Hotel Vitale, San Francisco

San Francisco’s reputation as one of the most hectic, zany, and robust cities in the world is unrivaled. For global trekkers, the City by the Bay is a bucket-list beauty, and for locals, an ever-evolving urban playground with farm-to-table adventures, rotating museum exhibits, and short-term Broadway hits.

But maybe you’ve come for serenity and solitude. Is there an oasis to escape from deadline pressures and angst-ridden coworkers? Enter Hotel Vitale, a contemporary gem where every bedside table contains a copy of the Slow Food Guide to San Francisco. Zen-like with lemongrass spa aromas and soft-blurred close-ups of branches and flowers, you’ll feel like you’ve been teleported to Thailand. Hallways even have ceiling panels of pressed, yellow gingko leaves. There are no posters of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island, or anything that harkens to the city’s tourist attractions. Planted across the street from the acclaimed waterfront, the hotel puts you in the midst of the real McCoys including Fisherman’s Wharf, Chinatown, and the Ferry Building with its thrice-weekly farmer’s market. And it doesn’t hurt that it’s walking distance to the Exploratorium science museum, the San Francisco Giants ballpark, and eateries of every price point.

Step Inside Hotel Vitale

The 200-room, 11-suite boutique hotel yields peace in the heart of the city’s cacophony. Amid its skyscraper neighbors, the eight-story brick hotel is tiny in comparison. Upon entering the vast lobby, limestone pillars and soft beige couches bring travelers into a world of uncluttered calm. Upstairs, accommodations echo the message of rest with white linens on pillowtop mattresses and wheat-colored textured wallpaper. Outside the door, your room number is displayed below a small sheaf of lavender. Hues of baby blue, soft greens, and cream are easy on the eye, complementing the colors of the sailboats and ferries visible from the windows.

Good sized standard rooms boast limestone tiled baths with Japanese shower stools, honor bar refrigerators, flat-screen TVs, and a Bose radio/CD player. Inside every armoire is a luxuriously fluffy white robe that says SLOW on the left, and DOWN on the right (slippers, too!). Three large suite types command panoramas of the Bay Bridge, the Ferry Building clock tower, and the Embarcadero streetscape, popular among bicyclists and joggers.

Under the JDV hospitality brand, Hotel Vitale goes to extremes to make sure guests appreciate the area’s scenic treasures. The property features three different terraces on three levels with lounge chairs so you can relax and imbibe a glass of wine at sunset or sip a coffee in the morning. The Americano Restaurant and Bar features both indoor and outdoor dining, so you can people watch at breakfast, lunch, or dinner. And in this anything-goes city, people watching can be a full-time hobby.

Escape to the Spa

After check-in, take the elevator to the eighth floor to find your new spa obsession. With only three treatment rooms, this small, curated space maximizes every inch. There are no dressing areas, lounges, or pools, but each room faces the ocean and bridge, which makes it the only spa in the city with windows to such a majestic, aerial sight. A slate of options includes massages designed for tranquility and energizing, as well as deep tissue, jet lag, and even pre-natal kneads.

Unique here is the delirious Signature Bathing Ritual, a must-do. Two tubs on the rooftop are divided by planter boxes of tall bamboo for privacy. You get to choose a fizzy bath bomb with the scent of your choice (I picked lemon). Once you step into the warm water, it’s just you, the bamboo, and the sky. Rose petals surround a flowing tub with a bath tray stocked with seasonal fruit, hot tea, and cucumber rounds for the eyes. Sip a prosecco or a mimosa while you steep. A single tub is not big enough for two people, but your significant other can be soaking in the one next to you. The attendant will gently ring a bell when time is up.

A weekend stay at the Hotel Vitale will revitalize you. Bring your favorite bath bomb, inhale that spa lemongrass, and tell your friends you’re going to the Thailand of San Francisco for the weekend.