I generally fly to San Francisco a couple of times a year. Recently I was in town for just two days, but fortunately in October when the weather is usually perfect. The San Fran summer is really September and October.

For smart luxury picks on hotels, in addition to some mentioned in a prior post, I recommend the St. Regis (www.stregissanfrancisco.com); it’s arguably the best pick in town, and close to Union Square. Hotel Vitale (www.hotelvitale.com) is a new and excellent contemporary boutique property.  The InterContinental and Omni (www.omnihotels.com) are also solid choices.

Newish places to eat that I recommend are Star Belly (www.starbellysf.com); Frances (www.frances-sf.com), which is small and hard to get into; Nopa (www.nopasf.com), a loud, trendy spot with tasty food; and Dosa (www.dosasf.com) for gourmet Indian. You also can’t go wrong with longtime favorites such as SPQR (www.spqrsf.com), A16 (www.a16sf.com), and the Elite Café (www.theelitecafe.com).

For general trip-planning information, see our San Francisco Travel Guide.