Travel & Entertainment

HOTEL VITALE Green with Glamour

San Francisco is quick becoming the beacon of all things Green, whether it’s eco-friendly housing, organic restaurants, fresh outdoor produce markets, or the general attitude of the Bay Area. Nowhere is this movement more apparent than in the city around the historic Ferry Building on the Embarcadero. Here you’ll find everything from locally made cheeses and sustainably farmed produce to fair-trade coffee and gourmet macaroons. Just across the street from the Ferry Building, the natural vibe continues at the Hotel Vitale. As you enter the lobby, you are enveloped by warmth of the richly grained woods, an aroma of patchouli, and the hot towels offered to each guest upon check-in.

Just off the lobby, at the hotel restaurant Americano, Chef Paul Arenstam crafts exquisite California cuisine as well as hearty Italian fare in a rustic-meets-modern environment with views of the bay. With an eye for showcasing the seasonal ingredients sourced directly from local markets, Chef Arenstam’s creations remind you of why organic truly does taste and feel better.

If the public spaces at Hotel Vitale draw upon the elements of earth and fire to create warmth, the accommodations upstairs use water and air to create a light and peaceful environment. With vistas of the Bay Bridge, the San Francisco Bay and the Ferry Building as well as the newly gentrified Embarcadero, the picture windows are by far the best reason to stay. The soothing décor with baby blue, sage, and taupe creates a calming palette that melts away all your stressors. Even the Hotel Vitale music collection supplied in each room has a therapeutic and transcendental quality to it.

The luxurious spa quality bathrooms finished in limestone, granite and teak wood as well as glass-enclosed rain showers have a Zen aura about them. The FRESH bath amenities, which feature soy, sugar, and milk-based products, continue to weave the natural and sustainable thread of the hotel.

Equipped with the latest technology, each room has complimentary wireless internet, flat screen televisions, iPod docking stations and a spacious workspace with ergonomic chairs. In some rooms, the outdoor terraces with postcard views and lush topiaries create an enticing venue to host an evening cocktail hour or dining al fresco.

Hotel Vitale, 8 Mission Street at The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94105, 415.278.3700

--Shayan Rayani

SPOTLIGHT Tamara Conniff

That she’s the daughter of legendary orchestra leader and musician, Ray Conniff is impressive. But this is not her only claim to fame. The effervescent California-resident is a global nomad, spiritualist, music commentator and columnist for Oprah.com and The Huffington Post. Tamara Conniff, who served as the music editor for The Hollywood Reporter and the Chief Editor and Associate Publisher of Billboard has her pulse on the scene and uses her experience to “dig deep into the seemingly mysterious world of artist royalties, accounting errors, licensing, digital downloads, evolving radio formats – the works.” Just as comfortable being a judge on P.Diddy’s Starmaker as she is on a yoga mat as a certified instructor, Conniff has found that elusive balance in life that enriches her commentaries on everyone from Michael Jackson to the Dalai Lama, and enables her to mentor and develop talent. As for her legendary father, Conniff reveals that she’s working on several projects where “we’ll bring his ‘voice’ into current venues and vehicles.” The legacy lives on…

16TH ANNUAL SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS
The stars came out to recognize their own at the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center on Saturday, January 23rd. Clooney and Sigourney posed for the camera, Meryl Streep presented an award to Jeff Bridges, Sandra Bullock accepted the Best Actress award for Blind Side and presented Golden Girl, Betty White with a Lifetime Achievement Award, and An Education’s Carey Mulligan blushed red on the Red Carpet.

-- Ghalib Dhalla.

“HOLLYWOOD HELPING HAITI” GOLDEN GLOBES LOUNGE
The sexy Foundation Room at The House of Blues was the venue for Melanie Segal’s Golden Globes lounge to raise awareness and funds for Haiti. At the event, celebrities signed the Platinum Publicity “Hollywood Helping Haiti” sign-in board as well as t-shirts to be auctioned for Haiti relief. For each celebrity that attended, a contribution was made by texting “Haiti” to 90999 and at least two gift bags (worth $5,000) were auctioned off for the cause. The House of Blues offered a complimentary yearlong exclusive Foundation Room membership to each celebrity, Mobile Spa provided complimentary manis and massages, and quality brands like Eminence, DDF, 2xist and Alterna Hair gave out goodies.


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