Where to Stay in San Mateo County
The Best Hotels and Inns around Half Moon Bay and the Airport
The hotels near the San Francisco Airport have the best views of any airport hotel around, and small inns near the beach in Half Moon Bay are classy and romantic.
San Mateo County is a frequent travel spot, albeit not as common a destination. Rather, it's more often traveled through. The San Francisco International Airport is in San Mateo County - hence upscale, cosmopolitan travelers rent their cars at the airport and drive north to San Francisco, professionals attend conferences in high tech haven Palo Alto, or leisure travel fans drive off for luxury vacations in Napa Valley. But San Mateo itself is a lot of fun. Half Moon Bay is a gorgeous coast side vacation town, low key and perfect for family travel. The best hotels are convenient to coast side and bay side San Mateo.
Three Best Airport Hotels:
The best San Francisco International Airport hotels have terrific views of the Bay, despite their proximity to the San Francisco Airport.
- The San Francisco Airport Marriott is the largest, more lovely airport hotels, with 685 rooms and 21 suites. The sheets and pillows are pretty comfortable for a hotel bedding. The free airport shuttle runs every 20 minutes, there are good-sized conference rooms, and each room is wired for internet access.
- The Bay Landing Hotel also has great views of the Bay, with free airport transportation and one 900 sq ft meeting room.
- Sofitel San Francisco Bay is 10 miles from the airport, with complimentary shuttle service. This hotel has 379 rooms and 42 suites, probably the best airport hotel restaurant in the area (Bay 223; the chef trained under Ducasse and Robuchon in Paris), and meeting rooms for up to 600 people.
Four Best Vacation Hotels:
- The Beach House Hotel, with 54 loft suites, is a luxury. Each loft suite has a sunken living room with a pull-out sofabed, and romantic views of the Pacific. The Beach House Hotel overlooks Pillar Point Harbor.
- Half Moon Bay Lodge is a hacienda-style adjacent to, and overlooking, the Arnold Palmer-designed Half Moon Bay Golf Links. Each room has a patio, helping make this hotel part of a relaxing golf getaway vacation.
- Landis Shores Oceanfront Inn is perched upon Northern California Coast's Miramar Beach, in Half Moon Bay. This beach is just beautiful, and staying in ocean view rooms here affords many guests views of migrating whales. Landis Shores is a luxury oceanfront bed and breakfast inn. The restaurant has an award-winning wine list, and a sommelier on staff.
- Cypress Inn on Miramar Beach, also in Half Moon Bay, is a small, classy inn with only 18 guest rooms. Conde Nast readers list it among the World's Best 700 Places to Stay.
The Best 5-star Luxury Hotel:
- The Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley is the area's only 5-star hotel, but it's more appropriate for luxury business travel. The hotel attracts internet creative types, and hosts related conventions, but luxury family vacations are best in one of the hotels or inns listed above.
Related, on Suite 101:
Activities in San Mateo County, California
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