Those behind San Francisco's new four star Hotel Vitale, which opened on Wednesday, March 9th 2005, are on a Joie de Vivre mission. Their mission combines the talents of Architect Clark Manus of Heller-Manus Architects, zen-like interior design by Colum McCartan, the management of David Curell and Christine Gaudenzi and the vision of Joie de Vivre's king of hospitality, Chip Conley. Together they conspired to offer a "luxuriously natural" City by the Bay boutique hotel experience. And they've pretty much nailed it!

The Embarcadero waterfront dream took six years and $53 million to complete. In fact, of Chip Conley's previous twenty plus Northern California hotel ventures, it is his first to begin from the ground up.

The corner of Mission and The Embarcardero is a "dream" location where city buses used to sleep.

Interior Designer McCartan was on site yesterday putting finishing touches in every corner before Mayor Gavin Newsom and former Mayor Willie Brown's arrival for the grand opening. In every room and every nook and cranny he used light, shadow, natural materials, and then sprinkled them with a touch of soul.

Hotel Vitale's Target Markets

Natural materials were used to create the tranquil setting which will be targeted to business women who are looking for a safe, soothing place to retreat for the night, to dine 24/7, to pamper themselves, or to step out in the sun or fog for an early morning jog.

The Embarcadero is one of the best running paths in the city.

Hotel Vitale's urban oasis is targeted at both men and women who are willing to mix business with the luxury of a revitalizing spa and the one-of-a-kind adventures and views that only San Francisco can offer.

Spa Vitale

The hotel's spa, which is open to locals, includes two private "infinity tubs." (You've seen infinity pools before?)

A bamboo forest and a canopy of stars are the venue for the outside roof deck tubs.

After one's bathing ritual, step into one of a number of treatment rooms on the penthouse floor for a private massage or a side-by-side massage with your partner.

Indulge in a:

50 or 80 minute Massage ($90 - $130)

A Side-by-Side Massage ($110 or $150/guest)

A Neck & Shoulder Massage with a mini facial ($95)

A Face & Hands Indulgence ($95)

A 60 Minute Instructional Massage Class for Couple ($100)

The San Francisco Treat ($95 - call 415.278.3788 for further inquiry)

The Spa Vitale even offers stress reducing massages for your pet should you be traveling with yours.

Conveniently located near the spa is the hotel-guests-only fitness center.

San Franciscan Splurge

You've heard of the San Francisco treat?

Hotel Vitale, the Ferry Building and this part of South of Market could be called the San Franciscan splurge.

For someone who lives in San Francisco it is quite a statement to say that we would not only come back to indulge in one of Hotel Vitale's Bay Bridge view rooms and the Spa Vitale with two Milky Way view infinity tubs, we would come back for the Modern Italy-inspired Northern California cuisine at Hotel Vitale's Americano restaurant and bar.

We would also come back for the opportunity to soak up the aromatherapy garden outside the Americano which offers outdoor seating, views of the bridge and the Ferry Building, a long, winding path of palm trees and the historic trolley cars that will easily take guests to the ball park, Pier 39 or numerous stops in between.

Fabulous Ferry Building and South of Market adventures are to be had just steps away from the hotel's front doors.

As locals, who still miss the romantic one-night-get-away to The Sherman House (alas, the only Relais & Chateaux hotel in the city became a private residence owned by the Getty family a number of years ago), Hotel Vitale does not offer one-of-a-kind rooms but it does offer one-of-a-kind views like the Sherman House did. Only these views are of the Bay Bridge, sailboats, kayaks and old-fashioned trolley cars rather than the Golden Gate.

Perhaps Chip Conley's staff, which prides itself on being attentive to the needs of their guests, will help lure locals, as well as out-of-town travelers to the corner of Mission and Embarcadero.

I certainly will recommend to all my friends who take over the town each January for MacWorld that they ought to book the whole place, as well as Americano's sultry red velvet draped private dining space, the sunlit conference rooms and the spa.

Perhaps the Kayak Adventure coordinated by the hotel will be another lure to those looking for a distinct outdoor experience when visiting our beautiful city.

Or perhaps the Farmer's Market will draw people from near and far.

The historic landmark Ferry Building today is a haven for artisan food shops, restaurants, the Culinaire antique shop, and home to the thrice-weekly Farmers Market.

If you are personally not big on cooking but like fresh out-of-the-ground vegetables, fresh baked bread and fresh caught fish you can count on Hotel Vitale's Americano Restaurant to use the best ingredients from the gourmet mecca across the street.

Americano's executive chef, Paul Arenstam said:

People will be looking for our connection to the Farmers' Market across the street.

We're going to be using a lot of fresh, organic and seasonal product.

Hotel Vitale, a luxury Joie de Vivre boutique hotel, has 199 rooms.

There is almost a one-to-one ratio between staff and guest rooms. Chip Conley has hired 150 professionals to help run his new hotel.

At the time of publication, twenty different room options were available -- ranging from $139 or $159 per night (depending upon the time of the week of your stay) to $879 for the the 724 square foot Penthouse Suite which includes beautiful views of the Bay Bridge, the Historic Ferry Building, Alcatraz and the San Francisco Bay.

Personally, if you can afford it, I would indulge in one of the seven circular Bay view suites.

Hotel Vitale Room Options

There are quite a few options when staying at the Hotel Vitale -- depending upon the size of your pocketbook and the size of the space you need.

View of Bay Bridge from a Room at The Hotel Vitale

Eight suites, six studios and 185 guestrooms are available in the following configurations:

Superior Queen/Queen
Superior King
Deluxe City View Queen/Queen
Deluxe City View King
Superior Water View Queen/Queen
Superior Water View King
Family Studio Suite Queen/Queen
Family Studio Suite King
Superior Corner Queen
Superior Corner King
Deluxe Water View Corner King
Deluxe Waterfront Corner King
Superior Waterfront Queen/Queen
Superior Waterfront King
Deluxe Waterfront Queen/Queen
Deluxe Waterfront King
Superior Panoramic Suite
Deluxe Panoramic Suite
Urban Studio Room
Penthouse Landmark View Suite

Superior Panoramic Circular Suites

Their Superior Panoramic Circular Suites features 645 square feet and are located on the corner of the hotel on floors two through four.

The circular design allows for stunning 180-degree "infinity" views of the water and Bay Bridge.

The suite includes a deep soaking bathing tub for two located in the bedroom facing the water views.

A wet bar, king size bed, entertainment center and spa-style limestone covered bathroom with rainforest showerhead round out this awe-inspiring space.


Penthouse Landmark View Suite

$879 -- The Penthouse Suite is a gorgeous one-bedroom suite located on the top floor of the eight story hotel. They are not kidding when they say it is truly a one of a kind San Francisco experience.

This suite provides 724 square feet of indoor living space including a bedroom with king bed and a living room with sliding glass doors leading to the private terrace.

The terrace has views of famous landmarks: the Historic Ferry Building, Bay Bridge, Alcatraz and the San Francisco Bay.

This suite includes two full bathrooms with spa style showers.

For those who don't have to the time to indulge in the Eighth Floor Spa, let Hotel Vitale bring the spa to you. They'll provide the "Fresh" Milk Bubble Bath, Rice Sake Bath or Sugar Bath Cubes along with a candle.

If intimate entertaining is your goal, the tub-for-two sounds ideal.

All rooms feature 24-hour room service, complimentary WiFi and high-speed Internet access, LCD flat screen TV, CD player, 440-thread count sheets, honor bar, plush bathrobes and the "Fresh" line of bath amenities.

One of the unexpected pleasures of being right on the Embarcadero is that this part of the city shuts down at night.

At least on Tuesday, when we stayed there, we were not kept awake by late night traffic.

That said, if you're looking for action you'll have to go further west down Mission at least ten-to-twenty blocks.

The night before the hotel opened we stayed in Room 414.

From our couch the Bay Bridge was spectacular. In the morning, the socked in fog obliterated any sign of where we were, but by ten o'clock the bridge and water were back in full view.

During those two hours we soaked in the sights, sounds and tastes of the Ferry Building -- starting with Peet's green tea, followed by Acme's fresh baked bread on site, about twenty candles of all shapes, sizes, colors and scents from Mill Valley Candleworks, loose leaf green tea from the Imperial Tea House, a ceramic sake cup, Spring kitchen towels, a handmade Sisal shopping bag made in eastern Kenya found at The Gardener that I will take with me to Kennebunkport this summer, and handmade chocolate from Recchiuti Confections.

And last but not least, the name of the tulip farmer who provides Stonehouse Olive Oil with their weekly arrangement of large white tulips.

Inside The Ferry Building

Having decided that morning to make The Ferry Building's Farmer's Market my new Saturday morning ritual with my children, I was glad to learn that Mr. McGinness is the man to look for when it comes to tulips.

After our morning stroll through the market, we returned to Hotel Vitale where I ran into Chip Conley going up the elevator and again going down as I was about to check out.

As we rode down to the lobby, I encouraged him to consider selling all of their bathroom furnishings at Hotel Vitale. I told him that if he had let me, I would have purchased the ceramic shampoo and soap tray, the Kleenex box holder, the cotton ball holder, the wastebasket and the two wooden Japanese looking stools, one that was in the limestone shower, and one that was by the sink.

He said they came from a terrific local shop called Dandelion.

Much of Dandelion's business is wholesale. But they do have a retail shop at 55 Potrero Avenue (off of Division) in the city. I couldn't find these products on their web site, so I guess I'll have to create an adventure for myself over to that part of town next week. If I succeed, look for a story about it in Rugged Elegant Living.

Upon stepping out of the elevator, my partner, Tim greeted me and said, "One of the things I'm most impressed about this place is that no one is too 'senior' to get a job done. I just noticed Christine Gaudenzi with a mop doing what she needed to prepare for the hotel's opening ceremony in an hour."

As we walked out of the hotel, after no more than fourteen hours in and around the surrounding area, we couldn't help but feel revitalized.

For reservations call 1.888.890.8688. Locally, please call 415.278.3700.

About Joie de Vivre

Based in San Francisco, Joie de Vivre Hospitality is a creative collection of lifestyle businesses.

As the Bay Area's most prolific hotel operator, the Joie de Vivre portfolio encompasses 33 hospitality businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area, including 26 boutique hotels.

These properties represent a total of over 2,000 rooms and include five distinctive restaurants and bars.

The company also owns and operates San Francisco's largest day spa, the Kabuki Springs & Spa, which includes America's largest Japanese-style communal bath facility.

Each property celebrates the San Francisco Bay Area through a unique visual style, uncompromising design principles, one-of-a-kind amenities and personalized service.

"Our goal," notes Joie de Vivre founder and CEO Chip Conley, "is to create landmark destinations full of soul and personality."

Congratulations to Chip Conley and his creative team who deserve thanks and kudos from all of San Francisco for bringing added "vitality" to the Embarcadero waterfront.

And they've only just begun at Eight Mission.

Hotel Vitale has been selected to appear in the next edition of The Rugged Elegance Companion ... Your Guide to Places of Taste in San Francisco.

Of our thirteen guides, all three of Hotel Vitale's services (their rooms, restaurant and spa) will be featured in The Financial District guide.

For more information, go to:

Inspire & Be Inspired.

Here's to healthy, adventuresome, soulful, "luxury, naturally" living in San Francisco.

~ Jennifer Carolyn King, Rugged Elegant Living publisher

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The restaurant food is pretentious and tries too hard to be sophisticated, the building exterior is crap. Everything about it looks fake, superficial and awkward, from the cheesy crap rustication of the base to the fake brick that tries too hard to "fit in" to the neighborhood. The building looks like it has a large head (the round corner with the retarded eyelashes that fan out at the top) and an ass (the concave part on the other side that serves no purpose.)It's amazing how a building that tries so hard to be unoffensive can be so offensive.