Hotels

The Fairmont Hotel - San Francisco, CA

My folks are in town for a week and they got a great deal on a stay at the historic Fairmont Hotel at the top of Nob Hill in San Francisco. The thing about those deals is that they’re usually for tiny rooms with no view. Lucky thing my awesome cousin Andrea works for the Fairmont in Boston. She helped them get an upgrade to a Tower Room, which can be summed up in four words: Bathroom With a View.

Look at the size of that window!

Seriously, the best thing about a fancy hotel is having a bathroom the size of a condo. The Fairmont does not disappoint, with a big tub, separate shower and capacious “toilet area” — and marble for miles and miles!

And then there is the giant picture window, looking down California Street, down Nob Hill, with the Bay Bridge in the background. Stunning. You just want to stand there, looking out the window.

Eventually you do have to sleep — that is the point of a hotel room. And when my folks crawled into bed, they slept soundly on Frette linen ensembles on the pillow top beds. It’s a luxury hotel, pretty much exactly what you’d expect.

Morning brew and pastry at Caffe Cento

The big surprise hit for them, and for my aunt and uncle who stayed across the street at the Mark Hopkins, was the tiny Caffe Cento, on the ground floor of Powell Street. Coffee, tea, croissants, and perfectly foamed milk. Every morning got off to a great start.

Other things to know about staying at the San Francisco Fairmont:

If you join The President’s club, they waive the gym fee and you don’t have to pay for wifi. Did I mention it’s free to join? No brainer.

You gotta visit The Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar. Booze, music, delicious Pacific Rim island cuisine and a rain storm. Yeah, it rains in the middle of the bar. Also, the happy hour buffet special — all you can eat for $9.50 — on Thursday and Friday nights is off the hook. Just plan on it.

Million dollar views from the penthouse suite - literally!

And sometimes, when I’m dreaming big, I plan to stay in the Penthouse Suite, which has space to entertain 100 people with:

• 4 bathrooms
• fireplace
• library
• dining room
• billiard room
• a to die for balcony