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Heading out to the sun in Fairmont San Francisco, May 2017.
Waking up in the forest at Inn at the Presidio, May 2017.
Wild calla lilies growing outside our bedroom at Inn at the Presidio.
Waiting for the breakfast delivery in Manka’s Inverness Lodge, September 2014. You hear a sharp knock but no matter how quickly you answer the door, whoever knocked is gone, leaving only behind the morning paper and a breakfast tray on your doorstep.
That time when we drove from Manka’s to have picnic on Stinson Beach and stayed for hours...
Evening walk in Cavallo Point, May 2017.

Where to stay

The heading is a question, not an answer.

I have not found a truly special hotel in San Francisco.

And don’t get me wrong, I have always enjoyed my stay. I just feel the same type of concentration, good taste and love that is blooming in the restaurant scene of San Francisco, is lacking from the hotel scene.

Or have I missed a gem somewhere? Please let me know if you think I have.

On my recent trips I have stayed in: Hotel G, Fairmont, Airbnb, Inn at the Presidio and Cavallo Point.

The last two have a special location close to nature which I love. You can roll out of bed, go hiking and enjoy spectacular views. But if you are mainly exploring the city, these locations are no good.

I loved floating in the heated outdoor meditation pool in Cavallo Point. Fairmont has a beautiful terrace garden and the grand building stands on this practical spot in Nob Hill within walking distance to most of my daily destinations when staying there.

Still my most memorable stays have been long outside the city, in Manka’s Inverness Lodge and Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn. Both are located in the middle of nowhere, but that’s part of the fun.