Not many people can say they were alive to see the birth of the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge. But imagine, if you could interview someone that was there. A picture may be worth a 1000 words but a first hand interview is priceless.
Personality Hotels interview with a San Francisco local, Mr. Personality.
What was your favorite memory of the Golden Gate Bridge?
On May 27th, 1937, I walked accross the Golden Gate Bridge wearing a Mexican sombrero. I was going north toward Marin County and walking back toward San Francisco. But, why the sombrero you may ask? Simply, because everyone was wearing different costumes and all I owned was a sombrero. I didn’t go out & buy a new outfit or costumes like everyone does now; I used what I had. A sombrero.
What do you remember most during the time the bridge was built?
As the construction crews were close to the finishing the Golden Gate Bridge, I rode my bike to see the final stages. I knew, I was going to walk this unbelievable monument no matter what! Even, if I had to play hooky from work. I did end up calling in sick that day. Best day I spend sick I ever had!
What was it like to be part of such a historical structure being built in your community?
It was unbelievable, I asked myself how could they construct this to fit within a single span?
Did you go to the "grand opening" of the bridge?
Yes & I walked it alone. I was 19 year old. My family did not want to go, so I went by myself. I remember that it was a beautiful day with lots of people. They were just walking back & forth across the Golden Gate Bridge. There were no vendors. It felt like it was just me and the Golden Gate Bridge enjoying each others company.
If you want to make your own memories with the Golden Gate Bridge, now is the time. On Saturday, May 27th the Golden Gate Bridge celebrates its 75th birthday. Don't miss the birthday party. Instead, plan on getting golden with Personality Hotels this weekend!
Our "GET GOLDEN" Package:
- Don't ride solo like Mr. Personality instead have a 2 all day bike rentals from Blazing Saddles
- A Ghirardelli chocolate bridge (to fully appreciate all that is San Francisco)
- A pack of healthy snacks
- Deluxe accommodations
To book click on the link above or contact us at reservations@personalityhotels.com or call us at 800.553.1900
This happens every year, you scramble to get your mom the perfect gift. However, this time you don’t have to do it alone.
Here is our San Francisco gift guide: Mother's Day Edition
Personality Hotels are helping you make your mom feel like a diva this Mother’s Day!
A class about the Cheese Factor
For the mom that has taught you everything about cooking. Here is your chance to teach her that cheese, can be a meal in itself.
Mother and veteran cheese instructor Judy Creighton will take you and Mom on a cheese and wine tasting journey of eight cheeses and four wines. Learn the ABCs of great cheese and taste some of Judy’s favorite pairings.
Above all you’ll learn key tasting skills that will enhance your appreciation of cheese for the rest of your life. In cheese as in life, a little knowledge goes a long way.
For more information go to: The Cheese School
(Unfortunately, this is not a scratch and sniff sticker)
Mom, Stop and Smell the Roses
The San Francisco gift guide: Mother' Day Edition even included free gifts for your mom!
Why get your mom a bouquet of roses when you can get her an entire garden at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park? Admission is free but the memories and photos will be priceless. The San Francisco Rose Society hosts an annual “Mother’s Day Rose Show” between 12:30 pm and 4 pm on Sunday, May 13th. On display in the exhibition hall will be a room full of roses, here is tip from a local: Due to San Francisco law, roses cannot be sold in Golden Gate Park. So you know what that means, come after 4pm and free roses for you and your mom!
Hall of Flowers Located at Red Circle
9th Ave. at Lincoln Way, San Francisco, CA 94122-2384
Not just another Spa Day
A customized facial from the experts at La Belle Day Spa (for the mom who is in need of some serious pampering.)
La Belle Day Spa isn't an ordinary spa - Aside from the traditional perks that make a salon, comfy robes, cucumber water and long well deserved massages, La Belle gives you a very unique experience. Opt for a customized facial where your treatments will constantly be modified depending on how your skin reacts.
For more information: http://www.labelledayspas.com/
Maybe all your mom really wants is a little R&R and a good book? Like 50 Shades of Gray?
If that's the case, reserve a night's stay at Personality Hotel today and give your mom what she really wants. A little me time with Christian Grey, at the Kensington Park, Hotel Union Square or Hotel Diva.
Contact Us: Resevations@personalityhotels or call us at 800.553.1900
San Francisco's boutique hotel chain, Personality Hotels are known for gaping the distance between residence and hotel: providing guests the best of home life in the most desirable environment away from home. And now thanks to YelpSF, last night Personality Hotels was able to let its hair down and showcase a different side of its "Personality."
So what is all the Yelping about?
According to Yelp :
- Yelp was founded in 2004 to help people find great local businesses like dentists, hair stylists and mechanics
Why we <3 Yelp: Real People, Real Reviews!
The Who's Who of Vendors:
(Following the vendors' photos from left to right)
Picayune Cellars-- Picayune is pronounced {pi-ka-’yun}. Where Picayune comes from is Spain. It is a Spanish coin worth half of the value of a “real” one.
Mission Minis-- Big things, come in small packages! No wonder Mission Minis made it to the television show "Cupcake Wars!"
T-We--T-We Tea's motto is ‘we are tea,’ they strive to create an all-encompassing community of tea drinkers.
Hey Cookie-- is a Yelp 5-star bakery located in the Castro. What's more famous than their cookies is Christa's Personality!
Blue Moon-- Blue Moon was established in 1995 at "The Sandlot" in Dever, Colorado. It didn't take long before Blue Moon won the World's Beer Championship 3 years in a row for their Belgian White.
San Franola-- It's all about the granola with these guys. They put the 'goodness' back into granola.
Rosenblumcellars-- Rosenblum Cellars is all about the Zin. Rosenblum Cellars is home of some of the highest rated, most-awarded Zins from California’s most highly regarded vineyards.
5th Stitch Collective-- is a men's and women's clothing store located in the Castro. Ask about their Terrariums!
REMRIDG Wines-- is owned by the husband and wife team Jeff and Karen Roberts and a few long-time friends, REMRIDG Wines is a vineyard-driven wine brand. REMRIDG Wines sources 100% of its grapes from FARM Napa Valley clients.
Farm+Cellar-- is grown organically from the media powerhouse that is Third Street Works, Farm+Cellar represents the combination of several proven talents from the advertising, filmmaking, education, food, wine and hospitality industries.
Sudwerks Brewing-- Since it was established in 1989, Ron Broward, Dean Unger and Brewmaster Jay Prahl have been producing award winning lager.
See what some of these Yelpers had to said about us @ the Hotel Diva:
Maria S. said, "You don't need to be a Diva to go here, but you'll feel like one afterwards."
Moua L. said, "Thank you to the YELP team for making these events memorable and Hotel Diva staff for treating us like royalty."
Noel M. said, "I walk past Hotel Diva daily but never gave it a second thought beyond the burlesque-esk window shades. Inside the vibe continues, this isn't your everyday hotel. For instance, the themed room packages are unique and if you put a techno beat in the elevators, you've got a party."
Special thanks to photographers, Jorge Nova and Jeremiah. Thank you to DJ SonnyPhono for all the Diva Classics!
This all was made possible because of Yelp's finest: Jennifer, Nique and Ruggy!
Last but not least, thank you to our partners Perrier for supplying the sparkling water to all of the Yelp Elite writers!
Like what you've read then "Like Us" on Facebook, "Follow us" on Twitter or simply spend the night at one of our hotels to see what all the Yelping is really about!
Last week, our very own President and CEO Yvonne Lembi-Detert, our Director of Revenue and Reservations Stuart Harless, and our Guest Services Manager Domitille Montoro, engaged in a "60 Minute" style interview with ATRIO™ ( a Guest Experience Management platform) at the Hotel Diva in San Francisco,California. Tick, Tick, Tick
Like 60 Minutes, Here is your sneak peek:
“We sit in the <3 of a city known for technology and innovation and ATRIO fits very well into our vision to lead the industry through service excellence, innovation, and style. We’re very proud to represent the first deployment of the ATRIO platform. It has always been a practice for Personality Hotels to engage with creative and cutting edge companies.” -Yvonne Lembi-Detert, President & CEO, Personality Hotels.
Why Personality Hotels <3 ATRIO: ATRIO offers the industry’s only platform purpose-built for true cloud computing.
Did we mention we are the first ever to use this innovative platform?
What This Means To You: Hotel Diva wouldn't miss a step when it comes to offering you, the guest, the best! Since ATRIO minimizes implementation and training efforts and drastically reduces the technology footprint, Hotel Diva can be up and running within days instead of weeks.
What This Looks Like: A modern modular design, and Hotel Diva has the use of an Enterprise Service Bus.
There are too many benefits to list but, what we <3ed the most was the true cloud computing and the “zero training” user experience.
Thanks to our Friends at ATRIO, Personality Hotels are taking hospitality to a whole new level--to the clouds!
Beta Tested, Diva Approved!
Never know what to do in the spring? Well here's some events that could really get you up and out of the house to enjoy the wonderful spring weather.
San Francisco International Film Festival: The SFIFF is the longest running film festival inAmerica. It’s held in spring for two weeks, showcasing cinematic discovery and innovation. It features nearly 200 films and live events with more than 200 filmmakers and industry guests in attendance.
Visit SF Film Festival
Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival: The Festival is one ofCalifornia’s prominent celebrations of Asian Tradition. Over 200,000 people attend to see an amazing display showcasing the color and grace of the Japanese culture to celebrate the blooming of cherry blossoms.
Visit SF Cherry Blossom
Spring Open Studios: San Francisco Hunters Point Shipyard Artists hold their annual Spring Open Studio. Over 150 artists welcome the public into their working studios to explore, experience, and collect art.
Visit the Open Studios
Visit J Vineyards & Winery in the Reserve Room at the San Francisco Vintners Market – the first and only wine tasting and buying event in the Bay Area. Up to 200 wineries from Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Russian River Valley and beyond will be pouring their favorite wines including new releases, special collections and hard to find vintages for you to taste.
Visit the Tasting
Ever feel like you need to just let loose or treat yourself to some fun things? Well here's a few that could get you started and let you treat yourself in San Francisco!
Earth and Sky Oasis, Union Square
Earth and Sky Oasis is not a “spa” in the traditional sense, but a small collective of independent practitioners doing therapeutic work.
Sugar Cafe, Union Square
Sugar Cafe transitions from a stylish coffee bar with a full menu and free wifi internet by day to a luxurious lounge at night offering a full bar.
Go shopping in Union Square. There's plenty to choose from, The Westfield mall, Macy's and high end stores such as Chanel, Tiffany's, Gucci, Saks and so much more!
Ruby Skye is San Francisco's premiere nightclub and special events venue, located just off ofUnion Square.
On March 14th we decided to have a swanky Speakeasy Affair at the Penthouse in Hotel Union Square. It was absolutely fabulous! We dressed in your typical speakeasy party attire – boas and all, and partnered with the masterminds behind the iconic Gold Dust and Lefty O’douls of San Francisco.
Those who were lucky enough to be invited were greeted by a walkway of candles leading up the Hotel Union Square Penthouse and served classic speakeasy cocktails such as The Bronx, Diamond Hitch and the Stinger. Yummy appetizers were served throughout the night and every moment was captured in our dress up area where people could get in the mood with hats, mustaches and boas.
One thing that our hotel group is known for is the canny ability to throw a good party – afterall we are PERSONALITY hotels!
For more pics visit here
Many thanks to
The Personality Hotel Staff
Jeremiah Cothren
Photographer
www.ooo-child.com
Gold Dust Lounge
Lefty’Odouls
The Mission District
The Mission District has turned into the place to be for young people, artists, activists and people just looking to experience culture. The district has so many different businesses for everyone to enjoy: cafes, thrift stores, produce markets, used book stores, trendy restaurants and boutiques. The area is filled with things to do from enjoying a cup of coffee while people watching to taking in the area’s history and rich Latin culture. (best part is it’s right off the 16th st/Mission BART stop)
The Best Places To Start Your Visit:
Bar Tartine: A popular bakery that combines Tartine’s Californian-Mediterranean style menu with a wine bar. Dark wood floors and tables and along bar overlooking the open kitchen.
561 Valencia St.
Yamo: If you love finding those one-of-a-kind and delicious spots to eat, then this place is for you. It’s a small counter-only Burmese restaurant, family run and owned. The food fuses the tastes ofIndia andChina with dishes from delicious rice and noodles to curry. This is the place you want to go if your looking for good food, even if you aren’t a big fan of those dishes, just try it, you may be surprised!
3406 18th St.
Idol Vintage: Miss the 80s? Then shop here and have all your best memories come alive again. This store has everything you could have in the 80s, from leg warmers, boxy sweaters along with racks of coats, pants, sweatshirts, jeans and dresses. Those things you never thought you’d see again are here, so get your 80s on!
3162 16th St.
Adobe Book Shop: This book store is a must! It has a backroom gallery featuring local artists; it’s often opens up at night for live music and has a great supply of unique books. It has a cozy feeling to it, while still staying hip and you can even grab a book and relax in a comfortable chair.
3166 16th St.
Blondie’s Bar and No Grill: This popular bar has purple neon décor, sidewalk seating and an extensive martini menu. It’s always crazy crowded on the weekends, but a good way to have a good time and interact with everyone from everywhere.
540 Valencia St.
Look what we found!
Cruising around on the internet we came across some amazing photos of Hotel Union Square. Make sure to check them out and enjoy.
See MORE here
In this world of business, cards seem to be a stamp of approval, something that personally identifies you. Come on, you know you have an over abundance of random business cards hiding in your desk drawer, your fancy business card holder or scattered all over your desk. Don’t you wish you had a cool device that could store all these cards in that you might one day need?
Strolling through the corporate halls of Personality Hotels, we couldn’t help notice that a few people are bringing cool back with ROLODEX’s!!! Yup, that bulky thing that sits on your desk and rotates.
You have to ask yourself what ever happened to the Rolodex in the first place? There hasn’t been some amazing new replacement? Everyone still has business cards, so what happened? What went wrong?
It doesn’t matter because either way, Personality Hotels is bringing the iconic office staple back to being cool.
Ok so maybe only two people are bringing old school back but that doesn’t matter because give us a couple week and guaranteed more people will have these fabulous contraptions sitting on their desks…once again.
I dare you to come up with a better idea, because it simply doesn’t exist.