| Enter a luxury cruise liner . . . in a major metropolitan | | | | Hotel Monaco has teamed up with Yoga Magazine to |
| area? | | | | give you a little workout in your room. Just ring up |
| When you check in at the Hotel Monaco in San | | | | the front desk, and they will bring you a |
| Francisco, it's like boarding an intimate cruise ship of | | | | complimentary yoga package with a yoga mat, strap, |
| the early 1900s and stepping back to the heady days | | | | block, and instructions. You do the workout with an |
| of Hemingway and Christie. Get a good look at the | | | | instructor on the TV. |
| registration desk - it's built to look like an ocean | | | | PETS ARE WELCOME |
| steamer trunk. | | | | Although we left our pets at home, the Hotel |
| Then take a quick stroll to the right, past the | | | | Monaco can take care of your four-legged friends in |
| elevators into the elegant sitting room. Fanciful | | | | style, taking the term pet-friendly to a new level. |
| furnishings, high-backed sofas, and a crackling fire all | | | | The Bone-A-Petit package features bottled water, a |
| make for intimate spaces for private conversations. | | | | dog bowl, Good Dog towels, top quality chew toys, |
| Join your fellow guests in the other sitting room just | | | | gourmet dog cookies, Hotel Monaco's temporary dog |
| past the old marble grand staircase for wine and | | | | tags, and clean up bags. You can also request Lassie, |
| cheese in the afternoons. There you can have your | | | | Babe, and Dr. Doolittle videos from their front desk. |
| tarot cards read and get a neck and back massage. | | | | We didn't get a chance to see if they offered doggie |
| The decorations evoke the days of elegant travel. | | | | yoga. |
| The art deco flavor and high ceilings made us feel like | | | | Additionally, the hotel offers Guppy Love, a |
| we were giant pieces in a grand Monopoly game. | | | | complimentary goldfish along with fish toys to keep |
| We loved the décor of our room - French, fun, | | | | you company during your stay. The housekeeping |
| and boy-oh-boy were the fabrics expensive and fine. | | | | staff feeds and takes care of the goldfish - all you |
| So nice, in fact, that if you smoke in your room, the | | | | need to do is enjoy. |
| hotel charges an extra $250 cleaning charge. Like all | | | | HEART OF THE THEATER DISTRICT |
| San Francisco hotels built at this time, the Hotel | | | | The Hotel Monaco sits in the heart of the theater |
| Monaco has smaller rooms than you might expect | | | | district on Geary Street, just off the famous Union |
| from a modern luxury hotel. But don't be fooled; this | | | | Square. From the hotel, you can walk in just minutes |
| room makes the most of the space - a period armoir | | | | to all of San Francisco's most famous theaters: |
| holds the TV and mini-bar, and a huge circular mirror | | | | Orpheum Theater (which is currently showing The |
| gives the room lots of light. | | | | Lion King, the American Conservatory Theater, |
| The foundation of any hotel's success is in their beds | | | | Curran Theater (where Phatom of the Opera played |
| . . . really! If you don't get a good night's sleep, how | | | | to packed houses for years), Post Street Theatre, |
| great can a hotel be? You'll find the Hotel Monaco's | | | | Theatre on the Square, and Yerba Buena Center for |
| sheets and bedding an inviting way to recover from | | | | the Arts. |
| a day of walking through what locals call The City. | | | | DINING IN PLEASURE |
| Dreamy pillow top covers, down pillows and romantic | | | | When we told a friend, who is a wine collector and |
| canopies may make you want to stay in. Luckily, the | | | | hedonist extraordinaire, that we were staying at the |
| Grande Café, attached to the hotel has | | | | Hotel Monaco, he asked excitedly, "You're eating at |
| mouth-watering room service. Be sure to order the | | | | the Grand Café then, right? I'll join you." The |
| "omelet and wine," which comes with a small green | | | | restaurant is connected to the hotel by a large, |
| salad, perfect for the lighter appetite. | | | | ornate doorway, but the businesses are two |
| The bathroom more than met our needs with Aveda | | | | different entities. The Grande Café bills itself as |
| products and Frette bathrobes. There is also | | | | "a French-California brasserie featuring contemporary |
| complimentary high-speed Internet access, coffee | | | | French cuisine influenced by earthy seasonal flavors |
| service, newspaper, and all the other goodies you | | | | and wonderful local ingredients. |
| expect from a luxury hotel. Plus one more - The | | | | |