What’s Haute: San Francisco – Hotel Vitale, Millennium Tower San Francisco, Press Club and more

Hotel Vitale
8 Mission St.
San Francisco
415.278.3700

[highlight_text] The boutique hotel, designed by Heller Manus Architects, is infused with natural elements, which compliment the stunning waterfront views, best taken in from the spa’s outdoor rooftop deep-soaking tubs. [/highlight_text]

As San Francisco’s first luxury waterfront hotel, Hotel Vitale was already ahead of the game when it opened in the revitalized Embarcadero district in 2005. But when it introduced three terrace studios complete with adjoining rooftop decks last year, the property became the hotel of choice for discerning travelers. The 500-square-foot terraces offer guests stunning views of the Ferry Building, the Bay Bridge, San Francisco Bay, and downtown, transforming what would otherwise be a typical hotel studio into an elite gathering place. Locales and travelers alike flock to the Cocktail Lounge, thanks to the 180-degree panoramic views of the water and Bay Bridge. The boutique hotel, designed by Heller Manus Architects, is infused with natural elements, which compliment the stunning waterfront views, best taken in from the spa’s outdoor rooftop deep-soaking tubs. Should those not provide enough relaxation, the penthouse-level yoga studio may do the trick, or possibly you need to indulge in a glass of wine and appetizer at Americano, Chef Paul Arenstam’s delicious restaurant.

Rosewood Sand Hill
2825 Sand Hill Rd.
Menlo Park
650.561.1500

With the views of the Santa Cruz Mountains in the distance and the beauty of the private, blossoming gardens on the 16-acre site, this Menlo Park hotel is full of luxuriant amenities fit for resort-style living. Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, the world-renowned, five-star hospitality brand, is managing Rosewood Sand Hill for Stanford University, the owner of the property. Palo Alto-based HKS Glazier Studio drew upon local architectural traditions for the low-rise design that is tiered on a hillside. BAMO, Inc., who is responsible for the interiors, looked to the natural landscape for the inspiration, resulting in a mix of European elegance and tradition with a casual indoor/outdoor verve. The rooms incorporate stunning characteristics such as large marble baths, private balconies, and Control4 automatic remote technology that allows guests to control each room’s temperature, lighting, and electronic devices with the touch of a button. The Presidential Suite is equipped with a fireplace, along with floor-to-ceiling windows offering picturesque views of the lush landscape. This striking hotel, which opened in April, is complete with 123 rooms, a 17,000-square-foot Sense spa, and an upscale, American cuisine-inspired restaurant, Madera.RN74

Millennium Tower San Francisco
301 Mission St.
San Francisco
415.543.7474

[highlight_text] The Wine Bar will feature more than 50 wines by the glass and by the taste through a custom-made enomatic machine, providing an opportunity to indulge in wines typically found only by the bottle. [/highlight_text]

Not to be confused with Route National 74, the major thoroughfare passing through the heart of France’s Burgundy region, RN74 is the new restaurant celebrating the finest food and wine in San Francisco’s SoMA neighborhood. The result of a collaboration between acclaimed chef Michael Mina, Mina Group Wine Director Rajat Parr, and former Sous Chef to Thomas Keller Chef Jason Berthold, RN74 opened in late April to much fanfare-in fact, patrons lined up around the block to be amongst the first to get a glimpse at the 40-seat urban wine bar and 80-seat restaurant, designed by New York City firm AvroKO. The inspiration for RN74 is the perfectly balanced wines and cuisine of Burgundy; as such, the wine list features the best expressions of both red and white from the region alongside New World Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays, and selections of other varietals around the world. The Wine Bar will feature more than 50 wines by the glass and by the taste through a custom-made enomatic machine, providing an opportunity to indulge in wines typically found only by the bottle. The seasonal menu presents dishes that are the perfect accompaniments to the wines, with creative, modern, but simple interpretations of regional French cuisine infused with seasonal, fresh ingredients and bold flavors.

Press Club
20 Yerba Buena Lane
San Francisco
415.744.5000

With the numerous fine wineries located in Northern California, it must have been a difficult task for the proprietors of Press Club to choose which to offer to their guests. This urban tasting room features only eight of California’s most celebrated premium-quality, small-production wineries and vineyards: Chateau Montelena, Fritz Winery, Hanna Winery, Landmark Vineyards, Miner Family Vineyards Mount Eden Vineyards, Pahlmeyer, and Saintsbury, one of the country’s foremost Pinot Noir producers, credited with catapulting California Pinot Noir onto the world’s wine stage.  Press Club is the only public tasting room for Mount Eden and Saintsbury. Employees from the wineries are onsite each day to present guests with an array of vintages and varietals for both sample and purchase. By partnering directly with the artisan vintners, Press Club offers a sophisticated microcosm of the premium California Wine County experience. The beautiful 9,000-square-foot space is broken down by winery, and each has a dedicated area to present visitors with their signature experience. In addition to the daily tastings, Press Club guests are able to attend wine release parties and winemaker dinners hosted by the vintners. The unique local also features gourmet food, educational events, wine club opportunities, direct shipping, and private rooms for intimate gatherings.

Coi
373 Broadway
San Francisco
415.393.9000

Coi is as unique a dining experience as one can find in the San Francisco area. The dining room features an 11-couse meal that changes daily, with dishes animated by flavors and textures both familiar and strange. At Coi, the process of finding the ingredients and turning them into a meal are not separate events, but one continuous process. As is to be expected from a restaurant in a region with bountiful spoils of nature, Chef Daniel Patterson’s cuisine is made using only the best ingredients: cultivated plants grown from heirloom seeds; wild-harvested leaves, flowers, barks, and roots; local fish, seaweed, and coastal grasses; and pastured meat, poultry, and eggs from local farmers. Michelin Guide appreciates Patterson’s efforts, and has awarded Coi with two stars, saying that the restaurant is “carefully calculated toward reaching foodie nirvana.” New York Times’ restarurant critic Frank Bruni was equally impressed, and wrote that “Coi (pronounced kwa), turns dining into art, into religion.”

Cyrus
707.433.3311

The name is a nod to Cyrus Alexander, who is credited with discovering Sonoma Valley’s picturesque Alexander Valley, so is fitting then that the menu is laden with local cuisine. With just one tasting menu available each evening, Cyrus restaurant is able to offer its patrons only the very best. The joint venture of acclaimed chef Douglas Keane (2005 Esquire “chef of the year;” 2006 Food & Wine magazine “best new chef”) and legendary maître d’ Nick Peyton, Cyrus has been heralded as one of Gourmet magazine’s “Top 50 Restaurants in America,” and has received two stars from both the San Francisco Chronicle and the prestigious Michelin guide. The chef describes his culinary style as “contemporary luxury,” and the menu showcases a foundation of classic French influences with modern global accents and an emphasis on seasonality.

Nourish by Spa Chakra
333 O’Farrell St.
San Francisco
415.923.5014

Spa Chakra is one of the most renowned names in spa services, so Nourish by Spa Chakra certainly is on our list of haute locales in the San Francisco region. Boasting 13,000 square feet of luxurious indulgence, Nourish offers 10 treatment rooms accommodating facial and massage therapies, hydrotherapy, an array of body treatments, a state-of-the-art health club with Fitness by Precor, and a retail area showcasing the renowned June Jacobs collection. The highly effective treatments also use Jacobs’ products, which are handcrafted and paraben- and preservative-free. When used in treatments such as the New Youth Facial, during which natural botanical essences, lactic acid, and collagen are used to revitalize mature, dry skin, insulating it from further dehydration and free radical damage, the results are instantaneous. Guests exit the treatment rooms relaxed and refreshed without a care in the world-they don’t even have to worry about how much to tip, since gratuity is not accepted at this upscale locale.

The Spa Hotel Healdsburg
25 Matheson St.
Healdsburg
707.433.4747

In the heart of Sonoma wine country, there is a natural abundance of the finest organic bounty, and The Spa Hotel Healdsburg is taking full advantage. Just in time for Earth Day, Spa Director Marjorie Sisneros-Smith announced a new lineup of “Beyond Organic” treatments using seasonal fruits, flowers, and herbs, many of which are sourced from local purveyors. Take for example the Meyor Lemon Sage Body Wrap and Massage (100 minutes, $220), which includes a lemon sage body milk massage infused with an invigorating lemon verbena mist and olive oil, followed by a lemon sage body wrap and massage facial using lemon day cream with clary sage. The ingredients were sourced from Stella Flora Botanicals in Sebastopol and Quivera Vineyards & Winery in Healdsburg. Due to the availability of the local ingredients, the unique treatments will only be available through July, 2009.

Meadowood Napa Valley
900 Meadowood Lane
St. Helena
707.963.3646

Meadowood is well-known for being the home to Auction Napa Valley each June. But throughout the year it serves as a second home for discerning travelers in search of a private, beautiful setting, healthful activities, and the height of wine and food experiences. The Restaurant is Napa Valley’s only Michelin two-star dining venue (Chef Christopher Kostow is one of the featured Auction chefs) and the property has a master sommelier, Gilles de Chambure, MS, in residence to arrange wine experiences for those seeking a special level of knowledge and access. One of the best kept secrets at Meadowood, however, is the Estate Lodge. While the property offers a wide selection of guest rooms and suites, the Estate Lodge is our favorite for spacious, relaxed country luxury. French doors and sweeping views invite the property’s natural beauty indoors. Elegant, cottage-style décor and furnishings, including sisal carpets covered by thick wool rugs, are beautiful yet relaxed. A light, neutral color palette of off-white and cream with accents of gold, brown, and pale blue complete the tranquil setting. This is the perfect setting for two, three, or four couples to get away and enjoy one another’s company by day and complete privacy by night.