94105 Travel Guide
Tags: Hotel Strikes / San Franciso Hotels / Hotel Employees / Starwood Hotels / Hyatt Hotels / → All Tags
More Hotel Workers in San Francisco Go On Strike, This Time at The Palace
Do not expect this scene today at The Palace Hotel.
Over the weekend, hotel workers from the union, Unite Here, staged a three day strike in front of The Grand Hyatt San Francisco to protest the contract negotiations that have been ongoing. The workers have been working without a new contract since August and the main sticky point, as ever, is the issue of health care.
Hotel workers have repeatedly gone on strike over contract negotiations in the last few years but rarely does it ever happen back to back at different hotels. Last night, hotel workers at the famed Palace Hotel which is part of Starwood's Luxury Collection, began a three-day strike as well, at a time when the hotel was at 100 percent occupancy, thanks to a few conventions that are going on.
Tags: San Francisco Hotel Reviews / JDV Hospitality / Hotel Video Tours / → All Tags
How is Hotel Vitale Aging?
Last week we made our triumphant return to San Francisco's Hotel Vitale. Long time readers may remember we followed this hotel through most of its ground up construction and opening back in 2005. Soon thereafter, this hotel became one of our all time favorite hotels. So how is Vitale holding up some two and a half years later? Excellent we think.
Last week's stay at Vitale did not involve a circular suite, and yes, staying in one of the non-view rooms is a bit different, however, the hotels service and overall comfort is still easily recognizable. Besides, we ended up just a few doors down from the fifth floor terrace, where WiFi reached, allowing us to work with a bridge view. The terrace ended up feeling like our own personal balcony, so I guess what we are saying is if you can't go circular suite, get a room on the fifth floor near the terrace.
Any disappointments? Yes, actually. The hotels fitness room is tiny. You would expect a hotel that preaches "vitality" not to skimp on the fitness room, especially with the steady group of creative business travelers that grace its halls, however, Vitale could definitely use a fitness room redux. Even the most youthful looking hotels could use a bit of botox after a couple years of wear, don't you think?
Hey, if that is our only complaint you know this place is holding up. Besides, you can always run along the Embarcadero, or just sloth it in SF for a night or two and avoid working out all together.
Related Stories:
· San Francisco Hotels [HotelChatter]
Tags: Hotel Deals / Locals Only Deals / Boutique Hotels / Killer View / → All Tags
Hotel Vitale's 'Locals Only' Offer
Calling all Bay Area residents. We bet your day in, day out view of the Bay Bridge will feel a lot better when you are sitting in a luxe hotel suite.
Take a mini-getaway by staying at the Hotel Vitale on Sunday nights. Special rates are offered for locals only and include a reduced rate of $189 for Deluxe City View rooms, $219 for Superior Water View rooms and $249 for Deluxe Waterfront rooms as well as half price parking until 6:00 pm on Monday. This is an pretty good steal considering rooms at this luxe JDV Hospitality can get pricey. (Although when we checked for January 21, regular rack rates weren't that much difference.)
The caveat here of course, is that you must show proof of residency in one of the nine Bay Area counties at check-in.
Tags: Chip Conley / JDV Hospitality / Hoteliers / Hotel News / → All Tags
Chip Conley Apologizes for Racial Profiling at Hotel Vitale
Speaking of Chip Conley, we didn't realize that his Hotel Vitale had gotten into hot water last week with a racial profiling incident. (Jeez we head to Amsterdam for four days and we miss the good stuff.)
According to newspaper reports, Kenyan author Ngugi wa Thiong'o, an English and Comparative Lit professor at UC Irvine was staying at the hotel over the Nov. 10 weekend to promote his latest book, "The Wizard of the Crow," courtesy of his publisher Random House.
Saturday morning, he was reading a newspaper in the hotel lounge when an employees asked him to leave. Thiong'o insisted he was a hotel guest but the employee demanded physical proof. A hotel manager stepped in and apologize to Thiong'o but the damage had been done. The incident was later reported by the Priority African Network, who demanded a public apology from Chip Conley, which he promptly issued citing that he was "deeply sorry" for the incident and that he sent a private letter of apology to the author. He also dished out some personal details as well:
This is a matter of great importance to me personally. I went to Long Beach Poly High School, one of the finest inner city public high schools in America well known for its diversity. I have a mixed race foster son who identifies as African-American. I am in a long-term relationship with an African-American. Our company supports more than one dozen local multi-cultural organizations. In sum, we have always tried our hardest to assure we are part of the solution, not part of the problem.
Conley followed up the public apology (which cost $450) with a $5,000 donation "to a yet-to-be-determined local nonprofit that works to fight racism, and do additional staff training about racial discrimination" all of which has made Thiong'o commend him for his fast and heartfelt response.
Now, we just have one question. If Chip went to Long Beach Poly, is he friends with Snoop Doog?
[Photo: Jt and Mt]
Related Stories:
· Hotel Vitale apologizes to author [Examiner.com]
· Hotel Vitale Expresses Regret Over Racial Profliing Incident [Beyond Chron]
Tags: Killer View / San Francisco Hotels / → All Tags
Room With a Killer View: Hotel Vitale
We are suckers for a room with a killer view. We find that we are even more likely to forgive some minor hotel inconveniences if we can stare out the window at something pretty--yeah we are that shallow. Let's help out our fellow hotel mavens by uploading rooms with killer views to the HotelChatter/Flickr photo pool, or by sending the photo along to us. We will feature our favorites in this space from time to time. Remember to tell us the name of the hotel and the room number of the hot view.
This is the kind of room view you hope for when you stay at the Hotel Vitale in San Francisco. Miraculously it's not foggy so you can actually make out the Bay Bridge.
[Photo: Dave Hanson]
Related Stories:
· Hotel Vitale reviews [TripAdvisor]
Tags: Celebrity Scoop / → All Tags
Fake Writer JT Leroy "got it on" at Hotel Vitale
If you haven't heard about the fake writer JT Leroy, then hit up Gawker who has some great coverage of the whole incident.
The crew over there also discovered a short about a break-up that JT Leroy supposedly went through. And one of his/her rendevouzs took place at the Hotel Vitale in San Francisco.
He was a Hollywood up-and-coming dude that was terrified of being outed.... Last time it was at Hotel Vitale ($699/night, his series got renewed). I've slumbered under the Bay Bridge, but never on it, and this dang close to it... 180-degree views of the San Francisco Bay.
I loathe getting naked in front of anyone... but then I never had a bath butler draw a bath for me in a two-person limestone soaking tub!
Damn, now that's some service. But given Leroy's fake identity and fake stories, we don't know if this incident ever happened. Can the Vitale Bath Butler please step forward?
Related Stories:
· Hotel Vitale Coverage [HotelChatter]
· JT Leroy's non-existent break-up story [Gawker]
·Hotel Vitale is worth the trip [Hotel Vitale]
Tags: Hotels / → All Tags
Hotel Web Video
2006 is abuzz with web video, and who are we to argue?
TurnHere.com, some sort of Inman project, has produced or procured a bunch of videos, one of which is on San Francisco's famed Palace Hotel. These videos are more informational/marketing centric than the predominantly review oriented travel videos we told you about last fall.
In any event, we learned all sorts of very cool historical details about the Palace while watching this piece, which is narrated by 1906 author James Delassandro.
Turns out there are even more reasons to have high tea at the Palace then we originally anticipated.
ALSO: HotelChatter is kicking around the idea of messing with video. If you are documenting your hotel stays with digital video and want to share, send 'em over. Oh, and hoteliers, feel free to participate, just identify yourselves, as always.
Related Stories:
· Palace Hotel Video [TurnHere.com]
· Palace Hotel Reviews [TripAdvisor]
Tags: Miscellaneous / → All Tags
2005 Awards: Best Newcomer
HotelChatter 2005 Award :: Best Newcomer
Lots of competition in this category, but let's face it, San Francisco was in dire need of a great downtown hotel. Not everyone wants to stay in the middle of Union Square, and Hotel Vitale gives SF a quintessential downtown boutique hotel.
We followed this hotel from construction to opening and guests seem extremely pleased with the end result.
The view from the "Circular Suite" is, in our opinion, unbeatable.
Related Stories:
· Hotel Vitale Reviews [TripAdvisor]
Tags: Hotels / → All Tags
It's Real, And It's Spectacular
Some of you might be ogling Conde Nast Traveler's December "Room WIth A View" from Hotel Vitale and thinking the worst.
Well, if you think this photographic view from room 808 is as airbrushed and digitally enhanced as your run-of-the-mill Playboy Playmate, think again.
We were at San Francisco's Hotel Vitale earlier this year, and that view is for real, and it is spectacular.
Related Stories:
· Hotel Vitale Coverage [HotelChatter]
· Hotel Vitale Reviews [TripAdvisor]
Tags: Tips / High Tea Hotels / → All Tags
High Tea at the Palace Hotel in SF
LiveJournal member jazzxine is lookin' for folks who have been to high tea at fancy SF hotels.
She isn't looking for hoi-polloi, but she wants a fancy setting for her tea party.
Fellow LiveJournal member notbob suggests the Palace Hotel might fit the bill:
I've been to the tea at the Palace Hotel several times. it's fantastic, mostly because of the location. you sit in the glass-roofed atrium full of light and greenery. the scene is very grand. the sandwiches, sweets and tea are all very good, though the price is a tad high. but it's a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. i highly recommend it.
Anything to add Hotel Mavens? Tip us, or comment below.
Related Stories:
· High Tea in San Francisco [LiveJournal]
· Palace Hotel Reviews [TripAdvisor]
Tags: Hotels / → All Tags
The NY Times Reviews Hotel Vitale
So yesterday the New York Times Travel Section finally caught up with us, and reviewed San Francisco's latest boutique hotel, Hotel Vitale.--hey they can't be everywhere ya know? But we are glad they made it out to this hotel and it seems they liked it as much as we did.
Times reporter, Bonnie Tsui describes the hotels location as ideal for outdoorsy and foodie types - seemingly the types that love San Fran the most. She also remarks on the hotel's amazing views--yup we agree on both counts. Check out the circular suite we featured previously: Hotel Vitale's Circular Suite.
Of new note is that according to the hotel's website, their concept is defined as:
Vitality: "abundant physical and mental energy usually combined with a wholehearted and joyous approach to situations and activities."
Um, in your best California accent say "WHAT-EVERRR" to the last paragraph and look at the pretty hotel pictures again.
Commentary On The Time Hotel Review Continues
Tags: Hotel Heaven / → All Tags
Hotel Vitale Is Worth The Trip
Late last week, we were lucky enough to stay at Hotel Vitale.
Our advice? Ignore the fact that the Chronicle says the outside design of this hotel is a complete disaster. Sure it looks a bit like a convalescent home, and your can tell Howard Roark didn't design it, however, don't judge a book by its cover--inside you will find a fantastic hotel.
If you can snag yourself a circular suite you are in for treat.
We will tell you the good and the bad, post jump
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