San Francisco Is A Prime Limo Market -- But Don’t Call It Frisco!

The colorful Golden Gate Bridge sends travelers north toward Marin County and Sonoma Valley wine country.

The colorful Golden Gate Bridge sends travelers north toward Marin County and Sonoma Valley wine country.

SAN FRANCISCO — From the sprawling Golden Gate Bridge to the quaint cable cars, San Francisco is a scenic, vibrant town at the edge of the continent. Its renowned for its year-round comfortable climate, many cultural attractions, unique topography and world-class cuisine. It’s an iconic city — one that people really want to see.

In fact, more and more people are coming to see Everybody’s Favorite City, as San Francisco is sometimes known, or just “The City,” as the locals refer to it. But calling it “Frisco” marks one as a bit of a rube who doesn’t get its vibe. San Francisco welcomed 16.51 million visitors in 2012, an increase of 1% from 2011, according to a report by The San Francisco Travel Association. Those visitors also spent $8.93 billion in 2012, up 5.5% from the previous year.  

With Silicon Valley just an hour south of San Francisco, the city conducts technology and trade commerce on a global scale. This high-tech metro region is home to Google, Facebook, Intel and Yahoo, just to name a few, and there’s no shortage of business travelers needing chauffeured service.  

San Francisco is also an ideal launching point for exploring Northern California. Travelers often seek transport for outbound day-trips: Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley wine countries are only about an hour north of the city, while just 20 minutes south on Highway 1, begins a string of popular beach towns such as Pacifica and Half Moon Bay, situated near stunning Pacific Ocean cliffs.  

Business Gatherings

Conventions held in San Francisco attract attendees from all over the world, particularly in the medical, legal, scientific and hi-tech fields. The Moscone Convention Center is the city’s premier convention facility, offering 900,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space. The complex boasts three buildings — Moscone North, Moscone South and Moscone West — with 106 meeting rooms and four ballrooms. More than 20,000 hotel rooms lie within a few-block radius. The city is on pace to hit its annual goal of 2,105,500 booked room nights for conventions.  

A State-of-the-Art Airport  

The San Francisco International Airport, known as SFO, has the largest international terminal in North America. SFO offers non-stop flights to more than 31 international destinations on 28 international carriers. The Bay Area’s largest airport connects non-stop with more than 74 cities in the U.S. on 17 domestic airlines. SFO is 15 miles south of The City or 30 minutes from downtown. It’s also home to the world’s only accredited museum at an airport, featuring rotating exhibits throughout the terminals and an Aviation Museum & Library. SFO is the seventh busiest airport in the U.S. by passenger count (44,399,885), according to Airports Council International’s 2012 statistics.

Big Hills & Spectacular Scenery  

San Francisco is built on a series of more than 43 hills, offering many panoramic views of the Bay. But getting up those hills is no joke. The city’s steepest street is Filbert, with a 31.5% grade. There’s an old trope that, “When you get tired of walking around in San Francisco, you can always lean against it.”  

Sports

With a rich arts scene and as the birthplace of classic rock acts such as Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead, you may not think of San Francisco as a sports town. Yet, between The City and neighboring Oakland and San Jose, the Bay Area boasts six major sports teams: the 49ers, Raiders, Giants, A’s, Golden State Warriors, and Sharks.

Other Famous landmarks: Golden Gate Bridge, Golden Gate Park, Chinatown, Union Square, North Beach, Ghirardelli Square, Twin Peaks, Haight/Ashbury, the Castro District and Mission Dolores.

3 Key Places to Know
 
1. Union Square: The public plaza and surrounding area at the heart of the city, are known for being one of the largest collections of department stores, upscale boutiques, gift shops, art galleries and beauty salons in the U.S.

2. Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf: The most visited section of San Francisco, featuring street performers, fresh seafood, and curiosity shops.

3. Alcatraz Island: The former federal prison, once housed some of the most notorious criminals. Today it’s a national park, reachable by a brief boat ride.
Climate

Temperatures in San Francisco rarely rise above 75 or drop below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. July is considered the foggiest and coolest month of the year.

Fortune 500 Companies in the San Francisco Bay Area

• Hewlett-Packard
• McKesson
• Apple
• Wells Fargo Bank
• Intel
• Safeway
• Cisco Systems
• Google
• Oracle
• PG&E
• Gap  
• eBay

MORE FACTS

Travel Breakdown:
54% leisure
46% business

A 2010 survey by Community Marketing, Inc. shows San Francisco to be the #2 overall destination of choice in America for LGBT travelers.

Average daily expenditure for all visitors: $179

Average daily room rate: $187.90

Largest Hotels — Top 12 Luxury Hotels

Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco
336 rooms

Four Seasons Hotel, San Francisco
277 rooms

Mandarin Oriental, San Francisco
158 rooms

Taj Campton Place
110 rooms

Le Méridien San Francisco
360 rooms

The Westin St Francis
1254 rooms

Omni San Francisco Hotel
362 rooms

W San Francisco
428 rooms

The Palace Hotel, San Francisco
553 rooms

Fairmont San Francisco
591

The St. Regis Museum Tower
286 rooms

InterContinental San Francisco
550 rooms

Largest
Bay Area Hotels

Hilton San Francisco Union Square
1,909 rooms

San Francisco Marriott Marquis
1,489 rooms

The Westin St. Francis on Union Square
1,195 rooms

Parc 55 Wyndham Union Square Hotel
1,012 rooms

Hyatt Regency San Francisco
802 rooms

Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport
789 rooms

Grand Hyatt San Francisco
685 rooms