Qinghai Lake in the near distance on the Qinghai-Tibet train

©Nellie Huang/Lonely Planet

Marina Inn

The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers


Good value in the Marina, this vintage 1920s hotel has small, clean rooms with outdated decor, but it's a cozier alternative to a cheap motel. Single-pane glass means street noise; bring earplugs. Best for no-fuss travelers. Close to Union St shopping and bars.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby The Marina, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Piers attractions

1. Octagon House

0.22 MILES

Crafty architects are always trying to cut corners on clients, and architect William C McElroy has done so splendidly with this house. This is among the…

2. Lombard Financial Center Mosaics

0.28 MILES

A couple years ago, blighted trees in front of this bank were cut down and a treasure hidden for almost half a century was revealed: mosaics by California…

3. Vedanta Society

0.32 MILES

Meandering the Marina, you'll pass Mexican-inspired art deco buildings, Victorian mansions, generic bay-windowed boxes – and, hello, what's this? A…

4. Fort Mason Center

0.43 MILES

San Francisco takes subversive glee in turning military installations into venues for nature, fine dining and out-there experimental art. Evidence: Fort…

5. Maritime Museum

0.48 MILES

A monumental hint to sailors in need of a scrub, this restored, ship-shaped 1939 Streamline Moderne landmark is decked out with Works Progress…

6. George Sterling Park

0.49 MILES

'Homeward into the sunset/Still unwearied we go/Till the northern hills are misty/With the amber of afterglow.' Poet George Sterling's poem 'City by the…

7. Church of St Mary the Virgin

0.52 MILES

You'd expect to see this rustic Arts and Crafts–style building on the slopes of Tahoe, not Pacific Heights, but this Episcopal church is full of surprises…

8. Ghirardelli Square

0.53 MILES

Willy Wonka would tip his hat to Domingo Ghirardelli (gear-ar-deli), whose business became the West’s largest chocolate factory in 1893. After the company…