I am going to lean in again to my readers to ask for help to enhance our next vacation in the San Francisco area just as they did when I asked for help for son moving to the Bay Area, actually in Mountain View, CA.
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I finally managed to get Mrs. TBB to look at our calendars and aim for a vacation…somewhere. Since son will be moving there, we targeted the area and will be spending a total of 13 nights later this summer.
I need help with hotel/lodging recommendations, restaurants, hiking and beach suggestions, things to see/do. Among your comments in the other blog post and here we will have a good base of referencing to do, so thank you!
We managed to burn Delta miles by the way, Detroit to San Francisco round trip at 25,500 Skymiles each. Non-stops. Yeah, take that AA. Oh…dreaming about getting bumped already hehe.
Would like some suggestions on how to itinerarize (new TBB word) taking into account our interests and the legendary traffic issues in the area.
I think I am going to get a rental car for the duration. I wish I had the Barclaycard still…or maybe it is time to get it again 🙂
We have two weekends. Probably son is going to join as he will likely be too busy working during the weekdays.
I have another two free Fairmont nights and could probably gift card another two at least. I’ve been looking at the Claremont property in Berkeley and want to spend at least two nights there. And there is the historic property in San Francisco I have not been to yet…but we both are not too fond of old historic properties, is it worth it to burn a free night there? And there is also the Fairmont Ghirardelli Square, which I know nothing about!
I have a crapload of Club Carlson points I have been trying to burn for a long time. We are talking 600k points. I would love to finally burn some.
Got some free IHG Rewards and Hyatt nights as well. Any property that is truly exceptional to burn free night certificates?
Any airbnb recommendations as well? Beachfront property perhaps? Daughter will absolutely love this. And so will we!
We like sushi, Chinese food (we always visit Chinatowns!), Greek/Mediterranean food, Indian curry, ramen and BBQ. So, anything that tastes good we are in!
We have seen the very touristy places in San Francisco so we are good there. Looking to get deeper in the culture I guess.
Maybe I can manage a TBB reader meetup there too.
Again, this post and the other will be used heavily as reference to enhance our visits so thank you very much. You know I do this without any integrity at all based on the two trolls trolling my site every day #sosad.
I also managed to burn another 15k Avios for relative to visit us from New York City, La Guardia-Detroit round trip. So…it was a good day burning 91,500 miles #winning.
Fire away readers.
And of course I leave you with this…
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First.
I’ll be back later with some thoughts.
Second.
Some of the less touristy things I’ve done in the Bay area:
-Climb the coit tower. It has kind of a cool history, and great views.
-Although I don’t think the cable cars are worth waiting to ride, seeing the turnaround is worth it.
-Ocean beach and the cliff house
-Walking around billionaire’s row is interesting
-Angel island state park, and the hike up to the top. When I went, we drove up to Tiburon and took the ferry from that side
-Point Reyes national seashore and the lighthouse. Get ready for some thigh burn.
-You didn’t mention Napa or Sonoma. Maybe leave your son and daughter for a night or two and head up there. There’s a beautiful andaz. My favorite winery tour was Domaine Carneros.
-painted ladies are always worth a visit in my opinion
-giants game at night. Cheap seats on the third base side higher up give great views of the Bay
-lastly, I haven’t made it down to the Hearst Castle yet, but that’s ok my list, along with the Winchester mansion
And third.
I get all the metals today.
Medals. Auto-correct…
For the giants, I’m not a huge fan of baseball either, but there’s just something about the view from those seats on a summer night.
Brenton, thanks a lot for taking the time to give me all these suggestions! Much appreciated.
Brenton sweep, now that’s a First!
Great ideas, thanks a lot.
Never heard of painted ladies, I need to google it.
When it comes to baseball and hockey I am just not into them. Come to think of it, I would love to see a Warriors NBA playoff game but I doubt I can get decently priced tickets…
Point Reyes sounds awesome to me! I can use some thigh burning because of all the food we ‘ll be eating.
keep them coming.
Lets start ignoring the trolls…And I have been so guilty of baiting them I must admit.
But lets do what Ingy says…about click, click, click….been kind of dead around here for a week…phucking JetBlue 🙂
Great suggestions!
Point Reyes for lunch is terrific. Cheese center of the area.
Muir woods is just lovely.
Dinner at the Cliff House. Last time we went the Lord arranged a storm in the Pacific.
By the luck of the convention housing we stayed the King George in Union Square. Great fun. Valet parking makes the car feasible.
Napa? Heitz cellars. They have tasting without charge from what they make.
That Point Reyes place keeps coming up, moving it to the top of the things to research!
Muir woods….maybe this is the year!
With daughter around, I think we’ll skip Napa. Wife does not drink…it’s only me 🙂
I really enjoyed yesterday’s TBB SPECIAL EDITION of ASK ME ANYTHING featuring extra special non invited guest, INGY.
He really was quite charming!
As far as Son in SFO, I agree on the NBA Game. How about game 7 of the upcoming series, where the Blazers beat the Warriors. I would love to see that arena full of IT and VC Billionaires and Multi Millionaires go home crying over the upset loss. GO BLAZERS!
I think Portland may win a game if the Warriors get bored. I just don’t see them having any chance…at all.
Then again, my BB predictions record is awful!
scenic hikes/walks: rhus ridge, windy hill, black mountain, big basin, shoreline mountain view
IHG points: crowne plaza palo alto
day/overnight trip: monterey/carmel/pebble beach (hyatt regency, hyatt carmel highlands, intercontinental the clement)
restaurants: manresa (los gatos), tamarine & evvia (palo alto)
Thank you for all these suggestions, much appreciated.
Oh yeah…seen that Carmel Hyatt property around a lot…will check it out for sure.
IHG: The Mark Hopkins in SF is an old and beautiful hotel with atmosphere.
We are not too fond of old and beautiful hotels for some reason. We prefer bigger rooms in a more modern setting. But we are flexible 🙂
I need to identify a place worthy enough to blow 2 free IHG nights in a location that is ideal to knock off several places in the recommendations.
So many free nights, so many points…it is soooo hard, the struggle is real 🙂
FYI you can’t use free night certificates at the Fairmont Ghirardelli Square.
So sad…that one looks amazing!
I would recommend (at least) a couple of nights along the coast in Big Sur. – scenery that will blow you away, and plenty of hiking/beach options. The Highlands Inn is terrific – you can rent bikes and bike to Point Lobos (no entrance fee for bikers) and you can have the park to yourself if you get there by 8.
Yeah, definitely will need to check out the Big Sur area, thank you.
I’ve seen good suggestions posted. I really enjoyed renting a bike in the pier area, ride over the golden gate down to Sausalito and then take the ferry back with the bike.
Also, even if very touristy, Alcatraz is awesome. Also the submarine USS Sausalito is in the piers and has an awesome audioguide. Some other thoughts later
Meant USS Pampanito. Big Sur totally mandatory. Pfeiffer Beach ( sometimes hard to find) and Nepenthe restaurant
Regarding all the rain and Big Sur, “In mid-February, the ground under Pfeiffer Canyon Bridge had become so saturated that the bridge sank and had to be demolished.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/big-sur-usually-cant-keep-people-away-right-now-its-practically-deserted/2017/04/13/b220f214-2068-11e7-be2a-3a1fb24d4671_story.html?utm_term=.86e85373ae76
Wow….so sad. I hope by August everything is back to normal!
Always wanted to see Alcatraz. Watching American movies in Greece as a kid…I remember one about this place…
Thank you!
Leave SF… (but I’m the former MV guy who never got the appeal of SF so you do you).
I would love to see the TBB Hyatt pump post from the Hyatt Carmel Highlands. That view from the balcony should sell at least 1 card for you.
I think I’ve seen you post pics of wine, so drive down to the Santa Cruz Mountains area, some great wineries there. I would say Ridge is the best combination of taste and views, but there are some great small-scale local producers all around as well. Or there is Napa, that speaks for itself on the wine front.
Keep an eye on the parking fees, parking in SF is no joke. The meter maids are no joke too, it’s no Philadelphia parking enforcement but they are on it.
I definitely need to check out the Hyatt Carmel Highlands. As I have no integrity at all 🙂
Yeah…not sure what to do with the car. I may leave it with son…I guess I better ask him if he gets a parking space.
Everything is just starting now….Hope wife helps out with this!
Wow, you guys are amazing, THANK YOU!
I think I have enough here to plan ahead but please add more if you like.
No wonder that Fairmont property was not in my radar, no free night certs allowed boo!
That Hyatt Carmel property looks amazing, I have seen it around in several trip reports. I should finally look to see how I can get the breakfasts with a Globalist elite. Never done it, not sure of the mechanics.
Wife helping last night was a big help. I told her to come here and just start checking out what is recommended and start jotting down what she likes, locations, etc. Then I am going to let her loose in the Club Carlson website and Award Mapper!
Free night cert situation:
2 IHG night
2 Fairmont nights (could do 1 or 2 more at least)
1 Hyatt (up to Cat 4).
Is there one IHG property in the area that is REALLY worth it! The Clement? Need to look at this one and also see if the area is suitable to do some of the other recommended things.
I used to live putting stuff together like this…Then I started blogging lol.
Ok, I need to do the Buzz post for tomorrow.
I am not going to say how much this blog brought in this week because it will please the two trolls 🙂
What a gorgeous day today in Ann Arbor, wow!
the clement is A+ — location hard to beat unless you’re looking for back to nature. it’s in the heart of cannery row/tourist central, so decent restaurants, walking distance from the much-hyped monterey aquarium, etc. the back of the hotel is quiet, overlooking the ocean/sea lions, etc., and the hotel itself has what we consider the best restaurant in the area with a patio overlooking the water. if you do stay there, try to get a room in the main building. if you go to pebble beach, time it with dinnertime/sunset so you can have a meal at The Lodge. somebody mentioned nepenthe — amazing views if the weather cooperates. one time we went there all we saw was fog, and since its food is not great it seemed like a waste — so best to keep an eye on the weather.
The Clement just moved up the list, thank you!
SF: If you are a fan of prime rib – make reservations at the House of Prime Rib. If you like oysters and don’t mind standing in line, try Swan Oyster Depot. Not sure if you are a beer fan. Rent bikes and riding across the bridge is fun – it’s windier and colder than you think so bring layers.
Berkeley: Chez Panisse if you want a nice $$$ dinner, Cheeseboard Pizza – cheap delicious lunch, Farm Burger, Gregoire – french takeout
Marin County: Point Reyes – Cowgirl Creamery if you like cheese. Picnic at Hog Island Oyster company in Marshall. Hike in Muir Woods/beach
The beach isn’t what people that live outside of northern California think. It’s more ocean with cliffs and the water is cold.
Pfeiffer beach and parts of the 1 are closed indefinitely due to mudslides – so definitely check before you go. http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=578
I hope your son found a place close to work! I live in MTV so if you want suggestions feel free to ping me.
Got a place reserved on Montego Terrace his friend’s mom found. Appatently it is near light rail stop, looks decent and good price.
Are u familiar with that street? I can email u the number, maybe u are neighbors! Just want to avoid unpleasant surprises.
Thanks.
Not familiar with the street, but looks like that might be in Sunnyvale (the next town over from Mountain View). Towns here are fluid because they just expanded into each other. Looks like he can take the VTA (light rail) to and from work. He can ride it a few more stops to downtown Mountain View and take the Caltrain up to SF on weekends.
Yeah, it is Sunnyvale apparently, thanks.
There is nothing in that area, but that won’t be a bad light rail ride. And luckily its walking distance to a grocery store.
Sounds good, thank you both DC and Phil!
For the days you spend in SF you definitely don’t want a car. Super expensive parking. What I did when I stayed at the Fairmont ( great property in great location,small rooms) was using cheap Uber rides and then picked up an Avis car downtown for the trip to Big Sur.
Yeah….the logistics will be challenging. Fly in and out of SFO. I guess we can leave the car with son, asking him if he has a parking spot. Don’t like doing one way rentals. Guess we’ll figure it out by then. I can pay for the car….still aiming to get flights and most lodging for freeee 🙂
Thanks!
Just got son ticket to San Jose, CA flying Southwest using a combination of a bump voucher and gift card.
This is how I roll 🙂
And the Greek Freak Giannis wins game one of the NBA Playoffs away in Toronto. After a great bike ride and an amazing smoothie at Tropical Cafe…
Life is so so hard without integrity woohoo!
I love the Monterey peninsula, from Moss Landing all the way down south to Big Sur. Lots of marine mammals (sea otters, harbor seals, etc) if you are into that sort of thing. 17 mile drive, Point Lobos, the Monterey Aquarium are also nice. Further south the drive down to Big Sur is great. North of SF I’d agree with Muir Woods and Point Reyes.
The Clement is Monterey is very nice, but try not to get a room overlooking Cannery Row (loud) or the tourist trap pier next to it (ocean view obviously the best).
Plus whale watching tours, which go out all over the place.
Restaurants:
Peruvian food in La Mar…famous chef owner Gaston Auscurio. Amazing!! Lomo saltado, tiraditos, ceviche.
Modern Argentinian restaurant, Lolinda
Inside the Ferry building, there are many small places (bakery, coffee, etc). Loved the place…the sandwiches at the bakery are amazing, so is the coffee shop.
I owe you lunch in A2
Guess I will be the contrarian and say that I thought the Clement was meh but then I’m not a big fan of ICs in North America. The location IS fantastic!
+1 on the House of Prime Rib — meat comas are the best comas and I have LOVED the place since the late ’70s!
You’ve had some great suggestions here and I’ve been cribbing notes as well. Thanks to all.
Not that this would work for you but I’ll throw it out there in case anyone finds it useful. Hertz and Budget (and maybe Alamo? Maybe Avis?) are having their annual “drive-out” sales on one way rentals from Aridzona. Can go up to 2 weeks, full size for something crazy like ~$50 per week. I’ve made the drive up PCH to San Francisco numerous times — with these sales you can even drop in PDX or SEA so could do the entire Pacific coast. Think the last day to pick up a rental is 15 June this year. YMMV
#TBBon a quiet reflective Saturday evening
as a native san franciscan, i recommend the fairmont despite it being ‘historical’. very central, close to major areas. chinatown is two blocks away, union square, three blocks. ferry building/embarcadero area a short cable car ride away.
+1 alcatraz tour (reserve tickets well in advance)
golden gate bakery on grant ave – best egg custard tarts
liguria bakery in north beach – best focaccia
+1 monterey peninsula and aquarium
i’ll have more later…
Did no one say Castro Street? Best shopping street in town!
Just typed this but somehow it got lost in cyberspace…Here we go again:
Here is my latest thinking:
As we get in to SFO around 10 pm, just spend the first night in an airport hotel. Sheraton was suggested, it does not matter as long as there is a shuttle and it is free 🙂
Then Uber it downtown SF. Due to its location and free suite upgrade, blow my two free night certs at the Fairmont SF. The question is: Are 2 full days enough here? Should I extend the city part of our stay one more night? Or two? If extend, which hotel to move to? Location becomes more important than free luxury after 2 nights at the Fairmont 🙂
Then Uber back to SFO to pick up rental car and keep it for the rest of our stay, no point of having the rental car in SF!
I took a look at the IC Clemente. Wow, I am sold, I will burn our 2 free nights here! And combine it with 2 nights at the Hyatt Carmel Highlands (or one?) using points. Hate burning 25 points a night here for a room…how can we Globalize this 😉 3 or 4 nights should be plenty to get a great feel for Monterey, which has been on my bucket list.
Not sure about the Fairmont Claremont but I could easily one or two nights here as well using gift cards.
Thinking to burn Club Carlson points at the Sunnyvale Country Inns and Suites which gets really good reviews and should act as the base for dinners out with son while we go on daily driving excursions.
That should not leave more than a few nights to book, if that. Any decent Hyatt Cat 4 hotel for a day trip?
Thinking out loud….I really appreciate the suggestions here, I am so grateful. I may not do the blog monetizing thingie well as I have no integrity whatsoever but this IS a great benefit of having a blog so thank you!
You need to stay in the Tenderloin area. Great place.
The only 2 Hyatt cat 4’s around is the one in Fisherman’s Wharf (super touristy) and Hyatt Regency Monterey (you could combine with the IC stay if you want to stay in the Big Sur area another night).
Don’t roam the Tenderloin at night, unless you want to experience a bit of SF “local flavor” – that said, there are some good spots there/on the border – including Mensho Ramen…since you mentioned liking ramen – be prepared to wait in line though.
Latest thinking is spend 2 nights in a greatly located hotel in SF city and then doing one night in the Fairmont, saving the other night for the Claremont.
Need to look up this Tenderloin area…
Yeah, Fisherman’s Warf is super touristy I know…
Maybe look at some SPG properties, son got 35k points recently 🙂
The tenderloin comment is either a joke or a troll. Its the worst neighborhood in SF.
Personally I think SF deserves more than 2 days but that’s just me. The IC Clement looked gorgeous and expensive, but I would not want to stay on Cannery Row as it’s SUPER touristy there. The hyatt monterey is cat 4 and nice. We just got back from monterey and we found carmel was much more our speed.
SF:
Dolores Park (truffles, coconuts, other edibles)
Off the Grid (maybe catch a comedy show at Cobbs after)
Sutro Baths / Lands End walk, Cliffhouse, Ocean
Exploratorium or Cal Academy of Sciences
Alcatraz
Ferry Building Farmers Market
Bi-Rite or Humphrey Slocombe
Lombard St
Walk by City Hall, Opera House, Symphony House
Chinatown
Bernal Hill hike + swing
ill think of some other stuff
+1 on Ferry Building. Go hungry, better yet take a foodie tour. Great info and samples on the tour.
Try to find a flock of the Parrots of Telegraph hill. Quite fun to watch them fly and goof around.
Basement of the Fairmont on California is a must see lounge. Opened in 1945 you will find the wonder of the Tonga Room. Have a rum drink. Non alcoholic drinks available too. Must see the live band.
City Lights bookstore for the history of it, Green Apple bookstore for the selection.
Tenderloin… just… well… It’s an experience. Speaking of experience…
Cutty Bangs. Best mixed drink kits in the world. Corner stores. Must have original names. If you have second thoughts when you pick one up you’re right.
Having just been there last week I’ll throw out a couple of things. If you want to burn Carlson points, there are 2 good Country Inns. One is in San Carlos (right next to the San Mateo Bridge) and the other is near the water in Sunnyvale. There is a third in San Jose that is kind of a dump, avoid it at all costs. Using points is a smart move. I met a guy staying at the Palo Alto Hilton Garden Inn, he was paying $400/night. Personally, I stayed at the Fremont Marriott, and was VERY happy with it.
As for traffic, there a few spots that are bad, even when it isn’t rush hour. One spot is all the approaches leading to the east entrance to the Bay Bridge (Oakland). Those freeways can be dead stopped at anytime of the day. Plan around it.
Thank you. Yeah, I am targeting that Country Inn property at Sunnyvale as our base. It’s where son works and reviews are excellent. Good to know about the dump San Jose one!
Last time we were in the area when we went to Maui, we stayed at an Oakland Hampton Inn…and got stuck on that bridge…omg!
I’m late to the game, but I lived in SF and Mtn View for years (more SF since the south bay is a boring, ugly mess), but I would not recommend the Claremont. I stayed there (and went to Berkeley, which is very close) and the hotel has historic charm, but some of the worst rooms I’ve ever stayed in. If you go, just eat at the restaurant that overlooks the water, that was the best part. Also, the pool/clubhouse is shared with the community so it can get incredibly crowded in the summer. It was almost worthless to us.
I’m happy to help in other ways, if you need it. And I meant to say I attended Berkeley so I’m familiar with it, SF and the peninsula and south bay.
Thanks Raj.
I think that Claremont property was renovated by Fairmont recently.
Late to the party, but to chime in:
If you haven’t been before you can definitely do 2 nights in SF. Tons to do, eat and see. Uber is affordable – especially if you Uber Pool.
TO DO/SEE
– Great views of the bridge from Krissy Fields, the Presidio, and the parks on the North side of the city.
– Walk up Coit Tower
– Eat at the Ferry Building (as others have mentioned) – food is even better on Saturday/Thursday when all the food trucks come out
– Alcatraz – especially the night tour. Kind of touristy, but amazing.
– Tonga Room – so kitschy, so cool
– Dolores Park – lots of good bakeries, delis, and ice cream shops near by
– Free City Tours – look them up, lots of good information on the city and they do themed tours like the Hitchcock tour.
– Walk down Hyde Street (or Cable Car) – check out views of Lombard Street & Coit tower, though I am admittedly biased since I live on that side of town. That said, it IS the most SF side of SF.
– Palace of Fine Arts
– Decent Nature Walks at Lands End – you can also check out the Legion of Honor, a good museum
– Check out Golden Gate Park and the Japanese Tea Garden
RANDOM EATS
– Food Trucks at Fort Mason (great views of Alcatraz) on Friday nights, or the Presidio on Sunday. Collectively this is run by Off the Grid.
– Kin Khao – modern, delicious Thai food in a intimate setting.
– Ler Ros – good traditional Thai off of Larkin
– Onsen – modern Japanese Izakaya. Super small, but cool space. You can also bath here with the Mrs.
– Hogwash – gastropub with an emphasis on home made sausages. Decent amount of seating – not sure if you can make reservations.
– Mensho Tokyo (ramen) – the best ramen in SF by far. 30 min – 1 hour wait even on a Tuesday night at 8pm, really good though – and we’ve been to Tokyo 6 times now.
– Lai Hong Lounge (dim sum) – the best dim sum in China Town – a bit on the edges.
– Za Pizza – Potesto Pizza. Part pesto, part potato. Was featured in “Inside Out” by Pixar.
– Ice Cream at: Bi-Rite, Humphrey Slocomb, or Smitten.
– Coffee (if you’re a snob) at Contraband, Blue Bottle, Four Barrels… there are tons.
– Chairman Bao – good Chinese fusion with emphasis on bao sandwiches
– Pagan Idol/Bourbon and Branch – both good mixed drink bars where you can make reservations. They’re also heavily themed. One is Polynesian, and the other a speakeasy.
House of Prime Rib is alright. Golden Gate Bakery is good, but not Macao or Portugal good.
Hyatt Carmel is decent. Spectacular views, but service and food were so-so. The rooms were nice, but not modern enough for my tastes – especially if you like Hyatt/Hilton properties in Asia.
You should definitely do a meetup!
Wow, thanks for all the suggestions! Very unselfish of you Mister Selfish 🙂
Mrs TBB got excited with “best dim sum” place just now!
We are going to do three nights in SF. One night at the Fairmont on Sat and still looking for a hotel nearby as we expect Thursday and Friday to be super busy out and about.
May look into doing a reader meetup on Saturday then…
Thanks again.
Also consider City View or Yank Sing for push cart style dim sum
If you haven’t already been go to Japantown in SF. It’s the largest in the US and is great for people watching on the weekend. There’s also a recommended ramen place: Ramen Yamadaya.
Another pointer if you plan on doing any driving from SF on the weekend to the North Bay leave early to avoid traffic(this especially applies when going to Muir Woods). On the other hand if you want to hike in redwoods there are plenty of other options down near Mt View. For example you could drive to Memorial Park on the way over to lunch in Peacadero and then spend the afternoon on the coast.
Also, remember that the weather on the coast(and in SF) during the summer can be cold and foggy. Pack accordingly.
Great suggestions. Oh yeah, we love ramen!
Now leaning towards 3 nights in the Carmel area will be plenty…Looks like more Club Carlson points will be burned at the Sunnyvale property for daily excursions!
Progress:
Booked the Fairmont SF for a Sat night using my Visa free night which was expiring a week later. Had to settle for a 750 sq ft suite in the main building…I think we’ll manage.
Did some exploring in the SPG and Hyatt sites…
The Hyatt Centric at Fisherman’s Warf looked great…but not available on one of the two previous nights, booooo!
I may just settle for the Sheraton at Fisherman’s Warf at 12k SPG points per night then
Booked more hotel nights
Night 1-3
Night 4 Fairmont SF Visa free night w/ Platinum upgrade cert
Nights 5-9 Country Inn & Suites in Sunnyvale, CA for 220k pts (just 1.2 miles away from son’s place lol)
Night 10 Fairmont Claremont Berkeley w/ Platinum complimentary night & suite upgrade cert
Night 11 Intercontinental Clement w/ IHG Visa Free night
Night 12 IN PROCESS Transferred 25k Chase Ultimate Rewards to Hyatt account and now in process of combining with a friend’s Globalist account to book for us (Suite and breakfast!).
Night 13 Country Inn & Suites in Sunnyvale CA, 44k Club Carlson points
Need to do first 3 nights in SFO (one) or SF downtown.
Tried to use Hyatt free night or points at the Hyatt Centric in Fisherman’s Warf but not available in one of those first nights, boooo!
I could use 12k SPG points for the Fisherman’s Warf Sheraton or the Park Place, not very excited about either and burning them here.
Doing one night in SFO for about 10k spg points or something else is also feasible, not worried about that. I prefer to Uber right away to SF and stay 3 nights before moving to the Fairmont.
Oh, and we have the rental car to do for 9 days…
May look into Pricelining it for the first 3 nights and/or airbnb..
#Developing
On vacation right now so no in-depth answers. Sure everyone else has most of it covered by now. But burn my IHG night at Clement Monterey. http://www.ictheclementmonterey.com/ Fairly new build on Cannery Row. Monterey gets sleepy at night, but has some good restaurants. And the aquarium is amazing but way too crowded during the weekend.