I'm a Fan

Yes, I'm a Fan. Of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in San Francisco. We country mice do know how to live a little bit high on the hog, especially when we are celebrating our 12th wedding anniversary, and have a friend in the swanky hotel business.

My surprise began in the elevator, when Toby blindfolded me with my scarf as we zoomed up to the 43rd floor. I stepped carefully behind him down the hall, where the bellman opened the door for us and I felt the warm sun coming through the window at the edge of the room. Voilá! The scarf withdrawn I open my eyes to see the top of the Transamerica Pyramid glowing back at me, close enough to almost touch.

What to do first? I have one primary ritual for hotel rooms, which began in childhood: I jump on the bed. Though this time, following a long drive down from a birthday party at Orr Hot Springs in Mendocino, and after a few visits to Alexander Valley wineries, my jump was more of a bouncy roll across the 10,000 thread sheets.

The sheets are divine! So silky in feel they’re like cool liquid against my skin. My toes had tiny orgasms, my ankles had bigger ones, as I circled my feet in the depths of the bed.

We had dinner plans at Jardiniere, so took a quick tub that evening in the bathroom with the skyscraper view. We enjoyed another bath in the morning, complete with binoculars to take a closer look at the city’s mile-high architecture, freighters coming into port (the Maple Empress arrived early on our morning) and itty-bitty bird-life.

Thank you to General Manager Sal Abaunza, our dapper friend in the biz, who so kindly arranged our room for us. For years he ran the lovely, rustic, Ventana Inn and Spa, and we connected over our love of fine wines, old movies, and small-town community. We invited him to stay with his wife at our home, to sleep under the stars and watch the Milky Way move across the heavens.

Photos by Toby Rowland-Jones & Linda Sonrisa.
Ridge Geyserville wine Sal's thank you gift from us.