This landmark hotel has been around since 1915, and it has a long and colorful history as a haven for gangsters, writers, and beatniks, and was reportedly a bordello at one time. Today, the Mission Revival-style hotel is family-owned and hosts a diverse mix of tourists who want to explore Sausalito or be near San Francisco while avoiding the big-city bustle. It’s a quiet place, but the adjacent ferry traffic creates a buzz during peak daytime hours. Guests tend not to linger long past breakfast, eager to explore the area. The small and narrow lobby resembles a European boutique hotel, with a wooden front desk, pink sofa, and little else. Hallways are adorned with tasteful art and sponge-painted walls in warm yellows and greens. The cozy patio with weathered wood floors is a relaxing place to take in the sea breezes.

Hotel Sausalito is located two doors off the waterfront of San Francisco Bay at Sausalito Point, less than a one-minute walk to the Sausalito Ferry Terminal, which provides frequent service to downtown San Francisco. The area offers spectacular views across the bay of downtown San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Alcatraz. It’s a 10-minute walk to the main drag of the quaint seaside town of Sausalito that’s a popular day trip for San Francisco tourists. The hotel is within a few minutes’ walk of several restaurants, shops, and taverns, and three minutes from a bike rental shop and the Sausalito Yacht Club. It's a half-hour drive to downtown San Francisco over the Golden Gate Bridge, or a 25-minute ferry ride to San Francisco's Ferry Building. Approximate travel times to San Francisco International Airport are 45 minutes driving and 90 minutes by public transportation. It takes about the same amount of time to reach Oakland International Airport by public transportation, and about one hour by car. 

The 16 rooms are decorated in a traditional fashion, using warm earth tones, such as yellow, salmon, and sage on wood furniture and sponge-painted walls. Matching bed throws and decorative pillows in similar colors enhance the look. Decor varies a bit by room, but they all have pale-mauve carpeting, wrought-iron poster beds, distinctive mosaic mirrors in the bathrooms, and tasteful art. Size also varies by room, but aside from the two suites, they are quite small on the whole. The larger Queens and Twins (two twin beds) with views of the city, park, or water have small tables and two chairs, but the Standard Queens and Twins (no views) have only single chairs. Armoires provide what little storage space the rooms offer. The armoires also contain tiny (19-inch) flat screen TVs, and some of them are positioned adjacent to (not in front of) the beds, which makes watching TV in bed awkward. Rooms have comfortable beds and are generally clean, but they are showing their age in places, as the last major renovation of the hotel occurred in 1996. Some past guests have noted minor housekeeping and maintenance problems. Bathrooms also are on the small side. Simple pedestal sinks are standard, as is tan tiling on the floors and around the showers, which have clear glass doors. Larger rooms have spacious, walk-in showers, while those in the Standard Rooms are smaller stalls. Standard amenities include Keurig coffeemakers, robes, and free Wi-Fi.

Amenities, while limited at this small, waterfront hotel, include a free continental breakfast at Cafe Tutti that’s located in the same building. The cafe serves other meals, but there’s no restaurant or bar in the hotel itself. Guests sometimes take their breakfast to the hotel’s rustic but lovely patio, which has a few tables and chairs. Free newspapers, fruit, and bottled water are available in the lobby. Parking is available in the public lot adjacent to the hotel for a reasonable fee. Valet dry cleaning is available, and free Wi-Fi is provided.