steviegene

Hi all,

Working on the details of our 10-year anniversary trip (with no kids!) in September. Planning on spending 3 nights in San Fran, 2 in Monterey/Carmel, 1 near Hearst Castle & 3 in Santa Barbara. Need some help with hotels and was hoping the Fodorites could lend a hand.

My husband and I tend to be on the picky side and are not a big fan of "chain" hotels. Looking for hotels with nice decor and a balcony / deck so we can spend cocktail hour with a view. In the coastal locations it would be a HUGE plus to be able to see boats from our room (husband is a big boat enthusiast). We also usually like to stay somewhere that is within walking distance to dinner/nightlife and we enjoy upscale dinners, "foodie" type meals, wine bars, etc. Would love to stay under the $400 a night range, but am willing to go up to $700 for the perfect place. That said, here are my questions….

1. San Fran -- where do I even start? So many choices.
2. Monterey/Carmel - which town to stay in? Would either offer more boats? Would either offer better dinner options?
3. Santa Barbara - love El Encanto, but seems very out of the way. Looking for a splurge room here as it will be at the end of our stay.

Thank you!!

Underhill

For San Francisco, start with Fisherman's Wharf for hotels. Lots of choices.

Monterey, not Carmel, if it's boats you're after. Both Monterey, Carmel, and Pacific Grove have many good restaurants.

zorrosf

San Francisco: Hotel Vitale
Carmel: Hotel La Playa (or Mission Ranch)
Santa Barbara: Hotel Canary

None of these hotels meet all of your criteria, but each meets some and has other pluses.

Tabernash2

Near Hearst Castle, the Best Western Cavalier is oceanfront, with bonfires and seating on the beach at night. Swedish fireplaces in most rooms. Views from some rooms. Great prices. Free parking

Not styled like a chain hotel. The restaurant on-site is fine for breakfast or lunch. Kind of plain for dinner out, though.

In Santa Barbara, the Four Seasons is nearly oceanfront.

Patty

Monterey if you want to see boats but Carmel is more romantic and has better restaurants IMO. Mission Ranch is about a mile south of town (don't know if that's too far of a walk for you) and has views of Carmel River beach. La Playa is more central. I haven't stayed at any hotels here.

I don't know your dining budget but Aubergine at the L'Auberge Inn is excellent and their monthly terroir dinners with wine pairings are a relative bargain if you can slightly tweak your dates Some of our other favorites in Carmel are La Balena for rustic Italian, Mundaka for tapas and Basil for California/Mediterrean with a German twist.

DebitNM

Stay in Pacific Grove. We've stayed here twice and it's the perfect place to celebrate an anniversary.

http://www.thesevengablesinn.com/

Wonderful rooms, great views, excellent breakfast, nice wine and snacks in p.m. and cookies and milk in the evening.

NewbE

<Monterey if you want to see boats but Carmel is more romantic and has better restaurants IMO. >
This is very true. You can wake up every day and go to where the boats are. Mission Ranch is gorgeous.

On the other hand, the Inn of the Seven Gables is well-located, and I think, maybe, it's possible to see boats from the front porch?? Not sure. Monterey has beautiful coastline, but Carmel is a prettier town, prettier even than Pacific Grove, IMO.

curiousgeo

The Clement in Monterey or Tickle Pink Inn just outside Carmel. Both have great ocean views and fireplace rooms.

Patty

Tickle Pink will have great views but no place for dinner within walking distance except Pacific's Edge at the Highlands Inn. I wasn't terribly impressed with their food but it has been a couple of years since I last dined there. The Carmel Highlands area is a few miles south of Carmel.

Pacific Grove is a good suggestion and is right next to Monterey. There are ocean view B&Bs in PG whereas most water front accommodations in Monterey are larger properties. PG has gorgeous coastline and feels more like a coastal town than Carmel. Carmel is more woodsy and hilly with no commercial development along the ocean front and beach. There's a strong focus on maintaining the residential character. I would prefer to stay in either PG or Carmel over Monterey though I still think Carmel has an edge on restaurants.

Tabernash2

I agree with not staying in Monterey itself. It's worth seeing, but it's touristy.

For hotels in San Francisco, look at the Joie de Vivre properties and the Kimpton group. We have liked Hotel Rex and the Monaco.

Although we got tired of the Union Square location, the hotel Monaco is excellent. We might try Harbor Court next time, because you can always count on Kimpton (maybe that should be their ad tagline-- haha).

Join the Kimpton club and you get immediate discounts and benefits.

DebitNM

I agree with Kimptons, but OP wanted a Terrace. That is tricky...

Tabernash2

That will be tricky, indeed. I guess by the Embarcadero? Or Fisherman's Wharf, which isn't my fave section.

Best water views we've had from hotels have been across the bridge, in Emeryville. But that's not a good idea for this poster.

Maybe stu knows.

Tabernash2

The Harbor Court advertises as being waterfront, and shows views from its rooms. That might be the best for the OP, as I doubt if you'll find decks and balconies with water views in SF.

http://www.harborcourthotel.com/

DebitNM

Harbor Court is a bit different than most Kimptons. It doesn't give $10 Raid the Bar and if you are of the mindset, you have to pay to use the Y gym next door [$10]. It does have wine hour and morning coffee service in lobby. I would be sure to request water view but that isn't a guarantee.

Tabernash2

Understood. I assume it still has the excellent service that Kimptons are noted for? We've loved their "the customer is always right" attitude. You just don't see that much anymore.

Trophywife007

I know you stated that you weren't crazy about chains, but the Marriott in Monterey is in a great location. It's within walking distance to the wharf and a bit farther but still walkable to Cannery Row. (There's a pedestrian/bike path.) There are several of the older California historic buildings nearby. They do have rooms with views, but I'd suggest you specifically request that with them. There are tons of restaurants nearby including Montrio which is a favorite of mine.

In PG, there's The Gosby House which is lovely. Every room is different so you'd have to talk with them and I'm not certain there would be any rooms with views of the ocean, but the ocean is certainly close! Lots of restaurants nearby including the Red House Cafe which is another favorite.

http://www.gosbyhouseinn.com/?gclid=...FS8V7AodswcA9Q

I love Carmel and have stayed there countless times but during summer, the tourists are overwhelming... although if you stay there overnight perhaps they will thin out somewhat in the evenings.

MichelleY

My neice's reception was at the Monterey Marriott and the wedding was in one of the gardens at the historic adobe buildings. Very nice and handy to the wharf and downtown restaurants, but just removed from the touristy-tacky areas. The Portola Hotel was across the way and also in a handy location with better views.

Patty

The crowds in Carmel do thin out considerably in the evening as there are many day trippers and I don't think there are any huge events immediately preceding or following your stay so that Sun/Mon should be OK.

lynni

This sounds like a wonderful trip! For SF... check out the website for Inn Above Tide in Sausalito. This is an incredible hotel right on the water and the views are exceptional. Not only do you see the boats in the harbor but across the bay to Alcatraz and the city!! You can quickly drive into the city or take the ferry and public transportation while there. I cannot say enough good things about it but you can read my actual review on trip advisor under beachtravel.

In Santa Barbara, you basically have three choices. Four Seasons in Montecito, Fess Parkers Doubletree Inn or the Bacara Resort in Goleta. Bacara is a wonderful resort, with handsome rooms, a full service spa, full ocean views and beautiful views. You will feel extremely pampered here. However, it is a 20 minute drive into Santa Barbara proper and you cannot walk anywhere other than around the grounds or down to the beach which is rocky... not sandy. Look at the website and see what you think. This would be a good choice for you if you didn't mind driving into town and seeing the sights during the day and then staying in for the evening. ( They do have live music for dancing on the weekends which is quite nice.)

The Double Tree is near the Harbor and the pier, has ocean view patio rooms which are a bit dated and not in the category of the other hotels I'm mentioning but serves your location requirement the best of the three because you can see boats on the water from your deck, although not the harbor. It is the least expensive of the three... for obvious reasons. Not special enough for this trip, I don't think.

The Four Seasons will cost every penny of that $700 you mentioned, possibly more and would be my choice for your trip, if its in your budget. Lovely grounds, the beautiful Butterfly Beach is across the street and you are within walking distance to downtown Montecito with several choice restaurants, including the Montecito Cafe with its famous Coconut cake!

Happy anniversary!

steviegene

Thanks for all your replies!! San Francisco does not have to have a view of the water, but a balcony would be great. I'm going to look into the Kimpton options -- we have stayed at a few Kimptons and loved them! Still torn about staying in either Carmel or Monterey. Santa Barbara seems like I have some options to look into…..
Going to do some research on all the suggestions after the kiddos go to sleep, and I m sure I will be back with followup questions. Thank you!