San Francisco, California, USA

We have just spent a busy and fun filled two nights in San Francisco, staying at the most beautiful hotel. If you haven’t considered a trip to San Francisco before, then you must, and I urge you to check out the Hilton San Francisco Union Square.

Accomodation
The Hilton San Francisco Union Square was located in the perfect location for us to be able to explore every special landmark that we wanted, in the short time we had in the city. We arrived in t evening to the most stunning view from our balcony. The night was so clear and we could see everything to the water. I will never forget that view. The hotel has 1921 air-conditioned rooms however the staff make each guest feel important. The rooms have refrigerators, flat-screen televisions, satellite programming with entertainment, and wired and wireless Internet access. They also have bathrooms with shower/ bath combinations and feature designer toiletries and hair dryers. The Hilton gave us three rooms for our stay which all interconnected. We had more than enough space for our family. The beds were incredible and we slept so well.

The hotel also has a 24-hour health club and an outdoor pool with hot tub. Additional features include complimentary wireless Internet access, concierge services, and gift shops/newsstands. There are also dining options, a coffee shop/cafe, a market place, and three bars/lounges.

We enjoyed a buffet breakfast every morning which was available from 6 AM to 10 AM. The children loved the pancakes, French toast and cereal selection. I enjoyed a warm cooked breakfast everyday.

One part of the hotel which we sadly didn’t make it to was the City Scape Bar on the 46th floor. Located 46 stories above the streets of Union Square, Cityscape is the tallest sky bar in San Francisco, and offers 360° views of the City by the Bay. They serve locally-inspired craft cocktails, top-shelf spirits, small plates, and some tasty beers and wines. You can enjoy the bar in the daytime with children, then in the evening it is an adults only venue for over 21’s.

Our Itinerary
Over the two night stay we managed to fit a lot into our itinerary. On our first full day we headed to Macy’s to do some shopping, it was only a few minutes walk from the Hilton. We shopped for winter coats and were really impressed with the range, and the sales as well.

After Macy’s we got the Hilton hotel car to take us to Pier 33 at the wharf, where we caught the ferry over to Alcatraz. We pre purchased the tickets which included the return ferry, entry to the jail and audio guided tour. I was blown away by this experience and how much the children enjoyed it. They followed the guide word for word, as it took them through the jail. The stories were told by ex inmates and prison guard and it was really interactive. This would have been my favourite thing we did in San Francisco.

When we got off of the ferry we got the children hot dogs from one of the many stalls lining the street. They thought they were delicious. We then walked down to Pier 39 to look at the famous sea lions and to eat fish chowder. Pier 39 as an attraction in itself with lots of restaurants, food stalls, rides and things to do.

We then headed back to the Hilton and went straight to the swimming pool and hot tub. It was like a welcome warm bath on a cold day. Rain was falling and it was just a beautiful moment playing in the pool as a family, in the middle of this beautiful city.

For dinner that evening we enjoyed UberEats in the room, on our dining table. We got burgers and American style fries from a restaurant called The Melt.

The next morning we woke up and enjoyed our second buffet breakfast of our stay. After breakfast we walked to the Market and Powell turnaround, to check out the famous San Francisco cable cars. Unfortunately they weren’t working that day, but we were able to get some cute family pictures with the cars. A hot tip for the cable cars it to book your tickets on the MuniMobile app.

Last for our trip was a driving tour of the city, to take in the final few sights that we wanted to see. We drove past the famous ‘Painted Ladies’ houses, drove down the windy Lombard Street and finally over the Golden Gate Bridge as we exited the city.