The city's known for its foggy disposition, but actually we get about 160 sunny days a year (Karl really only works part time). Here are some of the best hotel spots to soak in some vitamin D. Or just watch the fog roll by. This is still San Francisco after all. There's more than enough grounds to go around on the spacious Fairmont rooftop gardens. Stroll beneath date palms and pollarded cypresses while enjoying views of Coit Tower and downtown. Or if you prefer a higher elevation, the crazy awesome 6,000 sq. ft. penthousegives you a terrace all unto yourself.
The Phoenix Hotel could be considered climate controlled. There's a pool for those warmer days (and there's nothing like a shag-carpeted, open-courtyarded motel to turn up the heat) and for the rest of the year the furnace keeps the water at a sensuous 65 degrees. If you can't nab a front row spot pool-side catch the action from the courtyard walkways or heated outdoor dining room (comes with fireplace, and nostalgia).
Not only is the Inn at the Presidio your gateway to over 1000 acres of prime government forest, but there's also a swanky firepit feature that only guests have access to. Enjoy a glass of wine on the wide veranda while watching out for winged or marsupial wildlife (sometimes we even get goats). Added perk: while staying during the summer you'll be the first in line Sundays for the mimosa train on the main Presidio lawn.
If a more urban approach is for you, the St. Regis puts you right in the heart of our fair city while also providing a giant, modernist terrace from which to people watch over in Yerba Buena Gardens. Violent and abrasive slashes of phormiums keep you on your toes while you sip a cosmopolitan and wonder when MoMa will ever reopen. · Karl the Fog [Twitter]
· Days of Sunshine Per Year in California [Current Results]
· The Phoenix Hotel [Main Site]
· The Fairmont [Main Site]
· Inn at the Presidio [Main Site]
·St Regis San Francisco [Main Site]
·Mountain Lake Goats [SF Curbed]
·Off the Grid [Main Site]