LUXURY ISN'T STUFFY AT NOB HILL'S HUNTINGTON HOTEL.Byline: - Eric Noland SAN FRANCISCO San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden - Colis P. Huntington didn't sit back with a snifter of Courvoisier in this bar and take an unhurried pull on his cigar. But it sure feels like it. Actually, the mansion of the famed robber baron robber baron n. 1. One of the American industrial or financial magnates of the late 19th century who became wealthy by unethical means, such as questionable stock-market operations and exploitation of labor. 2. of California's early industrial history stood just across California Street here at the top of Nob Hill Noun 1. Nob Hill - a fashionable neighborhood in San Francisco San Francisco - a port in western California near the Golden Gate that is one of the major industrial and transportation centers; it has one of the world's finest harbors; site of the Golden Gate Bridge . It came crashing down in the fire that followed the 1906 earthquake. The Huntington Hotel Huntington Hotel may refer to:
v. 1. To steep or soak without boiling in order to extract soluble elements or active principles. 2. To introduce a solution into the body through a vein for therapeutic purposes. the place. Step into the bar of the Big Four Restaurant (whose name honors Huntington and cohorts Charles Crocker Charles Crocker (September 16 1822 – June 14 1888) was born in Troy, New York to a modest family. When he was fourteen he moved to a farm in Iowa, Crocker soon became independent, working on several farms, a sawmill, and at an iron forge. , Mark Hopkins and Leland Stanford). It's a low-ceilinged place with rich paneling of dark wood. A piano player in a tux plays standards in the evenings, and as you're nursing a drink you can peruse pe·ruse tr.v. pe·rused, pe·rus·ing, pe·rus·es To read or examine, typically with great care. [Middle English perusen, to use up : Latin per-, per- the editorial cartoons, photos and other memorabilia from a heady age of the railroad boom in the West. Today the hotel embodies grace and old money without being stuffy. During our stay, doormen and front-desk staff greeted us warmly every time we strode through the lobby. The hotel has 100 guest rooms and 35 suites, and we appreciated having windows that opened. Cool breezes waft across San Francisco from the Pacific Ocean to the west, and it would be a crime not to allow some of that bracing air into a hotel room, particularly at night. Don't worry, meanwhile, about having to make do with 1920s amenities - our bathroom was spacious and richly appointed, and all rooms have either a wet bar or kitchen. Another modern indulgence at this hotel is the indoor infinity pool, housed behind a two-story wall of glass that has the feel of an atrium. A small deck just beyond the windows faces south to catch the sun's rays. The pool area features a recessed whirlpool tub, comfortable furniture and a fireplace - a divine place to relax after a busy day of touring the city (and climbing San Francisco's energy-sapping hills). As guests pad about wearing white terry-cloth robes and green shower slippers, it takes on the look of a decadent dec·a·dent adj. 1. Being in a state of decline or decay. 2. Marked by or providing unrestrained gratification; self-indulgent. 3. often Decadent Of or relating to literary Decadence. n. Roman bath. Speaking of which, adjacent to the pool is the hotel's Nob Hill Spa, which offers massages, body wraps and facials in 10 treatment rooms - three of which have fireplaces. You get the distinct impression that Colis P. himself could have gotten quite comfortable here. --The Huntington Hotel is at 1075 California St. Published rates from $290 per night. Reservations: (800) 227-4683. Hotel: (415) 474-5400; www.huntingtonhotel.com. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: The indoor pool at the Huntington Hotel on Nob Hill provides a quiet retreat after a day of trudging around the city. Eric Noland/Travel Editor |
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