Argonaut Hotel San Francisco

One of the coolest hotels on Fisherman's Wharf, run by KimptonHotels in partnership with the Maritime National Historic Park, and located half a block from the Bay, the Argonaut (http://www.argonauthotel.com/) is the hotel to be in if you're on a tour of San Francisco with the family. Call it the perfect storm, but the Argonaut has everything going for it, if you look at it from a kid friendly angle. First there's the location which, at least for the Golden State, is second best after Anaheim.

Secondly, there's the Kimpton Kids program or bonus or whatever you prefer to call it, which makes each Kimpton hotel a welcome respite for Mom & Pop who're having difficulty remembering just why they wanted to have kids whose sole job seems to be to give parents plenty of experience in crisis management.

Kimpton Kids literally takes the kids off your hands, by providing adult supervision along with all sorts of diversions and attractions to keep the kids occupied, not to mention taking care of all the drudgery of raising children, like laundry and cleaning up the mess and cribs and strollers and stuff. Combine this with the terrific options to spend a day out in San Francisco - Shopping, dining, sight seeing, ocean cruises and simply experiencing the streets and markets - And you have all the makings of a splendid family vacation which will ooze the stress of urban living out of you like a wet sponge being squeezed.

The guest rooms have panaromic views of the Golgen Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island. The decor, as befitting a Bay hotel, has a maritime streak running through the entire hotel including the 239 rooms and 13 suites, and the net effect is that the entire building looks like a giant cruise liner which has accidently run aground. The suites even have a telescope and a spa tub, and you can delude yourself into play-acting Captain Jack Sparrow.

The rooms are loaded with all the requisite modernity, including complimentary internet, coffee makers with complimentary Starbucks coffee (that's one thing you cannot escape from in this liberal oasis), Sony Wega flat screen television, on demand movies and a Nintendo for the kids, in roomspa services, gourmet treats in a stocked honor bar, hairdryer, iron & ironing board, complimentary newspaper, spa tubs with seperate and enclosed glass showers, and you have full Concierge services (they're really good, especially if you forgot to book tickets in advance), room service, laundry and valet and the hotel is pet friendly. Room rates start at $212 for a single room and onwards upto $1049 for a Specialty Bay View suite with two rooms and a jetted tub.

Dining options at the Argonaut, in addition to the excellent restaurants on Fisherman's Wharf, include the next door seafood restaurant, the Blue Mermaid Chowder House & Bar. The restaurant provides a resonably priced menu with attractive options for full family dining, along with a splendid outdoor patio seating so as to be able to enjoy the view.

Info: Argonaut Hotel :- 495 Jefferson Street at Hyde, San Francisco, CA 94109; Reservations: 866-415-0704; Hotel: 415-563-0800

Web links: San Francisco family hotels, restaurants, shopping, visitors, City Pass

Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa

As you roll to a stop in front of the brilliant blue waters of Monterey Bay, the fresh tang of the salty ocean wind hits your nostrils and your lungs fill with the freshness of the Pacific. The sound of waves breaking against the rocks below beckons you to waters edge where otters slip and slide in a messy tangle of squeaks and grunts, creating a contrast to the peace and harmony of the ocean stretching out into the horizon.

Behind you are the pleasures of Cannery Row and the wonders of the Monterey Bay Acquarium, three blocks from the hotel. Welcome to the Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa, sitting on a ledge overlooking the Bay.

Once inside, the stately European architecture, the dated decor and the sheer spaciousness of the resort, dripping with luxury, make it obvious why the Monterey Plaza is regarded as one of the premier holiday destination hotels in the Golden State. One might think that with such an unmatchable location and tourist attractions nearby, the hotel would just focus on the rooms, and let the guests enjoy Cannery Row and the Bay and nearby beach towns.

But the Monterey Plaza seems to harbor no such charitable intentions, and aims to keep guests in-house as much as possible with a bevy of superlative services and amenities, including a fell featured Spa on the top floor with a sundeck and a birds-eye view of the Bay, a couple of award winning restaurants - 'The Duck Club Grill' & 'Scooter's Bistro on the Bay' - which dish out superlative cuisine, and other special events organized to keep the guests happy and busy.

The 290 guest rooms and suites, with a view of either the Bay or Cannery Row throough large draped windows, aren't so bad either. As with the structure of the building, the rooms and furnishings are awash in a distinctly 19th-century Biedermeier style, with ceiling fans and large marble baths. In-room amenities include a writing desk, coffee maker, iron & ironing board, a wet bar & stocked mini-bar & a refrigerator, and television with on command video systems. Additional itens, such as cribs and rollaway beds are available upon request. Room rates start at $240. $20 extra for a rollaway bed. Cribs are free. Children 17 and under are allowed to stay free if sharing a room with adults.

The hotel also offers specials 'Family Getaway Package' for $515 per night, which covers everything required for a full family Monterey vacation, including deluxe accommodations for two adults and two children in a suite with connecting rooms, passes for the full family to the Monterey Bay Aquarium good for two consecutive days, Breakfast in the Duck Club Grill and lunch or dinner in Schooner's Bistro, complimentary in room family movie, and waiver of the nightly $25 resort fee charged to other guests, which includes 24-hour valet parking, wireless internet access, and use of the spa facilities for guests 18 and older. Simply put, you pay for the hotel, and everything else gets taken care of. It doesn't get better than this, if you're looking for a family hotel in Monterey.

Info: 400 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA 93940; (831) 646-1700 or (800) 334-3999