HotelChatter

Most of the action takes place by the Embarcadero and at Union Square hotels, so booking a hotel nearby is preferred. But at this point, rooms are scarce and rates are astronomical, so most people are desperately searching any place with open space.

We've scoped out the party scene for the night, and for our money—and two totally different soirees—The Fairmont is offering some good options.

We already reported on the luau—suckling pig and all—happening at the Fairmont's famed Tonga Room, which HotelChatter reader Mark enthusiastically vouches for. If classical music suits you more than hula dancers, then consider booking the "Music to Your Ears" package, which includes a room for the night, complimentary bottle of sparkling wine, and breakfast in your room or the Laurel Court Restaurant the next morning.

At $299, the package doesn't run cheap, but it does grant you 25 percent off of tickets to the San Francisco Symphony's Masquerade Ball, whose prices run $80-195. On our search for concert tickets, however, we only found rates of $150 and up.

The only tricky thing to consider is transportation. Cabbing it is probably the way to go, but not ideal. If you book a pre-concert dinner package through the Symphony's website, however, you can get free validated parking at the Performing Arts Garage. Of course, you'll have to designate a safe and sober driver for the night.

Most importantly, though, we did find available rooms at the Fairmont, both with the package code and without. Note: the cheaper room deal is the NYE Music package. Will you be shelling out a lot of cash? Yes. But if you want to round out the decade with panache, this could be the way to go.