One gaze upon the majestic architecture of the Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco and it would make perfect sense to find Luminere, the Beauty and the Beast candlestick, swerving through the lobby, grabbing your bags, and bursting into Be Our Guest lyrics. No exaggeration. This jewel of a stay, reigning from the hem of Chinatown and the Nob Hill neighborhoods of San Francisco, serves up sparkling views, seemingly bejeweled interiors and white-tie service heady enough to butter-up the Queen of England.
San Francisco bubbles with culture galore: an infamous prison open for browsing, historic bridges, dining to swoon over, and shopping to die for. The Ritz-Carlton itself is just minutes from Union Square, Chinatown, Little Italy, the financial district, the cable car and BART. A several block walk, or entertaining cable car ride, will get you to world-renowned San Francisco landmarks like Alcatraz and Fisherman’s Wharf. And after a long day of exploration, chill at night in the opulent surrounds of the Ritz-Carlton.
Now as a rule, parents don’t pair “opulence” with “children” — unless rescuing said opulence from the little darlings. But the Ritz-Carlton, with the nonchalance of the very rich, rolls out the red carpet for the sweetest among us (“what’s a little juice stain among friends? No worries, dears, the candlestick’ll get it.”)
From the moment we entered the dramatic lobby and were graciously welcomed by the staff, I knew we were in for a special hotel experience versus a mere overnight stay. As a mom, I loved that a bellhop accompanied us to our guestroom and installed a nightlight, outlet plugs, and a tub spout cover — all part of the Ritz-Carlton’s child protection program. Not that my big boys needed it, but how comforting for parents of babies and toddlers. But on the other hand, my bigs were over-the-moon to find two stuffed tigers staring back at them from the sumptuous guestroom bed. We also found a Nanny Survival basket bursting with sunblock, maps of the city and band-aids. Cookies and milk arrived in the evening further solidifying my boys’ new profound allegiance to the Ritz-Carlton.
The 336 guestrooms range from absolutely lovely to be-still-my-beating-heart. A gleaming fitness room, an elegant spa, and casual and formal dining make it no piece of cake to leave these premises. But long ago the wealthy did leave their beloved Nob Hill neighborhood — in quite a hurry in fact. The San Francisco earthquake and fire in 1906 permanently ushered the residents from their elegant address into the outlying Bay Area regions. In 1909 a neo-classical wonder emerged from the ashes with massive columns, decorative lion head medallions, and enough square footage to wrap a city block. And all that gorgeousness went to an insurance company. Decades later, in 1991, the Ritz-Carlton nabbed the architectural treasure and renovated the interior of the original building to the tune of $140 million.
Today this glorious grand dame often takes a hit or two for having seen better days. But this tired mom reveled in the over-the-top luxury of the Ritz-Carlton. And my boys? Let’s just say that they’re still talking about the bath they took in the enormous tub filled with bubbles while eating beautifully decorated cupcakes (a la the Ritz-Carlton) and watching a LEGO movie on the flat-screen hanging on the wall directly in front of the tub.
To learn more about Ritz-Carlton, please visit Ritz-Carlton.
