Hotel Vitale
By Noelle Salmi
Whether you're traveling with toddlers or teens, picking the right San Francisco hotel can help make sure your family vacation goes off without a hitch.
Here are some top San Francisco hotels with the best views, best indoor pool, best kid-friendly amenities, and more -- you know, the things that matter most to kids (and parents).
Photo Caption: The outdoor terrace at San Francisco's Hotel Vitale has views of the Ferry Building.
In the Theater District, the Serrano Hotel (tel. 866/289-6561; www.serranohotel.com) gives kids a toy upon check-in, offers kid-size animal print robes for use during their stay, and has a game library available to guests.
The waterfront Argonaut (tel. 866/415-0704; www.argonauthotel.com) has several kid-friendly attractions are either next door or less than a block away: grassy Victorian Park, the Aquatic Park beach, the Hyde Street Pier, the cable car turnaround, and The Cannery. The hotel's nautical-inspired décor and the adjacent National Maritime Visitors Center will appeal to kids as well. The double queen rooms are well suited to families, and the in-house restaurant serves kids' meals in a beach pail.
Both hotels are Kimpton properties, so pets are welcome, too.
Photo Caption: A queen deluxe room at the Serrano Hotel, San Francisco
In SoMa, the St. Regis (tel. 415/284-4000; www.starwoodhotels.com/stregis) offers kids their own bathrobes, toys from the nearby SFMOMA gift shop, cookies with their name on them, and special items in the minibar -- provided parents call the concierge beforehand.
The Four Seasons on Market Street (tel. 415/633-3000; www.fourseasons.com/sanfrancisco> ) supplies cookies and milk on arrival for kids 6 and under and root beer and popcorn for those 7 and up. Kids staying in their own rooms get a specially stocked minibar, and bathrobes are supplied in sizes to fit the whole family. The concierge will also send up other family items -- from cribs to board games -- on request. And if you call ahead and notify the hotel that you're arriving with a baby, the hotel will set you up with a fully outfitted crib, a diaper storage unit, diapers, wipes, baby shampoo, baby lotion, and so on.
Older kids will appreciate the "gaming suites" in Japantown's Hotel Tomo (tel. 877/738-7477; www.jdvhotels.com/tomo), which have the latest Sony PlayStation, Wii, and a 6-foot LCD projection screen.
Photo Caption: Kids can enjoy a personalized cupcake cone at the St. Regis San Francisco.
You have to supervise your kids at every hotel pool, but if your kids don't need you to swim with them, you can work out on the poolside cardio equipment at the downtown Hotel Nikko (tel. 800/248-3308; www.hotelnikkosf.com). If you'd prefer to take it easy, the lounge chairs and Japanese hot tub (all under an airy glass ceiling) are a relaxing alternative.
Photo Caption: The indoor pool is enclosed in a glass atrium at Hotel Nikko, San Francisco.
Most of the guest rooms at the Embarcadero's Hotel Vitale (tel. 888/890-8688; www.hotelvitale.com) look out onto the bay, while the "Circular" suites offer nearly 180 degrees of windows.
Most of the hotels atop Nob Hill offer fine vistas, but the InterContinental Mark Hopkins (tel. 800/662-6455; www.intercontinentalmarkhopkins.com) gets the top honors in this category.
Photo Caption: Soak in bay views from a Circular suite at Hotel Vitale.
In Japantown, the Hotel Kabuki (tel. 800/533-4567; www.jdvhotels.com) has family suites for the price of one-room junior suites, but with shoji screens that separate the kids in their own area, complete with Japanese futons on tatami mats.
Two blocks from Union Square, the Hotel Beresford Arms (tel. 800/533-6533; www.beresford.com/arms) has 60 Jacuzzi suites, half of which have full kitchens and half of which have kitchenettes. The guest rooms and bathrooms also offer plenty of floor space, and all beds are queen beds.
Photo Caption: A suite at Japantown's Hotel Kabuki, San Francisco
The Laurel Inn (tel. 800/552-8735; www.jdvhotels.com) is a top pick for travelers with babies or toddlers, not just for the kitchenettes but also for the Pacific Heights neighborhood, which is teeming with families.
Photo Caption: A city-view suite at the Laurel Inn, San Francisco
Whether you're traveling with toddlers or teens, picking the right San Francisco hotel can help make sure your family vacation goes off without a hitch.
Here are some top San Francisco hotels with the best views, best indoor pool, best kid-friendly amenities, and more -- you know, the things that matter most to kids (and parents).
Photo Caption: The outdoor terrace at San Francisco's Hotel Vitale has views of the Ferry Building.
The waterfront Argonaut (tel. 866/415-0704; www.argonauthotel.com) has several kid-friendly attractions are either next door or less than a block away: grassy Victorian Park, the Aquatic Park beach, the Hyde Street Pier, the cable car turnaround, and The Cannery. The hotel's nautical-inspired décor and the adjacent National Maritime Visitors Center will appeal to kids as well. The double queen rooms are well suited to families, and the in-house restaurant serves kids' meals in a beach pail.
Both hotels are Kimpton properties, so pets are welcome, too.
Photo Caption: A queen deluxe room at the Serrano Hotel, San Francisco
The Four Seasons on Market Street (tel. 415/633-3000; www.fourseasons.com/sanfrancisco> ) supplies cookies and milk on arrival for kids 6 and under and root beer and popcorn for those 7 and up. Kids staying in their own rooms get a specially stocked minibar, and bathrobes are supplied in sizes to fit the whole family. The concierge will also send up other family items -- from cribs to board games -- on request. And if you call ahead and notify the hotel that you're arriving with a baby, the hotel will set you up with a fully outfitted crib, a diaper storage unit, diapers, wipes, baby shampoo, baby lotion, and so on.
Older kids will appreciate the "gaming suites" in Japantown's Hotel Tomo (tel. 877/738-7477; www.jdvhotels.com/tomo), which have the latest Sony PlayStation, Wii, and a 6-foot LCD projection screen.
Photo Caption: Kids can enjoy a personalized cupcake cone at the St. Regis San Francisco.
Photo Caption: The indoor pool is enclosed in a glass atrium at Hotel Nikko, San Francisco.
Most of the hotels atop Nob Hill offer fine vistas, but the InterContinental Mark Hopkins (tel. 800/662-6455; www.intercontinentalmarkhopkins.com) gets the top honors in this category.
Photo Caption: Soak in bay views from a Circular suite at Hotel Vitale.
Two blocks from Union Square, the Hotel Beresford Arms (tel. 800/533-6533; www.beresford.com/arms) has 60 Jacuzzi suites, half of which have full kitchens and half of which have kitchenettes. The guest rooms and bathrooms also offer plenty of floor space, and all beds are queen beds.
Photo Caption: A suite at Japantown's Hotel Kabuki, San Francisco
Photo Caption: A city-view suite at the Laurel Inn, San Francisco