The best luxury hotels in San Francisco

The MICHELIN Guide has awarded this hotel Two Keys for a second consecutive year in 2025. Its 155 accommodations occupy the top 11 floors of a 48-story tower at 345 California Center, designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill and completed in 1986. Restaurant Orafo serves a California-Italian-inspired menu, and guests rate the hotel 8.8/10 from 310+ reviews.

Good to know: The hotel sits in the Financial District and Embarcadero area, a straight-line 0.4 mi from The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco and 0.3 mi from Palace Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, San Francisco.

Skip it if you want a named, sourced spa: a spa is only listed here, while The St. Regis San Francisco has one with cedar saunas.

This hotel occupies a Neoclassical mansion building on Nob Hill dating to 1909, with 336 guest rooms and 60 suites including a Presidential Suite. Restaurant Parallel 37 is led by a Michelin-starred chef, and the on-site L'Occitane Spa offers massages and body and face treatments. Guests rate it 9/10 from 490+ reviews.

Good to know: Pets are allowed, and EV charging is listed. On Nob Hill, it sits a straight-line 0.2 mi from Fairmont San Francisco and 0.3 mi from JW Marriott San Francisco Union Square.

Skip it if a rooftop pet terrace matters more than a mansion setting: Hotel Nikko San Francisco has one instead.

606 guestrooms and suites span a historic Beaux Arts main building and a Tower building on Nob Hill. Laurel Court restaurant sits beneath a domed ceiling with marble columns, and the Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar features a lagoon with live music from a floating boat. Wellness and beauty services run through Livefit Gym and Chateau de la Beauté.

Good to know: Dogs are allowed for a $100 fee per stay; they must stay leashed and not be left unattended, or a $250 fee applies. Guests rate the hotel 8.2/10 from 1,100+ reviews.

Skip it if the lowest possible pet fee matters: The St. Regis San Francisco allows dogs without naming a per-stay charge.

Each of the 260 rooms has a soaking tub in the bathroom, and Astra serves as the hotel's signature fine-dining restaurant. The Spa spans 9,000 square feet over two levels, with cedar saunas and a Himalayan Salt Room. Guests rate the hotel 9.3/10 from 60+ reviews.

Good to know: Dogs are allowed but not permitted in the restaurant, bar, spa, pool or fitness center. The hotel sits in SoMa at 125 Third Street.

Skip it if you want your dog with you in the spa or restaurant: Hotel Nikko San Francisco allows dogs with fewer stated restrictions.

Restaurants ANZU for breakfast and Kanpai Lounge for sushi and cocktails sit on site, alongside an indoor glass-enclosed pool, sauna and wellness center. A rooftop pet terrace here is said to be the only one of its kind in San Francisco. Guests rate the hotel 8.9/10 from 3,200+ reviews.

Good to know: Dogs up to 50 lb are allowed for $65 per day plus a $150 refundable cleaning deposit; certified service animals are also welcome. It sits in Union Square, a straight-line 0.1 mi from JW Marriott San Francisco Union Square.

Skip it if a lower nightly pet fee matters more than a rooftop pet terrace: Fairmont San Francisco charges a flat $100 per stay instead.

Rooms feature Frette linens and marble bathrooms with rainfall showers in this historic landmark hotel, built around a sky-lit indoor pool. Garden Court restaurant sits beneath a stained-glass dome with crystal chandeliers, and Pied Piper is a second signature restaurant on site. Guests rate it 8.5/10 from 710+ reviews.

Good to know: The hotel sits in the Financial District, a straight-line 0.2 mi from The St. Regis San Francisco and 0.2 mi from Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco.

Skip it if a Michelin-starred kitchen matters more than a stained-glass dining room: The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco has Parallel 37 instead.

Rooms have marble bathrooms with walk-in showers and dressing gowns, and Level III Restaurant serves farm-to-table fare with a weekend a la carte breakfast. Dogs are allowed here for a non-refundable sanitation fee. EV charging and an LGBTQ+ friendly label are also listed. Guests rate the hotel 8.5/10 from 240+ reviews.

Good to know: It sits in Union Square, a straight-line 0.1 mi from Hotel Nikko San Francisco, 0.3 mi from Fairmont San Francisco and 0.3 mi from The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco.

Skip it if a stated pet fee matters: Hotel Nikko San Francisco names its exact daily rate and deposit.

This Four Seasons occupies 12 floors of a 42-story tower on Market Street, directly across from Yerba Buena Gardens. Restaurant and bar service are listed on site, and guests rate the hotel 8.9/10 from 170+ reviews, one of the higher scores on this list.

Good to know: EV charging and pets allowed are listed here; a spa and fitness room are not. It sits near Union Square, a straight-line 0.2 mi from The St. Regis San Francisco.

Skip it if an on-site spa matters: The St. Regis San Francisco, 0.2 mi away, has one with cedar saunas.

A spa, restaurant, bar and fitness room are all listed here, along with EV charging, an LGBTQ+ friendly label and a pets-allowed policy. The hotel sits in the Embarcadero, a straight-line 0.4 mi from Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco at Embarcadero. Guests rate it 8.5/10 from 260+ reviews.

Good to know: It sits a straight-line 0.6 mi from Palace Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, San Francisco and 0.7 mi from The St. Regis San Francisco.

Skip it if you want a named, sourced spa or restaurant: The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco names both, with Parallel 37 and L'Occitane Spa.

This 43-room hotel occupies an Edwardian building that opened as a boarding house in 1903, set on a hilltop in the residential Pacific Heights neighborhood. It offers chauffeur service, electric-bike access and a daily wine reception. Guests rate it 9.7/10 from 70+ reviews, the highest score on this list.

Good to know: A spa and fitness room are listed; the hotel does not list a restaurant or bar on site. It sits in Pacific Heights, a straight-line 1.8 mi from Fairmont San Francisco.

Skip it if you want an on-site restaurant: Fairmont San Francisco, 1.8 mi away, has Laurel Court and the Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar.

All 261 rooms have balconies and premium bedding at this resort in Half Moon Bay. The Spa offers ESPA-based treatments plus a co-ed whirlpool, sauna and steam rooms, and three on-site restaurants include Navio. Guests rate it 8.6/10 from 90+ reviews.

Good to know: Dogs are allowed up to 40 lb, two per room, for a $250 fee, but only in the Cypress or Fairway Guest House, not the main building.

Skip it if a straight-line 24.3 mi from downtown San Francisco is too far: The St. Regis San Francisco is closer to the city center.

250 rooms come with smart controls and rain showers at this hotel in Menlo Park. Porta Blu restaurant serves Southern European-inspired cuisine, and an outdoor pool sits beside a central courtyard garden with a bocce court. Guests rate it 9/10 from 70+ reviews.

Good to know: It sits a straight-line 14.8 mi from The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay and 24.4 mi from Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco, well outside the city center.

Skip it if you want to stay inside San Francisco: this hotel is in Menlo Park, a straight-line 24.4 mi from Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco in the city.