My wife and I went to see Bloc Party at the Fillmore, and chose this hotel due to its proximity to the venue. Once we checked in, we fell in love. It has a Modern Hostel feel to it...sort of felt like we were europe...or japan. The hotel is located directly in the middle of Japan Town, and there are tons of great noodle restaurants within a stones throw. Not to mention all the Japanese and Korean markets. All-in-all, this was the perfect hotel for our tastes, and any show at the Fillmore.

Though we live in the vicinity, we stayed at the Tomo for two nights during a family event in San Francisco. The western part of the city, away from downtown but close to where much of the population lives, has very few hotels, so the Tomo and its more upscale Japantown sibling, the Kabuki, are excellent choices if you don't want quite as much hubbub and are visiting friends or family. The Tomo occupies a dull 1960s building, but it was cleverly renovated in 2006 and given a new anime/manga-inspired decor--loads of fun, with Japanese-style cartoon murals in each room (kids should love it). Beds are outstandingly comfortable and have very fresh linens; rooms and bathrooms are smallish but not as microscopic as many in downtown boutique hotels. Furnishings are mostly light-colored and cheery, there are brand-new flat screen TVs, and beanbag chairs add another whimsical touch. Though the building shows flashes of its age--air conditioning in our room was cranky and some of the bathroom tiles are original-- the sprucing-up is effective (carpets could use some attention). The Tomo isn't run as a luxury hostelry but is a good value, and its Japantown location is interesting; you can also get downtown or to Ocean Beach by bus in about 15 minutes. Parking tip: the hotel's small garage fills up early and costs guests $20 overnight, but this residential neighborhood has some parking spaces where you may be able to leave your car overnight and on Sundays for free (read street signs carefully!).

Great value and lots of fun.

I stayed there for a long weekend with infant son and my mother and would highly recommend the hotel.

Pluses:
*Excellent value: very comfortable, clean, and thoughtfully appointed rooms all for a reasonable price
*Great staff: Staff were very friendly and helpful - e.g., with bags, advice on getting around, parking, etc.
*Fun vibe: Love the Japanime/Manga theme decor! Adds an energy to the place - unusual as most hotels in this price range are the same drab fluorescent-lit boxes
*Easy location: Japantown is cute to walk around in & it is an easy bus or taxi into Union Square. A plus that in Japantown you don't have to deal with the madness of the crowds in Union Square

Minuses:
*This is not a luxury hotel/treat hotel - but it doesn't pretend to be

I'd definitely stay there again!

You get the feeling that the Hotel Tomo has been on the end of a extreme makeover. Someone has rushed in there one morning and decided to turn it Japanese by sticking up murals in each room, replacing dated furniture with trendy minimalism and putting Japanese soap in the bathrooms. It is mostly cosmetic, and underneath it is simply a Best Western, but there’s enough quirky coolness to make for an interesting stay.

The rooms are extremely comfy and there are some nice extras like the docking station for an iPod. The sports channels on our TV were faulty and front desk failed to fix it (probably to the relief of my girlfriend) but they were exceptionally friendly so we’ll let them off.

Location wise, it’s close to a number of bus routes so you can get to different areas like Castro or Downtown with ease. And, it should go without saying, but it’s the perfect place to stay if you want to eat lots and lots of great Japanese food. Especially at the bakery across the road.