jack harter The JW Marriott has two key things going for it. First off, rooms are big; deluxe rooms with two dou

The JW Marriott has two key things going for it. First off, rooms are big; deluxe rooms with two double beds hav e 400 square feet of space enough for a whole family and its luggage. S econd, when conv entions aren t in town, you can often get them at a steep discount down from $359 to $199. Not bad for accommodations with the perks of a top-tier hotel, including luxe bathrooms (think deep-soaking tubs, separate sho wers, and gleaming marble), L CD TVs, and city vie ws from the higher rooms. Imagine this: you ask for a corner room with king-size bed, which is more spacious and light-filled than r egular jack harter rooms with a king-size bed, but costs the same. Then you interconnect to a room with two double beds. At off-peak times, that s a sweet setup at a luxury hotel for $400 and change. I n fact, the rooms with king-size bed alone are so spacious (corner or not) that y ou could add a rollaway and a crib, and still won t trip over luggage on a nighttime trip to the bathr oom. There s no doubt the JW Marriott is big. The walk from the elevator to your room with kids tired after a day of sightseeing can be long. B ut at least the walk bor ders an impressive, 18-story atrium. From the lobby, the hotel s uninhibited architecture is further enhanced by bold red furniture, an elegant, modern fireplace, and a towering sculpture of ladies dancing around a fountain. Guest room decor, which was newly redone in 2008, is uninspired, but that s a trivial matter when you consider the value for money if you time your visit well (for example, when there aren t many business travelers in town). Only in the hotel s 800-square-foot Pacific suites is the carpeting just too much: The dizzying circles look better suited to a hotel on the Vegas strip. Those suites, with a room with king-size bed and a separate living r oom with a sofa (not all ar e sleeper sofas) normally go for $1,000, but can be had for half that if occupancy is low. Another option are the one-room junior suites, where you can add two rollaways if you want.

1300 C olumbus A ve. (at N. P oint St.), San F rancisco, CA 94133. &415/771-9000. Fax 415/771-7006. www.holidayinn.com. 585 units. $199 $244 double; from $350 suite. Kids under 18 stay free in parent s room. Rollaways $10; cribs fr ee. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Self-parking $39. Amenities: 2 restaurants; coffee shop; heated outdoor pool; exercise room; concierge; business center; gift shop; room service (limited hours); jack harter babysitting; laundry service; dry cleaning; laundr omat on sit e; executive-level rooms. In r oom: A/C, TV, high-speed wireless Internet access, coffeemaker, hair dryer, iron, safe.

September and O ctober are usually great months in S an F rancisco; the fog disappears and the air is warm. O f course, school schedules may be an issue, but perhaps you can fit in a long w eekend in the city. Fall brings a huge spike in conventions, but business is normally conducted during the w eek, leaving hotels to offer weekend packages and discounts.