"If it wasn’t for your mother, you would not be the personality you are!" - Yvonne Detert, CEO. 

Your mom gave you everything. She gave you life, love, and personality! Today our eyes are on our "mother" - Yvonne. Personality Hotels is lucky to have such a passionate leader and someone who treats all the staff as her own. Even if she didn't tell you, you would know she's a mother. Having that motherly quality is a huge reason for her professional success. 

Outside of work, she has two successes - her daughters, Emily and Elizabeth. In honor of Mother's Day, her gorgeous girls share the inspiration they find in their special relationship. Sounds like this Mom can cook! 

Happy Mother's Day! Make sure to show your mom love and thank her for the personality she gave you!

I didn't really embrace Union Square until I started working at Personality Hotels. Like most San Franciscans, my loyalty was rooted in own neighborhood - Nob Hill. But as soon as I started spending 5 days a week in Union Square, I had no choice but to embrace my surroundings. 

I spent lunchtime wandering around the square, looking at the menus of nearby restaurants, and occasionally popping into H&M. (Shhh... don't tell my boss). It quickly became my 2nd neighborhood.

To be honest, the expertise I'm most comfortable sharing with you is my cocktail knowledge. Most girls spoil themselves with new shoes, I spoil myself with fancy cocktails. Everyone needs a drink after work, right?

So sit back, wait patiently, and watch your bartender create a work of art at one of my top 5 spots to enjoy an amazing well-crafted cocktail!

1. Local Edition

This sexy space is located underneath Market Street, literally. Inspired by the newspaper business of the 50s, you'll notice printing artifacts and century-old papers are everywhere. I love the heavy velvet drapes, sconce lighting and the retro jazz club feeling it exudes.

2. Bourbon & Branch

Straight out of the 1920s, Bourbon & Branch is the closest Prohibition experience we'll ever have. Just ring the buzzer and use the password "books". You'll be escorted to the secret speakeasy location with floor to ceiling bookcases and of course, superb cocktails. 

3. Tradition 

This is a true melting pot of traditional American bars of the ages. From Tiki to Dive Bar to Speakeasy to English Pub, Tradition is all about the evolution of drinking. I'm partial to the French 75 from the "Grand Hotel" menu.

Two favorites slightly outside of Union Square:

4. Comstock Saloon

If you love a Manhattan as much as I do, this is the place to go. Plus you get to step back in time. Word has it that the saloon has served as a watering hole to San Franciscans since 1907, and it definitely embraces that history. Think bow ties and suspenders. 

5. 1760

If you're exploring my lovely neighborhood of Nob Hill, the best cocktail can be found at 1760. It's a restaurant as well and the food never disappoints, but my regular visits are dedicated to my two favorite cocktails:

Blood Orange-Rosemary. blackstrap. absinthe. rye (pictured above)

Garam Masala-Cardamom. thyme. orange. toasted cardamom. bourbon 

Let's play ball! Grab some cracker jacks, a Ghirardelli Sundae, an order of garlic fries, and a Cha Cha Bowl because the 2014 MLB season has officially started and with a big bang! With a splash walk-off homerun, grand slam by a pitcher, spectacular fireworks show, almost inside-the-park-HR by the White Shark, you would think I was talking about a whole season of highlights, however these are just the highlights of opening week!

The boys in orange and black have shown great enthusiasm and one can only imagine what the rest of the season will be like! If you are not a season ticket holder, but want to go to a few games with some fun giveaways, here are a couple of my favorite ones: 
  
Sat, Apr 26 1954 Replica World Series Ring 
Sat, Jun 7 Sergio Romo Super Hero Socks 
Sun, Jun 8 Hello Kitty ® Giants Plush 
Sun, Jun 15 Giants Father's Day Necktie 
Sat, Jun 28 Brandon Belt or Brandon Crawford Bobblehead 
Sun, Jul 13 Angel Pagan Bobblehead 
Sat, Aug 16 Virgin America 2-for-1 Flight Voucher 
Sun, Aug 31 Star Wars Day - R2D2 Beanie 

But most importantly, going to the baseball game is not just watching men in uniform hit a ball, it’s more of an experience, which I feel can even be compared to a day in Disneyland. Once a year, The Giants put together an awesome experienced-filled day, where you can purchase tickets for the game, and separately pay $800 to have a family of 4 sleep on the field. All of us Giants’ fans would love to camp out in on the field of dreams, but not all of us have a grand to spend. So, if you want to save some money but still have an amazingly memorable baseball experience from sun up to sun down, boy do I have the best secret in the world to share… are you ready?

So, you have a special birthday coming up, a girls night out? Or maybe you want to give Dad the best Father’s Day gift ever, and you don’t have $800 extra to spend to have a sleepover on the field, well no need to fear, Personality is here! Did you know that there is a hotel, that is about a 20 minute flat walk away from the ballpark, and only steps away from the Powell Bart Station, that has a room designated for a baseball fan? Yep, it’s true, Personality Hotels has designed a Dugout Suite at Hotel Union Square with orange walls, Giants memorabilia and was god fathered by the MVP and Cy Young winner - Mr. Vida Blue himself! So why not purchase the tickets, bring over the pup, and the parents, and go to the game while staying in this amazing king sized bed junior suite that is dog friendly? Oh, and if that’s not enough, get ready to throw on some Art of Shaving product before heading out to cheer on the Giants.

Dream come true, you know it, because we do nothing but dream for you!

Last week's blog post we shared the exciting news that Hotel Union Square was celebrating its 100 year anniversary along with some fun historical facts! A lot has happened in 10 decades, so, as you can imagine, there was a lot to celebrate!

And that's exactly what we did last Wednesday night! We threw a fabulous party and celebrated with our amazing clients in the newly re-designed Hotel Union Square Penthouse Suite. It was truly a night to remember!

HUGE thanks to the talented culinary students from the Art Institute of California for the delicious spread of hor d'oeuvres, Le Grand Courtage for the celebratory bubbly, John's Grill for the timeless martini bar, Teldeschi Winery for their tasting table, DJs Michael & Michael for spinning old-school vinyl hits, and Jonathan Rachman for the beautiful finishing touches!

These adorable mini cupcakes were handmade by our very own Group Sales Director, Janelle Granfors. Thanks for sharing one of your many hidden talents!

And a very special thank you to all who joined the celebration! Until next time...

A whole century has gone by since Hotel Union Square opened its doors for the first time. The then “Golden West Hotel” was constructed in 1913 in anticipation of the visitors attending the 1915 World’s Fair. Officially called the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, the fair celebrated the successful 1914 completion of the Panama Canal. This was also San Francisco’s opportunity to prove that the city had fully recovered from the devastating 1906 earthquake and was prepared to handle the rapid growth of tourism.

Your history lesson doesn't stop there. The hotel was also a temporary home of author Dashiell Hammett. Historians suggest that he likely wrote “The Maltese Falcon” and the “Thin Man” series while he was a resident of the hotel. He loved the hotel so much that he booked his bride-to-be, Josephine Dolan, in a suite the night before their 1921 wedding. Mr. Hammett might have also favored this location because during the Prohibition Era, a 10,000 square foot speakeasy called The Golden Bubble was located in the basement of the hotel!

A couple name changes and ten decades later, Hotel Union Square still retains much of its early charm, including original Egyptian-motif mosaic murals, grand staircases and ornate moldings. And a Dashiell Hammett suite. 

Hotel Union Square, 2014

And of course, a milestone this exciting and historic deserves a huge celebration, and that's actually what we did this past Wednesday. Stay tuned for photos from our 100 year anniversary party!

If you've stayed at the Steinhart Hotel then you know how charming and timeless it is. And if you've stayed at our long-term property recently, then you might have noticed some beautiful new changes. 15 one bedroom apartments were recently refreshed in a sophisticated Parisian style by Jonathan Rachman Design and they look absolutely gorgeous, don't you think?

"I brought in designer Jonathan Rachman to transform the space because he's simply the best visual storyteller I know. His first career was in the hospitality industry in Switzerland, so he understands what is necessary to make a winning first impression on guests--and what it takes to give them an experience as unforgettable as the decor. Jonathan also appreciates the history of buildings and designed our spaces with complete respect to the building's stunning architecture. When I saw the renderings for the first time, I thought he'd had a peek inside my head and stolen my best ideas before I could articulate them: rich and elegant without being the least bit fussy." -- Yvonne Detert, Personality Hotels CEO & Founder

We caught up with Jonathan Rachman to get the inside scoop on his vision and the inspiration behind his design. Here's what he had to say:

PH: What was the inspiration behind the renovation?

JR: Our inspiration was 'old world' European - classic, yet current. Respecting the history of the Steinhart was crucial because there are so many rich elements of the property that I hope to showcase - from the elevator and the old school front desk, to the tile in the lobby and the coffered ceiling and wall paper in the hallway. San Francisco is an intimate global city and the Steinhart carries the old charm of San Francisco so well.

PH: Where did you pull inspiration from? 

JR: I lived and studied in Europe and have traveled extensively, but Hotel Costes in Paris truly inspired my design for the Steinhart - to continue its rich history AND texture in the current time in San Francisco. I love the rich colors and textures without being pretentious and impractical.

PH: What is your favorite thing about the Steinhart?

JR: Hands down - the history, but as far as interiors - the architectural elements like the elevator and the tiles in the lobby! 

PH: What is the most important thing you consider when designing a home away from home?

JR: The feeling of TRULY being at home, which means being cozy, not stuffy. It's all in the details  - to make the space warm, chic and personalized - not feeling commercial and generic. We put a touch of whimsies in the accessories and art elements at the Steinhart.

Personality Hotels is excited to be the first on the West Coast to offer guests of Hotel Diva and Hotel Union Square the opportunity to use their smartphone to open their hotel room door. CNET TV recently interviewed our CEO Yvonne Detert about our new technology and before we knew it, our feature was live on CBS News! Check out our video clip below!

[Excerpt from CBS News]

 If you've ever lost your hotel key card or had it accidentally demagnetized, some hotels may have a high-tech solution. At the Personality Hotels chain, in the San Francisco area, guests can now use their smartphones to unlock their hotel room doors. 

We often wonder what Hotel Diva would say if those walls could talk. Well, now the writing is on the wall, literally. So what would Hotel Diva say? First of all, she prefers to write in cursive, unlike most of this world these days. Secondly, her vocabulary is slightly limited. Only because she prefers words that describe who she is. Typical Diva, right?

Hotel Diva loves design so she made sure to take a sophisticated approach while creating her handwritten masterpiece. A beautiful texturized grey wall covering filled with words like hot, sexy, confident, seductive, classy, add a dramatic look and feel to the 2nd floor hallway. 

Okay, so maybe Hotel Diva didn't think of these words all by herself. Some very close sources in our corporate office disclosed her favorite words. They know her best, after all. And maybe Hotel Diva had some help designing this fabulous wall covering. Thanks to the talents of Liora Manne, Hotel Diva has found another way to express her style. A true Diva makes her presence known and this eye-catching statement is not to be missed!

So, what are you waiting for? Get busy planning your visit and make sure to document your travels on Instagram when you're staying at @PersonalityHotels in San Francisco! We can't wait to see all your gorgeous posts!

  

Valentine's Day is right around the corner, and whether you're planning a staycation or a weekend getaway, Personality Hotels has what you need to celebrate the one you love. Both back by popular demand, is our Cheap Date and VaVa Voom packages!

**Sidenote for the fellas... trust us when we say this is the easiest way to surprise your sweetie and get a big thank you in return.

 All the romantic classics needed for a Valentine's night to remember:

• Intimacy Kit to unleash the lover in us all

• Bottle of Le Grand Courtâge Sparkling Wine

• Heart shaped box full of Ghirardelli Chocolates

• Late Check out of 2:00 PM (who wants to leave early?)

• 2 blank Valentine's Day cards (to leave sweet messages for each other)

Everything a hipster couple (with a good sense of humor) could need for a good time, on a dime! 

• Bottle of Andre Champagne (a slightly sweet and people-pleasing bubbly)

• Bear-shaped bottle of honey (let your imagination run wild) 

• Box of conversation hearts 

• Jack-in-the-Box coupons (for that romantic dinner)

• A little romance kit (includes all the necessities like toilettes, condoms and more...)

• 2 blank Valentine's Day cards (so you don't have to run to Walgreens last minute) 

*The VaVa Voom package and the Cheap Date package are available at Hotel Diva, Kensington Park and Hotel Union Square from February 1st, 2014 to March 1st, 2014.