San Francisco Hotels (California Girl?)

[jdw]

I have been asked to search for hotels in SF for an upcoming conference next year. Any recommendations for high end hotels, preferrably with 500 sleeping rooms? I would like to stay away from the touristy hotels with 1000+ rooms. We would also consider two smaller resorts within walking distance of each other.

Thanks for suggestions.

[byado18]

Check out the Kimpton properties!
http://www.kimptonhotels.com/hotels/hot ... cisco.aspx

Kimpton properties are lovely "boutique" hotels with a daily wine hour from 5-6 pm!

[jimg20]

We stayed in the Marriott Downtown at 55 4th St two years ago. It was good for a convention hotel. There were lots of rooms for meetings and the street car was a half block from the hotel's front door.

JIM

[California Girl]

I totally and completely recommend the FAIRMONT! It's a fabulous hotel, dripping in San Francisco history, and home to the Tonga Room and Hurricane Bar, where it actually rains inside!

A year ago last August I operated a program at the Fairmont for about the same number of people and everyone loved it and felt very spoiled by the elegance. The Fairmont has 591 rooms, so you'd just about sell it out and some of your attendees might end up with double beds instead of a king, but the Mark Hopkins is right across the street, so anyone who wasn't happy was offered a room there. It was very convenient, and everyone was happy!

The Fairmont has great meeting rooms and 2 fabulous ballrooms on the main level that make you feel like you're in Versailles. There is another large ballroom on the lower level. At the top of the "new" Fairmont (attached to the "old" Fairmont) is an amazing banquet room with a 360 degree view of the city! The food was wonderful, absolutely no complaints there, and the staff was so accommodating! They actually removed all the tables and chairs from the Laurel Court (a restaurant just off the lobby) and roped it off to the public so we could have our welcome reception there!

Here are the pictures I took if you care to check them out. They're divided into 3 sections: tourist pictures of the city, pictures of the hotel, and pictures "behind the scenes" of us working and table decor, etc.

http://www.pbase.com/thegripps/sf_work

Please feel free to ask me anything else.

[promoguy]

Do what Cal Gal said. You can't get anymore 'old San Francisco' then those two hotels. And if folks want to get out and try some old SF eateries, they're all their

[chicagoans]

Love the Fairmont! Such a great location. I've also had some wonderful stays at the Mark Hopkins which is near there. That's another place to consider as the location and hotel are both great.

[jdw]

Thanks! This is the just the kind of information I was looking for. Will call the Fairmont today.

[jdw]

CG - Do you have a second choice? It appears that the Fairmont meeting space is not going to be big enough. The ballroom is approx. 12,000 square feet and we like to have approx. 18,000 square feet. This is often times hard to find!

Thanks.

[California Girl]

Sorry! I don't have any other recommendations. I know how hard it is to find a ballroom that big. If it's any consolation, we had 800 people in the Grand Ballroom for the Employee of the Year banquet (square tables & king's tables).

What do you plan to do in the large ballroom? The capacity of the Grand Ballroom at the Fairmont is 1368 if set up theatre style, 520-780 as a classroom, 970 for round tables banquet, and 2300 for a cocktail reception.

We had one reception off-site at the Academy of Sciences. They did a wonderful job with buffet food tables and bars scattered throughout the main part of the Academy. Our 800 people didn't even phase them!

I wish I had more to tell you... but that's all I have first-hand experience with! Good luck!

If you decide to change your venue entirely, I can tell you all about The Swan & Dolphin at Disney World. They have some HUGE meeting space!

[jdw]

[quote="California Girl"]Sorry! I don't have any other recommendations. I know how hard it is to find a ballroom that big. If it's any consolation, we had 800 people in the Grand Ballroom for the Employee of the Year banquet (square tables & king's tables).

What do you plan to do in the large ballroom? The capacity of the Grand Ballroom at the Fairmont is 1368 if set up theatre style, 520-780 as a classroom, 970 for round tables banquet, and 2300 for a cocktail reception.

We had one reception off-site at the Academy of Sciences. They did a wonderful job with buffet food tables and bars scattered throughout the main part of the Academy. Our 800 people didn't even phase them!

I wish I had more to tell you... but that's all I have first-hand experience with! Good luck!

If you decide to change your venue entirely, I can tell you all about The Swan & Dolphin at Disney World. They have some HUGE meeting space![/quote

We usually use a classroom set up for 550 people but we have elaborate staging and rear screen projection. The smallest we have ever used is a 14,500 square foot ballroom and that was tight!

[California Girl]

Hmmm. Have you called anyone at the Fairmont yet? I'm thinking you could do that production in the Grand Ballroom on the lower level.

I know exactly what you are talking about with the big production value, our client was Corinthian Colleges and they have their own in-house production company who travels to every venue and sets up stages and backdrops and video cameras from all angles, yada, yada, yada.

Call the Fairmont and go on a site inspection...they'll probably comp you. If I'm wrong, then you at least got a free trip to San Francisco! Win/Win if you ask me!

[jdw]

Thanks for all of your suggestions CG! Looking at the Fairmont and the Westin.

Quick question - If someone mentions "the valley", what area does that consist of?

[California Girl]

Hmmm... not sure about that comment, but you can be sure it's not Nob Hill (where the Fairmont is located). The Valley could very well mean Mill Valley, which is not in the city, but is across the Golden Gate bridge to the north. It would not be convenient for your participants who want to visit San Francisco. But you need to verify that, because I'm just taking a random guess. (but I bet I'm right)