December suggests for Monterey/Carmel or SFO?
 

Need advice from you N.Californian fodorites!
My boyfriend and I will be in the San Francisco area in mid-December for some desperately needed R&R&R(rest,relaxation & romance). We're debating whether to stay in the Monterey/Carmel area, or in the city, or perhaps a combination of both. We've got 4 days.
Here is our dilemma. The city option is the low-maintenance one, with the museum/restaurants/shopping all conveniently located. This is our fallback plan, especially now, with the strike situation on a 60-day cooloff. Looking at St. Francis or R-C, possible 4 Seasons.
The drive to Monterey or Carmel sounds like a nice change of scenery, but what kinds of activities are available in the winter? And how's the weather situation: are there fog/rain/mudslides that would interfere with the driving experience? Is it too cold to take strolls around the area? I was looking at Tickle Pink in Carmel. Should we save this one for spring/summer when the weather is warmer? Or is there plenty to do now?
Our interests include finding fine/unique dining experiences, scenic strolls, unusual boutiques, and that sort of thing. Again, the purpose of this trip is mostly to get some couple 'alone time.'
Any advice on either of these potential itineraries?

Personally I would save Monterey/Carmel for when the weather is warmer and do SF this December. Even if there is some rain etc., there are so many indoors things to enjoy it will not be bad. In fact I always make a point to spend a few nights in SF mid Dec.

Decorations are beautiful, restaurants festive and of course shopping is fantastic. And the museum's etc. yes a good way to spend a chilly or rainy day.

IMHO trying to do SF and Monterey/Carmel in 4 days would not give you the rest and relaxation you are looking for.

Whatever your decision, have a beautiful time.

The Tickle Pink in Carmel is very nice. We just stayed there in September. The past three years we have gone to Carmel for our anniversary trips the first week of December and have had good weather, actually. We even sat out on the beach last year.

Carmel is beautiful at Christmas time. This year we will be going to Santa Barbara, tho. Have fun! ***kim***

I would agree with LoveItaly. San Francisco offers more for what you're looking for with interesting museums, shopping and great restaurants. The Union Square area is very festive at that time of year. Save Monterey for the fall or spring. Carmel has lots of art galleries that have sadly replaced the unique shops that used to be there.

If you only have four days, I'd suggest you stay in SF. In December, the weather could be very wet, which could make driving to M/C a hassle. Your won't run out of wonderful things to do in SF in four days, rain or shine.

(By the way, SFO is the airport, SF is the city's initials)

SF <i>are</i> the city's initials?

Another vote for San Francisco. Most of the better hotels all have promotional rates bewteen Thanksgiving and January so you should be able to get some perks besides just a room. Most of them offer free parking and/or shopping vouchers and/or wine/cheese and/or free breakfasts or just reduced rates.

Just thought I would throw my vote in for SF as well. Monterey is great, but I would save it for another trip. You may end up with spectacular weather while you are here, or it could rain cats and dogs. It's hard to tell. SF has a good mix of indoor and outdoor activities whereas in the Monterey area, it is the outdoors that really steals the show.

with only 4 days and the great need for R&amp;R, I'd opt to stay in the city. There is plenty to do, you will not need a car and it can be a very romantic place.

I knew I could count on you guys! Great stuff - thanks for the recommends! I think we will save Monterey for next year, and stick to the city this time. I'll try to do a trip report when I get back.
Thanks again!

Okay folks, one more request. Now that we've decided on the city, I've been poking around these boards and the rest of this site for hotel recs. Between:
1. Ritz Carlton SF
1a. Is the R-C Club level worth the extra $$? It seems you compromise room sq footage for a club level dlx room.
2. Westin St. Francis - towers. I've heard nasty things about the rooms in the main bldg.
3. Four Seasons SF - I've heard decent comments here, but I'm wary because I had a horrendous stay at the LV property.

Which do you prefer? To level-set, I loved the Halekulani in Honolulu and Michaelangelo in NYC, and thought the aforementioned Four Seasons in LV sucked, big time(really DINGY accommodations, hallway noises carried into the room, snotty desk clerks, and a 30-minute wait for the valet to bring our car around, even with advanced notice...and that's just for starters). Also stayed at the Palace in NYC and was disappointed with the service. My BF has had good experiences at the R-C Marina Del Rey (on biz).
Service is a big issue with me, and at these rates you expect the room to be tidy and not showing wear, the service to be almost intuitive, and all points of contact should be professional, competent and helpful. Is that asking too much? So, please don't get the impression that we're intolerable, demanding snobs, we really aren't.

The comments on the St. Francis have been very hot &amp; cold, and the R-C and 4 Seasons have been generally ok. But no resounding opinions.

We're looking for the total package: great service, spacious rooms(i know in SF that's tough, but I just don't want to feel cramped), convenient location(we're still debating whether we'll need a car), and of course something a little romantic.

This is probably way too much info, but I've found that the details help, don't you? Any suggestions? Or is there a better option out there?

Thanks, again, in advance!

I stayed in the Four Seasons for a shopping spree. V. nice, like your rich great aunt's house if she went to Smith or Vassar and kept things up. Good service, great paneled bar, one of my favorites. Only issue is location - it's good for shopping but there is that moment when you walk out the door and you can't ignore that you are on Market Street and it's just not scenic. It's not dangerous, just seedy. But I liked the hotel and would stay there again.

Personally I would not stay at the St. Francis Hotel.

I live on the Monterey Peninsula and have stayed at the RITZ in SF. Great place, good service and close to Chinatown.

I too agree with your selection of SF only for your 4 days. We do not get much rain at all on the Monterey Peninsula, but the weather in December can be &quot;iffy&quot; for a tourist to plan. The best times here are really now through January when the weather is clear, but SF is guaranteed to have something for you...rain or shine.