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Tags: New Year's Eve 2009 Hotels / New Year's Eve Hotels / San Francisco Hotels / California Hotels / Fairmont Hotels / → All Tags

Luau in San Francisco for New Year's Eve

Where: 950 Mason Street [map], San Francisco, CA, United States, 94108

It's hard to believe, but New Year's Eve is less than two months away, which means a parade of hotel party tickets will soon be—or already are—available to the public. Most of these are highfalutin affairs where you'll find women competing in unofficial "Who has the shortest skirt?" contests, and where bottles of champagne circulate throughout the evening. These swanky soirees are easy enough to find, but for an unusual change of pace, you may want to consider heading to The Fairmont in San Francisco, where an inaugural New Year's luau will be held at the historic Tonga Room.

HotelChatter reader Mark, a long time Tonga Room patron, tipped us off to this unique NYE event and had good things to say about his experiences there:

On ocassion I visit the Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar to have a drink and some appetizers. It's a historic restaurant and bar...and unusually so has a rain storm every half hour or so...right in the bar area! I just heard from the staff last week that for the first time they are [having] a luau for New Year's Eve, and this isn't in Hawaii...it's in San Francisco! Kinda off the wall and should be fun.

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Tags: Hotel Openings / San Francisco Hotels / Gregory Peck / → All Tags

The Crescent Hotel San Francisco is Open But Rooms Are Sold Out

Where: 417 Stockton Street [map], San Francisco, CA, United States, 94108

The Crescent San Francisco Hotel is opening today but when we went to check on reservations, dates were unavailable until October 28th. Rates were available then for a low, low rate of $105 a night but we wondered what was up with the supposed delay?

We checked in with hotelier Greg Peck who told us that hotel is indeed opening today. The reason why you can't make reservations until the 28th is actually quite simple: the hotel is sold out. Peck also added that he would be onsite all day today working with staffers to get the hotel ready for its first guests.

While this weekend is out for a stay at the Crescent, if you need Halloween accommodations in San Fran, the hotel is still going for $105 for both Friday and Saturday nights for a Crescent Junior room. It's a tiny room, about 185-sq.ft. but if you want to pay extra for a larger Crescent Suite (300 to 400-sq.ft.), that's only $147 a night.

Tags: Reader Reviews / Renaissance Hotels / San Francisco Hotels / → All Tags

Inside The New Renaissance Stanford Court

Where: 905 California Street [map], San Francisco, CA, United States, 94108

Every so often we feature a hotel review from one of our readers that we feel should be shared with the rest of you dear hotel guests. These reviews are highlighted because they are timely, about cool hotels in cool places and are relatively level-headed. Think you can submit one just like this? Send it in.

Named after and on the site of the former mansion of Leland Stanford, a San Francisco railroad baron, The Renaissance Stanford Court shares Nob Hill with the Mark Hopkins InterContinental (next door), The Fairmont (across the street), The Huntington (a block uphill), and The Ritz-Carlton (a few doors downhill).

While Union Square is only a few blocks away, the short climb to Nob Hill is steep. Really steep. It had been a while since my last time in SF, and even though I stayed at the Mark Hopkins at the time, I do not remember it being that steep. For most people, it should not be a major issue, but if you are less able to walk or traveling with someone that is, then keep this in mind.

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Tags: Deal or No Deal / San Francisco Hotels / Hotel Deals / Hotel Packages / → All Tags

$850 'Bargain' Package at The Huntington Hotel San Francisco

Where: 1075 California St. [map], San Francisco, CA, United States, 94108

Socialites, smoking jackets, and stiff cocktails all come to mind when we think of San Francisco's Huntington Hotel. When we say it's old school, we mean it: Think jacket required, heavy wood accents, and decor that's world's away from what you might find at hyper-modern hotels like The Clift and W. Here it's a decidedly older crowd that reigns supreme, but that doesn't make it any less of a novelty experience for young travelers.

The Huntington is celebrating its 85th anniversary this year, and in it for guests who give a defiant finger to the recession is a package that's all over-the-top frills. It's only available through December 30th of this year, so you'll need to whip out your credit card soon if you want to take advantage of their one-night $850 "deal." That's right, $850 qualifies as a bargain basement rate according to The Huntington.

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Tags: Halloween Hotels / San Francisco Hotels / Hilton Hotels / Hotel Contests / → All Tags

Showing Up in Your Halloween Costume Could Get You a Free Hotel Stay

Where: 750 Kearny Street [map], San Francisco, CA, United States, 94108

Who says you're too old to dress up and go trick or treating this Halloween? Of course, we aren't talking about putting on a Care Bears costume and using your Care Bears pillowcase as a candy bucket as you skip from house to house. No, there's a much more adult to way to trick or treat this year at the Hilton San Francisco Financial District.

Over Halloween weekend, guests can choose from "treats" such as Hilton HHonors points, food and beverage coupons, museum tickets and Halloween candy. But if you arrive in costume you will be entered in the hotel's costume contest where the winner will get one free night on the hotel's 13th floor. Awesome! Wait, is it? Most hotels don't have a 13th floor. Nevermind, the Hilton promises to give you a free stay on an actual floor that exists.

Just checking in for the weekend? Room rates start at $169 a night. But beware of the black cat crossing your path. That's Clarence, the hotel's supposedly good-natured house cat.

[Photo: Ivanx]

Tags: Hotel Opening Rates / Quikbook / Twitter / San Francisco Hotels / → All Tags

The Soon-To-Open Crescent San Fran Now Has Rooms Starting at $105

The countdown to the opening of San Francisco's Crescent Hotel is on, with its official unveiling set for October 21st. Hotelier Gregory Peck staked a claim on prime Union Square real estate (the former Allison hotel), gutting the property and giving it a 'classic San Francisco with a modern twist' look.

If you left your heart in San Francisco, then you'll be happy to hear about site-specific touches that we previously reported on, including iPod playlists crafted by local DJs, a locally-focused wine program to enjoy in room, and library with "West Coast-centric" reading material.

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Tags: Interviews / Gregory Peck / Hotel Openings / Hotel Opening Rates / Hotel Bookshelves / San Francisco Hotels / → All Tags

The Crescent Hotel San Francisco Will Open October 21

Where: 417 Stockton Street [map], San Francisco, CA, United States, 94108

Here at HotelChatter, we're so jaded about new hotel projects and predicted opening dates which never come to fruition, that we actually forgot about the plans for a Crescent Hotel San Francisco from hotelier Gregory Peck, the man behind Crescent Beverly Hills and the infamous Cooper Square Hotel. But we're very happy to report that the hotel will be opening on October 21 and rooms for that night are open for a very affordable rate of $105 a night.

Located a block north of Union Square, on Stockton and Stutter, this used to be the Allison Hotel, a long-term, SRO hotel that Peck and his partner, Mark Henderson, completely gutted and renovated from top to bottom. But he says that they "consciously maintained" the original architecture of the building which is 100-years-old.

It's a typical look for San Francisco but we've given it a modern twist.

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Tags: San Francisco Hotels / Renaissance Hotels / New York Times / → All Tags

NYT Reviews Stanford Court, Hotel Best Summed Up as "Meh"

Where: 905 California Street [map], San Francisco, CA, United States, 94108

Have you stayed at The Stanford Court lately? Let us know about your experience by commenting below.

If we had to sum up this week's edition of The New York Times' "Check In, Check Out" hotel review, it would be, "Meh." Not the review itself, that is, but the writer's hotel experience. There isn't a more evocative quasi-word out there.

The Times takes us to San Francisco's Nob Hill neighborhood, where The Stanford Court's newly renovated digs offer nice views of the city skyline (sometimes). Caveat: that means a good amount of hilly hiking if you're planning on walking to popular tourist destinations like Union Square and Chinatown. The overhauled rooms are deemed decent, if derivative. Decor, which includes upgrades like LCD televisions and granite accents are described as "ripped from the Pottery Barn catalog with various elements lifted from the W Hotels chain and middlebrow condominium decorators."

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Tags: Sweet Suites / Fairmont Hotels / San Francisco Hotels / Hotel Renovations / → All Tags

Here's Hoping the Recession Will Be Done Soon: Fairmont San Fran Renovating Its Penthouse

Where: 950 Mason Street [map], San Francisco, CA, United States, 94108

You heard the news, right? The recession is over! Newsweek says it is so. Need further proof? The Fairmont San Francisco says so, too!

OK, so they didn’t actually put in those words. Not exactly. But the hotel did announce that it’s restoring its super fancy “iconic” penthouse this fall.

The opulent 6,000 square-foot space, valued at $20 million, was built in 1926 as a private residence and was made available to hotel guests in 1981. The Penthouse Suite takes up an entire floor and has three large bedrooms, a living room, grand piano, formal dining room for 60, a kitchen, a billiards room covered in Persian tile, a massive patio, and a two-storey circular library, with a secret passageway concealed behind bookshelves.

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Tags: Hotel High Tea / San Francisco Hotels / Ritz-Carlton Hotels / → All Tags

Vegetarian Teacakes Can Be Found at The Ritz-Carlton San Fran

Where: 600 Stockton St [map], San Francisco, CA, United States, 94108

Vegetarians and tea connoisseurs of San Francisco will be happy to know that they have have their teacakes and eat them too! An innovator among Hotel High Teas, the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco has been offering a vegetarian-friendly version of their afternoon Lobby Tea menu for some time. Served only on the weekends from 1pm to 4:30pm, tea at the Ritz-Carlton is a classy affair, but thankfully freshened up with this healthier option.

Forgoing open-faced sandwiches and salmon bites for eggplant pesto on rye and the always classic cucumber sandwich, the vegetarian menu actually sounds like something we'd choose over the original menu, as we're absolutely in favor of mixing it up a bit.

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Tags: iPhone Applications / Art Hotels / Hotel Deals / Hotel Technology / Hotel News / → All Tags

Get Hotel des Arts Art on Your iPhone

Where: 447 Bush Street [map], San Francisco, CA, United States, 94108

One night at the Hotel des Arts in San Francisco: around $128.
Opportunity to sleep in the middle of floor-to-ceiling art: priceless.
Being able to not pay $128 and show your friends pics of that floor-to-ceiling art on your iPhone: really priceless — and also awesome.

A company called Start Mobile has just launched an iPhone application that brings "new art to a new medium": they've introduced the very first mobile art gallery for the iPhone. This one features images of the "painted rooms" on the inside of the Hotel des Arts in San Francisco, and the images are delivered as mobile wallpapers directly to the picture library on your iPhone.

From the official press release:

The mobile art wallpapers are optimized for display on the iPhone, and all the images can be 'flipped' to reveal additional information about the artists and their artwork, including links to their respective websites and galleries.

Oh, and: after you go through the whole "Art Hotel Gallery", the very last screen you come to contains a coupon for an exclusive discount on a week's stay at the Hotel des Arts. Ah, a harmonious marriage of pretty things, hotels and gadgets — what more could we want?

[Photo of Hotel des Arts hotel room: Sophie_pr]

Tags: Breakup Hotels / Fairmont Hotels / San Francisco Hotels / Hotel Packages / → All Tags

Fairmont San Fran Reaches Out To 'All The Single Ladies'

Where: 950 Mason Street [map], San Francisco, California, United States, 94108

We're not going back on our pinkie swear that there would be no more Valentine's Day package posts. Instead this is a sort of anti-Valentine's deal for all the single ladies (and guys) out there who just aren't sweatin' it anymore. For real cuz 'if you liked it you should have put a ring on it.' That's right. We said it!

Fairmont San Francisco has come up with the Break-Up Package to satisfy your wounded heart. Dubbed as an Un-Valentine's getaway, parties of one score "VIP access to spectacular break-up bling at wholesale prices from Padis Gems at the San Francisco Jewelry Center." (Um, you have to buy your own jewelry!?)

But with the start price of $249 a night plus tax you do get some bubbly and a little black book for new lovers and heart breakers to consume your thoughts.

The personalized “Eat Your Heart Out (insert name of ex)” cookies are a cute touch, but for the love of sex, don't wallow and eat the whole batch! The Break-up Package is available February 12 through December 30, 2009. Book online or call 1-415-772-5147 for reservations.

[Photo: The Mac Girl]