Phoenix Hotel, a Joie de Vivre hotel

Description:

• If you'd like to tell your friends back home that you stayed in the same hotel as Linda Ronstadt, David Bowie, Keanu Reeves, Moby, Franz Ferdinand, and Interpol, this is the place to go. On the fringes of San Francisco's less-than-pleasant Tenderloin District, which is rife with the homeless and crack addicts, this well-sheltered retro 1950s-style hotel is a gathering place for visiting rock musicians, writers, and filmmakers who crave a dose of Southern California -- hence the palm trees and pastel colors. The focal point of the Palm Springs-style hotel is a small, heated outdoor pool adorned with a mural by artist Francis Forlenza and ensconced in a modern-sculpture garden.

  The rooms are more pop than plush, with bright island-inspired furnishings and original local art; every room faces the pool. In addition to the usual amenities, the hotel offers movies on request and a party vibe that's not part of the package at most city hotels. Some big bonuses: free parking and the hotel's restaurant and club, the groovy and very hip Bambuddha Lounge (tel. 415/885-5088), which serves Southeast Asian cuisine with cocktail-lounge flair. If you want luxury and quiet, stay elsewhere, but if you're looking for a great scene and fun vibe, head to the Phoenix.

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

CitySearch

•  Hotel Pool 2007 – Audience Winner
•  Hotel Pool 2006 – Editorial Winner
•  Hotel Pool 2007 – Editorial Winner

Frommer's

•  Highly Recommended 2009
•  Highly Recommended 2010