Hotel in San Francisco

The name doesn’t do it justice, Good Hotel ("the first hotel with a conscience") in San Francisco is great! A friend turned me on to Chip Conley’s efficiency hotel that recently joined his Joie de Vivre "suite" of well-designed, green boutique hotels. I’ve been driving by the Good Hotel for months now, noticing the nicely-branded marquis sign and wondering what such great signage was doing in an otherwise semi-seedy part of town. The structure itself looks like the many other SRO housing units in the neighborhood, but the interior says otherwise. After Joie de Vivre took ownership, they made thoughtful design moves that turned the not-so-luxury building into a great place to stay.

The rooms aren’t enormous, but every detail is well-designed, from the recycled fleece comforter to the reclaimed VOSS water bottle light fixtures. It’s efficiency hotel living with all the great design amenities of a 5-star hotel. Good Hotel will also hook you up with local volunteer opportunities while you’re in town, and offers incentives for car-free guests. The best feature is the price tag- rooms start at just $89.

Images courtesy of Joie de Vivre.