There is no shortage of places to stay in San Francisco. The town is practically crawling with hotels—it is the birthplace of Airbnb after all. There’s an option for practically every type of traveler—usually with easy access to downtown and the trendier neighborhoods. In fact, many of San Francisco’s top-rated hotels are centered around the downtown area.
However, when you’ve got an early morning flight out of SFO, a centrally-located hotel can quickly turn from a blessing to a nightmare. In easy traffic conditions, it takes about 30 minutes to drive from downtown San Francisco to the airport. But, unfortunately, San Francisco is not known for its easy traffic conditions.
If you’re considering going the airport hotel route, there’s no need to imagine a dingy roadside motel where the sound of planes rumbles walls and the bedsheets are of questionable cleanliness. SFO has a slew of hotels, mostly within a five-minute drive of the international terminal. These hotels boast many of the same perks you’d want in a city hotel, including fantastic views, fine dining options, or large swimming pools.
Explore Amazing Airport Hotels Near SFO
Whatever you’re in the mood for, you don’t need to settle for lesser quality above location. Scroll through to discover nine of the best airport hotels, all with incredibly easy access to your terminal.
The Westin San Francisco Airport
This Westin aims to be a center of wellness for those traveling through SFO. You can jog on the bayfront trails, swim laps in the indoor pool, or start sweating in the fitness studio. The hotel is located a five-minute drive from the airport and about 20 minutes to downtown San Francisco.
El Rancho Inn
This hotel has been operating near the airport for more than 70 years. With that length of experience, they’ve developed a handy “Park, Sleep & Fly” package that allows travelers to sleep the night before their flight, leave their car in the parking lot for up to eight days, have breakfast before leaving, and take the complimentary 24-hour airport shuttle, which will get you there in less than 10 minutes.
Bay Landing Hotel
This cozy hotel is as close to a bayfront cottage as travelers through the airport can get. Guests in the 130 rooms can look out over the bay or gather near the lobby fireplace. When it’s time to catch your flight, the free shuttle will take you from hotel to airport in five minutes.
Villa Montes Hotel
This smaller hotel only has 41 rooms but offers all of the comforts of a larger hotel—fitness center, sauna, and stellar concierge services. Villa Montes is about a five-minute drive from SFO and just a few minutes walk from the San Bruno Caltrain station.
Aloft San Francisco Airport
Aloft hopes to make the check-in process less rigid by allowing you to use an app to communicate with staff, find out about your room readiness, and grab food from the bar or food counters whenever you like. The hotel offers a shuttle service to the airport that runs all night, every night.
The Dylan at SFO
You don’t need to choose a giant chain hotel to get an airport location. The Dylan is a boutique hotel with only 58 rooms, located less than a mile away from the airport. The smaller size ensures you’ll receive more personalized service, but it’s not so small that it lacks basic amenities. The hotel’s free shuttle service runs 24/7 for convenient airport access.
San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront
In San Francisco, there’s no need to choose between easy airport access and captivating waterfront views. This Marriott offers stunning views of the San Francisco Bay from its rooms, along with a shuttle that will get you to the airport in less than 10 minutes.
Millwood Inn & Suites
Guests appreciate this hotel for its prime location. You’re less than a mile away from both BART and Caltrain stations. When it comes time to travel, the hotel provides a free shuttle that will take you to the airport in about 10 minutes, as it’s only around three miles away.
Grand Hyatt at SFO
You truly can’t get any closer to SFO than the Grand Hyatt. You can take the SFO AirTrain directly from your terminal to the hotel doors. The hotel features upscale dining, runway views from your room, and dedicated spaces for yoga and massage. It’s a quintessentially San Francisco experience without even needing to leave the airport.
