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Twitpic of the Week: The Sun Also Rises In San Francisco

Where: 55 Cyril Magnin Street [map], San Francisco, CA, United States, 94102

In the ever-expanding universe of Twitter, there is one particular trend @HotelChatter happens to quite enjoy: candid hotel photos. These Twitpics range from stunning views to anti-views to celebrity tomfoolery and everything in between. And we can't get enough of 'em! Every Monday, we will feature one "Twitpic of the Week" to commemorate our favorite hotel-themed snapshot. Got a favorite of your own? Want to show off your sweet suite? Send it in!

We caught Conan O'Brien with his goofy hotel cookie last week, so we thought we'd change the mood today with something a little more...picturesque. @dens, also known as Dennis Crowley, co-founder of Foursquare, tweeted this shot from his room at San Francisco's Parc 55 Wyndham last Wednesday morning, capturing some brilliantly illuminated boats out in the bay.

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Getting Cozy In San Francisco

Where: 495 Geary Street [map], San Franscico, CA, United States, 94102

We should probably tell you right off the bat: being the hotel geeks we are, the most exciting thing for us about staying at Clift Hotel some months back was nabbing a limited-edition T-shirt.

It says 'I left my heart in San Francisco' and, in tiny lettering on the back, simply 'Clift'. So cute and cozy! The same could be said for the hotel itself...

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Stay at Sir Francis Drake's New Rooms and Save 10 Percent Off

Where: 450 Powell St. [map], San Francisco, CA, United States, 94102

People are buzzing about Bristol Palin's possible plastic surgery. But the hotel nerds that we are, we're less interested in the baby mama's new face and more into the facelift at the Sir Francis Drake Hotel in San Francisco.

The renovations to the rooms in the 1928 hotel won't be done till mid-June—and the lobby and Harry Denton's Starlight Room won't be ready until August—but you can get a sneak peek at the new guestrooms for as low as $149 a night.

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Coast through San Francisco on the Clift's New Bikes

Where: 495 Geary St. [map], San Francisco, CA, United States, 94102

The best way to explore a city is on foot, but a bike works just as well. The Clift Hotel wants to make it easier for guests to get around San Francisco by offering free bikes.

You won't have to worry about lugging around a heavy bicycle, since the hotel has a fleet of Public J7s, lightweight two-wheelers designed for stop-and-go city riding. Plus they come in fun colors like the above orange European-looking design.

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Shag Like Royalty with Union Jack Condoms at Kensington Park Hotel

Where: 450 Post St. [map], San Francisco, CA, United States, 94102

The Kensington Park Hotel is really getting a rep for being the go-to hotel for getting it on. First, it introduced Snuggie Sutra, and now comes the Shag Like Royalty package.

To celebrate the impending royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, the San Francisco hotel will give you British favors like Union Jack condoms. We're guessing these aren't the rubbers of choice for British royalty, but they sure sound, um, festive.

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Drink Up At Hotel Adagio's Free Cocktail Classes

Where: 550 Geary St. [map], San Francisco, CA, United States, 94102

You know that old proverb that says, "Give a man a drink and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to mix drinks and you feed him for a lifetime?" Okay, we're taking some liberties there, but drinks, fish, it's all the same. If you want to feed yourself drinks for a lifetime, you can start by taking free mixology classes through the Hotel Adagio's Cocktail College program in Bar Adagio.

Not only does the Union Square hotel open the free monthly cocktail classes to guests, but the public can enroll, too. Cocktail College students get schooled by mixologists, brand ambassadors and Bar Adagio's own bartenders on how to shake up new and classic libations as well as how make bitters, infusions and edible garnishes.

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Drag Yourself to Sir Francis Drake's Drag Queen Brunch

Where: 450 Powell St. [map], San Francisco, CA, United States, 94102

If you head to the Sir Francis Drake for brunch, you might make the mistake of hitting up Scala's Bistro to taste former season-four Top Chef contestant Jennifer Biesty's rustic Italian fare. But those in the know head to the hotel's Harry Denton's Starlight Room to share their eggs with a bunch of drag queens.

The five-year-old "Sunday's a Drag" adds some flair to the weekend brunch routine. Mimicking the old-time variety shows, "Sunday's a Drag" features decked-out drag queens performing stand-up comedy, doing impersonations and lip-syncing ditties.

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The Westin St. Francis Offers Last-Minute Chinese New Year Specials

Where: 335 Powell St. [map], San Francisco, CA, United States, 94102

If you are looking to ring in the Lunar New Year, San Francisco throws one of the best Chinese New Year parades in the world: the night-time parade features floats, elaborate get-ups, firecrackers and a 250-foot-long dragon manned by 100 martial artists. And, to lure Year of the Rabbit revelers, the Westin St. Francis is running a special for the February 19 festivities.

The hotel is offering rooms starting at $179 a night, and they are still up for grabs for that price. Rooms usually begin at around $255. The rate is good from February 17 to 20, just in case you want to have extra days to keep the party going.

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Hotels for the Chinese New Year: San Francisco's Clift is Celebrating Through March

Where: 495 Geary Street [map], San Francisco, CA, United States, 94102

Happy New Year! It's officially the year of the rabbit, and to celebrate that, China and the Chinatowns around the United States are making major celebrations today (watch for dancing dragons before crossing the road). Luckily for travelers who are San Francisco-bound, the city's hotels are in the spirit, and a certain deal at The Clift extends as far as the end of March.

Unfortunately it's not a room discount—although rooms start at $200 over the next few months—but a deal for complimentary extras when you check in. Until March 31, if you mention the Year of the Rabbit, you can choose to get a free dessert in the Velvet Room, half-off a second cocktail at the Redwood Room, or a free upgrade to the next best available room. Obviously the latter is the best deal; we don't know why they even bothered with the half-off cocktail crap.

To book The Clift, call 800.606.6090 or check them out online.

[Photo: jeredb]

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Could Tasty Burgers Lure You to a San Francisco Days Inn?

Where: 465 Grove St. [map], San Francisco, CA, United States, 94102

Foodies flock to fine hotels to dine on gourmet eats, whether it be whole-roasted Peking duck or Baja-style fish tacos. But could the promise of delicious eats at a hotel restaurant get you to stay in a Days Inn?

The Days Inn San Francisco Downtown/Civic Center Area's restaurant might just make you book a room. While it's not big on ambiance, the Double Decker restaurant specializes in made-to-order hamburgers using high-end ingredients like Niman Ranch beef typically found in fancier burger joints.

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The Westin St. Francis Won't Let Guests Touch Dirty Money

Where: 335 Powell St. [map], San Francisco, CA, United States, 94102

Germaphobes will like dropping coin at the Westin St. Francis. That's because the San Francisco hotel washes all of the coins it takes in so you won't have to touch grimy, dirty change.

Yep, the Union Square hotel scrubs every penny, dime, nickel and quarter with soap and water to make 'em spic and span before handing it over to guests.

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Chicken Soup For The Soul At Clift San Francisco

Where: 495 Geary Street [map], San Francisco, CA, United States, 94102

Feeling sick on the road sucks. But despite our best efforts with vitamins and flu shots, it happens to us a lot when we travel. We're going to blame the recent NY chill for our latest bout of sniffles--which we may have beaten into submission thanks to a bowl of good ol' chicken noodle soup while holed up at San Francisco's Clift Hotel this week.

We've had mixed results ordering soup from room service in the past--sometimes just getting what was clearly a packet of the cheap stuff from the market. But with its farm-to-table focus on organic California ingredients, the Velvet Room's New Fashioned Chicken Noodle Soup was totally what the doctor (er, that would be us) ordered.

We knew as soon as we uncovered the bowl that the steaming clear broth would fix us right up. It had real chicken in it--can you imagine?!--along with onion, carrot and celery. After devouring it, we were feeling better already. (Making sure the room's AC was switched off also helped.)

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