San Francisco For Families And On The Cheap!

San Francisco is a gorgeous city with so much to do, but it isn't cheap. And for families, it is EXPENSIVE! However, we stopped there last week on our way back from the mountains and found a way to make it affordable.

My favorite chowder place at Fisherman's Wharf

For me and 4 kids, hotel rooms are tough. Hotels in SF are very expensive and with all the kids, of course, I needed breakfast included. For families of more than 4, finding hotel rooms that will accommodate 5 or 6 is always a challenge. 

I had 15,000 Wyndham points left from the bonus offered last year by Wyndham Visa (45,000 bonus points with minimum spend). So I checked to see what Wyndham hotels were available in SF. Wyndham is partners with Days Inn, Howard Johnson and Crowne Plaza. Since I was looking for breakfast also, my best choices were Days Inn and Hojo. I must be honest I am all about travelling on a budget, but these are not my favorite brands. 

But alas there were a few choices in SF. There was a Days Inn and Howard Johnson near the San Francisco Airport and there was a Days Inn near the zoo at the beach. All of them were listed for 15,000 points and had availability. They all included breakfast, but the Days Inn at the beach offered a room with 2 queen beds and a pull out sofa. Plenty of room for our party of 5. 

Plus we have stayed near the airport before and it is convenient if you have a flight, but there is not much nearby.
I knew that we would spend the evening at Fisherman's Wharf because as you can see in the photo above my favorite chowder place is located there. I always make it a point to stop there for chowder when I am in San Francisco.
So I decided to book the hotel near the beach and zoo. This is an area of town I have never stayed in before so I was excited to check it out.
And I wasn't disappointed. It's a beautiful part of the city and google maps took us along multiple routes as we visited the wharf and my brother's home.
The Days Inn itself was also surprisingly good. The room was very large with a microwave, stovetop, fridge and large kitchen sink. It included the two queen beds and queen pull out couch. Plus a bonus, next door was a pizza place that delivered. The hotel is located just a few blocks from the beach.
The complimentary breakfast was weak. Due to space restrictions, there are no tables near the breakfast area and guests must take their food back to their rooms. Breakfast included fresh fruit, sweet rolls, toast and juice. I would have liked to see the addition of yogurt, granola and waffles.
We headed to the wharf for chowder. If you eat at the stands at the wharf, there are picnic tables near the parking lot, you can save a lot of money and get some great dinner! Plus the parking lot validates if you buy something to eat.
We took a quick driving tour of the Golden Gate Bridge and park and headed back to our hotel. Enjoy your trip!