San Francisco stay is so suite!
Based on current flight delays, erratic weather and recent fines imposed on airlines for late arrivals, two days might be a better option. The old rule of putting the delayed traveller on the next flight doesn’t work any more . . . it’s usually packed full, often oversold.
Since it was so early in the season and the tourist rush still ahead, we took off for San Francisco only one day early because of time pressures.
American Airlines’ Flight 1687 left on time, and arrived the same. Our fare was $451.80 per person round trip and we opted to use 30,000 frequent flyer miles each to upgrade to guaranteed First Class.
That price was quite the bargain, covering flights to San Francisco, then a commuter connection from Vancouver to Seattle via Horizon Air, a division of Alaska Airlines; finally, Seattle to Chicago was again American First Class.
Service on all flights was excellent and the return dinner from Seattle was especially good. There was no offering of a pre-take-off drink, but mimosas and the usual mixed nuts were served soon afterwards.
The flight out was on one of those gloriously clear blue-sky days, with snow-covered peaks absolutely dazzling. My brother Jim has our father’s remarkable talent for aerial reconnaissance and this was the perfect day for it.
Pointing out landmarks all the way west, he suddenly enthused, “There’s Yosemite!” as he recognised Half Dome and the Ahwanee Hotel, far, far below. Window shades around us shot up as dozing or reading passengers peered out their windows.
Pulling those shades ignoring the world below is something this traveller has never been able to understand and has been long wanting to write a column on this subject. They’re missing a fabulous course in geography.
“There’s Bridal Veil falls, but I haven’t located Yosemite Falls yet,” he commented. “There it is, over to the side,” said the woman in front of us, now as excited as us by the view.
Anyone visiting San Francisco will face the same problem we did . . . choosing among a tempting collection of hotels.
It would be hard to top the excitement level of our first trip there as youngsters, when we were taken to the Top of the Mark at the noted Mark Hopkins Hotel and felt very adult sipping our “Shirley Temple” cocktails while gazing down at the city. Our world-traveller Uncle Arthur had insisted my parents take us there.
Over the years on return visits, we’ve stayed at a cross-section of properties there. Last time, in September 2004, ready to sail off on Crystal Harmony, we’d chosen Hilton’s Fisherman’s Wharf for its convenient location, using frequent stay points, something rare for us.
We thought, why not do it again? Normally, we have a bad habit of letting hotel points accumulate until they sometimes expire.
Interestingly, the point charge had doubled. “But there’s no space available that day,” said the reservations person.
“No space?”
“Not for redeeming points, but yes, if you pay for it. If you were still gold, it would be different,” she admitted. We hadn’t stayed at that many Hilton properties the previous year and slipped from gold.
It’s a good location if you’ve not been to Fisherman’s Wharf and want to explore that area. That wasn’t our intent this time. Then Jim had a great idea, remembering a Hilton property we’d especially enjoyed on a trip returning to San Francisco to fly home after retracing our paternal Great Great Grandfather Benjamin Emerson’s Gold Rush adventures.
It was an Embassy Suites set on a large piece of waterfront acreage directly on San Francisco Bay (actually in Burlingame) that had a unique resort flavour.
We’d arrived late in the afternoon and hadn’t been able to thoroughly enjoy the setting because we were busy struggling to pack a large, vintage “dry-wash” bought at a Placerville, California antiques shop.
Dating back to the Gold Rush, it unfolded from the centre to usually hold two large washtubs with a wringer in the centre. It was probably used by Chinese coolies who ran laundries in the gold camps.
It was in excellent condition and we eventually used the “dry-wash” at the 150th birthday party we gave for our house, which was built in 1847. We located two vintage, galvanised tubs, filled them with ice and bottles of champagne and spumante and set the whole thing up on one of our terraces as part of the bar arrangementK>But<$> that hectic evening at Embassy Suites, we were busy trying to loosen its protruding wringer handle, which proved an insurmountable challenge, even for a well-equipped garage where we took it in desperation next morning.Finally, we were forced to ship it on American Airlines as a piece of baggage. Carefully encased except for the protruding handle, remarkably at no addition charge, it arrived in one piece undamaged.
Meanwhile, while all that was going on, we missed the complimentary evening cocktail reception and extensive cooked breakfast. But the bay- front location was so appealing, we decided on an encore visit.
Rather than use frequent stay points, we opted to pay instead. Water-view rooms are more expensive and when using points you can take pot luck on location. We wanted to be assured of a guaranteed view.The complimentary hotel shuttle arrived soon after our call and the property turned out to be even more impressive than we remembered. Multi-millions had just been spent on refurbishment and it showed. Everything was pristine.
Turns out three top floors are reserved for members of the Hilton Honours Programme, reached only by key card. Room 941 definitely had a very impressive view. A dramatic high, arched balcony, reminiscent of one I’d enjoyed at Southampton Princess, had floor-to-ceiling glass doors.
Panoramic views extended out across beautifully landscaped grounds surrounding a large lagoon, on over to the Bay waterfront, with mountains beyond. It was worthy of a destination stay, rather than just an overnight.
It was a bright, sunny afternoon, perfect for a walk around the lagoon and along San Francisco Bay to stretch our legs after the flight.
We soon found there are many things that make this Embassy Suites special, a real class operation. A large plaque in the grounds pays homage to Robert Woolley, the man who built this property and we were told was known as “the father of the all-suite concept”.
He had the foresight to set aside this large piece of very valuable acreage as an unspoiled nature area and it’s a delight. A wide, paved path winds down along the Bay, past fishing piers where eager anglers try their luck.
Then it’s on beside a breakwater, under the shade of specimen trees, and past a shore-side restaurant. You continue circling this expansive lagoon where cormorants, herons and numerous other birds are also busy fishing.
White and blue agapanthus (Nile lily) line banks. There are benches for relaxing, either in sun or under shade of umbrella-like trees.
It’s a gorgeous walk, which is also popular with some locals who bring their dogs for a stroll. But circling it four different times during our stay, we had it mostly to ourselves.
Other guests were busy enjoying the indoor pool and other facilities. At breakfast next morning, we met a retired merchant marine who brings his twentyish daughters there to enjoy weekends away from the city. In early May they had special, modestly priced “friends and family” offers as low as $119 plus tax per suite. The two room suites have two queen beds (or king) and double pullout sofa bed. That Friday night was a total sell out and once you see the location, it’s easy to understand why.
An Embassy Suites trademark is usually an attractive atrium garden setting. Lush plantings range from palm trees to bamboo, with waterfalls, meandering streams, benches and tables located in this garden setting.
We’ve always found them appealing, but this one is definitely the star in the chain’s crown. Opened 20 years ago, it has giant palms which are now just short of touching the ten-storey glass roof. Never before have we encountered such a dramatic jungle interior garden . . . even in Hawaii or Thailand.
A two-hour-long cocktail hour in this dramatic setting makes one feel they’re in some exotic tropical location. We stopped in just briefly, though, because we wanted to circle the extensive grounds yet again, so enjoyable was that setting.
There was only one drawback . . . Sheraton had built a particularly ugly high-rise hotel on the very far fringe of Embassy’s property. It looked like a recycled maximum security prison. One can only imagine where its architect got his inspiration . . . San Quentin? Or perhaps they’d spent too much time peering out at Alcatraz which actually looks interesting in comparison.
San Francisco, like many major cities, offers shared van service from airport to city and on to the cruise pier. So we took Embassy’s courtesy shuttle back to the terminal, then proceeded to pier 39 for $40 including tip.
It was a scenic drive, up and down the city’s fabled hills, through its varied neighbourhoods, a stop to drop passengers at the St. Francis Hotel. It was a very relaxed, low-key, stress-less departure, one we hope to repeat on our next trip to this area.
The charge for all this atmosphere and comfort at Embassy Suites’ Burlingame, California property was a very comfortable $174 including tax. It would have been less for a non-water view, or special package.
Its spacious two rooms had two televisions, refrigerator, wet bar, large bathroom with super plush towels and beds with triple sheeting. Next time we’ll come earlier and stay longer.
Our holiday in San Francisco is just remarkably suite . . .
