Corte Madera Inn, Corte Madera
| Tel: 800/777-9670; 415/924-1502 |
fax: 415/924-5419 |
An excellent Best Western Inn with a lush, five acre resort-like setting, this is where our classes meet. HTI's hugely discounted single or double occupancy rate is $119/night plus 11% tax, including continental breakfast. So that works out to $59.50/night plus tax if you're sharing with another student. Facilities include launderette, shuttle, wireless & high-speed internet, fax and secretarial services, picnic area, putting green, heated pool, two whirlpool spas & fitness center. Rooms have refrigerators. The large, charming "Town Centre" shopping center across the street has a supermarket and many restaurants and shops.
Marin Suites Hotel, Corte Madera
| Tel: 800/362-3372; 415/924-3608 |
fax: 415/924-0761 |
A three block walk from class, this has wireless internet, an exercise room, sauna, whirlpool spa and heated pool. Most units include either a kitchen or kitchenette (all have at least a refrigerator and a microwave). Rates include a complementary continental breakfast. The steeply discounted HTI daily rates for 2010 are studio: $99; 1 bedroom: $109, 2 bedroom: $149, plus tax. For example, sharing a 1-bedroom apartment with 2 beds would cost $54.50/night per person. HTI students may be able to get further discounts, depending on length of stay and availablilty - check with manager Bob.
Best Value Inn, Corte Madera
| Tel: 415/924-3570 |
fax: 415/924-6153 |
A 15-minute walk from class, this small 18 room motel is close to the "Town Centre" shopping center. Rooms have internet access, fridges, microwaves, & satellite including HBO. The owner Ken is dropping their special HTI room rates dramatically to only $350 per week throughout 2010, and breakfast is included.
Motel 6, San Rafael
| Tel: 415/453-3450 |
fax: 415/459-0955 |
This new privately owned motel at 737 Francisco Blvd is a 7-minute drive north of class, so you will need a car or to share one with a classmate. Rates in 2009 for week days ($10 more for weekend days): $59.99/night single, $69.99/night double occupancy, plus tax. Plus add $10/night in May-September.
Extended Stay Deluxe, San Rafael
| Tel: 415/451-1887 |
fax: 415/451-1889 |
This new hotel is a 7-minute drive to class, located at 1775 Francisco Blvd. E. in San Rafael. It has fully equipped kitchens in all of the rooms, on-site laundry, indoor pool, outdoor hot tub, meeting room, breakfast, business center, wireless internet throughout the property, fitness center. The manager Beth has offered HTI students special 2010 nightly rates of $99.99/nightfor 1-6 nights, $89.99 for 7-14 nights, $84.99 for15-29 nights plus tax.
There is a big discount of $1,899 for 30 days with no tax. This rate does not include cleaning which can be purchased at $100 for a weekly full service cleaning, or $3 per day for a refresh. Rates after the 30 days are $79.99 per day.
Econo Lodge Inn and Suites, Novato
| Tel: 415/883-2406 |
fax: 415/883-3765 |
This is a 12-minute drive north up Hwy. 101 from class, between Novato and San Rafael, so you will need to have a car or share a car with a classmate. Room rates as of this writing are $450/week for a queen, or $500/week for 2 double beds, including tax. Rooms have refrigerators. A website for reasonable hotels in Novato is www.novatolodging.com.
Presidio Inn, San Francisco
This friendly inn with kitchenettes is close to the Golden Gate Bridge, at 2361 Lombard Street in northern San Francisco. Much closer than most S.F. accommodations, it is a 20 minute drive to class. The special rate for HTI students approved by manager Ankur: $59.99/night plus tax per room with a king bed through April.
New super 2010 discount: $1300 per month. Show our brochure to claim the rate.
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Encore Express - a Nob Hill Hotel, San Francisco
| Tel: 877/662-4455 |
fax: 415/885-2987 |
This is at 1353 Bush Street, in a prestigious S.F. area. For 2010, sales manager Simone has given us these rates: $75/night plus tax single or double with private or shared bath through April and in October; Summer is $85/night single or double with shared bath or $95/night with private bath.
International Quarters
This is an agency that rents fully furnished studio and 1-3 bedroom apartments (with an extra roll-away bed available), within a ten minute drive of class. They need a one month committment. These rentals typically are $105/night for a 1 bedroom, $130 per night for a 2 bedroom, or $143 per night for 3 bedrooms and 2 baths.
American Youth Hostel
There are four local sites of the American Youth Hostel chain in the area:
Marin County site
Marin Headlands (Sausalito): phone: 415/331-2777
The Marin Headlands Hostel is the closest, most reasonable and perhaps nicest of the Bay Area hostels, and draws adults of all ages. It is in a National Park near Sausalito (the three others are in San Francisco). Prices are $22/night in a dorm, or $66/night total for two adults in a private room (no tax), $22 per additional person (except up to two children 12 and under are free). No membership fee is required. There is a 14 night per year limit per hostel. Cooking facilities are available. Like the S.F. hostels, Marin Headlands Hostel is a 25 minute drive from class. You will need to have a car or share a car with a classmate because there is no public transportation except for Sundays and holidays.
San Francisco sites
Ft. Mason (Fisherman's Wharf):
Building 240, Fort Mason
San Francisco, CA 94123
phone: 415/771-7277
fwinfo@sfhostels.com
Downtown (Union Square, San Francisco):
312 Mason Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
phone: 415/788-5604
dtinfo@sfhostels.com
City Center:
685 Ellis Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
phone: 415/474-5721
ccinfo@sfhostels.com
The 3 San Francisco hostels of the American Youth Hostel chain have public transportation and are convenient to S.F. attractions. Call for reservations.
Marin Park (an RV Park)
Tel: 415/461-5199 fax: 415/925-1584
Only one mile from class at 2140 Redwood Highway, Greenbrae, CA 94904.
Rates are $45 per day or $270 per week, plus tax, for 1-2 people, though slightly higher in the summer. Includes water, electricity and cable TV.
Reasonable Accommodations Ideas
First, let's again emphasize that if you stay at least 30 consecutive days at the same accommodations, you can arrange to avoid paying sales tax.
Local hotel prices are reflective of this being an upscale, popular area between San Francisco, beautiful parks and beaches, and the wine country. However, we've negotiated much larger discounts with many accommodations for 2010. Then sharing can in most cases help you slash the cost in half.
All of our accelerated classes have students from other states and countries who are actively seeking to share accommodations, but it is much better to arrange this once classes begin. (In fact, you can begin to meet classmates at our optional get-acquainted meeting the evening before class begins.) Plan on having your own private room for the first two or three nights, then a motel room can usually be shared for the remainder of the time.
Or other opportunities may be even more appealing. For example, we have connections for rooms in private homes in town for as little as $25 per night. And once classes have begun, another possibility may be to get a room at a local classmate's home, which would cost considerably less than motel rates.
For those of you who have a travel trailer or other camping gear and like the outdoors, there are some lovely parks in the area with reasonable rates. There is also Marin Park, (a trailer park) about a mile from class (see above).
There can be many creative ways to keep costs down. For example, the Marin Headlands Hostel tends to draw mature adults of all ages who appreciate nature. Sharing a private room with a classmate will cost $36-$38 per day each, and if a car is needed the costs can be shared of a car rented at one of the above reasonable weekly rates.
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