The family friendly Sheraton Hotel on Fisherman's Wharf stands a mere two blocks from the attractions and cafés on Pier 39, the country's third most visited tourist attraction. Fisherman's Wharf offers activities for virtually everyone, from the Maritime Museum to Alcatraz and the world famous cable cars to everything else oh so San Francisco, including Ghirardelli Square's specialty shops. Proximity to the Golden Gate Bridge makes this Sheraton a good choice for people who want to tour the Wine Country and North Coast. What's more, one of the few fairly flat areas in the city, the northern waterfront where the hotel sits is great for walking, especially at the 3.5 mile Golden Gate Promenade a few blocks from the Sheraton, where guests get great views of Alcatraz Island, the Golden Gate Bridge, windsurfers at Crissy Field and ships cruising in and out of the bay.

The Sheraton features an outdoor swimming pool a rarity among Fisherman's Wharf hotels and a sundeck with food and beverage service. Guests can work up sweats in the fully stocked fitness center, take care of work in the business center and surf the 'Net in all public areas.

Among the many dining options in San Francisco and around the Wharf, the Sheraton's Compass Grill serves up regional and global dishes, including as crab cakes and cioppino.

Guest rooms feature white tiled bathrooms, desks, high speed Internet access and patented Sheraton Sweet Sleeper Beds, which feature plush top mattresses, cozy fleece blankets, plump duvets and five cushy pillows. And if the beds aren't enough, they can get Häagen Dazs ice cream delivered to their rooms until 11 p.m.

For the past 29 years, the persnickety American Automobile Association has awarded this Sheraton its four diamond rating and that is a feat unto itself.