Best Pet-Friendly Hotels in San Francisco

Before you go

What happens when you get there

Getting around

Dogs ride Muni buses, streetcars and cable cars, on a leash and muzzled or in a carrier during off-peak hours, one dog per passenger, at the same fare as a person. BART takes dogs in a carrier. The cable car from Union Square or Nob Hill is the fun way to the waterfront. Uber Pet runs across the city.

Off-leash beaches and parks

Crissy Field is an off-leash beach under the Golden Gate Bridge, about twenty minutes from downtown on the 30 bus or a rideshare, and the best run in any American city. Ocean Beach north of Stairwell 21 and Fort Funston are off-leash too. The off-leash parks nearest the hotels are Alta Plaza and Lafayette Park in Pacific Heights, Duboce Park, Alamo Square's dog run and the play area at Sue Bierman Park by the Ferry Building. Huntington Park, Union Square and Yerba Buena Gardens are on-leash.

Where the dog can eat with you

1 Hotel seats dogs inside and on the patio at Terrene. The Clancy serves a Yappy Hour dog menu at Seven Square Taproom and on its fire-pit patio. Hotel Emblem welcomes dogs in the Obscenity lounge but not the restaurant. The Beacon Grand allows dogs in the lobby and common areas but not the Post Room. The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, Taj Campton Place, Mark Hopkins, both Hiltons, Parc 55 and the Westin St. Francis keep dogs out of all restaurants and bars, and the Ritz-Carlton asks that dogs be carried through the lobby.

Leaving the dog in the room

The St. Regis, the W, Hotel Zeppelin and Hotel Zelos allow a well-behaved dog alone in the room, with no housekeeping while it's there. The Fairmont, both Four Seasons, 1 Hotel, the Ritz-Carlton, the Palace, both Hyatts, the Marriott Marquis, the Jay, the Clancy, InterContinental, Beacon Grand, Omni, Hilton Financial District, Harbor Court, Hotel Spero, Hotel Zetta, Triton, Adagio, Parc 55, the Marker, Emblem, Mark Hopkins, Stanford Court and Taj Campton Place don't. The Fairmont charges USD 250 if it finds a dog alone.

Weight limits

No published limit at the Fairmont, the Huntington, the Four Seasons on Market Street, 1 Hotel, the Clancy, the Marker, Hotel Emblem, Zeppelin, Zetta, Zelos and Triton. 75 lb at Hilton Union Square and Hilton Financial District. 50 lb at the Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, Hyatt Regency SOMA, InterContinental, Omni, Mark Hopkins, the Jay, Hotel Spero, Adagio, Parc 55 and Beacon Grand (combined). 45 lb at Harbor Court. 40 lb at the Palace, the Westin St. Francis, the W and the Marriott Marquis. 35 lb at the St. Regis, the Proper and Taj Campton Place. 30 lb at the Ritz-Carlton. 25 lb at Four Seasons Embarcadero, JW Marriott and Stanford Court.

Fees

Free at 1 Hotel, the Four Seasons on Market Street and Hotel Triton, and the Westin St. Francis on some channels. USD 50 at Hilton Union Square, Parc 55 and the Mark Hopkins. USD 65 at the Marker. USD 75 at Zeppelin, Zetta, Zelos, Adagio, Spero, Emblem, Beacon Grand and Hilton Financial District. USD 100 at the Fairmont, Four Seasons Embarcadero, Grand Hyatt, Hyatt Regency, InterContinental, JW Marriott, Taj Campton Place, Harbor Court, Stanford Court and the Proper. USD 125 at the Jay, the W and the Marriott Marquis. USD 150 at the Palace, the Clancy, Hyatt Regency SOMA and the Omni. USD 200 at the Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis, USD 250 at the Huntington for two dogs.

Still to confirm

Taj Campton Place's FAQ says 35 lb but listings say 15 to 25 lb. The Palace's weight cap ranges from 15 to 40 lb across sources. The Westin St. Francis shows both no fee and USD 150. The St. Regis fee runs from USD 150 to 350 depending on the channel. The W's fee is quoted as USD 100 a stay or USD 125 plus 25 a night. Ask before booking.

Best walks

Crissy Field to the Golden Gate Bridge off-leash, the Embarcadero from Rincon Park to Fisherman's Wharf, the Lands End trail above the Pacific, the Presidio's Ecology Trail, Huntington Park and the Nob Hill grid, Alta Plaza's terraces in Pacific Heights, and Ocean Beach at sunset from Stairwell 21 north.

When to go

September and October are the warmest and clearest months, and spring is green. Summer means fog and wind on the waterfront, which suits a dog with a coat better than a person in a t-shirt.