As tourism returns, hotels are finally bouncing back from the COVID-19 pandemic and guest rooms are filling up once more. With less COVID restrictions, more guests are finding it easier to book a room and enjoy amenities once again. This series will focus on hotels that have reopened recently and cover what’s now available at them along with helpful tips.

You can see many of the most popular sites in one weekend in San Francisco, if you’re staying in the right location.

After closing in March of 2020 due to the pandemic, Stanford Court reopened nearly two years later on February 22, 2022. The recent reopening of this hotel comes at an exciting time as tourism is bouncing back in San Francisco, and its location can’t be beat if you’re looking to see the sights and hear the sounds of city. The hotel sits atop of Nob Hill, and let’s just say that you’ll feel the hill when you walk up to it!

In terms of distance, you’re 0.6 miles from Chinatown, 1.2 miles from the crooked Lombard Street, and 1.3 miles from Fisherman’s Wharf. As for the famous Golden Gate Bridge, that’s about 4.7 miles away – if you want to walk directly on it as opposed to seeing it from a distance.

According to my 40,000 steps count, these famous spots can all be seen in one day from this hotel’s location. But if you’re not into walking up and down some steep streets, you can ride on one of San Francisco’s iconic cable cars. Part of the cable car route is conveniently right outside of this hotel.

Inside Stanford Court, you’ll notice a horse mural in the lobby with history dating back to 1872. The former Governor of California Leland Stanford wanted to depict his racehorse Occident at the horse’s full speed. And so, he hired photographer Eadweard Muybridge to see whether or not a race horse’s four feet were all fullly off the ground at the same time. Muybridge managed to use a single camera to shoot Occident running in 1873 but the fuzzy photo needed years of work, engineers and technicians to experiment with mechanical shutters before it turned into a series of photographs, five years later. The Stanford Court’s mural was inspired by these photos and will hold your attention immediately upon entrance.

I also couldn’t take my eyes off of the views from my room on the seventh floor. From the Transamerica Pyramid to the waterfront, you can truly have a birds-eye view of this city without ever leaving your room.

As for the room itself, it was clean and modern. If you’re picky about your pillows, the hotel offers you different options ranging from soft feather to firm hypoallergenic.

Other perks at this hotel include free coffee in the lobby, its high-tech fitness center, day-use of bicycles and e-bikes as well as maps that will help you get around the city — whether you want to bike, jog or walk. And if you have a furry friend, the hotel is pet-friendly. It charges a $50 pet and deep cleaning fee, which will include a doggie bag with toys and treats.

With 393 guestrooms and suites, this hotel is sure to draw in the crowds this spring and summer with many of San Francisco’s events returning to full capacities. Some upcoming events include the San Francisco International Film Festival from April 21st to May 1st, the San Francisco Jazz Festival from June 8th to 19th and San Francisco Giants home games through September.

During my stay over the second weekend in April, it was apparent that tourism is coming back to San Francisco as evidenced from the crowds of people waiting in lines for a Ghirardelli ice cream, a bread bowl of clam chowder at Boudin and — you might have guessed — a cable car too. If you’re looking to pay an upcoming visit to San Francisco and want to stay at Stanford Court, a tip to save on a stay is to book directly with the hotel and ask for its best offers and promotions that third-party websites may not have in their prices.