San Francisco: 5 Places to Stay

When the honchos from LVMH and Neiman Marcus come to town, the 110-room Taj Campton Place is where they stay. The hotel is on the preferred (i.e., east) side of Union Square, convenient to their SF stores yet insulated from tourists and the dodgy Tenderloin. "Insulated" personifies the guest rooms in this pair of joined prewar buildings too; fitted with warm pearwood paneling, built-in dressers, and flat-screen TV's, they feel plush and snug, like the staterooms on a ship. The restaurant has for years been one of the city's best; Campton Place's owner, Taj Hotels, appointed Srijith Gopinathan, of Taj Exotics Resort and Spa in the Maldives (and the former sous chef at Campton Place), to helm the kitchen in 2008 — so far, so good, earning a Michelin Star in 2010.

Insider Tip: Dogs are welcome in any room for a $100-per-visit fee.

Room to Book: At the "deluxe" level, the largest rooms are in the -15 and -16 series and the -01 series from the ninth floor up.

• 1. Taj Campton Place Hotel
  340 Stockton Street, San Francisco, CA 94108 37.789157-122.406556 camptonplace.com