A bed & breakfast, with all its cozy homespun appeal and intimate antique furnishings, might be the last accommodation to find when visiting a big city. But San Francisco isn’t like other cities— and its best kept secret b&b, The Union Street Inn, is easily the frontrunner of true hospitality.
Tucked away off of where Fillmore and Union Streets intersect, the yellow 1906 Edwardian is nowhere on social media, low-key in making its name known among the bigger hotels like Hyatts downtown or the trendy boutiques of the Rex or Clift and Zepplin. It’s a narrow, but perfectly cozy convert with low ceilings painted in blush and oranges hues glistening against the crystal chandeliers that grace the elegant tea room-esque front parlor that serves at the Inn’s only central hub for all guests. There are only 6 rooms total, named admirably by the subtle colors and aesthetics of each one that look as if they were something out of the Anne of Green Gable series., that is, if you were Dianna Barry’s rich aunt in Charlottetown. The Union Street Inn doesn’t move with the times, its real charm is in withstanding the change of a city always on the verge of new discoveries and innovation and being the place that, at the end of the day, feels like the home everyone, stranger and local alike, wants to come back to.
It’s a treat, and a reasonable one at that, with rooms between $249-$369 a night. For an exclusive getaway you’ll want to reserve the Carriage House suite, a detached cottage just a few feet beyond the back garden. Our favorite, the Wildrose, takes your breath away in a deep rose petal shade and antique accents in the furniture along with a grand King bed overlooking the gardens. The breakfast served in the early morning varies, from a hearty British bean and sausage combo with eggs or a simpler yet filling waffle and bacon served with fresh fruit to compliment your endless tea or coffee. Enjoy these delights on tiny tables in the parlor or out on the back garden, easily the most enchanting part of your stay as your breakfast is shaded by lush trees and a soft serenade from a bubbling stone fountain.
When you next find yourself in San Francisco, you might forget that lost in all the beauty of the waters and towering skyline and craft businesses, are traces of the charm that was once a sprawling city of the Edwardian age filled with excitement and hope as you look out to the same breathtaking sights today. Just take it easy at the Union Street Inn to really feel the heart of this always changing city with a true old soul, best enjoyed by your stay here.
Union Street Inn
2229 Union Street, San Francisco
415- 346-0424
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