House cars: Upper-end hot els of ten ha ve house cars a vailable t o dr op off guests in the F inancial Distric t or elsewher e within 2 t o 5 miles of the hot el. Businesspeople use the ser vice most, but an y guest can enjo y this perk. I f you want t o take the k ids to AT&T Park to watch some baseball , or y ou need a ride to a restaurant, request a house car through the concierge desk. There s usually no charge, but you may tip the driv er at your discretion. Restaurants: Every concierge will make dinner r eservations for guests, and I recommend having the concierge phone ahead no matt er where you are dining. If a restaurant is booked, the concierge may have more pull squeezing you in than y ou would on y our own. But don t ask the c oncierge for any old r estaurant r ecommendation. (I ve been t o some unr emarkable, touristy places that way.) It s more effective to name t wo or three options and ha ve the c oncierge t ell y ou mor e about each one. Other services: You needn t limit requests to restaurant reservations. Concierges can also book Alcatraz or other cruises , car r entals, or ev en spa treatments whatever r equires a phone call. They can buy tickets t o a sporting or ent ertainment venue or amend airline r eservations. Solutions: Did a child get sick? Head right t o the concierge, who will make it a personal mission t o ensure a doctor sees your kid as soon as possible. Concierges will also oblige less ur gent r equests, like r eserving doggy da y care or finding a last-minut e gift. You don t even have to be checked int o the hotel. You can fax and e -mail the c oncierge with y our arrival dat e and particular request. If he or she does go bey ond the call of dut y, gratuities are always appreciated although never expected. Of course ther e s a catch: The whimsical r ooms and bathr ooms are teensy. Because interconnecting rooms are not available, families have the choice of occupying two separate rooms, squeezing into a double-double, or reserving a suite. Although kids may love to stay in the R ed Hot Chili Peppers suite, be awar e that most suites ar e actually one- room studios with a king-size bed and a queen-size sleeper sofa. Of course, stars tours the diminutive stars tours size may be worth it if your child is fortunate enough to share an elevator ride with one of the many bands that often stay at the hotel.
Successful touring with kids r equires preplanning or an extr emely mellow attitude, and preferably both. (In fact, an extr emely mellow attitude is as impor tant as a warm jacket.) Deciding beforehand, even the night before, what you d like to do each day is much preferable to winging it. Otherwise, you re going to waste time debating whether to go to Fisherman s Wharf or the zoo or Chinatown and not be prepared for any of them. Above, I listed some suggested itineraries that should help y ou plan your time in San Francisco.
2301 Fillmore St. (at Clay St.). &415/922-0102. www.crepevine.com. Kids menu, Highchairs, boosters. Reservations accepted for parties of 8 or more. Main courses approximately stars tours $12. Kids menu items $4. V, MC, AE, DISC. Daily 8am 10pm. Muni: No. 22-F illmore bus. Noe Valley: 216 Chur ch St. (at M arket St.) &415/431-4646. Muni: Streetcar to Castro Station. Sunset: 624 Irving St. (at 7th Ave.) &415/681-5858. Muni: N-Judah streetcar.
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