The New York Times, June 19, 2005
Check In: Hotel Vitale
Opened in March, the $53 million Hotel Vitale is Joie de Vivre Hospitality's first luxury property and San Francisco's first all-new hotel since 2001. Seven years in the making, the hotel bills itself as "post-boutique chic." It's not just talk. The interior designer Colum McCartan eschews flashy trappings for a focus on natural comforts: muted, soothing blue, green, and cream tones, hallways lit by translucent leaf-patterned glass panels, and sprigs of eucalyptus and lavender bringing the outdoors in. Among Vitale's serene, California-style offerings are free yoga classes daily, kayaking weekends on the bay, and custom bath treatments on the roof. One highlight: outdoor terraces on the fifth and eighth floors, each with sweeping views of the San Francisco waterfront and the nearby Bay Bridge, enabling all guests (not just those with water-view rooms) to take in the city's beauty. The eight-floor brick building also houses Americano, a restaurant and bar serving locally influenced nouveau Italian dishes.