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We Dialed A Bath At The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay

Where: 1 Miramontes Point Road [map], Half Moon Bay, CA, United States, 94019

Staying at a luxury resort can sometimes feel like falling through a rabbit hole of helplessness. Even if you're accustomed to, say, setting an alarm clock or parking a car, why should you when someone is at the ready to do it for you? It's like being a baby who can drink.

We thought we'd seen the best of this before we encountered the Bath Butler at the Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay in California. A Gatsby-esque mansion blown up to Size XL along the foggy coast, the property, which opened in 2001, advertises such amenities as a cart for returning joggers offering towels and water (chilled or room temperature?) and a bagpiper who plays on the terrace at sunset.

Really, for this apartment dweller, the lounge-worthy alcove bathtub would have been delight enough, but having someone draw the bath for us sounded like a pretty great deal.

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Tags: Green Hotels / Hotel Openings / California Hotels / → All Tags

New Oceano Hotel Is Green But Hiding It

Where: 280 Capistrano Rd [map], Half Moon Bay, CA, United States, 94019

It took a while for the permits and red tape to go through, but the Oceano Hotel and Spa in Half Moon Bay, south of San Francisco, is finally up and running. It's got a range of five rooms from the basic Princeton right up to the Grand Oceano Villa; views from all of these vary from Pacific Ocean and Half Moon Bay water views to outlooks over the Montara Mountains. All pretty nice.

The Oceano is also proud to be environmentally friendly, even though it has tried to make sure its eco-friendly features are "discreetly concealed" so that luxury is still the focus. Some of these green features include:

chemical-free laundry and room cleaning, energy saving lighting, low VOC paints and materials, and eco-smart suites that save energy and water and reduce waste.

There are no advertised special offers yet--the website just says they're "coming soon"--but current rack rates start from $249 per night for the Princeton Room, ranging up to $449 per night for the largest villa. As far as we can tell, the wireless internet access is included in that price, something you certainly can't take for granted these days.