Lipgloss Break: san francisco

Showing posts with label san francisco. Show all posts

Get Cozy at a Kimpton Hotel

I completed a wonderful stay at the Harbor Court Hotel in San Francisco about a month ago. Harbor Court is a Kimpton Hotel, which are all boutique hotels. I've always been very impressed with Kimpton hotels' hospitality, loyalty program and perks.

Few of the perks....

I've stayed at 3 different Kimpton Hotels before and all have a complimentary happy hour for guests, including beer, wine and snacks. This is really nice to come back to after a long day of work. They also always have lemon and/or orange flavored water and coffee in the lobby in the AM.

Once you join their free loyalty program, Kimpton inTouch Loyalty, you automatically get free in room WIFI (it's hard to believe some hotels still charge for this) and $10 worth of goodies from the mini bar. This stay I opted for 2 water bottles, but next time I'm going for the wine.

At Harbor Court in SF, they have bikes you can check out and use to explore the city. They are also usually pet friendly. I don’t have a pet, but could see this being a huge plus if I was pet owner.

Last year my husband and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary in Chicago. We made reservations at the Palomar hotel and of course, I tweeted about it. We were out and about in the city and when we came back at night we had a lovely surprise, chocolate cover strawberries and champagne! The hotel staff left a really sweet note wishing us a happy anniversary.

Kimpton hotels do a really great job at making you feel ‘at home’ in a big city. They have locations in several big cities, including Boston, Chicago, SF and Miami. If they are an option for your next trip, I highly recommend checking them out!

Photo from Kimptonhotels.com

San Francisco in a Weekend

This post is way over due. It was amazing to get away for a bit 2 weeks ago with the hubby. San Francisco is an amazing city. Lots of shopping, great food and sunshine. Super chilly at night and when the sun goes in, but I was prepared from my past experiences.

Even though I didn't make it to the gym in SF, I feel like I got an amazing workout from all the walking we did! Saturday morning we woke up early, had breakfast, and rented bikes. Yes, we were touristy, we rode our bikes across the bridge into Sausalito. So..much...fun...but a tough ride! 8 miles later we were dining in Sausalito, followed by coffee drinks before catching the ferry back to the city.

Sunday we explored some more, made it to the Coit Tower and a ton of parks, and did our fair share of people watching in North Beach.

If you plan on visiting San Francisco my tips are:
- Bring comfortable walking shoes
- Bring a jacket that transfers from day to night (jean jacket, blazer) because the city can go from what feels like 80 degrees to 50 degrees in a minute!
- Wear sunscreen. The temperature is deceiving. It may be chilly, but if the sun is out you will burn!
- Sit at an outdoor cafe and people watch. Lots to take in on the streets of SF :)
- Rent bikes to get around and explore, and if you have it in you, ride them across the bridge - it was definitely the highlight of our trip!

Steps leading to the Coit Tower.
Cotton Nautical colored dress from Marshalls, Rebecca Minkoff MAB mini bag

View from the middle of the bridge

Flowers along the bay in Sausalito

Chai latte, cappuccino & people watching

Traveling East to West

Heading to San Francisco for the week! During the week is strictly business in Mountain View, but once Friday hits, me and the hubby are heading to the bay area. Staying at the Clift in Union Square, we're going to try and experience the city in a non-touristy way. You will definitely see us riding the BART!

Below is what 5% of my suitcase is filled with :) The last time I was in San Francisco I froze my butt off and had to buy an extra scarf to keep me warm. So I'm prepared this time with jackets, jeans and scarfs. I also tennis shoes for exploring.

I was excited to pack my new skinny jeans...they are so California! I also couldn't forget my workout journal and SF maps. Looking forward to getting exercise climbing the hills of the area. The only thing below that isn't in my suitcase is that adorable grey Rebecca Minkoff MAC mini clutch. Maybe I'll come across it in the city...

If you live in the area or are familiar with SF, please send us your suggestions on things to do and places to eat!