As part of our monthly Field Trip Friday series, BOSW features stand-out places to stay and play. This Friday, we’re highlighting our Luxe Stay Addition: Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco; a Market Street gem and perfect place to make a homebase. 

Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco musts:

• Book a room overlooking Market Street
• Order the Crab Cakes as a dinner starter and Eggs Benedict for breakfast
• Visit the concierge team for insider routes to San Francisco’s hotspots

Perfect for special occasions

This particular weekend trip was an 18th birthday present for my daughter — and let me tell you — the Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco rolled out the red carpet for the occasion (more on this later). In addition to exceptional service, this particular Four Seasons has a wealth of onsite amenities and is a prime location for visiting some of San Francisco’s most cherished landmarks and destinations (also more on this later).

Four Seasons’ signature luxury accommodations 

Even before hopping on the guest-room elevators, Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco’s lobby grabs your attention with a giant Chinese Dragon hanging from the ceiling. In true Four Seasons fashion, the rest of the main floor dazzles, reflecting the opulence for which the brand is known. Off the lobby and seating areas, guests can dine at MKT Restaurant — also dazzling in its own right. 

Once dropping our weekend bags in the foyer of our room, we could properly absorb one of the most beautiful, spacious suites imaginable. In addition to a comfy couch and coffee table, the living area of our suite had a sweet wall-to-wall, window-cushioned bench overlooking San Francisco’s Market Street (and beyond). We could even see Chinatown from our room! It’s one of the most gorgeous views of the city you could ask for. 

The bedroom also had a seating bench by the window, with the kind of King bed you melt into with ease. The bathroom boasted a soak-in tub, shower, double sink-vanity and an expansive closet just outside the door. And my 18-year-old was thrilled to find a fluffy, white robe and slippers awaiting her. 

MKT Restaurant and Bar: Dinner edition

Originally, we were only going to dine at the onsite MKT Restaurant one night, but after our exquisite Friday night meal, we couldn’t resist going back Saturday — for breakfast and dinner! 

For the record, MKT has multiple gold-star plates, so I’m confident that you can’t go wrong with ordering anything on the menu. Some of our favorites: To start, The Dungeness Crab Cakes with microgreen salad, shaved fennel, orange and spicy citrus-herb remoulade. 

And, because you can never order enough seafood while in the City by the Bay, we found the Seared Day Boat Scallops with squid ink risotto, red pepper coulis and parmesan foam irresistible. I also thoroughly enjoyed a delightfully tender short rib with baby carrots and other root vegetables served over pureed potatoes (my hands-down favorite).

Other standouts included the Roasted Beets & Citrus Salad with citrus segments, chicory greens, goat cheese, fennel and almond crumble drizzled in a tangy, sweet honey-Meyer-Lemon vinaigrette and the Pappardelle Pasta with tender slow-cooked lamb shank ragout, Bellwether ricotta cheese and fresh basil. 

For dessert, we opted for the Berry Pistachio Panna Cotta: a lovely combination of vanilla, pistachio streusel, mixed berry compote, strawberry foam and micro basil.

MKT Restaurant and Bar: Breakfast edition

I can never resist eggs benedict when I travel, and I’m glad I didn’t make this trip an exception. MKT’s version (which they kindly adapted to gluten-free for me) was one of the best I’ve ever had. The two poached eggs were cooked to perfection, atop Canadian Bacon with just the right amount of hollandaise — served with a side of crisp breakfast potatoes. 

Daughter Laura enjoyed the avocado toast (on San Francisco’s Firebrand Sourdough) with hand-crushed avocado, a farm egg, sesame seeds, toasted pepitas, pickled onion and cherry tomato. She also received a plate of fresh “birthday” pastries, complete with lit candle to celebrate her 18th. 

The breakfast menu also includes a wide selection of “from the griddle” plates, lighter options, sides and fresh juices. I ordered a green juice that was a refreshingly light and tasty accompaniment to my eggs benedict. 

It’s also important to note that MKT Restaurant overlooks Market Street, making it an especially charming atmosphere in the evening, when the city is alight.

Concierge expertise

As mentioned earlier, Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco is an optimal location for visiting the city’s popular destinations and hidden gems. To help get you where you need to go, the concierges are at the ready. These helpful experts pull out a map, tell you the best way to get to your destination (Waymo, walking, Uber or taxi) and show areas to avoid (for safety reasons). 

We were effortlessly shown how to get to nearby Japantown, Union Station and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA).

Fun fact: One of the concierges — Nelson — has been at the Four Seasons for several years and trained with one of the first-ever concierges in the U.S.! 

Extraordinary service

Several times throughout our stay, Four Seasons staff would say something to the effect of, “We want to make sure you’re happy,” or “We want you to have the best experience possible,” and they lived up to their proclamations. 

From front-desk team members like David who gave us sea lion plushies (in honor of Pier 39’s famous resident sea lions) to Tawnia, Ali and Suman at MKT (recommending all the mouthwatering options) and the entire concierge team, everyone went above and beyond to ensure our stay was a magical one. And since it was, we had to give it a Bestie designation. 

Birthday anecdote

To make Laura’s milestone birthday extra special, the Four Seasons team surprised her with a beautifully arranged Golden Gate Bridge-themed welcome amenity — complete with decadent treats fit for the occasion.

For more highlights of our San Francisco trip, check out our reel at @TheBestoftheSouthwest.com. Visit Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco for more information.