LIVING TRAVEL

My blissful stay at Hotel Vitale San Francisco

panoramic suite at hotel vitale SFO

Ever since I first heard of them, I wished to stay at Hotel Vitale. The hotel opened March 9, 2005.

I imagined myself taking the complimentary yoga class, available daily, at the penthouse level yoga studio. Unfortunately I was unable to fit a class into my tight schedule. Oh well, one more reason to go back.

To understand the concept of this hotel and its appeal to me, let’s go back to their root. Their goal was to create an urbane oasis. In a press release published before their opening, you can read that

Hotel Vitale represents not only a new frontier for the highly successful boutique hotel company, but an entirely ground-breaking concept in the arena of luxury hospitality.

This luxury hotel cleverly mixes old and new modern furniture for their decor. The old appears through the use of materials and finishes. But the shapes always stay modern. The architects and designers managed to create spaces that are soothing, hip and friendly at the same time.

The Service

It is a trendy place but the service is not snobbish. You feel good in their surroundings.

A lot of high-end car owners stopped by the restaurant for a drink or to eat a meal. It tells something about the excellence of a place when the locals go there.

The Guestrooms

You will not be surprised that I booked a Deluxe Waterfront room at Hotel Vitale for our first night in San Francisco, before we hit the roads of the Wine Country. When we arrived at the front desk, I was offered the marvelous Panoramic Suite for a little extra. What a treat that room is. I adore it!

The particularity of this room is that it fits within the circular tower. From the 5th floor, the hotel has 8, we got an amazing dramatic 180 degree “infinity” views of the water and Bay Bridge. At night, you close the blinds with a remote control. My husband loves that feature.

The Amenities

Many details in the room make your stay more enjoyable. One touch that I appreciated for writing my posts was the excellent lounge music CDs on our room. On top of the CD player, there is also an iPod dock station. You can browse their CD library and request our CDs instead. I wanted to buy the 4 Krystal elemental compilations but I forgot to ask for it when I checked out.

There are several mirrors in the room, the bathroom is compartmented: a powder room on one side, the rain shower and washbasin on a second closed space. Then, a soaking bath sits on the room. Very romantic!

Attention to details is omnipresent so I find it strange that Hotel Vitale forgoes the most basic functionality for style reason. What I am talking about is that there is no handle for your hand towels in neither of the bathroom space. A simple hook, like the ones they used for the robes, will do.

The Location

Hotel Vitale is located directly across from the historic Ferry Building Marketplace; the place to go if you are a foodie. I will tell you all about it soon on my Farmer’s Market report. It is busy during the day but at night, the street is quieter so you can sleep very well. The bed was really comfortable.

We also went for a drink and some appetizers at Americano Restaurant & Bar, the hotel bar and restaurant that I recommend. I will show you the pictures later. The lounge area of the Americano is the same size and shape than the panoramic suite.

I am pleased because sometimes when you wish for something for a long time, you are disappointed. Not this time since I am thrilled by my stay. I am not alone since I checked what other travelers have to say about Hotel Vitale. I only find 5/5 as a rating. This proves that you really experiment the Joie de Vivre at Hotel Vitale.

MORE:
Hotel Vitale
p 415.278.3700 | 8 Mission St, San Francisco, California, United States, 94105
+ Hotel Vitale Web site

  • Purple
    March 4, 2008 at 16:39

    Looks wonderful, I wish I could go to San Francisco.

  • Super G
    September 3, 2008 at 15:02

    San Francisco is a wonderful place to visit and this hotel is awesome too.