisco
Zetta, two blocks from Moscone convention centre, is ideal for work, rest and play. One street over, Yerba Buena Gardens is an oasis amid skyscraper canyons (pop into Samovar Tea Lounge for a soothing brew). Just as close: Contraband Coffee Bar, with free Wi-Fi, lots of freelancers working at long benches, and revelatory sage-and-rosemary cappuccinos. Back at the hotel, public spaces evoke the playfulness of Big Tech campuses, with shuffleboard and giant Plinko to play. Grab a bar seat at Brit-themed restaurant The Cavalier (get the heritage pork chop), and don't miss the lobby’s free VR games. Read expert review From £ 118• The best bars in San Francisco
The Ritz-Carlton’s red-brick, terrace courtyard is a serene little sanctuary, all decorative fountains and scissored hedges. It’s a great place to take the laptop on a blue-sky day – and, if you’re feeling the shoulder-pinch afterwards, try the on-site Spa L’Occitane’s ‘tech tension relief’ massage, targeting tech-induced physical stress. The cable car stops half a block away, and Chinatown is walking distance, so postcard-worthy downtime is within easy reach. Read expert review From £ 289- This characterful 1950s motor lodge with an enviable rock’n’roll pedigree has been given a stylis... Read expert review
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