Hotel Monaco: I love it because it's so unique
Written: Apr 08 '06 (Updated Apr 12 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: One of the most unusual and beautiful hotels I have ever stayed in.
Cons: Room is small, but it doesn't seem to matter.
The Bottom Line: This is a one-of-a-kind beautiful and unusual hotel in the heart of downtown San Francisco. You have got to see it!
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| gaelkm's Full Review: Hotel Monaco |
I was the one who was surprised when we went to the HOTEL MONACO in San Francisco recently. We had a mini family reunion of sorts, you could say, meeting with my husband's niece and her family who had come out from Atlanta for a week of skiing during their Spring break.
The Guest Services Manager at the Hotel Monaco, James, was especially helpful to us, telling us about the history of the hotel which, as usual, fascinated me. He said that the location had been known as the Bellevue Hotel up until 1906 when the devastating San Francisco earthquake hit. (The San Francisco earthquake's anniversary is 100 years ago on April 18!). There was demolition work done in the 1980s and from this rubble was built the wonderful, new Hotel Monaco which first opened in 1995. As it stands now, the Hotel Monaco's grand staircase, which is a beautiful sight of gray marble and bronze railings, the lobby floor and the grand fireplace in the lobby, were all constructed out of this rubble of the former Bellevue Hotel. An exquisite, huge painting of an angel (or some celestial being) is at the landing of this marble staircase. This hotel is visually stunning.
As we walked through the gorgeous beveled glass front doors that looked like they had been sculpted, we strolled into the front desk and concierge section of the lobby. The lobby itself is not overly large, but is unusually decorated. Several large potted plants adorn the corners and doorways atop large striped urns. Mirrors and stripes seem rather predominant in the bold decor of this darling hotel (more on this later). Don't forget to look up at the ceiling, in one section of the lobby because it's painted as a sky, is light blue and includes puffy-looking clouds, hot air balloons and old fashioned bi-planes in the painting. At the far end of the lobby is a huge fireplace, also fitting with the word "grand". It is surrounded by large ferns and potted plants. The columns in the lobby are a pleasing shade of orange. We exited to the right of the lobby into another public room, again with high ceilings, a fireplace and chair groupings. One of the "davenports" (it couldn't be called a couch or sofa) was the old-fashioned type with a very tall back and it sure didn't look very comfortable. I did notice too that all of the rooms near the lobby and public areas had rounded doorways, which is very attractive. The entire place sure had a 1920's feel to it. Large restrooms and pay phones are located just behind the lobby.
Walking down the grand staircase, we were told that, as the Bellevue Hotel, one could look straight into the huge columned ballroom. That ballroom today is the Grand Cafe. Of course, now as the Grand Cafe, instead of the Grand Ballroom, the ceilings are still 30 feet high with heavy columns and unusual French paintings and light fixtures giving off a warm glow. The food served is described as "light California-French fare". (24 hour room service is available too, although we did not use it.) There is also a Petit Cafe and bar here.
As we approached our room, and I noticed that the hallways were painted red and white, which would have been unusual anywhere else but here at the Hotel Monaco. The light fixtures reminded me of stars. Although our room was rather small, it was very special and exquisitely decorated. I felt as if I had left San Francisco and gone to Morocco. The bed had a half canopy over it and the walls had the same type of wide green and white stripes that we had seen down in the lobby entrance. A huge armoire housed the television set and DVD player and the diamond shaped light fixtures in the room again looked like stars. There are small speakers atop the armoire. An antique yellow telephone sat on the small nightstand next to the bed. Crown molding gave the room a cozy feeling too. Next to the huge armoire was an equally immense round mirror. As I said before about the red walls, this mirror was so huge, it would seem out of place anywhere else but the Hotel Monaco. There was a desk as well with two striped (what else?) chairs and internet connection. The carpet was also very clean and a black and tan combination that worked.
In the bathroom, in a cute little jeweled wire basket, we were provided with Aveda shampoo and lotion, cotton balls, q-tips and FRESH FLOWERS! I touched them to make sure they were real! I thought that was a very nice touch. Did I mention that the bathroom had orange striped wallpaper? It did. Believe it or not, even the toilet paper was monogrammed with HM, as were the thick white bathrobes in the closet, which you may use while staying here. In case you get a call while in the bathroom, there is also a phone there. How convenient! The bathroom's countertop was a gray marble and the spigots were shiny silver and looked like they were from another era. Also in the bath were coffee mugs. (In the morning, we carried our mugs downstairs to claim our complimentary fresh coffee...mmm!) We also had a safe in the closet, an iron and ironing board, a lighted makeup mirror mounted on the bathroom wall, a mini-bar, and a silver ice bucket.
Upon request, the hotel will give you a complimentary goldfish, which our niece's children participated in. It seemed unusual to me, but I was happy to learn that this hotel is also very pet friendly. I would love to stay here again!
Room Rates:
Single: $219 (Weekdays) and $259 (Weekends)
Double: $219 (Weekdays) and $279 (Weekends)
Located one block from exciting Union Square in downtown San Francisco. Close to the financial district, Moscone Center, great restaurants, theater and shopping. Just 20 minutes from San Francisco International Airport.
Hotel Monaco
501 Geary St. (and Taylor St.)
San Francisco, CA 94102
415.292.0100 (Phone)
415.292.0111 (Fax)
Toll Free: 866.622.5284
monaco-sf.com (Check out the photos on their website; my descriptions hardly do them justice!)
(Part of the kimptonhotels.com group. Other locations include Aspen, Boston, Cambridge, Chicago, Denver, New Orleans, New York, Portland, SLC, San Diego, Seattle, Silicon Valley, Vancouver B.C., Washington D.C., Whistler, B.C.)
"Kimpton: Every hotel tells a story"
~thanks for reading~
©gkm.
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Recommended:
Yes
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