Hip Hotel

by chris cunningham

[SAN REMO HOTEL]

City Souffle. The ingredients: A Saturday night jam with fellow insurgents Keith and Shelli in Oakland. A Sunday viewing of Polar Express in IMAX 3D with friends from all corners of my life at the Metreon. And an “on a whim” stay at a hotel Sunday night in North Beach. Occasionally while travelling you come across a little gem of a hotel or site to see and you’re reluctant to share as the secret will get out. Pssst… The Hotel San Remo [LINK] has a little bungalow, um er, penthouse suite [LINK], on top of the main hotel and overlooks the north of North Beach. And you can stay there! At night you can hear the faint sounds of the city such as the dinging of the bells on the cable cars, the white noise of traffic, the barking of seals all the way down at Pier 39. Yet, oddly it’s all very far away sounding and not enough to disturb your rooftop hideaway. The room comes with it’s own copper fitted bathroom, claw-footed bathtub, TV, a deck with lots of lounges and chairs for guests, views of Coit Tower and kinda of the Golden Gate Bridge, and NO telephone. Since the main hotel is more like a European Pension all of these are actually luxuries. It’s location is walking distance to North Beach, one street away from the end of the Powell-Mason cable car line and a block from Bimbo’s 365. It’s pretty easy to book during the week, but book the weekend far far in advance. Nice place to wake up this morning. Ok, there’s the traveller tip of the day. Have a look…