Local Haute Hotels

Ideal Urban Resort: Mountain View’s Shashi Hotel

Mountain View might not be the first place one considers when planning a weekend getaway. But this tech industry town holds a few R&R surprises, such as the Shashi Hotel and its…

San Francisco’s Beacon Grand is Exactly That

Those who well knew Beacon Grand’s former life as The Sir Francis Drake will likely not recognize the Union Square hotel in its current incarnation. Gone is the red and gold color…

Indulge at the Inn Above Tide

Get acquainted with the Sausalito hotel’s latest guest culinary experience, a worthy splurge for an extra-special getaway.

Live Like a Vintner with Skipstone 

A wine lover’s dream come true in Sonoma County.   Have you ever wondered what it would be like to own a winery? To live among the vines, taste-test the latest vintages,…

Solaire Terrasse Pops Up at The Ritz-Carlton San Francisco

Due to overwhelming popular demand, The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco, has reopened its festive Solaire Terrasse, in collaboration with Veuve Clicquot. Open through October 1, from 1-6 p.m., the venue is located in…

The Laura Dave Experience

The Last Thing He Told Me At The Inn Above Tide Laura Dave’s novel The Last thing He Told Me and its recently released screen adaptation starring Jennifer Garner, brings thrills, suspense,…

Mercedes-Benz Test Drive Experience

Thunder and comfort at Auberge’s Stanly Ranch Nothing brings a smile to my face like driving through the emerald leafed vineyards of the Napa Valley on a bright spring day. So, when…

Treat Yourself: These Spa Treatments Combat Sun Damage

No matter how wide-brimmed our hats and shadow-seeking our intentions, most of us will have managed to get more sun this summer than anticipated. Cumulative over our lifetime, sun damage takes a…

Reset for the Soul: The Inn at Newport Ranch

As a travel writer, I’ve grown accustomed to the “reset:” adjusting to different time zones, changing normal eating habits, sleeping in strange beds, and getting up and moving for jam-packed itineraries. It’s…

So Close, So Far Away

Taking time-out at the Cavallo Point Healing Arts Center & Spa  Remember when you were a kid (or you have kids) and were told (or you tell them) “take a time-out?” Well,…

Union Square in Bloom: A Budding New Tradition

In a city filled with colorful traditions, the newest one is also the prettiest. Now in its second year, Union Square in Bloom is a springtime floral initiative by the Union Square…

Ridiculously Luxurious Hotels in Northern California

Upgrade your extravagance when visiting Napa and Sonoma wine country. May is here and summer is just around the corner. This is when the desire to travel peaks for many looking for…

Romance & Charm at Hotel Yountville Resort & Spa

Napa Valley is home to many of life’s greatest indulgences, and one need not venture beyond the tiny and tony town of Yountville in order to experience it all. Often described as…

Graduate Palo Alto Receives Straight A’s

Palo Alto’s buzzy, intellectual energy is palpable, thanks to it being the birthplace of the tech and information revolution. That the town is home to Stanford University also supports the extra-charged vibe.…

Rosewood Sand Hill + Lucid Air = Stellar Sense of Place

Rosewood hotel group is known for its ‘sense of place’ hospitality. No two hotels within its 30 hotel portfolio are the same. Each is a fitting reflection of its location, right down…

Napa’s Meadowood is a Beacon for Luxury Wellness

Tucked into the hillside off of the famed Silverado Trail, Meadowood Napa Valley blends seamlessly and sublimely into its oak and redwood tree-studded terrain. Secluded, romantic, and preternaturally posh, the resort, despite…

Monterey Plaza Hotel is a Dining and Spa Destination

Featuring a world famous aquarium, gorgeous bay and ocean views, and of course the John Steinbeck-memorialized Cannery Row, Monterey attracts tourists from all over the world who are lured by the region’s…

Winter, Wine, and Wellness

Head to the Meritage Resort and Spa for some R&R. The beginning of the year for much of the U.S. means frigid temperatures, puffy coats, seeing one’s breath while speaking, and snowplows,…