the duck tour The hotel s overall feel is intimate, funky, and friendly, and the colorful lobby is very inviting.

Your children will enjoy the extra Japanese feel of one of the three family suites. There, a shoji screen can be closed to separate the main ar ea with king-size bed from another the duck tour section just for the children with two futons resting on tatami mats. At bedtime, the kids can pretend they re in Japan. (Unfortunately, family suites do not have the luscious Japanese tubs.) When it s time to get back to S an Francisco sightseeing, you ll have 10 bus lines within a 4-block radius to get y ou wherever you need to go.

447 Bush St. (btw. Grant and Kearny sts.), San Francisco, CA 94108. &800/956-4322or 415/965-3232. Fax 415/956-0399. www.sfhoteldesarts.com. 43 units. $75 $250 double; $110 $279 suite. Kids under 18 stay free in parent s room. No rollaways; no cribs. the duck tour AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Self-parking $26. Amenities: Concierge, non-smoking rooms. In room: TV, complimentary high-speed wir eless access, fridge, iron (most rooms).

62 (p. 173), one of the greatest urban parks in America, has a lot more to offer but that will depend on how much energy the kids have and ho w much daylight r emains. I f the family is still raring to go, walk fr om the Academy past the lo vely Rose Garden and to ward the Conser vatory of F lowers

The hotel s overall feel is intimate, funky, and friendly, and the colorful lobby is very inviting. Ozumo is a great Japanese restaurant off the lobby, but it s not really a family- friendly destination. In fact, and herein the duck tour lies the rub, the hotel itself was designed mor e for couples and business trav elers, as it has no double-double r ooms. You can r eserve a twin-bedded room for the kiddies, but you ll be sleeping elsewhere because the maximum occupancy her e is two, unless y ou splurge on the two-bedr oom suite. That basically makes it suitable for couples toting a bab y or families the duck tour with kids old enough to sleep in their own non-interconnected guest room. But the great waterfront location, excellent rates, and full use of the YMCA next door (including its O lympic-sized pool, fitness center, and ev en a bab ysitting facility) make the H arbor Cour t wor th looking into. Check the website for packages and weekend specials.