WHAT’S IT LIKE? Open since 1991, this Ritz-Carlton looks more like an embassy or a museum than a hotel. The neoclassical portico entrance with its Ionic columns dates, in part, back to 1909, when it was the home of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. It has been through several expansions and improvements since then, and now occupies a whole city block. This is Ritz-Carlton at its most grand, with marble floors, a lounge for afternoon tea and lots of liveried staff waiting to greet you. It also has that peculiar mix of extremely well-dressed and elegant guests next to holiday-makers in shorts and T-shirts.
WHERE IS IT? On the eastern slope of Nob Hill on Stockton and California Street, convenient for the California Cable Car line that takes you down the hill into the financial district (although it’s only a five-minute walk away). San Francisco International airport is about a 40-minute drive. Valet parking is available for US$70 for 24 hours.
ROOM FACILITIES The hotel recently finished a US$12.5 million refurbishment programme of its rooms and suites, focusing on new furnishings and technology. The rooms still look traditional, but they have all the modern touches business travellers require, such as high-speed internet access (both wired and wireless) for US$15 per 24 hours, 32-inch LCD flatscreen TVs with DVD/CD players, tea and coffee-making facilities, laptop safes, iPod docks, slippers, bathrobes and 400-thread Frette linens on extremely comfortable beds. In the Italian marble bathrooms there are double sinks, showers over the bath and a whole host of emergency supplies such as combs, razors and toothbrushes – useful if you packed in a hurry and forgot something.
The 46 Club level rooms have access to the Ritz-Carlton Club lounge on the eighth floor, which has four food and beverage presentations every day, including breakfast starting at 6am, hors d’oeuvres and cocktails at 5pm-8pm, and fondue, candies and cordials at 8pm-10pm. In fact, there seemed to be few times of the day when people were not eating and drinking here, and certainly in comparison with many club lounges, this one was good value for the extra US$100 or so per day, especially with unlimited garment pressing, and packaged snacks and drinks available whenever I left the property. In a separate room down the corridor is a dedicated business centre for Club floor guests, where I printed out my boarding card for the flight home.
RESTAURANTS AND BARS The Dining Room – under chef Ron Siegel and serving modern French cuisine “with a Japanese influence” – is not the sort of place to turn up in shorts and flip-flops. It has Spiegelau glassware, Riedel decanters, JL Coquet China from Limoges and a champagne cart to encourage a drink before dinner, which can be either a three-course menu, a nine-course tasting menu or à la carte. For those who have paid the extra for the Club floor, however, the presentations in the afternoon and evening would be enough to satisfy most appetites. The hotel’s bar has one of the city’s largest collections of half-bottles.
BUSINESS AND MEETING FACILITIES The hotel has more than 2,000 sqm of meeting space, mostly on the first, second and third floors, including an 864 sqm ballroom accommodating up to 825 guests, and a courtyard with views down the hill.
LEISURE FACILITIES There is a spa, swimming pool and gym.
VERDICT A highly traditional hotel reflecting its Nob Hill location, although the service is likely to please all travellers, as are some of the promotional deals available. The Club floor is particularly recommended.
Tom Otley
Fact file
HOW MANY ROOMS? There are 336 rooms, including 60 suites and two Presidential suites.
ROOM HIGHLIGHTS The rooms are luxurious and the beds very comfortable.
PRICE Internet rates for a midweek stay in February started from US$426 for a Guest room and US$542 for a Club level Guest room.
CONTACT Ritz-Carlton San Francisco, 600 Stockton Street at California Street; tel +1 415 296 7465; ritzcarlton.com
