San Francisco Elegance

   A Cozy Nook at the Huntington Hotel on Nob Hill

Some of my most memorable moments have been created in fine hotels and restaurants.  There’s something about sitting in the lap of luxury that makes you never forget the place, the moment or the person with whom you share such an experience.  I remember dining at Paris’s famed La Tour d’Argent with my mother and then French husband to celebrate the publication of my first book, “The Chic Shopper’s Guide to Paris,” and staying at The Peninsula in Hong Kong on the occasion of a wild fling (mon dieu!) with a fellow travel writer.  These all happened many years ago but in my mind, the details are so vivid it seems as though they happened yesterday.  There have been many fabulous hotels and restaurants since and I know I could sit down today and parse the most impressionable moments from each.

My times in Motel 6’s and Super 8’s have escaped me entirely.

This is why people splurge from time to time to sample such fine establishments.  They might blow a week’s salary on an amazing long weekend but in the end, they have created a lifetime’s worth of memories.  And yes, this is still happening today.  Not only do people realize the necessity for marking special occasions such as a birthday, an anniversary or just a romantic weekend away, but the deals on many of the world’s landmark properties are better than ever.  So if it comes down to choices, why not consider a lodging or dining extravagance over an addition to your wardrobe or another electronic gadget?

I recently discovered the Huntington Hotel in San Francisco and have added it to my list of most unforgettable hotels.  Situated amongst other grand residences in the stately neighborhood of Nob Hill, this elegant establishment has been graciously welcoming discerning travelers for eighty-five years.  Its close proximity to Union Square, the center of town, provides it with an ideal location, yet you truly feel away-from-it-all atop Nob Hill, the very place where the railroad barons of the Central Pacific Line chose to establish residence at the latter part of the nineteenth century.  Fisherman’s Wharf and Chinatown are also within walking distance, but you might not want to venture far since a lively collection of shops and bistrots have also taken up residence on Nob HIll, just a couple of blocks from The Huntington.

If you do stay here, you might even want to leave the bulk of your sight-seeing for another trip since it’s easy to become ensconced in the grandeur of this superlative hotel.  I love its Old World charm which may be best experienced within the cozy confines of its bar area, a wood-paneled enclave, perfect for speaking in hushed tones to the one you love.  Yet like most of the world’s long-established luxury hotels, its amenities are completely twenty-first century.  Nob Hill Spa at The Huntington Hotel serves as a prime example.  This serene space had been conceived with both Elysian pampering and big city de-stressing in mind.  

And I assure you, you’re likely not to forget your time spent at this spa, or within the entire Huntington Hotel, as long as you live.

The Huntington Hotel & Nob Hill Spa, 1075 California Street, 415-474-5400, www.huntingtonhotel.com

Nob Hill Spa at Dusk