the best view in San Francisco?

Tower Suite view (c) 2018 by David Ourisman

It was a rainy April day in San Francisco, quite unusual weather for this time of the year. Claire and I were staying at the Ritz Carlton two blocks down California Street from the Fairmont San Francisco. What's a weekend hotel stay to celebrate our wedding anniversary without a hotel site inspection at another property? So we arranged a visit to the Fairmont to begin our anniversary celebration.

High atop Nob Hill, the Fairmont would seem to promise some of the best views of San Francisco Bay, and that's indeed the case if you choose the right room. The hotel has two wings. The historic Main Building opened its doors as a hotel in 1907 and is protected as a National Historic Landmark. This wing preserves its original belle epoque glamor — a lobby graced by marble floors, high marble columns, and a pair of priceless 15th century gilded mirrors, among other architectural features. Its wide hallways are designed to accommodate ladies in hoop skirts, and its rooms are comfortably sized, some with exceptionally large closets, but bathrooms are small with a single vanity and shower-in-tub. (Historical status prevented the hotel from altering walls to create larger, more up-to-date bathrooms).

The rooms with a view are found in the newer Tower Wing. While its exterior lacks the belle epoque features of the main building, its rooms offer marble bathrooms with separate soaking tubs and step-in showers ... and views. Pictured above is the view from a Tower Suite. Ask for a high floor on a wall facing Telegraph Hill, and you'll be able to enjoy a view of Telegraph Hill, Coit Tower, and San Francisco Bay ... on a clear day.

For something super special, book the Penthouse. Your private six thousand square foot apartment, the Penthouse has everything you could possibly imagine and more: three bedrooms, an immense living room with grand piano, a room just for a pool table, a circular two-story library with the historic desk on which the United Nations Charter was drafted, a large tiled patio directly facing the Transamerica pyramid ... and history. US Presidents have stayed in the Penthouse — including JFK and RFK who reportedly brought romantic interests into the suite through a secret doorway in the library ... and Bill Clinton who went through that door onto the roof to play his saxophone. He was missing for several hours, greatly alarming his Secret Service detail.

Originally owned by James Fair, who made his fortune in California's silver rush, his daughters built this Belle Epoque palace, naming it after their father. The Fairmont San Francisco is the first hotel in the Fairmont chain.

copyright  (c)  2018 by Ourisman Travel LLC.  All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit our website.

I blame the bean counters at Marriott

view from the Club Lounge at Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay

Ritz Carlton is truly one of my favorite hotel brands. It is for this very reason that I want to push back against the new cancellation policy being instituted by Marriott, its corporate parent. A few Ritz Carlton hotels still have a one day cancel deadline (Buckhead!), but most Ritz Carlton hotels now adhere to the 2-3 day cancelation deadline that is the new Marriott standard.

I blame the bean counters. This self-inflicted corporate unfriendliness is bad news for guests and bad news for Marriott Luxury Brands. I have nothing but the highest admiration for the ladies and gentlemen of Ritz Carlton, among the warmest and most gracious hosts in the entire luxury hotel industry. This unfortunate policy makes life harder for everyone, especially their business guests who need flexibility when they travel for business. What the Marriott bean counters may not appreciate is that this also makes life harder both for their travel partners (luxury travel advisors like myself) and for our Ritz Carlton Guardian Angels. I'm thinking of all the time I'll waste requesting waivers of cancellation penalties ... and the time my Guardian Angels will waste working on exceptions for my clients.

I acknowledge that cancellation penalties can serve a valid function. Once a room has been sold, it's "off the market" and cannot be resold. Last-minute cancellations do not leave enough time to re-sell that room. It's reasonable for the guest to compensate the hotel in the form of a one-night penalty if the cancellation prevents the hotel from selling the room to someone else. But unless a hotel is nearing a sell-out, nothing is really lost.

My appeal to the bean counters... read the Mission Statement of Ritz Carlton, and realize how this policy contradicts that mission:

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel is a place where the genuine care and comfort of our guests is our highest mission.  

We pledge to provide the finest personal service and facilities for our guests who will always enjoy a warm, relaxed, yet refined ambience.  

The Ritz-Carlton experience enlivens the senses, instills well-being, and fulfills even the unexpressed wishes and needs of our guests. 

My appeal to my clients and fans of Ritz Carlton: vote with your dollars. You don't have to tolerate minimum 3-day cancel deadlines at city hotels. The only way the bean counters will get the message is for us to send our business to their worthy competitors. Just checked a random day in New York City, and the cancel deadline is just one day at Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, Fairmont (The Plaza), Peninsula, Park Hyatt, and Rosewood (The Carlyle). 

copyright (c) 2017 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso® Member. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

The Claremont Resort & Spa | a Fairmont Hotel

renovated lobby with a whimsical, contemporary flair

Having first opened in 1915, just over one century ago, the Claremont Resort was recently acquired by Fairmont and has undergone a massive $45 million renovation. Set in the Berkeley Hills, with a commanding view of San Francisco Bay, the Claremont is an iconic landmark in the East Bay, the largest all-wood structure west of the Mississippi. The preeminent hotel in Berkeley, it is a full-service resort with a renowned Spa. Its fully equipped Health Club, Pool, and Tennis Club are quite popular with us locals (memberships are available to the public). Perhaps the hotel's biggest claim to fame was the use of its pool area for scenes in the Robin Williams comedy, Mrs. Doubtfire.

The results of the renovation are remarkable. Pictured above is a view of the front desk area. The lobby has the same grand dimensions, but it has been updated and made much lighter and more contemporary in the process. A large adjoining room formerly used for meetings now opens into the lobby, creating a bar area with views of the bay.

The resort has 276 rooms and suites over 9 floors, all of which were renovated in 2015. An historic hotel, every room is a bit different, but you should expect rooms that are smaller than those in newly constructed hotels. We were shown a Deluxe Bay View room — it had the feel of a "Superior" room to me; the bathroom had a step-in shower (no tub), a single vanity, and toilet. The Signature Bay View was larger, and its bathroom also provided a large soaking tub. The rooms to aspire to are Tower Suites and the Presidential Suite. The $26 resort fee entitles guests to free WiFi, daily newspaper, and (in effect) complimentary membership in the Claremont Club during their stay.

The Claremont has applied for Virtuoso membership. Until that time, I can get clients "informal" amenities including upgrades if available and a welcome amenity.

copyright (c) 2016 by Ourisman Travel LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.

San Francisco and the Bay Bridge

I feel very fortunate to live in the San Francisco Bay Area. This iconic view of San Francisco was photographed just 300 feet from my home. While much of the country is suffering with frigid cold temperatures combined with blustery winds, we are enjoying a stretch of February days in the 70's.

So come and visit! To enjoy the view from Berkeley, you might stay at The Claremont - a Fairmont Resort (whose famous spa and pool was featured in Mrs. Doubtfire)  ... or the Shattuck Plaza Hotel in downtown Berkeley, walking distance from a myriad of eclectic ethnic dining opportunities. You can even dine at world-famous Chez Panisse.

Or spend a weekend in the City, famous for its cuisine with too many great restaurants to mention. Where to stay? Top choices are the Four Seasons right on Market Street, the Ritz-Carlton on Nob Hill, or the St. Regis next door to the soon-to-reopen SFMOMA. And I can save you money at each of these hotels with Four Seasons Preferred Partner and Virtuoso amenities that offer free breakfast for two daily, hotel credits that can mean free lunches or dinners, upgrades, and more.

copyright (c) 2016 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.