Whats's your budget? If you are good at Priceline you can get a 4-star hotel downtown pretty cheap. I usually stay at the Renaissance and never felt unsafe walking around town to eat and what not (usually beer and burgers at Veets). There's also a Hampton or similar right down there that's pretty good. I feel safest downtown, most of the outlying areas seem sketchy to me.
If you are too worried, stay across the bay in Spanish Fort.
