Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
86
VERY EXPENSIVE
Four Seasons
The lobb y of this über-luxurious hotel is a sleek, spacious,
multi-roomed tribute to Ar t Deco elegance. The extremely professional concierges will
stop at nothing to ensur e that ev ery family member 's needs ar e met. M ilk and cookies
greet kids 6 and under; those 7 and up get r oot beer and popcorn. Childr en staying in
their own room receive a personal minibar key , entitling them to such goodies as milk,
Oreos, and granola bars (and unlike the r oom rates, these snacks—at a dollar or two
apiece—are deliberately inexpensiv e to keep par ents happy). The hotel ev en supplies
bathrobes to fit every member of the family. Parents of infants get a fully outfitted crib ,
diaper genie, wipes, baby shampoo, and so on.
Each of the tastefully opulent and sizable r ooms is outfitted with a S ony PlayStation
and CD player. The concierge can also send up a VCR, DVD player, or board games on
request. Several interconnecting rooms, such as a r oom with king-siz e bed and a r oom
with double queen-size beds, are available. The junior suites feature a room with king-size
bed and living room with a foldout sofa bed. All of the spacious marble bathr ooms have
separate tubs and showers. Four Seasons guests have access to the adjacent S ports Club/
LA, which has a pool. F or kids planning to splash ar ound, the concierge will supply
passes to the S an Francisco Marriott hotel pool, which is accessible via the hotel 's back
entrance. If you didn't have to walk out the building to use a pool in a dr eary-looking
room, I'd name the F our Seasons the top family hotel in S an Francisco. (As it is, that
honor goes to the St. Regis, noted below.)
757 Market St. (at 3rd St.), San Francisco, CA 94103.
&
415/633-3000.
Fax 415-633-3001. www.fourseasons.
com/sanfrancisco. 277 units. $439-$600 double; from $845 suite. $30 for 3rd adult in room; kids under 18
stay free in parent's room. No rollaways; cribs free. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Valet parking $46. Small pets w el-
come (1 per room).
Amenities:
Restaurant; bar; health club; concierge; courtesy car; business center; room
service; massage; babysitting; laundry service; dry cleaning.
In room:
A/C, TV/DVD w/movies, games, data-
port, high-speed Internet access, minibar, coffeemaker (on request), hair dryer, iron, safe, iPod dock.
4
Palace Hotel
This landmark hotel—built in 1875, r ebuilt after the 1906 fir e,
restored in 1991, r enovated again in 2003, and still honor ed by the National Trust for
Historic Preservation—is aptly named. The over-the-top decor, complete with burgundy
carpeting, massive chandeliers, marble columns, and the spectacular glass-roofed Garden
Court restaurant (made with 80,000 panes of glass), will make kids think they've entered
into an actual royal residence. Bedrooms, though much less grand, ar e sizable, and even
the standard doubles ar e large enough to accommodate a crib . Marble bathrooms and
14-foot ceilings add to the grandeur; in-r oom refrigerators, 24-hour r oom service, and
three restaurants, including the excellent Kyo-ya (Japanese/sushi), add convenience. The
Palace Spa contains an attractiv e indoor lap pool with a glass ceiling (childr en must be
supervised by someone 16 or over).
Fun Facts
Stump the Tour Guide
Everyone knows that Enrico Caruso, the world-famous opera star, was staying at
the Palace Hotel when the great earthquake of 1906 struck. He is remembered,
too, for running out of the hotel and vowing never to return to San Francisco.
Question:
What was he wearing when he made his escape?
Answer:
A towel. I
don't know if he returned it.
