Mandarin Oriental, San Francisco

Calfornia
United States

The Experience

Spread over the top 11 floors of San Francisco's third-highest office tower, the venerable Asian chain's first hotel in the U.S. is a dose of the East hidden amid the Financial District's skyscraper forest. The hotel feels strangely hidden, but is actually mere minutes from San Francisco's best shopping, dining and deep blue Bay. Of course, the Mandarin is all about its sky-high location; elevator-phobes and those with vertigo should stay elsewhere, as there are no lower-floor rooms.

The Rooms

Rooms offer a bit more than just a nod to Asian motifs—dark woods, patterned-silk bed throws, porcelain vases and gold-inlaid drawers—which makes for a fairly exotic feel. But the rooms' most impressive features are their jaw-dropping views of virtually the entire city. Because the Mandarin occupies such a stratospheric position, every room has a view, with oversize windows to take advantage of it. But be careful what that view is of: City-facing rooms are fine, but where you want to be are the bay-front rooms (they come in the same sizes, starting at 350 square feet) looking out over Alcatraz, Coit Tower and almost all the way to Golden Gate Park. With their oversized tubs and walls of windows, the Mandarin's bathrooms continue this visual treat. Perhaps best of all, windows actually open, so you can hear the city roll by.

The Service

The hotel's small size results in a level of intimacy between guest and staff rapidly disappearing from big-city hotels. Whether you're in need of a local express dry cleaner or an obscure international newspaper, requests are handled quickly and intelligently. The concierge also helps weekend visitors navigate area restaurants and shops--a must in the Financial District, which can feel like a ghost town come Friday evening.

The Highlights

Unlike many five-stars, the Mandarin doesn't scrimp when it comes to value-added extras. There's complimentary jasmine tea-and-cookie service upon arrival, free daily newspaper, use of the hotel's town car for chic commutes, a comprehensive fitness center and swanky Escada products in the bathrooms. But the real draw is perennial Zagat-winner Silks, which recently hired a new chef, Joel Huff, and now features Cali-Asian dishes such as a Japanese hot pot with Alaskan black cod or wild boar shabu-shabu, expertly paired with the best Californian vintages. And though you may only be on the second floor of the hotel, you're still towering over the rest of the city: The views alone are worth the price. If you’re a wine lover in the mood for an excursion, the Mandarin has teamed up with Meadowood Napa Valley to offer guests wine-tasting trips that feature stays at both properties.

 

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