Recommended Hotel: Harbor Court Hotel
Why: Outdoor Pool, Complimentary Wine Hour, On-Site Restaurant
The Embarcadero area is an excellent area for sightseeing in San Francisco. Because it’s so close to the Bay and Ferry Plaza, the room rates in this area are all expensive. The best value you will find is at the Harbor Court. The $205/night average weekend rate is a steal in this area; on weekdays you’ll pay closer to $342/night. The outdoor seasonal pool is great for kids to enjoy while parents relax. The on-site restaurant, Ozumo, serves Japanese cuisine and is known for sushi and seasonal cocktails. The complimentary wine hour is a fun way to socialize in the evenings. Some guests do complain that the rooms are small, but that’s to be expected in this area. Overall, we recommend Harbor Court to mature couples who wish to be right in the heart of the sightseeing action.
Neighborhood Vibe: The BART Embarcadero Station is located where vibrant Market Street meets the picturesque eastern waterfront of the San Francisco Bay. High-rise residential and commercial buildings tower over the neighborhood. By day, this area is bustling with an eclectic mixture of business people, shoppers, tourists, and street performers. Local eateries and bars cater to the business crowd and tourists alike. Although vibrant during business hours, the district becomes abruptly quiet during evening hours.
Getting Around: Getting to Embarcadero from San Francisco International Airport will take a little over half an hour and from Oakland Airport it takes twenty minutes
What to Eat: There are plenty of excellent eateries in the ferry building and surrounding it. Start your day with a cappuccino at Blue Bottle Coffee and go from there. For an excellent donut to go with your coffee, pop into Le Bonta Italiane. If you love fresh oysters, it’s worth standing in line at Hog Island Oyster Co. For tapas to share, you can’t go wrong with Coqueta. 
Things to Do Around Civic Center: The ferry building sits on bay front property on the five-mile Embarcadero promenade. Adjacent to the ferry building is an open-air plaza that features a farmer’s market and is also where local artists display their arts and crafts. You might even see sea lions in the bay. 
