This grand dame located atop San Francisco’s iconic Nob Hill celebrates its 30th anniversary this year and its distinctive landmark building and many amenities have never shown better. At a time when travelers are thirsting for safe getaways, The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco provides a luxurious urban oasis just steps from some of the city’s most popular attractions. But guests would not be faulted for ignoring the nearby California Street Cable Car, Huntington Park, Grace Cathedral, Chinatown, and North Beach in favor of simply cocooning inside this lovely hotel to enjoy all that it offers.
Gourmet cuisine, fine wine, a state-of-the-art workout facility, and a sunny courtyard garden within which complimentary weekend yoga takes place, provided everything required for this travel writer’s own luxe getaway. The combination of amenities reinvigorated and reignited my long-dormant wanderlust (the result of extreme pandemic caution.) My two-night stay provided a reminder that gracious hospitality has not vanished entirely during this past year and a half, and that adventure can be found in our own back yards.
The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco is the only AAA Five Diamond hotel property in a city that boasts a multitude of luxurious options. Its 336 sumptuous rooms and suites boast city views, and an eighth-floor Club Level provides the ultimate in pampering. This ‘hotel within a hotel’ includes four culinary offerings throughout the day: breakfast, light lunch, hors d’oeuvres, and cocktails, and desserts and cordials – which can be enjoyed in the spacious Club Lounge or taken to your room. A selection of beverages is available at any time. Overlooking the city skyline, the Club Lounge is the perfect place to meet with family and friends, conduct business, or simply unwind as a perfectly curated playlist complements every activity.
Downstairs, the lobby adjacent to The Lounge is a glamorous yet casual spot in which to sip a San Francisco-inspired cocktail while scanning the city skyline. Enjoy lunch or dinner featuring seasonal menus that highlight the bounty of the region such as the whole branzino with root vegetable relish and cilantro, or a creamy lobster roll that pairs perfectly with a glass of lush chardonnay. Keep the wine flowing at the hotel’s JCB Tasting Lounge, French-born vintner Jean-Charles Boisset’s vampy showcase of not only his eponymous varietals, but also the best in glassware, china, crystal, and assorted gift items. The atmosphere is shamelessly outrageous and great fun, just like Boisset himself.
The hotel’s new Krigler boutique stands ready to fulfill shopping needs. The fragrance house’s only Northern California location offers every perfume, candle, and soap produced by this iconic, 1904-established company. Step inside to experience the various signature scents worn by some of the world’s most famous faces. Jackie O, Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Picasso, and many others were Krigler fanatics. Explore classic favorites as well as newer creations developed by current fifth-generation proprietor Ben Krigler, and perhaps discover what will become your own signature fragrance.
And finally, a new Respite Concierge program helps guests find bespoke R&R experiences within the city, via a curated list of options in three distinct categories: retail, recreation, and relaxation. This program partners with coveted local businesses to offer a variety of experiences exclusively available to hotel guests. Choose from beauty treatments, one-on-one fitness sessions, personalized shopping excursions, and a private sail around the Bay – each available to book in advance or through the hotel’s dedicated Respite Concierge team.
Three decades and still on top; The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco never gets old.
| All photos courtesy of The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco