Inn and Lodge at the Presidio – Review

In San Francisco, hotels are often about location: Union Square for shopping and theatre, Nob Hill for grandeur, SoMa for design. But the city’s best-kept hospitality secret isn’t in any of those neighbourhoods. It’s in a national park. The Presidio, with its eucalyptus groves, hiking trails, and jaw-dropping views of the Golden Gate Bridge, is home to two boutique hotels that stealthily offer the most unique stays in the Bay Area: the Inn at the Presidio and the Lodge at the Presidio.

Background and Concept

The Presidio was once a 1,500-acre U.S. Army post, a fortified presence at the mouth of the bay since 1776. Its brick barracks and stately halls have since been reimagined as cultural centres, museums, and in two cases, boutique hotels. The Inn at the Presidio, which debuted in 2012, transformed the base’s bachelor officers’ quarters into a Georgian Revival-style guesthouse with verandas and fire pits. Six years later, the Lodge at the Presidio joined the fold in a former barracks with front-row Golden Gate views. Both are members of Historic Hotels of America, both LEED Gold certified, and both manage to make history feel fresh, stylish, and comfortably livable.

Location

The Presidio straddles city and nature in a way that few places on earth do. One moment you’re sipping coffee on a wide porch with fog drifting through eucalyptus trees; ten minutes later, you might be in the Marina District shopping the boutiques on Union Street. Miles of hiking and biking trails, Crissy Field beach, a historic golf course, and the Golden Gate Bridge itself are all within strolling distance. You can visit North Beach or Chinatown by day and then retreat to a firepit-lit courtyard by night.

Insider bragging rights come baked in here: The Lodge is the closest hotel to the Golden Gate Bridge, and its courtyard practically points at the orange towers. The Inn offers an even more intimate vibe: fewer rooms, rocking chairs on two verandas, and a clubby feel. Both hotels keep alive the cherished ritual of nightly wine and cheese hour, where guests swap stories over California vintages and charcuterie before venturing out (or staying cosy by the firepit).

Rooms and Suites

The Lodge has 42 rooms, most with soaring ceilings and big casement windows framing either the bridge or the Main Parade Ground. Interiors nod to the site’s military past with clean lines, canvas ottomans, and wool throws, softened by plush beds and contemporary art. The Inn is smaller, with just 22 rooms (17 of them suites), plus four more in the separate, newly renovated Funston House, just a few steps away. (The Funston House, with its communal living room and dining rooms, is ideal for families or groups.) The Inn’s Georgian Revival bones lend an old-world charm, with fireplaces and richly hued Ralph Lauren-esque living spaces. Both properties channel the breezy, eucalyptus-scented atmosphere of the park right into the guestrooms.

My Rooms / Suites

At the Inn, my suite felt more like a refined private residence than a hotel room. A separate living room offered ample space to stretch out, and a private door opened directly onto the upstairs veranda, where shaker-style rocking chairs overlooked the grounds. Sitting there with a coffee in hand (thank you in-room Nespresso machine), it was easy to imagine the building’s former life as officers’ quarters, now recast for guests who prefer their San Francisco stay with equal parts heritage and comfort. The bathroom was dressed in handsome navy-blue tile, a contemporary flourish within the building’s historic frame.

My room at the Lodge looked across the wide sweep of the Main Parade Ground, where dogs and their owners turned the grassy expanse into a daily stage of carefree activity. From the tall casement windows, the city’s skyline framed the horizon, a reminder that while the Presidio feels like an escape, downtown San Francisco is never far away. Inside, the room was expansive, a true living space rather than just a place to sleep, with a sofa, two easy chairs, and a desk thoughtfully placed for working or writing. The Nespresso machine promised an efficient caffeine fix, while the minibar felt more like a curated cabinet, stocked with deluxe-sized spirits, wine, and upscale snacks. As with my suite at the Inn, it too was a room in which to linger, whether to watch the parade of canines outside or to savour an evening drink without leaving the comfort of one’s quarters.

Food and Drink

Neither hotel has a full-service restaurant, which only enhances the feeling that you’re staying in a park lodge or private club. Both, however, offer bountiful continental breakfasts (European spreads with pastries, charcuterie, oatmeal, yoghurt, fresh fruit and strong, locally roasted Equator coffee), and both host the beloved wine and cheese hour each evening. For more substantial meals, guests can wander within the park to Dalida, a stylish Mediterranean-inspired restaurant, Colibri, where modern Mexican plates and mezcal cocktails draw a lively crowd, and Piccino, the newest Presidio addition, serving pizzas and pastas.

Other Facilities

Both hotels offer bicycles for exploring the Presidio’s expansive trail network, plus spacious verandas and fire pits for those who prefer their recreation with a glass of Pinot in hand. Beyond the hotels, the Presidio itself unfolds like a self-contained universe: the spectacular Tunnel Tops Park with its sweeping views and picnic lawns; the historic Presidio Golf Course, and Presidio Bowl. Active types gravitate toward the indoor climbing and trampoline parks, while culture seekers head straight to the fabulous Walt Disney Family Museum, where interactive exhibits bring the story of Walt’s life to vivid detail.

Just outside each hotel door lies Crissy Field. Once a military airstrip, it has been transformed into one of San Francisco’s most beloved stretches of waterfront, a breezy promenade where joggers, picnickers, and exuberant dogs share the stage against a backdrop of bay and bridge.

Final Thoughts

The Lodge at the Presidio and the Inn at the Presidio don’t offer spas, Michelin-starred restaurants, or marble-lined ballrooms. What they offer is something far rarer: the chance to stay in the middle of a national park within one of the world’s great cities. While the amenities at each rival those at any luxury hotel, both are as much about access: to the bridge, to trails, to San Francisco at its most cinematic and serene.

Top Tip

If you’re a first-timer, book the Lodge for the Golden Gate views; it’s the only place in the city where you can literally wake up with the bridge outside your window. Return guests or those seeking more intimacy will love the Inn’s clubby vibe. Whichever you choose, don’t skip the nightly wine hour when guests convene to trade travel stories and local tips against the backdrop of bay breezes. It turns your stay into a convivial experience shared.

Photos courtesy of the Inn and Lodge at the Presidio