Hotel Vitale: New Chic on San Francisco's Embarcadero

(Want to settle into something comfortable? Try one of the Hotel Vitale's bay-view suites, above)

By George Medovoy, Editor

The next time you're in San Francisco, there is a hotel waiting for you along the Embarcadero where modernity blends with the understated touch of a Japanese spa.

It's Chip Conley's magnificent new Hotel Vitale, his latest in a truly unique collection of boutique, sometimes off-beat hotels in the San Francisco Bay Area.

I first discovered this hotel during a weekend escape to the City and a tour of the farmers market in and around the famed San Francisco Ferry Plaza Building, which is located just across the street from the Vitale.

(The wonderful farmers market is located in and around the landmark San Francisco Ferry Plaza Building, just across the street from the Hotel Vitale)

Conley's Joie de Vivre Hospitality specializes in Bay Area boutique hotels designed around special themes. But with the Vitale and its Americano Restaurant and Bar, Conley has outdone himself this time.

The Vitale's 199 guestrooms include eight suites on eight floors, many with panoramic views of the Bay Bridge, Alcatraz and Treasure Island.

The penthouse-level spa has bay views and outdoor soaking tubs in a lush garden, while the fitness center and penthouse-floor studio offer complimentary yoga and stretching classes.

(Bay views and outdoor soaking tubs in a lush garden await you at the Hotel Vitale)

Downstairs, the circular cocktail lounge has 180-degree views of the Bay Bridge, while the Americano Restaurant & Bar features light Italian cuisine, either indoors or in a street-side patio setting.

From my glorious perch at the Vitale, looking out at the landmark Ferry Plaza clock tower and the waters of San Francisco Bay, I recalled William Saroyan's paean to this great city:

"Arrival in San Francisco," the author once noted, "is an experience in living."

The Vitale has arranged a set of tours to help you experience a taste of San Francisco which are worth checking out:

These two-night Vitality Weekends include:

(Fresh fruit and vegetables, plus a variety of indoor shops and restaurants selling everything from chocolates to caviar are yours to enjoy at the farmers market)

"Gourmet Weekend," a tour of the Farmer's Market with Americano chef Paul Arenstam, followed by a cooking demonstration;

" Adventure Weekend, including a kayaking trip on the bay or a bike ride along the waterfront to the Golden Gate Bridge;

" Walking History Weekend, where CEO Conley gets in on the act by leading a walking tour of the Barbary Coast and North Beach;

" Romance Weekend, including instruction on couples massage and yoga with an exotic collection of bath and beauty products.

If you go walking along the Embarcadero about two blocks south of the Hotel Vitale, expect to see Claes Oldenburg's Cupid's Arrow, a striking design set against San Francisco Bay.

(Claes Oldenburg's Cupid's Arrow is a striking piece of art on the Embarcadero)

For as long as I could remember, this part of San Francisco was reserved for warehouse lofts, and about the only people you would see were the joggers, who love to run along the pathway that borders the water's edge, near where the Bay Bridge connects the City with the Oakland side.

But all that has changed now as the Embarcadero becomes gentrified, with condos, restaurants, and the Hotel Vitale. All the action at the magnificent farmers market, with its outdoor booths and indoor chic, is just the icing on the cake.

Out in front, on Embarcadero, you can also catch one of the storybook F-Line electric trams, each done up in a different color, which will take you down to Fisherman's Wharf, downtown or the Castro district.

(Catch one of the colorful F-Line trams for a ride down to Fisherman's Wharf or all the way out to downtown or the Castro District)

The Hotel Vitale, Eight Mission Street. Reservations: (888) 890-8688 or visit www.hotelvitale.com. The concierge desk has Ferry Building tote bags to help you gather goodies for a feast that you can enjoy on Vitale's 5th-floor Plaza Terrace.

The Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market is open Saturday, 8 a.m. - 2 p.m., Tuesday, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Thursday evening 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. (May - October), and Sunday, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. (seasonally).Visit www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com

(The ice-blue bar at Shanghai 1930)

Looking for a great Chinese restaurant and jazz? Try Shanghai 1930, 133 Steuart Street, around the corner from the Vitale. Call (415) 896-5600. Jazz Monday - Saturday from 7:30 p.m. Closed Sunday. Visit www.shanghai1930.com.

Patricia Unterman, the author of Food Lover's Guide to the Bay Area, whose book, incidentally, is in every Vitale guest room, calls Shanghai 1930's bar, with its long, icy-blue mirror, "one of the sexiest" in San Francisco.

For the complete story on the farmers market, click here.

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