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Albany · Hotel shortlist

Albany hotels for families

Rosa Iglesias

Rosa Iglesias The American south

Updated 1 September 2026 · 269 Albany hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Albany, out of the 269 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.9 down to 4.5.

Hotel Drisco Pacific Heights is the one I would book myself.

Hotel Drisco Pacific Heights

Highest rated of the five

Hotel Drisco Pacific Heights

★★★★★4.9 from 684 reviews

Hotel Drisco Pacific Heights comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.9 from 684 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is a 5 star property, found under the business district and around $916 a night on the dates we checked.

269 hotels in Albany qualified for this list and five made it. The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco is the one I would book if the first is full.

Why it works for this trip

  • Air conditioningthe one that decides a summer trip
  • Restaurantdinner downstairs on the night you land
  • Family roomscots and larger rooms rather than a squeeze
  • Gymopen to guests, not a partner pass down the road
  • Parkinga real consideration if you are driving in

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All five, ranked

  1. Hotel Drisco Pacific Heights1

    Hotel Drisco Pacific Heights

    ★★★★★4.9 from 684 reviews

    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Parking
    • Kid friendly
    • Air conditioning
    • Accessible

    Check rates Read more

  2. The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco2

    The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco

    ★★★★★4.6 from 2,199 reviews

    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Pet friendly

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  3. Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco3

    Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco

    ★★★★★4.6 from 1,901 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking

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  4. Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco at Embarcadero4

    Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco at Embarcadero

    ★★★★★4.7 from 455 reviews

    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking
    • Pet friendly
    • Kid friendly

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  5. Palace Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, San Francisco5

    Palace Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, San Francisco

    ★★★★★4.5 from 5,562 reviews

    • Pool
    • Spa
    • Gym
    • Restaurant
    • Bar
    • Parking

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How this list was put together

269 Albany hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating, then on class, and took the top five.

Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

Rosa Iglesias

Rosa Iglesias The American south

Teaches in term time and plays weddings in summer, which pays for the travel. Goes where the music is, usually festivals in small unrecommended towns. Owns three unnecessary accordions.

Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.