Tags: Hotel Deals / Orchard Hotels / San Francisco Hotels / Hotel News / → All Tags

The Orchard Hotel in San Fran is Offering 10 Nights for Just $1,010

If you are among the superstitious who think that Sunday’s perfectly numbered 10/10/10 date, which happens every 100 years, has special meaning, this hotel deal is for you. Or if you just like hotel deals in general, we think you’ll like this one as well.

San Francisco’s Orchard Hotel is monopolizing on the magic-numbered date for its Once in a Decade Deal.

Okay, this kinda made our head spin, so follow carefully: To mark its 10th anniversary, the hotel will hold a 10-day sale starting on 10/10/10 where you can book 10 nightsusable any timefor $1,010; the package includes 10 minibar coupons, a $10 discount on minibar treats, and 10 $10 coupons for the onsite Daffodil Restaurant.

That’s a lot to process but it has us excited because it’s so similar to JetBlue’s All You Can Jet Pass. Could this be the start of more All You Can Sleep passes? We hope so!

Tags: Hotel Strikes / San Francisco Hotels / Provenance Hotels / Hotel Woes / Hotel Employees / → All Tags

Trouble is Brewing at the Hotel Frank

About a month ago, we stopped into two of the former Personality Hotels in San Francisco, which had been taken over by Provenance Hotels in mid-May.

As far as we could see, things seemed to be A-OK. Free WiFi was still in place and Provenance was working hard to get the renovations back on track at both the Hotel Vertigo and the Hotel Frank. Yet things were not as copacetic as we thought.

Provenance has been tussling with employees of the three hotels (including Hotel Metropolis) over increased workloads and slashed employee benefits. A longtime hotel bellman at Hotel Frank, who’s also Unite-Here Local 2 union activist, was fired last week after a “boisterous picket line” convened in front of the hotel to protest these changes.

The good news is, yes, the design-centric hotels seem to be carrying on business as usual, including continuing to offer free WiFia major concern of ours!

The personality-change was made mid-renovation, however, so several rooms at each hotel remain to be redone, and a few of the amenities are still not in place yet, including a restaurant at the Vertigo, and mini-bar options at either hotel. However, we were told that plans are in the works to get the renovations back underway in the next few months for completion early next year. The upside? You can snag a mean deal at the Vertigo if you go for one of their non-refurbished rooms.

Over at the Frank, all available rooms are completely finished so there are no basement bargains, but at least you always know what youre getting.

Both hotels are being redesigned by L.A.-based designer, Thomas Schoos, who is perhaps better known for his work on the Huntley Hotel in Santa Monica. Like the Huntley, both hotels decor is based on a white-on-white palette, with splashes of color and design set pieces throughout.

In the Vertigo (pictured up top), the curtains and room accents are orange, plus there are some nifty horse-head lamps to get you raring. Plus, if you decide to take the stairs, you can see the famous view from the Hitchcock movie Vertigo which was filmed here and is where the hotel got its name.

At the Frank, the rooms are done in more sophisticated white and black geometric patterns with accents of teal and green including leather headboards, all-marble bathrooms, and hanging bedside lamp fixtures that we kind of want to steal.

Hotel Frank.

Considering how close to Union Square and the citys other tourist attractions these hotels are, both offer great rates. At the Vertigo, rates for the new rooms start at just $79, while at the Frank, they start at $134 a night.

Full disclosure: Eric Rosen stayed at Hotel Vertigo and Hotel Frank gratis, while on assignment for another publication–but all opinions expressed are his own.

The Burritt Rooms history, like that of the hotel itself, dates back to 1910, when it was a hotel oflets just say, less reputable standards. These days, the hotel has been spruced up, and the second-floor bar is no exception, with the original crown moldings restored, exposed brick walls, whimsical crystal chandeliers, smoky mirrors, cozy corners for canoodling, and a menu of cocktails stocked with old classics and new twists.

Diedrich prepared two cocktails for us. The first was a Robbie Burns with scotch whisky, Benedictine liqueur, orange bitters and a twist. It went down smooth enough to put a Scottish brogue in our speech. The second cocktail, and one of Diedrichs favorite, is the Critical Mass, named after San Franciscos day of environmentally conscious bike-riding. It started off with rye whisky, dashes of Aperol, sweet vermouth and Benedictine, and packed more punch than a Greenpeace anti-whaling expedition.

Aside from those speakeasy-ish potables, Diedrich and his trim staff also serve up cocktails that reflect the local farmers markets where he gets his ingredients, and he told us that hes excited about fall specials like zucchini and apples–maybe not together though! The weekday scene gets swinging around the after-work happy hour, but the lounge also has music several nights a week, with a jazz trio on Thursdays, DJs on Fridays, and live bands on Saturdays.

Now, we know the hotel had a few opening jitters back when we stopped there last November, but it seems to have worked out the kinks since then, with 63 out of its 79 rooms completely redecorated, and the rest in process. Though somewhat minuscule, their doubles can start as low as $79 a night, making it a bargain for a hotel this close to Union Square (2 blocks!), but these days their rooms are going for closer to $119, which is still pretty reasonable for one of the citys busiest times of year.

Full disclosure: Eric Rosen spent one night at the Crescent San Francisco gratis, while on assignment for another publication, but all opinions expressed are his own.

Tags: Hotel Contests / Mandarin Oriental Hotels / San Francisco Hotels / Killer View / → All Tags

Take a Pic of a Killer View and Win a Stay at the Mandarin Oriental SF

Shutterbugs, bring your digital cameras and iPhones to the Mandarin Oriental, San Francisco to shoot pictures of the sky-high views, and you can win a package worth $750. The prize-winning picture-taker will receive a two-night stay with breakfast and parking each day.

To enter the bimonthly Picture Perfect Photo contest, you have to snap a photo from the hotel that best captures the latest theme. For September and October, it’s “Best Sunset Shot.”

Tags: Labor Day Hotels / Hotel Deals / Mandarin Oriental Hotels / San Francisco Hotels / → All Tags

Yes, Please: Mandarin Oriental San Francisco for $295 Over Labor Day Weekend

Obviously, the SF fog was “cooperating” the day the hotel took this pic.

One of our recurring problems in life is that our love for Mandarin Oriental Hotels cannot always be supported by our wobbling bank account. So whenever we see a deal at Mandarin, who are known for luxury amenities and unreal service, we try to jump on it right away. And today we’re thinking of spending Labor Day weekend at the Mandarin Oriental San Francisco.

The luxury hotel in the city’s financial district is offering a daily dining credit of $50 if you stay two nights are more. With room rates starting at just $295 a night (we’re used to seeing MOs at $400+), we’re mighty mighty tempted.

For those of you whose bank accounts are little more, ahem, healthier than ours, it’s recommended you book the Bridge to Bridge view rooms as they feature a panoramic view of both the Golden Gate and Oakland Bay bridges. Those rooms start at $460 a night over Labor Day Weekend.

Just make sure that if you valet your car, you don’t get a parking ticket.

Keep in mind this is a good rate for Mandarin Oriental hotels. We’ll be sussing out even more affordable hotel deals for Labor Day in the upcoming weeks. Got a particular destination you’re interested in? Let us know!

Tags: Labor Day Hotels / Hotel Deals / San Francisco Hotels / Quikbook / Luxury Collection Hotels / → All Tags

The Palace in San Francisco for $135 over Labor Day Weekend

Labor Day Weekend is just a few weeks away and if you’re still unsure of where to go, we’ve actually found some decent rates all weekend long in San Francisco.

Looking on Quikbook for September 3-6, we found the historic Palace Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel from Starwood in Union Square, for an average of $135 a night. That’s for a superior king room and the offer requires a prepayment at the time of booking. It’s also non-refundable so your San Fran plans need to be set in stone.

Tags: Hotel Bars / San Francisco Hotels / Crescent Hotels / Pet-Friendly Hotels / → All Tags

The Crescent San Francisco Opens The Burritt Room Lounge and Bar Tonight

After having soft-opened last fall, The Crescent San Francisco tells us they are now officially open from top to bottom and to celebrate the accomplishment, the hotel is opening their second floor bar, The Burritt Room.

Starting tonight, The Burritt Room will offer a nightly bar menu from 5pm until midnight Sunday-Thursday with extended hours until 2am on Saturdays and Sundays. Bartender Kevin Diedrich will be mixing up cocktails with “fresh and seasonal” local ingredients and putting his own spin on classic drinks.

There’s also an adjacent space which can be rented out for private parties and live music events, which the hotel says will be invite-only. Perhaps a nod to the Rose Bar Sessions at GPH?.

Tags: Snapshot / Hyatt Hotels / San Francisco Hotels / Hotel Sex / → All Tags

Does a Flirting Convention Mean More Sold-Out Rooms for the Hotel?

HotelChatter always has a funny way of showing up at hotels during interesting convention events. Remember our International Mister Leather run-in? Well, when one of our operatives was in at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco last week, they noticed this convention was taking place: Society of Single Professionals: Bay Area Flirting Convention.

Sadly, our operative was not able to get in there and wow everyone with their own flirting skills. Still, we hope a good time was had by all, especially the hotel’s occupancy rate. We wonder how many rooms were booked that night because of this convention and specifically how many rooms were booked after the event.

It must have been better than he “luvahs” at the W Hoboken’s speed-dating event. After all, it was Oprah-approved!

Tags: Pride Weekend Hotels / San Francisco Hotels / Gay Hotels / → All Tags

Where to Stay in San Francisco for Pride Weekend

San Francisco Pride is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year on June 26-27, and its sponsor hotels across the city are throwing open their doors with deals that would make anyone proud.

Though many of the Pride festivities take place around the Castro, sometimes its good to get a little distance at the end of the day. Thats why the too-cool Clift Hotel right in the heart of the city near Union Square has a Pride package that starts at $245 per night and includes room, a $50 hotel credit, complimentary parking (a huge bonus in San Francisco), two Grand Stand tickets for the Parade on Sunday, and two tickets to the VIP Pride Party.