The Prescott Hotel enjoys a central location on Post Street in the heart of Union Square, convenient to high- end shopping, the Moscone Convention Center and the cable cars to Fisherman's Wharf. For the musically inclined, the hotel is around the corner from Ruby Skye and Biscuits & Blues, where rising stars test their acts before going national. Jam sessions of the musical kind are big at the B&b.

travel Leisure Magazine recently named the Prescott as one of its "Best Value Hotels" and one of the top 50 in North America - and that's saying something considering the hundreds of hotels in the competition.

To the delight of the culinary inclined, the Prescott is home to Wolfgang Puck's boffo restaurant, Postrio. Robert Rauchenberg's paintings, Dale Chihuly's glass sculptures, swirling copper-and-marble ribbons and the oh-so-glamorous crowds set the state for pure Puck: sautéed sea scallops with ginger pineapple and jalapeno vinaigrette, and roasted liberty duck breast with mille-feuille of curried peaches, among other yummy delights.

Throughout the hotel, guests can indulge in wireless high-speed Internet surfing, complimentary coffee and tea in the mornings, evening receptions in the living room, morning sedan rides to downtown and weekday newspapers. The hotel also offers a state-of-the-art fitness facility.

Guest rooms feature custom cherry-wood furniture, crisp Italian linens, black- granite nightstands, CD players and terrycloth robes. "Dress for Success" amenities include special toiletries and hair-care products, collar stays, cuff links, manicure supplies, tweezers and nail files.

Guests should bring along Fido and Morris to this unabashedly "pet friendly" hotel.

The Prescott, a member of the Kimpton Hotel company, is a destination unto itself for many guests, including entertainment big shots and touring authors, who, along with vacationers, are attracted to Puck's Postrio and nearby theaters and nightclubs.