Click Photo For The
Monaco Hotel in San Francisco

Enter a luxury cruise liner . . . in a major metropolitan area?




Hotel Monaco SF sits on Geary
Street, in the heart of
The City's theater district.
When you check in at the Hotel Monaco in San Francisco, it's like boarding an intimate cruise ship of the early 1900s and stepping back to the heady days of Hemingway and Christie. Get a good look at the registration desk — it's built to look like an ocean steamer trunk. 

Then take a quick stroll to the right, past the elevators into the elegant sitting room. Fanciful furnishings, high-backed sofas, and a crackling fire all make for intimate spaces for private conversations. Join your fellow guests in the other sitting room just past the old marble grand staircase for wine and cheese in the afternoons. There you can have your tarot cards read and get a neck and back massage. The decorations evoke the days of elegant travel. The art deco flavor and high ceilings made us feel like we were giant pieces in a grand Monopoly game.



Sumptuous sheets, towels,
robes & exotic fabrics
 await to restore your
weary travel bones.



Don't smoke! It's an extra
$250 cleaning charge.
We loved the décor of our room — French, fun, and boy-oh-boy were the fabrics expensive and fine. So nice, in fact, that if you smoke in your room, the hotel charges an extra $250 cleaning charge. Like all San Francisco hotels built at this time, the Hotel Monaco has smaller rooms than you might expect from a modern luxury hotel. But don’t be fooled; this room makes the most of the space — a period armoir holds the TV and mini-bar, and a huge circular mirror gives the room lots of light.

The foundation of any hotel's success is in their beds . . . really! If you don't get a good night's sleep, how great can a hotel be? You'll find the Hotel Monaco’s sheets and bedding an inviting way to recover from a day of walking through what locals call The City. Dreamy pillow top covers, down pillows and romantic canopies may make you want to stay in. Luckily, the Grande Café, attached to the hotel has mouth-watering room service. Be sure to order the “omelet and wine,” which comes with a small green salad, perfect for the lighter appetite.

The bathroom more than met our needs with Aveda products and Frette bathrobes. There is also complimentary high-speed Internet access, coffee service, newspaper, and all the other goodies you expect from a luxury hotel. Plus one more — The Hotel Monaco has teamed up with Yoga Magazine to give you a little workout in your room. Just ring up the front desk, and they will bring you a complimentary yoga package with a yoga mat, strap, block, and instructions. You do the workout with an instructor on the TV.




Hotel Monaco's Bone-A-Petit
package ensures your pet is
well cared for, even if
he is dog-tired.
PETS ARE WELCOME

Although we left our pets at home, the Hotel Monaco can take care of your four-legged friends in style, taking the term pet-friendly to a new level. The Bone-A-Petit package features bottled water, a dog bowl, Good Dog towels, top quality chew toys, gourmet dog cookies, Hotel Monaco's temporary dog tags, and clean up bags. You can also request Lassie, Babe, and Dr. Doolittle videos from their front desk. We didn’t get a chance to see if they offered doggie yoga.

Additionally, the hotel offers Guppy Love, a complimentary goldfish along with fish toys to keep you company during your stay. The housekeeping staff feeds and takes care of the goldfish - all you need to do is enjoy.




Directly across from this
marvelous marble is the
 entrance to the Grand Cafe.
HEART OF THE THEATER DISTRICT

The Hotel Monaco sits in the heart of the theater district on Geary Street, just off the famous Union Square. From the hotel, you can walk in just minutes to all of San Francisco's most famous theaters: Orpheum Theater (which is currently showing The Lion King, the American Conservatory Theater, Curran Theater (where Phatom of the Opera played to packed houses for years), Post Street Theatre, Theatre on the Square, and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

DINING IN PLEASURE

When we told a friend, who is a wine collector and hedonist extraordinaire, that we were staying at the Hotel Monaco, he asked excitedly, "You're eating at the Grand Café then, right? I'll join you." The restaurant is connected to the hotel by a large, ornate doorway, but the businesses are two different entities. The Grande Café bills itself as "a French—California brasserie featuring contemporary French cuisine influenced by earthy seasonal flavors and wonderful local ingredients. The menu's diverse array of fresh seafood, roasted meats, and theatrical desserts satisfies every appetite." It certainly satisfied ours.




Be sure to check out the whimsical
rabbits, and leave room  for
scrumptious desserts!
We opted to be seated later in the evening, giving up our table to theater goers who had to make 8 p.m. curtain calls. We practically had the place to ourselves, which made it a wonderful, intimate dining experience. Although we were visiting in the summer months, we opted to start with oysters. You may have heard that you should only eat oysters in a month with an "r," for example, January, September, December. Months that are spelled without an "r" — May through August — is the breeding season for oysters, which is why they don't taste as good during that time. Chef Paul Arentstam assured us that these oysters had been hand picked for their freshness, and we weren't disappointed. We also started with Kauai shrimp that were larger, yet more delicate, than what you'd normally expect from a shrimp cocktail.

Normally, we'd follow that with a salad, but we had heard that the desserts were exquisite. So we moved straight on to the entrée. Between the three of us — my husband, me, and our friend — we ordered Grilled Hawaiian Walu with Sweet Corn, Cherry Tomatoes & Romesco; Roasted Lamb Sirloin with Heirloom Potatoes, Roasted Gypsy Peppers, Feta Cheese & Lamb Jus; and Sonoma Duck Breast with Shitake & Oyster Mushrooms, Broccoli Rabe & Pommes à la Sarladaise. Chef Paul's favorite dish is Sautéed Skate Wing with Braised Cabbage, Bacon & Brown Butter Caper Sauce. Because Bob and I had been diving in Tahiti with the skates — a type of marine ray, think of a manta ray — we couldn't quite bring ourselves to try it. If you have more culinary chutzpah than we do, please let us know how it is. For our money, though, we thought the duck was the best, tender and melt-in-the-mouth, the way it should be cooked and presented.

By the time we got to dessert, we were well primed for a grande finalé. We shared Banana Cream Pie, Lemon—Cinnamon Rice Pudding, and Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée with coffee, and enjoyed with the happiness that follows a great meal.

While you're in the restaurant, be sure to check out the architecture and ask your waiter or maitre d' to explain sculpture. Ten-foot statues of whimsical rabbits dive and catch each other from the balcony. And the bar hosts a smaller piece by the same artist of a chef whose stomach is clearly larger than his eyes (or his whole head for that matter!). The room had once been a ballroom — look for a device attached to the ceiling that looks like a surveillance camera. It's not Big Brother. It was the light for the mirror ball!

Built just after the earthquake in 1906, the building reflects the sensibilities of the teens and twenties. Exquisite design and architectural restoration will take you back in time while feeding you with modern interpretations of great dishes. www.grandcafe-sf.com

SPAAAHHHHHH!




Teach Yourself Yoga.
After long days of walking through San Francisco, we like to treat ourselves to a little pampering. Well, this time, my husband decided he needed a lot of pampering, so we wandered down to the lower level to Spa Equilibrium not only for a rub-down but a facial, manicure, and pedicure as well.

If you’ve read some of my other articles, you know that I love a Hot Stone massage and get one wherever I can. I am always surprised at the different ways a trained massage therapist can use the hot river rocks to get at muscles I didn’t know I had. Our facials were tailored to our specific skin and the skin care needs of the moment. I usually need a hydrating mask, but this time, my specialist recommended herbs for healing. With all that and the manicure and pedicure, we walked out into the world feeling like a million bucks.

Like the Grand Café, Spa Equilibrium is a separate business that is partnering with Hotel Monaco, a partnership that we think is a winner.

GET OUT YOUR WALKING SHOES

The Hotel Monaco is so centrally located in San Francisco, it would be a crime not to see some of The City by the Bay on foot. Here are a few of my favorites:

Chinatown Musicians

Columbus Street

2nd Floor of Vesuvio Bar

City Lights Bookstore

San Francisco Fountain
Chinatown —. There is every manner of trinket shop and huckster looking to separate a fool and his money, but that's part of the charm of Chinatown. I recommend that you don't buy anything until you have walked through it all. Start at the Gate and walk up to Columbus. This is the main tourist area, so you're as likely to hear German as Chinese. Notice that most signs are in English and Chinese, and some are in Chinese only. At Columbus and Broadway, turn left on Broadway and walk up two blocks to Stockton. This is the market area, and you'll see the way traditional Chinese purchase food. I love the sounds and smells. You might get lucky and hear a street band playing traditional Chinese music.

Get the Beat — There's no need to hurry through Chinatown. If you turn right at Columbus and walk down half a block, you'll be at the famous City Lights Bookstore, and next door the equally famous Vesuvio Bar. Beat writers and poets including Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg drank and wrote here. If you can, get the table on the second floor that overlooks Columbus. It's great people watching.

Next door, City Lights  was "co-founded by poet/painter Lawrence Ferlinghetti, City Lights is a landmark independent bookstore and publisher that specializes in world literature, the arts, and progressive politics," according to their web site. Looking through their titles, it's nice to know that dissension, radicalism, and raised fists are still very much active in these days of somnambulant politics.

The San Francisco Fountain at the Grant Hyatt — Be sure to poke your nose into other hotels nearby. There are some grande dames: The Westin St. Francis and the Grand Hyatt come to mind. Just outside the Hyatt is Ruth Asawa's San Francisco Fountain, splashing away for free viewing. The fountain contains 41 individual bronzed plaques, depicting The City's landmarks. You may recognize the Powell St. Cable Car turnabout, Nob Hill, Fisherman's Wharf, and the Golden Gate Bridge . Whimsy shows up when Superman flies through Montgomery Street skyscrapers, past Snoopy and his doghouse, and over Wizard of Oz characters. More than 100 children helped Ms. Asawa create the panels and it is considered a folk art classic.

GETTING AROUND

A couple of years ago, Bay Area's Rapit Transit system (or BART) finally was extended to the San Francisco Airport . In the past, you had to trundle your way to the rental car checkout, then leap into Bay Area traffic, only to valet your car for $50 per day because it's tricky driving around San Francisco. Now, it's a short walk to the BART station and a $5 ticket gets you into the heart of The City, sans car hassle. Get off at the Powell Street station, and the hotel is a 5-minute walk up to Geary Street . www.bart.gov.

A note about the weather. It's always cold in San Francisco . You can always tell the tourists by their shorts, tank tops, and blue skin. On our July weekend, I brought a jacket and a fleece vest and was just barely warm enough. The City is often warm and sunny — but that happens mostly in the winter. When you travel to this wonderful city, be sure to bring multiple layers, and check the weather just before you leave.

— By Cymber Quinn, Jetsetters Magazine writer at large. Cymber Quinn and Bob Conn travel full-time in an RV and by renting vacation homes. Read more about their adventures at http://alohacymber.blogspot.com