4* Staypineapple, Union Square

If being right in the middle of San Francisco’s gay neighbourhood is the priority, The Hotel Castro is difficult to beat. This tiny 12-room boutique hotel sits directly in the Castro, with many of the neighbourhood’s best-known LGBTQ+ bars, cafés, shops and venues just a few minutes’ walk away. The hotel embraces its surroundings too: each room takes inspiration from LGBTQ+ figures, giving the place considerably more personality than a typical city hotel. Rooms are compact but smartly designed, with floor-to-ceiling windows and their own furnished outdoor terrace. There’s also a rooftop terrace, The Nest, while the Lobby Bar downstairs is handy for a drink before heading out. The experience is deliberately independent, with keyless check-in and most guest services handled digitally rather than through a traditional reception. GayMapper tip: Choose this for the location rather than lots of hotel facilities. You’re staying right inside the Castro, so San Francisco’s LGBTQ+ scene effectively becomes your doorstep.

The biggest recent reason to rediscover The St. Regis San Francisco is underground: its newly reimagined two-level spa now stretches across around 9,000 square feet, with cedar saunas, eucalyptus steam rooms, a Himalayan salt room and access to the indoor infinity pool. Upstairs, the hotel remains refined rather than flashy, with spacious contemporary rooms and the famously attentive St. Regis service. Afternoon tea continues the brand’s grand traditions, while the St. Regis Bar serves its own San Francisco take on the Bloody Mary. Suite guests also receive the full Butler Service experience. SFMOMA is next door and Yerba Buena Gardens are across the street, putting you firmly in cultured SoMa. The neighbourhood’s queer nightlife is closer than the Castro scene, which is easily reached by Muni. GayMapper tip: If you’re splurging here, protect some time for the spa – using the room merely as somewhere to sleep rather misses the point.

Hotel Zeppelin takes San Francisco’s counterculture history and turns the volume up. Rock-and-roll artwork, provocative graphics and a deliberately rebellious mood give Hotel Zeppelin far more attitude than the average Union Square boutique hotel. The basement game room is great fun, with arcade games and plenty of space to hang out, while the 24-hour gym even includes a boxing dummy. PLS on Post handles food and drinks, and pets get a particularly enthusiastic welcome rather than merely being tolerated. Union Square and the theatres are only a few blocks away, with excellent transport towards the Castro when it’s time for the main gay nightlife. Chinatown and Nob Hill are easy to reach too. GayMapper tip: A much better fit for travellers who find beige hotel lobbies depressing – the whole place is designed to remind you that San Francisco once had a seriously rebellious streak.

A chandelier made from more than a thousand recycled spectacles gives you a fair idea of what Hotel Zetta is going for. The SoMa hotel mixes art, technology and slightly eccentric design without taking itself too seriously. Rooms are unusually spacious for San Francisco, while the social spaces include games and plenty of quirky artwork. The Cavalier next door is a handsome London-inspired brasserie, and hidden-away Marianne’s adds a rock-and-roll speakeasy feel for drinks later on. Market Street, Union Square, Yerba Buena Gardens and the museums of SoMa are all close. LGBTQ travellers are also well placed for the more leather- and fetish-oriented queer nightlife deeper in SoMa, while the Castro is an easy Muni journey away. GayMapper tip: Look for Marianne’s rather than stopping at the obvious lobby bar – the hidden speakeasy is much more fun.

YOTEL’s futuristic rooms are squeezed inside the historic Grant Building, which is a very San Francisco collision of old architecture and new technology. YOTEL San Francisco sits directly on Market Street with Civic Center, theatres and Downtown transport close by. The smallest cabins are genuinely tiny – the Solo is only around nine square metres – but smart design makes good use of the space, while larger rooms and suites give you much more room to breathe. There’s a sizeable 24-hour gym, co-working areas and self-service technology throughout. The restored building is also LEED Silver certified. This Mid-Market position gives you easy transport towards the Castro and puts SoMa’s queer nightlife within relatively easy reach without forcing you to stay in either district. GayMapper tip: Check the room size before booking rather than afterwards – the compact cabins are clever, but “compact” is doing some serious work here.

Sleeping opposite Golden Gate Park gives you a completely different San Francisco from Union Square and Fisherman’s Wharf. Stanyan Park Hotel occupies a historic Victorian building on the edge of Haight-Ashbury, making the park, colourful Haight Street and neighbourhood cafés part of everyday life. Its 36 rooms and suites retain traditional Victorian styling, with the larger suites adding kitchens. An expanded continental breakfast is included, along with evening tea and a weekday wine-and-cheese reception – pleasingly civilised touches for a three-star hotel. The Castro lies south-east rather than outside the door, but is easily reachable by local transport, while this location is far better for Golden Gate Park, the de Young, botanical gardens and exploring the western side of the city. GayMapper tip: Choose Stanyan Park if you want leafy, bohemian San Francisco first and gay nightlife second – especially if Golden Gate Park is high on your list.