Staycation in San Francisco
Mark Hopkins Hotel
Photo: @sarahmontoya
My family had the most lovely San Francisco staycation last week at The Intercontinental Mark Hopkins. Located on the top of one of San Francisco’s most iconic hills, this luxury hotel invites you to step into San Francisco history in comfort. We had a king room with a view on the 11th floor attached to a double room. We relaxed and sipped our coffee overlooking the city and the bay.
Photo: @sarahmontoya
Keeping the kids entertained is always an adventure.
My kids loved The Museum at The Mark - a mini history museum with pictures of the old Mark Hopkins mansion and the transformation to what the hotel is today. They were amused by both CVS and souvenir vending machines. We had the option to ask for games to play in the game room but chose instead to walk to the playground in the square across the street from the hotel.*
Photo: @sarahmontoya
Where to eat
With two restaurants in the building you don’t need to rush off for food.
Photo: @sarahmontoya
We ate breakfast both days in The Nob Hill Club. The staff provided coloring books and crayons each morning. The options for the kids were perfect and I was able to request gluten free options.
Photo: @sarahmontoya
The Top of The Mark is located on the 19th floor offers breathtaking views and amazing food. I would recommend getting a babysitter and heading up for cocktails.
Additional recommendations: walk to North Beach and eat literally anywhere on Columbus Ave, head into China Town or Union Square for more options. With the Cable Car literally at your door I recommend a ride to the Ferry Building, especially if you are there on the weekend and you can check out the farmers market.
Photo @sarahmontoya
There are so many fantastic places to eat close by but you’ll get the best advice from the Concierge Desk. Everyone at The Mark Hopkins is eager to help and the Concierge service is exceptional - they will ask you about your specific preferences and help you plan the perfect day.
Walkable Activities
The location of this hotel really is one of it’s number one selling points. The views alone are amazing, but despite the steep hills that surround it you can walk to many of San Francisco’s most popular tourist locations.
You can walk to North Beach, Chinatown, Union Square and, if you are up for a long walk, you can get all the way to Fisherman’s Wharf.
On our walk we made it to the Cable Car Museum, Fortune Cookie Factory and City Lights. We spotted the famous Parrots of Nob Hill and meandered through a few secret allies. We also made it to the Wharf to see the sea lions and visit Musée Mécanique - an old time arcade with games that date back to the early 1900s.
Photo: @sarahmontoya
Tip: when visiting city lights with kids, walk past the register just after you walk in and head straight down the stairs for the children’s books.
Photo: @sarahmontoya
In addition to family time I snuck off to Grace Cathedral for Yoga on the Labyrinth. Grace is very welcoming to kids but we have taken them many times and I wanted the time to stretch alone. I encourage you to check out their website for activities during your visit.
Overall, we had a fantastic time playing tourist in our own city, soaking up the views from our hotel room, and dinning well with our three kids. If you are looking to take a break from daily life without the travel or if you are visiting San Francisco for any reason I highly recommend The Mark Hopkins.
Photo: @sarahmontoya
*If you are hoping to stream movies you’ll need to bring your own device. We were not able to get movies to show on either TV and despite the generally excellent service we were given multiple different answers about movies and ultimately never had success watching anything but local TV.
XOXO Sarah Montoya