a perfect Bay Area weekend getaway

view from 668, Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay (c) 2018 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

With so many ways for Bay Area residents to spend a romantic weekend, it's hard to choose! This Thanksgiving, we returned to Half Moon Bay, California. The Bay Area is such a pleasure when the roads are empty! Leaving home a bit after 11 a.m. on Thursday morning, Waze routed us over the Bay Bridge, through San Francisco, and treated us to a relaxing drive down the coast. We pulled up to the entrance to the Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay by noon.

Hanging out in the Club... Our room was ready, and after unpacking, we went straight to the Club for lunch. If you've never booked a Club room at a Ritz-Carlton, you're missing a treat. With five meal presentations during the day, the lunch spread included pumpkin soup, sandwiches, salads, cheeses, and desserts ... not to mention Ritz Carlton's addictive chocolate chip cookies. The breakfast buffet now includes an omelet station where the chef will cook your eggs to order ... and Club guests enjoy complimentary cocktails in the late afternoon ... and dessert temptations in the evening.

Golf anyone? The Club's windows look out over the 9th green of the Ocean Course of the Half Moon Bay Golf Links, and I had fun watching golfers playing the hole. But you don't have to just watch... golfers will enjoy the challenge of playing two championship courses — the Old Course and the Ocean Course.

Half Moon Bay is a town with cute shops and good restaurants. We reserved a table for two for Thanksgiving Dinner at Pasta Moon, and our meal was excellent. There were six main course menu options, but I chose the Diestel Farms Turkey — moist and flavorful! I loved my dessert of Warm Molten Chocolate Cake with a scoop of vanilla chocolate gelato. Reservations were definitely necessary, so I'm glad I consulted Open Table.

There's plenty to do to fill a weekend. You can stay at the Ritz-Carlton and luxuriate in the spa — or you can venture forth to hike the redwoods or explore miles of beaches. Here's my blog from my last visit two years ago.

The smart way to stay at RC Half Moon Bay — book through your Virtuoso travel consultant and enjoy a complimentary Full Breakfast for two daily as well as a $100 credit towards a heavenly spa treatment.

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 my website.

Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay | superlatives

Old Course, 18th Hole (c) 2016 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

I can't say enough good things about our three night stay at Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay. We've had three glorious days on the coast. The weather has been beautiful. The area offers a lot of reasons to visit. The hotel is one of the finest Ritz Carlton resorts I've ever visited. I absolutely love the views from my room — a Firepit room facing the 18th green of the Ocean Course ... admitting floor-to-ceiling views of the sky, sea, fairway, and mountains.

I took this picture Sunday morning from the Club Lounge on the 5th floor of the hotel looking north. You can see the pounding surf, the soft light of the dawn (about 7 a.m.), and the 18th hole of the Old Course. Sitting by the window, it was fun watching golfers playing this challenging hole and follow their shots from tee to fairway (or rough) to green (or sand trap). Although one golfer shot a par, there were many more bogies or worse.

Just 23 miles south of San Francisco, consider Ritz Carlton for a weekend getaway (or midweek, if you're retired!). Our clients receive the following Virtuoso amenities:

• Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
• Daily full breakfast, for up to two in room guests
• $100 USD Equivalent Spa Services credit, to be utilized during stay (valid for treatments and/or spa retail products, not combinable, no cash value if not redeemed in full)
• Early check-in/late check-out, subject to availability

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 Diego weekend getaway

San Diego is a great destination for a weekend getaway. Quick and easy to reach from the San Francisco Bay area (my flight time was under 70 minutes), San Diego is also convenient to any number of destinations in the west.

What to do? Go to the beach. Visit the world-famous San Diego Zoo and the affiliated Wild Animal Park. Take the kids to Sea World or Lego Land. Watch a baseball game at Petco Park. Enjoy the nightlife in the Gaslamp Quarter. Or spend a day at Balboa Park (which features more museums than any other park in the world). Every Sunday afternoon, enjoy a free Organ Concert in Balboa Park. From the picture above, you can guess what I did this past Sunday!

Where to stay? There are a number of great San Diego luxury hotels, but here are two suggestions.

The Grand Del Mar is a brand new resort located about 20 minutes north of downtown San Diego. Finished a couple of years ago, it was built around an existing 18 hole golf course that has been redesigned by Tom Fazio. The resort resembles an elaborate Tuscan estate with marble floors, limestone pillars, beautiful painted ceilings, and lushly decorated guest rooms. Besides golf, the Grand Del Mar offers several swimming pools — including an adults-only pool, tennis courts, and a spa. Free transportation is provided for all guests within a 14 mile radius, a chance to enjoy a day at the beach or enjoy other San Diego area attractions. Pricing is extremely attractive this summer, and there's even an Unlimited Golf package. Virtuoso guests enjoy an upgrade at time of booking, daily full breakfast for two, and a generous resort credit — all at the Best Available Rate.

The US Grant is a historic hotel in downtown San Diego, adjacent to the Gaslamp District and all its exciting nightlife. When you stay, be sure to ask for the brief historic tour of the building offered by Clifford; he will describe some architectural features of the hotel, explain some historic photographs, and point out the immense hand-woven silk rug in the lobby, features you might otherwise fail to notice. Built by the son of President Grant, the US Grant originally opened in 1910. The rooms are comfortable, and the Grant Grille is an excellent fine dining restaurant. Virtuoso guests receive an upgrade on arrival if available, a complimentary Full Breakfast daily for up to two in-room guests, and a $75 credit towards incidental expenses during your stay.

To take advantage of the complimentary amenities at the Grand Del Mar, the US Grant, and over 800 luxury hotels worldwide, simply book through a Virtuoso luxury travel consultant.

San Diego luxury hotels (search here on Google)


copyright (c) 2009 by David J. Ourisman. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.
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