Reuniting With the City by the Bay

By Hideaways President Mike Thiel

It had been so long since I had visited San Francisco that, when Gail and I decided to go there last fall, it felt almost like planning for a visit to a new place. The occasion for our getaway--beyond reacquainting ourselves with the Bay Area, which my younger son, Andrew, and his family had been calling home for about six months--was a Thanksgiving get-together that also included my son, Michael, and his girlfriend, who joined us from Montana.

Since my son's cramped digs in the famously expensive Bay Area left no room for visitors, the first order of business was to decide on a hotel. We considered only five of the many and diverse "hoods" that San Francisco Travel, the area's official visitors and convention bureau, lists and describes as "49 Square Miles of Endless Possibilities" on their website ( www.SanFrancisco.travel/neighborhood/): Fisherman's Wharf, ever popular with tourists; the Embarcadero/Financial District, the commercial waterfront with its bustling Ferry Terminal and waterfront action; SoMa, for "South of Market Street," the up-and-coming restaurant, fashion, and nightclub district; Nob Hill, the most upscale residential address in town, and with the most spectacular views over the Bay Area; and Union Square, San Francisco's fashionable shopping hub which sits in the middle of all those "hoods," borders Chinatown, and is pretty much within walking distance (or a short cab ride) of everything a first-time visitor might want to see and do.

The choice for us was obvious--The Westin St. Francis, sitting right on Union Square and convenient to most everywhere we wanted to be. It's no hideaway with its 1,200-ish rooms, but it is one of San Francisco's most iconic and historic hostelries. (For our pick of favorite places to stay, see "Hiding Away in San Francisco.")

I mentioned celebrating a family Thanksgiving, but this one was no traditional Pilgrims' feast of turkey, mashed potatoes, and the usual trimmings. Instead, we headed to a well-known restaurant deep in Chinatown and feasted on a pile of fried salt-and-pepper dungeness crabs along with side dishes of steamed bok choy, winter melon soup, mo shu vegetables, and a table full of other Chinese specialties. All this was at R & G Lounge, an inauspicious-sounding (and looking) place, but one recommended to us by long-time residents of the area, especially for its signature crab dish. Was it great? More like pretty good (a 3-4 out of 5), and certainly interesting. More important, though, was that we all had a good time in a casual dining atmosphere ideal for a family reunion that included a young child--my two-year-old granddaughter, Aurelia. Chinatown was the object of another visit during our stay, for people watching and a traditional Saturday morning dim sum feast at Great Eastern Restaurant--traditional because it's when the elderly gather and eat dim sum after morning exercise. There's no place quite like San Francisco for that dim sum ritual, but reserve a table in advance or arrive early.

Speaking of people watching, Union Square is a great place for that most any time, but especially between Thanksgiving and Christmas when the square is fully decorated for the holidays and even sports an ice-skating rink. There's nothing quite like watching the Bay Area's daring, young and old, trying out their skating legs. From the looks of it, these were folks who'd never experienced real ice and snow, and I must say, we were highly entertained watching them careening into one another, sprawling on the ice with arms and legs flailing in all directions--and all this under palm trees in 70-degree weather. It was a good laugh.

One of the first things you should do when planning a San Francisco trip, as we did, is get a CityPASS^®. For $86 for adults or $64 for kids up to 11, you'll get seven days of unlimited rides on the city's historic cable cars and other forms of municipal transportation, entry to the Aquarium by the Bay or the outlying Monterey Bay Aquarium, a harbor boat tour with the Blue & Gold Fleet, and entry to the Exploratorium or de Young Museum (or both if it's in one day). Plus, you'll be able to skip the ticket lines at these experiences. You can buy the pass online (www.citypass.com) or at any of the featured attractions.

We put our passes to very good use. Riding the cable car was fun, of course, but it also was a really convenient way to get around and check out all the hotels I wanted to see. We spent a glorious Sunday doing everything a greenhorn tourist would do, and loved it--rubbing elbows with the city's denizens enjoying Crissy Field and The Presidio promenade, with its fabulous views of the Golden Gate Bridge; cruising around Alcatraz and under the bridge on a narrated harbor cruise; and checking out the aquarium after a seafood snack at an outdoor restaurant along Fisherman's Wharf, with the ever-present sea lions providing amusement.

We also strolled down the elegant Embarcadero, and then through the mouth-watering and photogenic gourmet food market. An appropriate wrap for the afternoon was a stop for delicious local oysters at the lively Hog Island Oyster Bar in the ferry terminal.

When we weren't checking out the city itself, we took a couple of side trips around the Bay Area. Most notable was a lunch at the very scenic and popular (though not that delicious, in our opinion) Sam's Chowder House, overlooking beautiful Half Moon Bay. Unfortunately, it was rather foggy, but the views would be wonderful on a clear day. And of course, San Francisco offers myriad day-trip possibilities: wine country, Muir Woods, Point Reyes, Sausalito, and more--but those we left for another occasion.

Now that my son and his family live in the Bay Area, I'm sure I'll find many more excuses to return--and good thing, too, because this "sampler" only whetted my appetite for more. After all, we left plenty of other attractions to explore on a future visit, and you can't beat the year-round beautiful climate that northern California offers.

San Francisco Know-How

Getting There: San Francisco's airport is some distance from the downtown area--about 30 minutes and a $50+ taxi ride, depending on traffic and your specific destination. Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) operates rail service to northern San Francisco directly from SFO. If you arrive at the airport during a slow time, as we did, you'll also find that shuttle services to many hotels are negotiable and convenient.

Local Info: San Francisco Travel Association (www.sanfrancisco.travel), the city's convention and visitors bureau, provides a pretty good web resource for what to see and do, where to dine, where to stay, etc., in San Francisco. That said, my search for a couple of restaurants that I wanted further info on turned up nil, which leads me to believe that only businesses that are members of the association are represented. That also might impact the candidness of the information provided.

"Hiding Away" in San Francisco

San Francisco has tons of hotel options. We focused on its city center, mostly 4- and 5-star hotels, with a few interesting 3+ star lodgings thrown in for good measure. The only hotel we experienced in some depth was the Westin St. Francis, where we stayed. Our other reviews and impressions are based on inspections. Because each neighborhood around downtown has its own characteristics--and pro and cons--we've divided our hotel reviews into the "hoods" they occupy.

Union Square

This is the most central part of San Fran, pretty much within walking distance of everything you'd want to see on a first visit or a business trip. It also is shopping central, with all the names you would recognize--Saks, Tiffany, Williams-Sonoma, Macy's, Prada, and more--either around the square or on adjacent streets.

Westin St. Francis : This iconic San Francisco hotel, built in 1904, occupies an enviable site overlooking Union Square. The original historic hotel has been added to with a high-rise annex. The hotel is huge, with some 1,200 rooms divided almost equally between the historic hotel and the annex tower. We stayed in the new section, and that is what I would recommend. Do make sure your room is above the 18th floor, so that you can get city and distant bay views over the older section of the hotel that sits in front of it. The rooms in the newer section are relatively spacious and comfortable enough. Furnishings are pretty institutional but fine. I felt the historic section was in need of an update.

The lobby of the St. Francis is a bustling place, and was especially so at the holidays when it gets a lot of street traffic to view its lobby and its holiday decorations. I also felt the lobby was rather small relative to the number of rooms in the place, and not particularly well designed or welcoming. We found the service to be average at best, with a number of glitches dealing with reception. Overall, it's major attraction is its setting.

Taj Campton Place : Another of San Francisco's iconic hotels, it's set a couple of blocks off of Union Square. Some years back, the hotel was acquired by the Taj Hotel Group of India, well known for high-level service. The atmosphere of this 110-room boutique hotel is contemporary conservative. Its architecture, marrying two buildings together with a central glassy shaft, is quite contemporary. Being city center and not very high, it does not offer any particularly interesting views. The decor and furnishings are elegant and contemporary, if sedate, in beige and pastel tones. As it is set in two older buildings, all the rooms have a rather different configuration but are reasonably spacious, starting at 250 square feet. The Taj Campton Place's restaurant has earned one Michelin star.

Palace Hotel, San Francisco : Set just two to three blocks from Union Square, Palace Hotel is in the Financial District. Rebuilt in 1906 after the famous San Francisco fire, this grand hotel, with its graceful arched galleries, marble floors, and turn-of-the-19^th-century glass-domed garden courtyard, is perhaps the most stylish, in a vintage way, of San Francisco's historic hotels. Its 553 spacious rooms are set off of broad and attractive hallways. Rooms, starting at about 300 square feet, are attractively furnished in a classic style that is in keeping with the vintage spirit of the hotel. Bathrooms, while nice, are a bit dated. The hotel offers an attractive fitness center and heated pool below a skylight dome. The hotel, in a quiet setting, is nevertheless very central to the city's attractions.

Orchard Hotel : Located on Bush Street right next to a stop for the Powell St. cable car, the Orchard is just two blocks from Union Square. Built in 2000, this modern, 104-room hotel definitely qualifies as a boutique. It also takes great pride in its "green" credentials. It was built, and is run, by a Singaporean family, and the decor has a definite contemporary Asian influence in a soft, neutral palette of colors. Its rooms are large, attractively furnished, and fully equipped, complete with complimentary Wi-Fi and partially stocked honor bar/refrigerator. I'd consider this hotel and its sister property, the Orchard Garden Hotel, a couple of blocks away, "sleepers" in the 4-star hotel category at good value rates.

Clift San Francisco : A Morgan's Group property, this hotel is set on Geary Street, a couple of blocks west of Union Square. It's in a vintage building that dates back to 1915 and which was once the tallest building in San Francisco. The Morgan Group refurbished the property in its inimitable style and reopened it in 2001 as the Clift. At 372 rooms, you could argue whether it qualifies as a boutique, though in feel it does. As with most Morgan hotels, it works at making a statement--a hip statement. The entry, lofted to two floors, features a central area where over-sized and/or over-glittery furniture is the dominant art. At the back wall is an inviting gas fireplace built into a wall, strictly for show. Also, there is a comfy sitting and lounging area, the Living Room, across from the reception area. Rooms are smallish, starting at 260 square feet, stylish in a minimalist way, and feature small but attractive and modern bathrooms predominated by grey-stone tile. Of course, they incorporate state-of-the-art entertainment and connectivity.

Handlery Union Square : Part of the San Francisco branch of a two-hotel family-run company, the Handlery is just a half block from Union Square. The older and original Historic Section of the hotel, fronting on Geary Street, dates to 1908 and was purpose-built as a hotel. Behind it and across a courtyard that is home to a small year-round heated pool is the newer Premier Section. The Historic Section houses the majority of the hotel's 377 rooms. I found them rather small and, in spite of a renovation in 2010, rather plain and dated. The rooms in the Premier Section are larger and more modern. The hotel has a very convenient location and seems comfortable, but in terms of architecture and decor, it doesn't measure up to our usual standards for specialness.

Mystic Hotel : This lodging by the highly regarded chef and hospitality entrepreneur, Charlie Palmer, opened in 2011. It's on busy Stockton Street, about a block and a half from Union Square and headed toward Chinatown. I found its setting to be a bit "edgy," i.e., bordering what did not seem like a particularly great neighborhood, but the hotel itself is interesting. It offers 82 smallish rooms that are smart and sleek, with minimalist decor in bold color palettes. Of course, it has all the modern techno gizmos, Wi-Fi is free, and breakfast is included in its rates. I really liked its bar and dining room, with a design that blends old Asian with contemporary furnishings, and features a wall of intimate alcoves or booths where you can dine mysteriously behind curtains. Both the bar and dining room looked like they probably were lively at night. If you're adventurous and the price is right, this hotel could be worth a try.

SoMa

The so-called South of Market Street is the most happening part of San Francisco with new buildings sprouting everywhere. It is the home of several museums and art galleries, including the SF Museum of Modern Art, the Yerba Buena Gardens, an oasis in the midst of the city, the Moscone Convention Center, and ATT Baseball Park as well as sophisticated shopping, restaurants and nightlife. It is but a short walk from here to Union Square but somewhat removed from Chinatown and Fisherman's Wharf.

Zetta - Located in SoMa, just about a block off of Market Street, we really liked this Viceroy Group hotel because of its playful--we don't use that word much to describe hotels--spirit. Viceroy is known for its hip hotels and this one keeps with the formula, adding attractions like a mezzanine floor with table shuffleboard game, a wall-size plinko game descending to the lobby, played with soccer balls, pool table, board games and more in a casual lounge atmosphere. Guest rooms, 116 in total, are a decent size given the expense if real estate in San Fran, starting at 250 s.f. and are of chic modern design with all the hi-tech goodies and connectivity that any millenial would require. A small fitness area and happening bar/restaurant complete the picture.

The St. Regis is set in a glassy high-rise in the middle of the financial district, on 3rd Street, about a long block south of Market Street and next door to the SF Museum of Modern Art. It's 260 rooms, 4-star spa and restaurants occupy the 1st to the 20th floors of the building. It's rooms start at about 450 sq. ft. and, as you'd expect of a St. Regis, are contemporary in feel with a soft decor of whites and beiges. Rooms in the standard, deluxe, and Grand deluxe are generally the same size and with the same features except for the views offered. I liked the fact that closets, with elegant wood exteriors, are all built into a wall making them essentially disappear. The overall look of the rooms is very clean and being relatively new, the rooms lights, utilities, communication, etc. can all be handled from a central bedside computer station. The baths, which all have separate shower and WC, are slick, modern and incorporate a TV for tuning into the news or your favorite program as you get ready to take on the outside world. Baths also sport the European feature of having an opening wall to the bedroom, which can be closed off for privacy. If staying in a suite, you will enjoy complimentary butler service, with your butler contacting you several days before arrival to organize your stay. The hotel features a heated indoor pool that's big enough to do laps, open 24/7 and which enjoys a nice city view.

The Four Seasons is set right on Market Street, about a two block walk from Union Square. Built in 2001, its 277 rooms and suites are spacious and airy, with floor to ceiling windows. Bathrooms are typical Four Seasons, spacious, done in beige marble. Decor is pretty much what you'd expect of a Four Seasons, luxurious, classic/contemporary in muted palettes of beige and pastels--nothing that anyone wouldn't like but nothing that stands out either. Ask for a south facing room that enjoys a view of the city and bay in the distance. I liked the reception area, which was lively with an attractive bar/restaurant adjoining it. And, what does stand out at the Four Seasons is that all guests have access to the extensive Sports Club LA facilities in the same building. This includes full workout facilities, a large heated lap pool, a basketball court and bar/restaurants in a clubby atmosphere.

Embarcadero/Fisherman's Wharf

This is where all the waterfront action is, along with the best water views. Because of that, it's also something of a tourist magnet.

The Argonaut : This is one of the Kimpton Group of hotels, which got its start here in San Francisco. Its setting, in the thick of Fisherman's Wharf, is somewhat touristy but ideal for exploring this part of the city. The Argonaut is set in a vintage waterside building that features lots of red brick and exposed beams. It sports a very nautical theme, both in the common areas and its 252 rooms and suites. The rooms are on the smallish side but nicely furnished, cozy, and with nice, if small, bathrooms. Suites are really spacious and, depending on the season, can be a good value. Upper-level rooms and suites offer either partial views of the bay, Alcatraz, and the Golden Gate or of the city itself. We've booked a lot of Hideaways members at the Argonaut, and they've all returned with good reports about the hotel and its staff. I found the staff most willing to help and show me around.

Hotel Vitale : Set on the Embarcadero, this boutique hotel offers really nice city and water views with a particularly good perspective on the Oakland Bay Bridge. The cable car and Ferry Terminal are a short walk away. Its 200 rooms are pretty spacious, contemporary in decor, and offer a long list of amenities. We particularly liked the terrace suites and the circular suites, which have a spectacular view of the waterfront and Bay Bridge. A small spa adds to this 8-year-old hotel's charm.

Nob Hill

This neighborhood boasts some of the most panoramic views in the city. It was, and continues to be, one of the most prestigious residential districts of the city and home to a number of its most historic luxury hotels. It is rather more sedate than the other neighborhoods discussed and a little more difficult from which to get around the city, at least on foot.

InterContinental Mark Hopkins: No discussion of San Francisco hotels would be complete without including the Mark Hopkins, now part of the InterContinental Hotels Group, and its famous Top of the Mark bar and restaurant, which enjoy panoramic views over the city and bay. Even if you don't stay here, having a drink at the Top of the Mark is de rigueur for a first-time visit to San Fran.

The hotel is named for Mark Hopkins, one of the original four investors in the Central Pacific Railroad in 1861. The current hotel opened in December of 1926, on the site of the Victorian gabled mansion that Hopkins' wife persuaded him to build in 1878. It is just 19 floors with a central tower and two wings in an architectural style that blends French chateaux and Spanish Renaissance. The entry and its public spaces are appropriately grand. Its famous Room of the Dons, with vast murals memorializing the settlers of California, is used for weddings, balls, and meetings, and is quite unique. Clearly, the hotel celebrates its history, even devoting what was once the "Telephone Room" to a collection of memorabilia.

Despite the grandeur of the setting and architecture and the fact that the Mark Hopkins is operated by one of the largest international chains of hotels, at 277 rooms, it is actually quite intimate. Because this is an older hotel, those rooms tend to vary in size and shape. However, all feature up-to-date baths, electronics, and amenities. The furnishings and decor are definitely formal and traditional. My favorite room was the Terrace Suite, set high on the corner with an attractive outdoor furnished terrace with dramatic views over the city and bay, and even peek-a-boo views of the Golden Gate Bridge.

By the way, I was told that Top of the Mark will no longer be serving meals--a logistic challenge as there is no kitchen at that level--but will be strictly a venue for Sunday Brunch and nightly cocktails and snacks.

The Scarlet Huntington : The landmark Huntington Hotel is no more! As of early 2014, it was rechristened The Scarlet Huntington by its new Singaporean owners. The staid old boutique hotel of Nob Hill, dating back to 1924, has taken on a new, livelier style and decor, reflecting the Singaporean Straits/Chinese heritage of its owners. I was aware of an impending change when I toured the hotel in late 2013--just wasn't sure what would be involved in that change. Certainly elements of this institution were in need of a refurb. What hasn't changed is that it is still in a fabulous setting with wonderful views, sports an attractive and intimate reception area, and has just 136 quite spacious rooms. Also, I understand that many of the staff, some of whom have been with the hotel for more than 20 years remain.

Also, from what I was able to tell from its website, its famous Big 4 Restaurant and next-door bar have stayed as they have been since time immemorial. This vintage venue feels much like an "old boy's" club, with ample mahogany, green leather seating, and walls decorated with vintage paintings and photos depicting the history of San Francisco and its famous residents. The restaurant/lounge is named for the original Big 4 industrialists/railroad magnates--not the Google, Facebook, and other Internet whiz kids of today--who were responsible for much of the original wealth of San Francisco, notably Huntington, Hopkins, Stanford, and Crocker. It looks like a great place to enjoy a cocktail and dinner. We'll have to check out and report on the new Scarlet Huntington on our next visit to San Fran.