washington monument in washington dc p. 80. If you want to do something silly with the kids, take them to the Tonga Room at the Fairmont

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Parents trav eling without par tners will appreciate San Francisco s low-key, friendly disposition. Chances are hotel staff, washington monument in washington dc restaurant employees, and people on the str eet will be happy to assist y ou in a pinch. I t s good to keep a relaxed attitude when traveling with kids, but it s especially important when y ou re the one corralling the offspring. G o slo wly and don t tr y to do too much; sav or the br eak from the r outine and the oppor tunity to be in a ne w setting together.

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p. 80. If you want to do something silly with the kids, take them to the Tonga Room at the Fairmont H otel (950 Mason S t.; & 800/441-1414 or 415/772-5000) for appetizers and a mild tropical storm. See p. 94. Best Lobb y: I f the kids ar e into fair y tales, the Fairmont Hotel (950 Mason St.; & 800/441-1414 or 415/7725000) will leave them waiting for Princess Aurora to arrive. See p. 94. A close contender is the Palace Hotel (2 New Montgomery St., at Market St.; &415/ 546-5089); the ceiling of its historic Garden Court consists of 80,000 panes of glass. See p. 86. For the most stunning lobby in town, the truly opulent, washington monument in washington dc yet tasteful, Ar t D eco inspired Four Seasons (757 Market St.; &415/6333000) tops the list. See p. 86. Best If You Have a C ar: F or stays around U nion S quare, the Galleria Park H otel (191 S utter S t.; & 800/ 792-9639 or 415/781-3060) is built over a par king garage, so it won t take long to r etrieve y ours. Like all do wntown hotels, parking charges are nuts $30 per day is av erage so it s not economical to par k her e, just conv enient. See p. 72. O ne car per r oom gets fr ee indoor par king at the Cow Hollow M otor I nn & S uites (2190 Lombard S t.; & 415/921-5800). See p. 97. A spot for y our car also comes courtesy washington monument in washington dc of the Hotel Del Sol (3100 Webster S t.; & 877/433-5765 or 415/921-5520; p. 97) or the Marina Motel (2576 Lombard St.; &800/3466118 or 415/921-9406; p. 98). Best I f You B rought the D og: The Hotel Monaco (501 Geary St.; &800/ 214-4220 or 415/292-0100) has packages for pooches that riv al anything other hotels have for kids. I don t know if ther e s an underlying message ther e.