Hi Kianna,

Union Square is generally a safe bet for quality hotels - priceline is a great resource for reasonably priced rooms at a 4 star level - bidding is the best option.

As for Market versus Stockton, I'm not sure there are too many great hotels directly on Market - The Four Seasons being the only notable exception which springs to mind.

The one area to avoid at all costs is the Tenderloin; and yes, it borders Union Square, so keep that in mind when booking your room.


Stay safe and have a great time in SF!

If you would like more specific advice, please feel free to pm or email me.

Warmly,
Nicole

As Nicole said - Union Square area is quite safe.  

Market street is very long.  Market is very (very) nice, from Powel Street to the Ferry building. Safe any time day or night.   *HOWEVER* to the West of Powell... not so nice.  The Whitcombe for example, is a decent 3 star hotel inside, but the neighborhood is more 1 star  Any visitors would likely be leery - and the hotel posts security at the door requiring room keys for entrance after dark.

For those not from San Francisco, the Tenderloin is roughly bounded by:

Ellis on the North
Mason/6th on the East
Mission on the South
Larkin/9th on the West

Now, that's not to say you can't walk down Market street to the Orpheum Theater (or Crazy Horse Strip club depending on taste LOL), but you might feel more comfortable taking a cab back if it's late -- especially if you don't have big city skills for dealing with panhandlers.