San Francisco with Kids | St. Regis San Francisco Review | Ciao Bambino!

A Summer Weekend at the St. Regis San Francisco

We were provided with a media package to experience the St. Regis San Francisco as part of the California Weekends campaign. As always, our opinions are our own.

Bay Area residents and tourists alike covet summer weekends in San Francisco, one of the world’s most picturesque cities when the sun is out. Although summer can be cold when the fog rolls in, we scored the ultimate bluebird weekend during our recent stay at the St. Regis San Francisco and celebrated our good weather fortune in high style.

Family Fun Inside the St. Regis San Francisco

The fun starts the moment you walk into the St. Regis, as the modern lobby with a hip vibe and convivial lounge seems to always be buzzing with activity.

Their fan club includes families. The St. Regis Family Traditions is their creative kids’ program with amenities and activities just for children. Our 10-year-old’s welcome included San Francisco post cards to decorate; kids can hand them to the front desk and they’ll send the postcards anywhere in the world.

St Regis San Francisco Suite View
Rooms and suites have marvelous city views 

Suite with a View

The rooms and suites at the St. Regis San Francisco have stunning city views with panoramic windows. We stayed in the Metropolitan Suite with a massive living room area including a dining table, seating area and separate bedroom — ideal for a home-like set up where the room becomes part of the fun, not just a place to sleep.

Guest rooms are state-of-the-art and designed with the same inviting, modern appeal as the public areas. It’s elegant but not fussy, and exceptionally comfortable with kids.

St-Regis-San-Francisco-Metropolitan-Suite
Home-like set up in the Metropolitan Suite 

Your Wish is My Command

We’ve only stayed at one other St. Regis property – St. Regis Punta Pita in Mexico – and it’s been a few years. I forgot how decadent the St. Regis signature butler program is where rooms come with a dedicated resource ready and willing to fulfill any wish.

Any luxury hotel worth their price point has excellent service, but this program goes a step further as the butlers are prepared to do practically anything for guests.

Case and point: I wanted to give this program a test drive so I brought pants with me that had a broken zipper. At 2p on a Saturday I asked our butler if he could help fix my pants. By 5p I had them in my closet and ready to wear that evening. Impressive!

St-Regis-San-Francisco-Master-Blender
Grape juice blending in progress 

Master Blender in the House

Family Traditions at the St. Regis San Francisco offers a clever new Master Blender activity where kids have the chance to try their hand at blending their own grape juice concoction.

Given the proximity to Napa Valley, wine tasting can be a big part of the San Francisco experience and this program extends the fun normally limited to parents to kids. All of the supplies are delivered to the room including three different fresh-pressed grape juices, beakers for mixing, a big plastic board with pens for tasting notes, and goldfish to help wash it all down.

Our little master blender spent time swirling and mixing until he had the perfect fruity mix to share and bottle.

Indoor Infinity Pool

It was too nice of a weekend to spend too much time inside, but the St. Regis San Francisco has a wonderful 50-foot indoor infinity swimming pool for sightseeing breaks.

Yerba-Buena-Gardens
Yerba Buena Gardens 

Family Fun Outside the St. Regis San Francisco

Although the weather is temperate year-round in San Francisco and many activities are accessible throughout every season, warm summer days are a huge treat and the St. Regis is in the perfect location for exploring city highlights from the re-developed Embarcadero waterfront to urban parks and museums.

Picnic in Yerba Buena Gardens

Yerba Buena Gardens is an art and cultural setting with a lovely outdoor space for families and is located directly across from the St. Regis San Francisco.

The hotel will prepare a picnic on request complete with a blanket and a fresh, portable feast. We gave this a go and loved the experience of relaxing in the park together.

Embarcadero San Francisco
Joining the crowd for a stroll on a gorgeous summer day 

Kid-Friendly Dining at Ferry Plaza

Foodie alert! The Ferry Building is just a few blocks the hotel and filled with every gourmet delight you can imagine. Saturday is market day and farmers and artisans from all over Northern California sell incredible produce and products.

The Embarcadero Stroll

On a sunny day the Embarcadero promenade is a sea of people walking, biking, roller skating, jogging … you name it. We joined the throngs of merrymakers and walked to Pier 39 for some classic San Francisco family fun.

Rocket Boat San Francisco
Thrills on the Bay 

Rocket Boat

The Rocket Boat leaves from Pier 39 and needs to be on every tourist (and local) bucket list! Aptly-named, the boat takes thrill-seekers on a 30-minute excursion into the bay … there’s just enough speed and splashing to keep everyone giggling.

The city skyline views from the boat are superb and the ride travels under the Bay Bridge and out near AT&T Park, home of the SF Giants. It’s a blast!

Photos by Amie O’Shaughnessy

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1 Comments
  • The infinity pool sounds absolutely amazing! I’ve not yet had the pleasure of staying at a St. Regis but from what I hear and what I see here, I think I’m just going to go and book a weekend just to experience it.

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