San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Shopping ‘staycations’ also hold appeal
don’t have to venture far from San Francisco to take advantage of a holiday shopping getaway.
As the only hotel right on Union Square, the 1,195-room Westin St. Francis (weekends from $180) is perfectly perched for enjoying the 30,000 lights on the square’s 83foot Christmas tree, skating on the seasonal Union Square Ice Rink and shopping at Macy’s, Neiman Marcus and other iconic stores in the area. The lights on the tree, donated by Macy’s, switch on at 6:40 p.m. Friday, Nov. 26, as part of a special ceremony from 6 to 9 p.m. that day, and illuminate every night through Dec. 31.
Like the Westin St. Francis, the 131-room San Francisco Proper Hotel lies a few blocks from Westfield San Francisco Centre, home to Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom and 168 other stores.
“Some of our favorite local treasures include the wonderful Arsicault Bakery and a lovely chocolate
Westin St. Francis San Francisco on Union Square:
shop, Littlejohn’s Candies, which have truly special holiday selections for gifts or gatherings,” said Robyn Montes, general manager of the hotel’s Villon restaurant.
La Bande, the hotel’s new aperitifs and tapas bar, is “a perfect place to enjoy a meal prior to seeing ‘A Christmas Carol’ or ‘The Nutcracker,’ both of which are minutes away,” Montes added. The choice of a $50 dining credit at La Bande or a “Nutcracker”themed Afternoon Tea is part of Proper’s special two-night holiday package (weekends from $364) that also includes skating tickets, hot toddy setup and dessert.
Just a scenic ferry ride away, the 33-room Inn Above Tide in Sausalito makes it a breeze to score finds in San Francisco’s gourmetthemed Ferry Building and Sausalito’s unique boutiques, including the family-owned Holiday Shoppe and Soxalito, whose whimsical sock collection includes choices appropriate for Hanukkah as well as stocking stuffers.
Inn Above Tide is also ideal for viewing Sausalito’s Lighted Boat Parade & Fireworks (Dec. 11) and browsing various stores and busiYou nesses’ entries in the town’s annual Gingerbread House Competition & Tour (Dec. 1-31). General Manager Mark Flaherty takes his own entry very seriously, while guests who book the one-night “Floating on the Bay” package (from $545, through Dec. 30) receive their own gingerbread house kit, a ceramic sea lion from the Sausalito Foundation, a Voluspa aromatherapy candle and a book, “The Sea Lion and the Sculptor: The Tale of a Vagabond Bohemian Artist.”
Downtown Palo Alto’s eclectic wares, including quirky home decor at Five Ten Gifts and artisanal greeting cards at Letter Perfect, lie within an easy walk of the new, Spanish-themed El Prado, formerly the Garden Court Hotel. Design firm Nicolehollis revamped the 66 rooms (weekends from $399) and public spaces, a solarium with breakfast cafe and library with tapas bar. The Palo Alto Caltrain station lies a half-mile away, while open-air Stanford Shopping Center is a mile away on foot, a little longer by bike or car.